Audi A5 Avant PHEV | 295bhp, Quattro, buy it?
What do you mean it’s not an A4? No, this is the A5. Not sure what they’re doing. I don’t think Audi even know what they’re doing, but they have put on a boot in the A5. Now, this is the A5 Avant, and it’s plug-in hybrid. And we all know Audi are a fan of a signature matrix light bar on the rear. So, what better way to show it off than by having an Avant. This is the S9 version. So, some details around the front of the car may vary compared depending on spec that you get. The matrix headlight on the front, the black grill also here. There’s no S-line badge in the front, just quattro on the side. And these are the standard S-line alloys. So, let’s just cut straight to the rear of the car, which is pretty nice looking. And if there isn’t a better way to show off a light bar, well, I don’t know what is. There’s a quattro badge in the back because the plug-in hybrid only comes in a quattro. They give you a wiper and there’s some more graphite looking and black bits on the lower part of the S-line trim. And obviously this is white which you might like or not, but it does show off some details like around the rear of the window here. You get this high gloss for the S-line as well. The advanced version is 4829 mm long if you want to know will it fit into your garage. And as the state cars go, it’s very low slung. It’s not massively tall. Easy to put a roof box on top of those roof rails if you ask me. It is Audi after all. So to get that Aan boot, they want some extra cash. It’s almost €3,000 comparing entry level normal sedan to entry- level a vant. So you’re paying a lot. And in the plug-in hybrids, well, you don’t necessarily get a massive boot. And that is partly to do with batteries. A little over 25 kWh battery, a range of about 100 to 120 km, so it’s decent. But in the plug-in hybrid, it compromises the rear space, which to me is the whole point of an Avant. In the version without the battery, you’re getting 476 L, but it’s 361 in the plug-in hybrid. That’s quite a bit down. And I can’t really get on with this parcel shelf either. It sits up high or doesn’t sit anywhere at all. I’m I’m sure it’s me. On the plus side, there’s no big lip. And on the negative side, there’s nothing underneath the floor to store things. So, this Audi cable bag also eats up some space in the boot. Just be aware, dark, but decent. It’s best way I can describe the interior. So, the Sline is always this kind of black headlining, all the rest of it. The roof line doesn’t necessarily encroach on your head space, so that’s reasonably okay. There is an armrest. There is access to the rear of the boot because you might want to load things in because it’s an advance. So, Audi get that. You can also drop the rear seats from the handles, but there is a bit of a lip in the middle when you do that. A significant lip for the transmission tunnel. There’s two USBC charging ports, your own air vent, and your own climate control as well. So, you have your individual climate thing going on. Everything feels solid and Audi like very heavy doors. I do find the door bins in the front and the rear of the car quite tight. You can’t really fit larger bottles, for example, into them, which is a shame. And even with the seats fully squished down in the floor, you’ll still manage to fit the toe of your shoe underneath, which is a win-win for everybody. This car has one or two extras on it, about €7,000, plus a little over a grand for the paint. So, it’s about €75,000. Despite that fact, the seats aren’t electric. They’ll nearly charge you a€,000 euro if you want to be able to adjust your seats electronically. Now, maybe that’s not a big deal for everybody, but I just think when you have so much competition in this space these days, you kind of need to be throwing the kitchen sink at your car and Audi don’t really do that. The interior, look, I’ve discussed that in my other A5 review. So, if you want to have a look at that, feel free to knock yourself out. Not literally, of course. Yeah, there’s a lot of black high gloss. There’s some cheaper plastics low down, maybe higher up than you’d expect to find them, but I like this curved screen. It’s just kind of one piece. Uh, yes, they’re still in the business of haptic buttons. The cruise control is still a stock. Maybe some people like that old school fact. Uh, one key difference in the plug-in hybrid is this EV button down here, so you can just drive in EV mode if you have this thing charged. And you will get really good fuel economy as long as you charge it. That beep is an indicator to tell me that someone is coming up on the inside of the car, which means if you were to try and open the door into a cyclist or a pedestrian, it would warn you. That’s a nice feature. There’s also blind spot in these mirrors. There’s an armrest that is adjustable up and down. And not in and out. Audi shortcut button to the driver assist things. You know, the things you might want to turn off. And there’s a pretty decent camera with the overview. So again, just check cuz your car might not get a standard. It might be part of a tech pack. There’s there are lots and lots of packs. These S-line seats hug you in nicely and tightly. There’s a wireless charging plate down here. And overall, it feels well built. I mean, you can pig holes at some of the plastics if you want, but it doesn’t feel cheap. Uh, and again, the door bins are too small, and I can’t get on board with this driver panel to close the door. As I’ve mentioned in other videos, I like the steering wheel. And I certainly like how it drives. Quite a jump in power if you go for the plug-in hybrid. So where you’re getting 150 or 200, you get 295 brake horsepower, which is actually not that far off the actual S. Overall, I find the car pretty smooth in terms of the alloys. These are the standard S-line wheels, but they’re not tiny, but it still offers comfort. There is the odd little jab here and there into the cabin. It’s an S-line version after all. So, there there’s always going to be a bit of a trade-off, but the transition from battery power to engine power is very, very good. Not always the smoothest way to combine power in cars. In the past, for example, BMW haven’t always got that spot on, but I can definitely vouch for the Audi. It does it very, very consistently and smoothly. And if you have the thing charged, you’re anywhere from zero to maybe two and a half to maybe tops four lers per 100 km, which for a quattro is not bad at all. However, when the battery is depleted, well, it’s a different story. You’re talking nine when I was driving it hard last night up to maybe 14 lers per 100 km. That is as bad as a Golf 4, which also has 300 brake horsepower, give or take, and also four-wheel drive. Some plug-in hybrids also suffer in terms of towing capacity because this is quattro, it still will tow, 1900 kilos. And unlike some of the other plug-in hybrids from Volkswagen Group, this one is a 2 L and it’s a four-cylinder, so it actually sounds all right under a bit of load. There’s an EV button down there. And if you press that and you have range, you can basically drive this like an electric car with a range of up to maybe 120 km. And the overtaking performance, having that extra boost for the battery means it’s it’s truly a brisk little car. I’d nearly call it a sleeper. And just like any electric car, when you are in EV mode, all you can really hear is tire noise. not really any wind noise. Um, this version also weighs quite a bit more. So, while you’re kind of talking from 1,700 kilos in some of the A5 lineup, uh, the plug-in hybrid is over the 2 ton mark. Now, I would nearly say it’s kind of flat in corners. It handles quite well if you get the S-line. So, it’s not as obvious maybe the weight of the car as other vehicles. And you sit very low down as well. So that probably helps. Uh there’s less body roll because it’s not a big large bulky SUV and the design of it is quite streamlined as well. So aerodynamics are all right. Sunday mornings just seem to be a mad time for crashes. That is a Scoda Enyak on its side. Not sure how people do these things, but anyway. So it’s a petrol engine. The transition really is very, very good. It’s one of the best transitions of a plug-in hybrid I’ve driven to date. Someone said to me, you need to quote the electric consumption as well on plug-in hybrids. And you’re right. Well, at the moment, 27.1 kwatt hours per 100 km. It’s give or take a 25 kWh battery. Um, I’ve been driving it a little bit little bit hard this morning, but you’re definitely going to get a 100 kilometers anyway. Now, the plug-in hybrid also has a smaller fuel tank. It’s about 15 L down on a non PHEV A5, so it’ll seem like you’re putting more petrol into more frequently also if you don’t keep the battery topped up. But, it’s not the case. Just a smaller tank. Now, I know the low to mid70s is a lot of money, but when you look at car prices today, I think actually to get this package with the S-line kit, don’t forget this has one of those crazy tech packs for seven grand. You can go in and really tailor every little I mean, you can spec a smoking ashtray. I think it’s 70 quid. So, you can totally tailor the car to your liking. That would probably mean you’ll wait longer for it, but um you don’t have to go mad on the price. So, you could actually get an S-line for maybe high60s. Um, and when you look at the prices of cars, 5 series, 3 series, everything’s crept up. One or two shortcomings then perhaps, yes, the boot could be bigger than the plug-in hybrid and Audi make you pay for absolutely everything. A friend of mine just bought a a 2024 S3 and he went back to the dealer and said, “The cruise the adaptive cruise control is not working.” And he goes, “Oh, yeah. You’ve got to pay a subscription for that in an S3. But despite one or two shortcomings, really like this thing. It’s very comfortable. Despite being an S-line, I think it looks great. The interior, I can live with it. I’m I’m pretty much on board. We can lament about older Audi interiors if we like. Overall though, it’s a nice car to drive. And isn’t that the point of Audi? I think so. And this car reminds me again this week just how good Quattro is. Some would say it’s a nice to have. I’d say it’s a must to have. And it hasn’t even rained yet this week. If we’re just comparing like with like in the A5 now it’s only 1,800 quid to go from the non-hybrid to the plug-in hybrid version of the car. You’re getting a serious boost in power if you do that. You’re also getting quattro and much better fuel economy. And for that reason, I think the plug-in hybrid now in the A5 over all the other engine versions is a bit of a no-brainer. What might be trickier to get your head around is the fact that the Avant is €3,000 extra. And if you really want the gorgeous Avant and you want to plug in hybrid, the boot is a little bit compromised. Now, I have managed to fit things like a dog box into the boot of the car, no problem. But then last night I had some gear in it and I hadn’t pushed it fully in. My kind of seat of pants feeling was like it’s an estate. Of course it’s going to fit. And then I looked in the rearview mirror and the boot hadn’t closed. But it’s not about me. If you’re considering one, is this enough to swing it for you? Is the boot a bit of a problem or do you want a diesel in an Audi A5 even in 2025? I’m sure lots of people will. For me, the plug-in hybrid is probably the sweet spot. But let me know what you think in the comments down below. Thank you very much for watching. I’ll see you next time.
#Audi #AudiA5Avant #AudiA5
Is the Audi A5 Avant Plug-in Hybrid Worth It in 2025? | Nobby on Cars Review
What do you mean it’s not an A4? In this full review of the 2025 Audi A5 Avant Plug-in Hybrid, Nobby takes a deep dive into Audi’s confusing naming, sleek estate design, and the real-world practicality of its plug-in powertrain. From the matrix LED light bar, quattro AWD system, and 25 kWh battery, to the downsized boot space and tight door bins, this car has its quirks—but is it still a no-brainer?
🛞 Standard S-Line alloys, 295 bhp, 100–120 km EV range, and €75k+ as tested—does the A5 PHEV strike the right balance between performance, efficiency, and practicality?
🚘 In this review:
Full walkaround of the Audi A5 Avant S-Line
Interior & boot space breakdown (361L in the PHEV)
Driving impressions: smooth EV-to-petrol transition
Real-world fuel economy & EV range
Key tech features (blind spot, EV button, wireless charging)
Downsides: boot capacity, paywall features, and fuel tank size
🧠 Is the Audi A5 Avant TFSI e the best of both worlds or a compromised estate? Let us know in the comments!
👇 Subscribe to Nobby on Cars for honest car reviews, real-world practicality tests, and just a dash of sarcasm.
#AudiA5Avant #A5PHEV #PlugInHybrid #AudiReview #2025Cars #AudiEstate #Quattro #EVRange #NobbyOnCars #CarReview #HybridEstate #MatrixLights #AudiA5Review
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