Audi's reputation for interior quality is still venerable: Few cabins in this price range have such consistently high-quality finishes no matter where you look. It's no slam-dunk — a few controls, from the turn-signal stalk to the global window switch, feel low-rent — but it's good overall, even for this price range.

More impressive is the A5's accommodating nature. It's the sort of thing you wouldn't expect in a convertible, let alone one from the European school of stop-whining-and-drive. The center armrest adjusts upward and forward for shorter drivers. Motorized seat belt extenders present front occupants their belts upon starting the car. Backseat passengers can have their own manual climate zone and even overhead reading lights, which the convertible top swallows as it retracts. Nifty, and not typical convertible fare. The rear backrests also fold down to accommodate cargo that's too long for the trunk — another feature few convertibles offer.

The cabin feels snug, with short windows and A-pillars positioned far enough ahead that they may obstruct sightlines for some drivers. I had decent headroom with the driver's seat powered all the way up, and I'm 5-foot-11. More concerning were the bucket seats' backrests; over the course of a two-state road trip, a passenger and I found them too firm. Our tester had sport seats with thicker side bolsters, so it's possible the base seats offer more backrest cushioning. Be sure to try out both styles.

In back, headroom and legroom are snug, but it's a workable setup. Not bad, considering this is a convertible.

Audi's latest-generation Multi Media Interface represents a significant improvement over its MMI predecessor, but there's still room for improvement. We detail why in the "Updated Multi Media Interface" section of our Q5 review.