Move to an A5

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MarcQuinlivan

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I was over with my local VW\Audi dealer on the way home from work. They opened in December but were operating both dealerships out of the VW showroom, but just this past week have opened up in a dedicated Audi showroom and finally got their full range into it.

They had a basic 1.8T A3 Cab in Deep Blue Sea. Nice colour, but the 16in alloys and standard suspension made it look like a tractor. There's some nice detail features on it such as the aluminium strip at the top of the exterior door handles and some other spots around the car. Still don't think I'd buy one though. It was €41,000 and you'd need to spend another 6-7 grand to get a half decent one. I'd say there'd be little change from 50k for the spec I'd be after.

They had two lovely A5s in the showroom. A Phantom Black 2.7TDI and a blue 1.8T. The 1.8T was 51k but had the 3 grand leather option and upgraded wheels and some other stuff I probably wouldn't want and it was 51k. The 1.8T engine has just been reduced today by 4 grand for July delivery - they've brought a new Vehicle Registration Tax system over here based on emissions where previously it was based on engine size.

I'll be seriously considering the A5 when it comes time to change. I'd say 55-60k would get me the one I want with all the trimmings. The all new A3 won't be out when it comes time to change, so I don't want to be stuck with an old model after 8-12 months.

Anybody else of the same opinion?

I took a look at the A5 forum earlier and it seems to be emptier than the bar on the marie celeste. There's only been a total of 27 threads started on it. I wonder if that means that the average A5 buyer has better things to do with their time than hang around on a forum!
 
You're talking euro's obviously...
If you take a look at my thread lower down i'm looking to order an A5 3.0 TDI asap however i can't get a straight answer as to whether or not the S-Line is coming to the UK. I hear it might not be due to our petrol prices and it'd kill the S5.
I'm not ordering a sport model til i know for sure.

I don't agree that the A5 is a replacement for the A3/S3 at all...It's a very different animal.
 
yeah, totally different ball game...

even in €'s its what... about £44k.
 
MarcQuinlivan said:
I took a look at the A5 forum earlier and it seems to be emptier than the bar on the marie celeste. There's only been a total of 27 threads started on it. I wonder if that means that the average A5 buyer has better things to do with their time than hang around on a forum!
Click to expand...

I assume you're referring to http://www.audia5forum.com/? If so then yes, it's :tumble: For dedicated A5 discussion you need to be looking at http://www.a5oc.com/forums/ - a very busy community there. :thumbsup:
 
No idea, seems very very expensive to me!! Thats S5 money, not A5.
Anyway, anyone going from an S3 to an A5 would probably hate it and think it was too flabby and unresponsive and they'd be right compared to a hot hatch.

I just like the road presence, looks and general feel of it. It's not for everyone.
 
I am keen on an A5... I think they just look great with sports suspension and in black!!!

Pedro
 
When I look at them in pictures on the web I quite often think they look a bit odd but there is a black one at my local Audi dealer and whenever I see it out and about it looks awesome. So much nicer in the metal.

I like the New A4 S-line better though
 
Kontraband said:
£55k for an A5... is that GBP??
Click to expand...
No it's euros, but we get crippled with Vehicle Registration Tax and VAT, so for the 1.8T it is whatever the base price is plus 26% VRT plus 21% VAT. Cars here are so much more expensive than in the UK. An S3 is 60k, S5 90k and an RS4 is 110k.

PNH80 said:
If you take a look at my thread lower down i'm looking to order an A5 3.0 TDI asap however i can't get a straight answer as to whether or not the S-Line is coming to the UK. I hear it might not be due to our petrol prices and it'd kill the S5.
I'm not ordering a sport model til i know for sure.
Click to expand...
They are selling the A5 in S-line trim over here. I've passed a rather fetching 3.0TDI S-Line in Misano Red several times near my home.

JohnC said:
I assume you're referring to http://www.audia5forum.com/? If so then yes, it's :tumble: For dedicated A5 discussion you need to be looking at http://www.a5oc.com/forums/ - a very busy community there. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
No, I meant the A5 section of ASN.

newbiecrg said:
I am keen on an A5... I think they just look great with sports suspension and in black!!!

Pedro
Click to expand...
Yeah, they had a phantom black A5 in the showroom with the talon wheels and it looked fab. Probably a bitch to keep clean, but it looks the part.
 
audi upgrades
PNH80 said:
You're talking euro's obviously...
If you take a look at my thread lower down i'm looking to order an A5 3.0 TDI asap however i can't get a straight answer as to whether or not the S-Line is coming to the UK. I hear it might not be due to our petrol prices and it'd kill the S5.
I'm not ordering a sport model til i know for sure.

I don't agree that the A5 is a replacement for the A3/S3 at all...It's a very different animal.
Click to expand...
I picked up the A5 brochure while i was over there and it has the S-Line in it. Does the UK brochure have it?
 
The prices in Ireland are on a par with Turkey mate. I paid 35K Euros for my 1.4 TFSi Sport. Not good.
 
A5 is a fantastic looking car but its a big ole motor.

I guess the S5 is a laugh and the RS5 (when it comes) will be better again.
Apart from selling a kidney and buying the yet to be released RS5 (if it is) a cant see a scenario when I would feel the need to buy one.
For me its more of `looks amazing`, but wouldnt buy one`???

cheers
Paul
 
I find that, actually for the market where it is it is one of the most "sportly" proportionated coupe... low and wide!

Compare it with a 3 series coupe, a CLK... and the A5 looks the part!! IMHO

Pedro
 
Agree.
Ideal if you need a spacious, fine looking, motorway muncher.
Genuine head turner IMO.
 
Very nice cars - seen a few white ones and a few black ones. The 3.0Tdi seems to be very popular!

Saw an S5 in white coming back home today - yummy!
 
Just for the fun specced an A5 3.0TDI quattro and it came to 41k... Specced a S5 and it came to 44k... not much between them... A shame the S5 does not pump an extra 40hp from that V8... 354 does not seem a lot for a 4.2 V8. Especially when there areplenty S3 with 300+ hp....

Pedro
 
Pedro, we have the 3.0TDI model and it doesn't feel that much slower than the S5 that we had for a weekend. The S5 in Sprint Blue was a magnificent looking beast though, and the V8 sounded nice at full chat.

The A5 certainly is low and wide, and very purposeful but it is definitely not a drivers car. Our A5 cost £41k with chosen spec, more than the base of an S5.
 
MarcQuinlivan said:
I picked up the A5 brochure while i was over there and it has the S-Line in it. Does the UK brochure have it?
Click to expand...

No mate, see this is my current issue with Audi over the A5. The S-Line was released upon launch in every other country except the UK and Audi seem very very reluctant to discuss IF it's coming at all.
The fact is, it must be down to fuel costs and our obsession with sporty diesels. Audi are aware that a 3.0 TDI with S-Line pack would probably kill off most S5 sales with the current economic climate in the UK. This happened with the S4 and S6. No one wants them. If you're even slightly conscious of the running costs you'll go for the 3.0TDI which is almost as quick or if you have got the money you'll just wait for the full fat RS5.
So basically we're paying for Audi's bad badging and styling system. It's Audi who are killing their own cars....Not us!

You can't even spec S-Line on audi.co.uk, it's not an option. I'm refusing to place an order on a Sport model if i know the S-Line is coming but as usual Audi expect people to blindly part with their money just because it's an Audi. Just like the A3 facelift date farse, keep people in the dark, feed them sh*t and expect them to hand over 30-40K, no questions asked. It's rubbish.

Even if i ordered a Sport model i want it in either Avus Silver pearl, like my A3 (very sleek, looks amazing in sunlight and hides dirt a treat) or go all out and have Misano Red.... Hey guess what?!.... Both are S-Line exclusive colours!!! Honestly i'm getting ready to punch someone at Audi :banghead:.

Anyway i'll end my rant there BUT i'm giving it a month and if they're still staying tight lipped i'll decide whether or not to just go BMW :undwech:.

Paul.
 
PNH80 said:
No mate, see this is my current issue with Audi over the A5. The S-Line was released upon launch in every other country except the UK and Audi seem very very reluctant to discuss IF it's coming at all.
The fact is, it must be down to fuel costs and our obsession with sporty diesels. Audi are aware that a 3.0 TDI with S-Line pack would probably kill off most S5 sales with the current economic climate in the UK. This happened with the S4 and S6. No one wants them. If you're even slightly conscious of the running costs you'll go for the 3.0TDI which is almost as quick or if you have got the money you'll just wait for the full fat RS5.
So basically we're paying for Audi's bad badging and styling system. It's Audi who are killing their own cars....Not us!

You can't even spec S-Line on audi.co.uk, it's not an option. I'm refusing to place an order on a Sport model if i know the S-Line is coming but as usual Audi expect people to blindly part with their money just because it's an Audi. Just like the A3 facelift date farse, keep people in the dark, feed them sh*t and expect them to hand over 30-40K, no questions asked. It's rubbish.

Even if i ordered a Sport model i want it in either Avus Silver pearl, like my A3 (very sleek, looks amazing in sunlight and hides dirt a treat) or go all out and have Misano Red.... Hey guess what?!.... Both are S-Line exclusive colours!!! Honestly i'm getting ready to punch someone at Audi :banghead:.

Anyway i'll end my rant there BUT i'm giving it a month and if they're still staying tight lipped i'll decide whether or not to just go BMW :undwech:.

Paul.
Click to expand...

Have you spoken to Audi Customer Services about it?

Send Jeremy Hicks an email - jeremy.hicks@audi.co.uk - he's a director of Audi UK and I've dealt with him before. He'll probably pass your query to an assistant but you will get most likely have an initial response by the end of the day with a promise to follow up on your query within the week. Just make sure you don't go off on a rant - all you need to do is explain that you are in the process of ordering an A5 but that your dealer cannot give you assurances that the S-Line model will not be introduced down the line.

If all else fails and you cannot buy the S-Line in the UK, but still want one I can put you in touch with a dealer over here who will be more than happy to supply one to you. You may even save money on the deal as you would be exempt from the 21% VAT and 26% VRT. You would still need to pay 17.5% UK VAT and an the import duty which somebody told me before was £150 (not sure if that is right though). Your car would still be covered by under warranty by Audi UK. I actually get all my service work done in Belfast by Audi UK. The only difference is that Audi Ireland only provide a 2 year warranty.

You'd be surprised at the amount of UK customers who buy their cars over here. It would do you no harm to check it out to see if it would be worth your while. In fact I'll send my dealer a quick mail to find out the procedure for doing this and let you know.

I still reckon your best bet at getting a definitive answer on the S-Line's availability in the UK is to send Jeremy a polite email. Is it the 3.0TDI S-Line you are after? Any particular extras you'd want? Bear in mind that the Irish spec and UK spec may differ slightly, so something that may be standard in the UK may not be standard in Ireland.
 
MarcQuinlivan said:
Have you spoken to Audi Customer Services about it?

Send Jeremy Hicks an email - jeremy.hicks@audi.co.uk - he's a director of Audi UK and I've dealt with him before. He'll probably pass your query to an assistant but you will get most likely have an initial response by the end of the day with a promise to follow up on your query within the week. Just make sure you don't go off on a rant - all you need to do is explain that you are in the process of ordering an A5 but that your dealer cannot give you assurances that the S-Line model will not be introduced down the line.

If all else fails and you cannot buy the S-Line in the UK, but still want one I can put you in touch with a dealer over here who will be more than happy to supply one to you. You may even save money on the deal as you would be exempt from the 21% VAT and 26% VRT. You would still need to pay 17.5% UK VAT and an the import duty which somebody told me before was £150 (not sure if that is right though). Your car would still be covered by under warranty by Audi UK. I actually get all my service work done in Belfast by Audi UK. The only difference is that Audi Ireland only provide a 2 year warranty.

You'd be surprised at the amount of UK customers who buy their cars over here. It would do you no harm to check it out to see if it would be worth your while. In fact I'll send my dealer a quick mail to find out the procedure for doing this and let you know.

I still reckon your best bet at getting a definitive answer on the S-Line's availability in the UK is to send Jeremy a polite email. Is it the 3.0TDI S-Line you are after? Any particular extras you'd want? Bear in mind that the Irish spec and UK spec may differ slightly, so something that may be standard in the UK may not be standard in Ireland.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much for that Marc, appreciated.
I'll drop Jeremy a polite e-mail this morning and explain the situation.
I will also definitely look into the possibility of sourcing a car from Ireland if i get no response or no clear answer about the S-Line's release date.
Out of interest, could i not just go and collect the car in Ireland and drive it back? Or would it literally have to be shipped here and charged import tax/duty?
 
I'm not sure how it works exactly - I've emailed my dealer who should be able to provide clear information on what needs to be done.

If purchasing a car for export it will not be first registered with an Irish plate, you will be given what is called a "ZZ plate" which will allow you to drive it on the road for a given period.

"ZZ", administered by the AA Ireland as agents for the Revenue Commissioners, is given to registrants who are based outside the state and who only intend keeping the vehicle within the republic of Ireland for a period not exceeding one month. This form of temporary registration is usually used for vehicles that are purchased within the Republic of Ireland but exported by its new owner to another country directly after purchase. The format of the plate is ZZ followed by a five digit number.
Click to expand...

The DVLA website says
Registering the vehicle as 'new'
A 'brand new' vehicle can be driven to GB and registered as 'new' provided the vehicle:
  • is registered in GB quickly after collection - this is taken to be 14 days but may be extended to one calendar month at peak periods (eg prior to 1 March and 1 September)
  • only has reasonable delivery mileage
  • has not been previously permanently registered
UK law requires a vehicle to be UK taxed and registered for road use. To avoid difficulties, importers are advised to transport, rather than drive their vehicles from the port to home or first destination and to keep them off the road until they have been properly licensed and registered.
Click to expand...

That would suggest that it is OK to drive it to the customs office but that they would prefer you to transport it. Like I said, I don't know enough about it to give you a definitive answer, but I'll let you know as soon as Ihear from my dealer.
 
Brilliant, thanks marc. I'll wait for you to get back to me.
On another note, if i'm thinking of going down the leasing route it may cause big issues getting a car from Ireland. Depends if the leasing company are prepared to deal with an Irish dealer i guess...
 
Here is the resonse:

S-line is no problem to get here, manual 3.0 tdi basic price €62650, auto €65450, full s-line pack inside and out with multi function steering wheel and full leather costs an extra €8849 with avus silver or misano costing €1286. The specs on the car are pretty muck the same so just email me what he wants and i will get you a final figure with about 8 weeks delivery on the car. We arrange everything including insurance.
Click to expand...

Those prices are inclusive of VAT and VRT. I've asked him for the ex-VAT ex-VRT price. Can you give me an indication of the spec you'd be looking for and I'll get you a guide price.
 
That is brilliant Marc...And only 8 weeks for delivery?? I'm impressed.
I've e-mailed Jeremy with a polite explaination of the problem and i'm awaiting a response.
Obviously depending on that depends how far i investigate the Irish route.
Cheers for your efforts Marc.
 
I've had a mail back from him looking for an exact-ish spec and he'll get on to the distributor for a tax free price.

If you send me a rough spec of what you want on the car I'll send it on and that way you'll have some ammunition for Jeremy's assistant when they come back to you - i.e. "I can get this car for this price, why can't you supply it?". There'll be no obligation to purchase, it is only so the distributor can quote a tax free price.

Keep us posted on your response from Audi UK.
 
PM sent marc :o.k:
 
Interesting.... Just had an e-mail from a guy at a big leasing place, they put a LOT of business Audi's way. He says the guy at Audi has told him there are no plans for an S-Line is the UK as the market just isn't 'right' for it. E.g. because of petrol costs, an S-Line TDI would kill S5 sales.

To a point i agree. I have always thought the range should be:

Standard > Sport > S > RS.... With no S-line badging to confuse matters.

Probably no need for an S-Line. Just enrages me that the rest of the world has got it and we haven't!
 
S5 base price over here: €92,860
A5 3.0TDI base price: €61,900

With a 30 grand price difference the 3.0TDI won't be stepping on the S5s toes over here any time soon. Looks like Audi may have got the UK pricing wrong if the prices are so close over there.
 
Obviously this is only a photoshop rendering of an S5/RS6 stuck together but my god i hope the RS5 looks something like this. It looks like a modern day version of the Audi quattro of old (even if the back end does look like a Nissan Skyline)

2415550545_f77886f822_o.jpg
 
I've had response from my dealer with the price for export and have PMed it to you.

Nearly half the price it would cost me to register it here! Shows how much tax we have to pay.
 
PM received Marc. To be honest i don't think the price is too bad...especially considering it's a car no one else will have!
I'll spec up an equal Sport model on the appauling Audi configurator.
 
A5 in Black, 19" alloys, light smoke tint = Gorgeous and very eye catching, I'm planning on road testing a 3.0 TDI as thankfully prices are a lot kinder over in England.
The only issue with considering the A5 is you then have to start thinking about a BMW 335D as well as similar money, hate to admit it but I'm becoming very loyal to the Audi brand.
 
Well upon closer inspection of forthcoming engines etc, i recon i'll be putting off buying an A5 for now.
I want an S-Line, not a sport. End of. So basically that means waiting however long til i know if and when it's being released.
Then comes the engine issue. Currently the 3.0 TDI is my engine of choice but i'm hearing good things about the new revised 2.0T FSI. Bit more HP than the current unit, more economical and lower emissions. So it sounds good.
Although given the A5 is more of a GT car i'm not sure the 2.0TFSI would suit the feel of it?

Either way i'm going to have to wait to get what i want aren't i.
 
audi upgrades
Hey Marc,

Can you give us all an idea of a "basic" S-Line spec from Ireland ex vat etc?

Just to give us all an idea.


Thanks,

Roswell
 
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