Audi A5 Cabriolet. A Question Posed

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Bizarrely though, I do not bring these observations up so that they may be used as withering condemnations. Indeed, it was these observations – and one button on the dashboard – that highlighted the character of the A5 Cabriolet. The button was Drive Select, and the character is ‘dynamic’.

Sport. Sport Plus. Race. None of these terms are used by Audi on its drive select system. But when talking about the A5 Cabriolet, the company’s favouring of ‘dynamic’ over punchier, more aggressive terminology seems all the more appropriate: through the A5’s 3.0-litre V6 powertrain, there’s oomph to experience and fun to be had, but don’t expect blistering on-track prowess.

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Select the Dynamic drive mode – using Audi’s somewhat counter-intuitive rotary dial menu system – and response to tightened suspension and adjusted engine mapping is seen through the rev counter as the needle rises rather than felt through the steering wheel or seats.

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Plant the right foot – and you will – and 272hp from the 3.0-litre petrol engine will be enough to boot the cabriolet from standstill to 100kph in 6.3s onto a top speed of 250kph. Hardly sluggish. Under heavy acceleration, a muted roar emanates from the exhaust valves, which seems appropriate: the tone is neither shouty nor aggressive, and acts merely as an accompaniment to the driving experience rather than attempting to define it. Indeed, keep the right foot planted and the rate with which engine revs hurdle the redline suggest the Quattro engine is capable of some serious punishment.

It’s unlikely though that a drive in the A5 Cabriolet will come to this. Leaving quibbles with the steering, brakes and gear changes aside, the whole package feels too genteel to encourage energetic driving, and chances are after a quick dynamic spin the gearbox will be slotted back into automatic, the drive mode select put back into Comfort, and the remainder of the drive completed at a much more leisurely pace.

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Interestingly, given my earlier thoughts on convertible driving, I now seem to have gone the other way with the Audi A5 Cabriolet. Well yes, of sorts. Vagaries concerning the steering, braking and gear changes do make for slightly disappointing drivability, and controls designed to make the life behind the wheel easier at times did anything but (it took the best part of ten minutes on my part to find the steering column adjustment lever). Saying that though, there’s little doubt that the enigmatic Cabriolet is a comfortable and – overall – pleasant environment in which to spend an hour or two. A tweak here or there and stow the roof, and Audi may just have something here.

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