2010 Audi A5 Review
Around Cars.com's Chicago office, autumn is a dubious season to evaluate a convertible. Most days are too brisk for top-down driving, but it's not yet cold enough to write off trying. So you do, and then you regret that you did. Then you stare at the car with the top back up and wonder if you ought to try again.
Audi, for its part, makes this all pretty easy. The A5 Cabriolet's cloth top powers down in less than 20 seconds, and when your senses get the better of you, it returns to its perch nearly as fast. The car doesn't offer the spectacle of a folding metal hardtop, but Snow Belt drivers who don't have the means to get a different winter car will appreciate Audi's inclusion of all-wheel drive, an option that's rare among convertibles.
One thing to note: Like many Audis, the A5's driving experience is polarizing. A few miles into your test drive, I suspect you'll know exactly which camp you're in. I'm a convert — slight pun intended — mostly because, idiosyncrasies aside, the A5 is big on common-sense accommodations.