Audi A5 Avant Review & Prices

‘Avant’ in Audi-speak means estate car, so the A5 Avant is the estate version of the Audi A5 Saloon. It’s a good-looking wagon with a high-tech interior, but if you’re looking for ultimate practicality - and if you’re after an estate, it’s likely that you are - then you might be disappointed that it has one of the smallest boots of any of its alternatives.

Despite its name, the A5 Avant is a direct successor to the old A4 Avant. But with its sloping tailgate and stylish lines, there’s a little of the A5 Coupe in it, too. Unfortunately, that rakish silhouette limits practicality, proving that, in this case, you do have to suffer for beauty. Shame.

In size terms, the A5 Avant’s clearest alternatives are the Mercedes C-Class Estate and BMW 3 Series Touring - though you could also consider the Skoda Superb Estate, the Volvo V60, or an electric alternative such as the Volkswagen ID7 Tourer.

The design of the A5 Avant won’t blow you away, but it’s pretty smart nonetheless. At the front it’s unmistakably Audi, with a wide grille and sharp LED headlights. Behind the rear doors is where it deviates from the A5 Saloon - you get an estate body with a longer roof, but still with a sloping tailgate for extra style and improved aerodynamics. Underneath the rear window sits a full-width lightbar. It’s similar to the larger A6 e-tron.

Inside it’s pretty typical Audi too. The dashboard is dominated by a huge, sweeping twin-screen infotainment setup, and in addition to this and a high-res head-up display you can even option a screen for the front passenger. It’s an arrangement virtually identical to the new A6, A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron ranges.

While the old A4’s infotainment was definitely behind the times, this new system does feel slightly overkill - it can be information overload and the lack of physical buttons means in some respects it’s a step back in usability.

It’s a step back in quality too, with materials that look great but don’t stand up to the scrutiny that the rock-solid A4 shrugged off. It’s no longer notably better-built than a Mercedes C-Class, which is a shame.

Space inside should suit a small family - there’s room enough in the back for child seats or lanky teens, and the slightly higher roofline versus the A5 Saloon means there’s more headroom for tall passengers. It’s not best suited to carrying three back there, though, nor is it as roomy as a Volkswagen Passat.

The boot lags behind all the main alternatives too - at a maximum of 476 litres (and even less in the diesel) it’s notably less spacious than a C-Class Estate or a 3 Series Touring.

The A5 Avant is offered with petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid engines. The petrol is the cheapest, the diesel the most efficient on long drives and the plug-in hybrid is the most cost-effective company car.

All offer punchy performance, though, and while most models are front-wheel drive Audi’s famed quattro all-wheel drive system is available on the diesel. While no version is as enjoyable to drive as a BMW 3 Series Touring, the A5 is comfortable on the motorway, easy to drive around town and feels solid and planted on a twisty country road.

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The Audi A5 Avant costs about £2,000 more than the equivalent A5 saloon, but like that version, the A5 Avant sits in the middle of the estate versions of the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series.

The Skoda Superb Estate and Volkswagen Passat are something of a bargain by comparison. Both have smart interiors, though they’re nowhere near as high-tech as the A5 Avant, and neither has the Audi’s badge appeal, so choosing between them will come down to personal preference as much as budget.

The A5 Avant does at least come well-equipped as standard to justify the price tag, with adaptive cruise control, that fantastic twin-screen setup inside and leather upholstery all included on the entry-level Sport trim. Upgrade to S line and you get a sporty body kit and sports seats, while top-spec Edition 1 cars get Matrix LED headlights, a 360-degree camera, and big, 20-inch alloy wheels.

Not as much fun as a 3 Series but the A5 Avant doesn’t disgrace itself in any driving situation - it’s just quite nice

In town

If you’re used to sitting up high in an SUV then the A5 Avant’s driving position will probably feel quite low and vulnerable, but you get good visibility out even despite the dramatic roofline, so you feel reassured you can see everything going on. You get plenty of cameras and sensors to help with parking, too.

The A5 uses hybrid tech on the petrol and diesel engine variants, which while it’s not quite such a full-fat system as you get on a Toyota Prius does allow you to pootle along in traffic or at low speeds with the engine off. The diesel engine in particular is quite noisy when it re-engages, though, and the whole system feels a bit clunkier than a proper hybrid setup.

Of course, if you want more electric capability, the A5 Avant plug-in hybrid can do up to 66 miles on pure electric power alone, enough to go right across a big city without burning any petrol at all - provided you’re charged up.

The steering in all A5 variants feels light and direct, and the suspension does a decent job of ironing out potholes and speed bumps. A Volvo V60 is more comfortable, though.

On the motorway

Cruising down the motorway for hours at a time is where posh estate cars typically shine, and that’s true of the A5 Avant as well. It’s quiet, refined, and more comfortable than a BMW 3 Series Touring - even if the diesel engine is a bit noisier.

All models get adaptive cruise control and a suite of safety aids, so long trips are a breeze. You’ll get the best motorway economy from the diesel model, but even the petrol versions are surprisingly frugal on a long run.

On a twisty road

While the A5 Avant is more comfortable than a 3 Series Touring on the motorway, it’s the BMW that’s by far the more engaging car to drive down a twisty road. The Audi responds quickly with sharp, accurate steering and not too much body lean, but you don’t really get any feedback about what the tyres are doing and if you head into a corner quickly you’re more likely to scrabble about for grip than you are to power round it like the BMW would do.

It’s not bad by any stretch, but you won’t go seeking out fun roads like you would in the 3 Series Touring. Still, the optional quattro all-wheel drive gives a welcome dose of extra grip in bad weather, and it feels slightly less lumbering than the larger VW Passat or Skoda Superb.

Space for rear passengers is decent, but the boot is one of the smallest in an estate car - and it gets even smaller depending on your engine

There’s absolutely tons of adjustment for drivers of all shapes and sizes to get comfortable in the A5 Avant. The seats go back so far that even tall drivers won’t be able to reach the pedals - basketball players rejoice - and you get nice extras like an adjustable length seat base and electric lumbar support.

The instrument display is quite tall, though, so you may find the top of it is obscured by the steering wheel depending on your driving position. You may also find yourself sitting higher than you would usually to see over it.

Storage for smaller items is okay - the door bins are roomy, with space for a big bottle, and the cupholders are nice and deep. The wireless phone charger also angles your phone away from you, which is ideal - it keeps it within reach, but out of sight.

Space in the back seats

The space in the rear seats is generous - roomier than either a 3 Series Touring or a Mercedes C-Class Estate. Six-foot adults can get reasonably comfortable, and the higher roofline of this Avant model means they won’t struggle for headroom like they might in the A5 saloon.

It’s a squeeze for three in the back, though - the centre seat is hard, narrow, higher-up than the outer two and has a huge hump in the floor to contend with. Better treat it as a comfortable two-seater back there.

There’s decent space to fit a child seat, and the doors open nice and wide. You get ISOFIX points on both outer rear seats.

Boot space

The A5 Avant’s boot is pretty disappointing, especially considering an estate car is supposed to be the last word in practicality. A maximum capacity of 476 litres in the petrol model drops to 448 litres if you opt for the diesel, and a pathetic 361 litres in the e-Hybrid plug-in hybrid.

Compare that with 490 litres in the Mercedes C-Class Estate, 500 litres in the BMW 3 Series Touring or 529 litres in the Volvo V90 and the Audi looks a bit puny - and that’s before you’ve even considered the vast 690-litre space in the VW Passat.

Granted, those cars lose some space in their plug-in hybrid forms too - the C-Class matches the Audi with 360 litres, but the BMW 330e Touring has 410 litres of space, the Passat 483 litres. The Volvo V60’s capacity is unchanged.

The A5's boot even has a bit of a lip at the edge, making it feel more like a hatchback than an estate car - and the sharply sloping rear window limits its utility in carrying big, boxy items. At least the rear seats fold down easily and lay totally flat, plus the rear seats fold 40:20:40 for maximum flexibility.

High-tech look and feel with fast-responding software, but doesn’t feel particularly luxurious

The A5 Avant uses the same dashboard arrangement as Audi’s other recent models - the A6, A6 e-tron, Q6 e-tron and Q5 family. That means that in front of you sits a mammoth twin-screen set-up with a high-def 11.9-inch driver’s display and a 14.5-inch infotainment screen, set under a seamless sheet of glass.

This central screen controls just about everything in the car, including the climate - it’s a shame Audi didn’t buck this trend by fitting physical buttons, as they’re so much easier to use on the move. The screen itself is responsive and slick, but it has so many functions that it can be menu overload if you’re trying to change a specific setting.

Top-spec cars also get an additional 10.1-inch display for the passenger side, which cleverly hides itself from the driver’s view when it’s displaying something distracting. It allows the front passenger to watch videos or control the car’s functions without using the central screen, but this to us is a bit of a gimmick - your passenger would probably prefer to consume content on their smartphone like the rest of the world.

The rest of the cabin is a bit hit and miss. There are some really nice materials - especially the top of the dash - but other areas feel plasticky and there’s far too much fingerprint-magnet shiny black trim around. Proper buttons have also been replaced with haptic touch controls in places like the steering wheel and the door panel, which feel cheap under your finger. At least it’s not as creaky as a Mercedes C-Class Estate’s dashboard, though.

You get a choice of four engines in the A5 Avant. There’s a 2.0-litre petrol with either 150hp or 204hp, a 2.0-litre diesel with 204hp, or a 2.0-litre petrol plug-in hybrid called the e-Hybrid.

Petrol models are the cheapest, and while the 150hp unit isn’t exactly rapid it’s more than enough for driving round town and should also return more than 40mpg on a long run. The more powerful petrol feels much more urgent, though, for very little fuel economy penalty, and is well worth the extra money.

The diesel is the most sensible choice, though. With excellent fuel economy - over 50mpg in town thanks to its hybrid system and closer to 60mpg on a long run - it’ll prove very cost-effective to run, and its low-down power delivery suits the A5 Avant well. It’s also available with quattro four-wheel drive, though this does dent the fuel economy by around 5mpg.

The e-Hybrid is the pick of the range for company car drivers thanks to its low CO2 emissions. It’s capable of up to 66 miles on a full charge, officially - expect closer to 50 in the real world - which is better than the 330e Touring but not as far as the Mercedes C300e Estate can manage. You’ll want a VW Passat or Skoda Superb Estate if you really want to save a buck on your Benefit-in-Kind, though - both of those have enough electric range to slot into a lower band than the Audi.

All A5 Avants cost more than £40,000, and so attract the expensive car supplement on Vehicle Excise Duty in years two through six of ownership.

The Audi A5 range scored a full five stars in Euro NCAP’s crash testing - the individual scores weren’t quite as impressive as in Audi’s electric cars, which are some of the highest recorded, but they still make the A5 a very safe option.

You get all the standard safety kit you’d expect, with adaptive cruise control on all models. Top-spec cars get extras including a blind spot monitor and 360-degree camera system, plus a setup that prepares the car when it senses an imminent impact to protect the passengers.

If you want to turn off the more annoying excesses of the mandatory safety systems, Audi fits a shortcut button by the gear selector. One press takes you to a customisable screen where you can select which items you want easy access to.

Audi’s reputation for reliability isn’t the finest, and the brand came just 19th out of 31 manufacturers in the 2025 Driver Power survey. That’s behind Mercedes, BMW and Volvo.

There’s a three-year warranty, which has unlimited mileage in the first two years - but just 60,000 miles if you want coverage to last for the full three. That’s similar to BMW and Mercedes, though Lexus offers up to ten years of cover with regular servicing at an approved dealer.