Audi A5

Casey Williams, www.car-data.com

Think about this for a fun time. Let’s get a high-powered purebred sport coupe and drive it intothe worst storm of a Michigan winter. There will be lots of ice, deep snow, semi trucks sprayingsalt residue, and crazy lunatics in 4×4 trucks who discover the limits of adhesion by way of centermedians and guardrails. Sound fun? Probably not, but the Audi A5 proved to be a snow blower beyondreproach during my drive to the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

It wouldn’t be my first wintry drive to Detroit. In college, my grandmother threatened to neverlet me go again after a long night on the road in my Geo Spectrum. I knew this year would be arepeat when 45 minutes North of Indianapolis, a Buick Park Avenue did a full-out pirouette acrosstwo lanes, a median, two more lanes, barely missing a salt truck, and nose-dived down a hill intothe woods. Had I been driving a number of distinguished domestic sport coupes, I would haveimmediately sought refuge at the nearest Motel 6 and waited out the wrath of Mother Nature inwarmth and safety.

However, in the A5, the Quattro all-wheel-drive system and electronic stability control weredoing such a good job that I didn’t realize the gravity of low friction until I let off the gas andgave the systems a chance to re-adjust with a quick flick. I almost wet my pants when the Buickwent a-blitz, but settled into the safety net provided by Audi. Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakesworked just as well on the slick roads as they do when bringing the car down from triple digits inthe dry.

Closest I came to biting it came while dusting a semi truck in the passing lane with 4′ of snowand drifted a little too far to the left. As stability control grabbed my bum, I put power to thewheels, let the Quattro system sort things out, and steered back to my lane with heart a-beating.

Interior trim and forms are as elegant and luxurious as a suite at the Beverly Hilton.Navigation worked flawlessly, audio sounded great, and Sirius Satellite radio was a great travelingcompanion to relieve my driving stress. Real wood warms the space and contrasts with the high-techbarrage coming from the multi-function display screen that manages navigation, audio, and climatesystems. Sirius Satellite Radio and 10-speakers kept me company during the drive; Bluetooth phoneconnectivity and a rear backing camera delivered me in touch and safe. Heated leather seats smelledlike Heaven and warmed like Hell. Way cool, the display screen shows a faux dial as you set theseat temperature.

Just as I was dealing with the slick roadways, the windshield began to get its own coat.De-icing the steeply angled window by putting the defroster on high eventually scooted the ice.However, the 6-position heated seats roasted me. And, when I turned the climate system back to’Auto’ and ’70′, the air-conditioner came on! In an ice storm. Then, the apparently undefeatablerain-sensing wipers couldn’t tell the difference between a sheet of ice on the windshield andMonsoon rains. To make peace with the weather and electronic wizards, I eventually turned off thewipers and used the one-flip swipe mode to manage frizzle and road mist. No other car would havedone any better.

It’s a shame that salt and snow blotted out the car’s stunningly beautiful body and exteriordesign that is equal parts bank vault German and British elegance. From the rear and front, the caris as exotic as an R8, but from the side could be mistaken for a Bentley Continental. LED headlampsand taillamps, as well as adaptive headlamps, illuminate with the voracity of summer sunshine.

While in Detroit, the weather finally gave me a break and melted enough snow off the road toallow some fun. It was pure joy to step into the A5′s 265-horsepower DOHC 3.2-litre V6 engine,paddle shift the six-speed automatic transmission, and claw pavement with all four wheels. I drovethe hyper-powered S5 over the summer and found it to be a handful during anything but full-outstorming. Totally different, the A5 is docile around town, but steps up when called. The suspensionis stiff, steering is quick, and brakes grab’just as an exclusive GT should. Fuel economy rates areasonable 18/27-MPG city/hwy.

An Audi A5 many not be completely beyond reproach. It definitely needs snow tires ‘ the lowprofile tread did well, but often felt like they would have preferred a nice long dry highwayinstead of Michigan’s January. I almost snipped a concrete wall on a ramp near downtown when theyrefused to grab. Rear passengers are advised to seek an A4 instead. I’m just glad I wasn’t drivingthe hard-charging S5 ‘ or so many muscle cars that would have been in three ditches past Sundayalongside the Buick Park Avenue. Few coupes can claim to be so much during the worst. Price astested came to $48,300, making the A5 competitive with the BMW 3-Series Coupe, Mercedes CLK,Infiniti G37, and Hyundai Genesis Coupe.