2020 Audi A5 Sportback

Audi's stubborn consistency is on full display when you first take the A5 Sportback for a drive. Finding fault with the A5 on the road is a futile exercise, the four-door coupe effortlessly blending high comfort levels with sharp, agile responses. The steering's weighting is spot-on and responds precisely to driver inputs. The security of the quattro system and the car's composure even in slippery conditions are further feathers in its cap. An S Sport Package is available on the top trim, adding a quattro sport rear differential and an adaptive damping suspension, but unlike some other cars, the A5 doesn't require this upgrade thanks to a fundamentally well-tuned setup.

Ride quality is controlled and absorbent. The A5 deals with bumps both big and small in an unflustered manner and, with excellent insulation, road noise fails to permeate the calm environment in the classy cabin.

The perfect car - for the real world - doesn't exist, but the Audi A5 Sportback has a pretty good go at it anyway. Rear headroom aside, it's extremely tough to find fault with the A5 Sportback. It simply has all the bases covered: it's fun to drive yet comfortable, stylish to look at yet not too showy, and powerful yet efficient. Audi's knack for crafting upscale interiors lives on in the A5, with every surface exhibiting a quality feel. The increase in style has also come with a versatility advantage too, as the A5 Sportback has a larger trunk than every single one of the brand's sedans. BMW's 4 Series Gran Coupe is an interesting alternative, boasting the brand's famed rear-wheel-drive dynamics on the base model and being a little sharper through corners, but it's got a much smaller trunk and is based on the older, previous-generation 3 Series. Overall, it's another fantastic effort from the Lord of the (four) Rings.

We're pretty sure that many young executives looking for a luxury sedan have walked into Audi dealerships heading straight for the well-known A4, only to be confronted with the sleeker A5 Sportback. Without hesitation, we'd advise them to take a closer look at the Sportback before signing anything. The one advantage to the A4 is a broader range as it starts at $37,400 for the less powerful 40 TFSI which has 188 hp. Comparing apples with apples, an A5 Sportback in the same trim and with the same engine is around $2,000 pricier than the A4. Audi has kept the A4 fresh with a series of updates so both cars have access to the same tech and both have immaculately crafted cabins. The A5 Sportback has a bigger trunk, but the A4 has a more accommodating rear seat. Each car rides and handles in a similarly unflappable manner. If it were us, we'd spend the extra cash on the more emotive A5 Sportback, which wraps most of the A4's talents in a more appealingly styled body.

The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is to the (previous-gen) 3 Series what the A5 Sportback is to the A4. That means a sleeker alternative to its more conservative sedan counterpart. At $44,750, the base 430i starts at just under $2,000 more than the A5, but it does offer rear-wheel-drive which will find favor with many, as well as the availability of a manual gearbox. The 430i also uses a 248-hp turbocharged engine, so the two are pretty equally matched performance-wise. Equipment levels are similar: the base BMW has a driver's seat memory system and navigation as standard, but the Audi counters with a larger touchscreen interface and genuine leather seats, as opposed to the base 4 Series' synthetic leather. The Audi is a touch more comfortable and refined while the BMW does a better job of involving the driver when the road starts to turn. For less than the top-spec A5 Sportback Prestige, you can get the 440i Gran Coupe with a glorious 320-hp six-cylinder engine and a sub-five-second sprint to 60 mph. While the A5 Sportback does feel like the more polished package, the exciting 4 Series Gran Coupe could tempt us, especially the six-cylinder model. In short: it's a mighty close call.