It's pretty easy to pen this section, because the A5 has already proved itself in the market as a strong seller. The 2.0T is the least expensive version, starting at $36,000 with the manual transmission. Our test car had navigation and an optional Prestige Package, which ratcheted the price up above $43,000. That's a lot of money for a four-cylinder engine, even if it is a really good one.

But at least you don't need to go any higher than that; the styling and combination of everyday driving comfort and just-enough thrills make a convincing argument not to upgrade to a 3.2.