Quick Answer: 2026 Audi A5 Premium
The Premium opens the 2026 A5 range at $50,200 MSRP before the $1,395 destination charge. Nothing about it reads "base": heated leather seats with driver memory, a heated steering wheel, the full 11.9-inch-plus-14.5-inch curved display, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a panoramic sunroof, a hands-free power liftback, digital key, tri-zone climate, and a surround-view camera are all standard, as are quattro all-wheel drive and the 268-hp turbo engine every A5 shares. The options sheet is refreshingly short: 19-inch wheels, a $200 integrated dashcam, the $1,000 dimmable glass roof, and a $250 sport suspension. Audi Queens in Flushing stocks the Premium alongside its two upper siblings.
Total price, including every dealer-imposed charge: starting at $51,770 all in for the A5 Premium — the $50,200 manufacturer’s suggested retail price plus the $1,395 destination charge and the $175 documentation fee (an optional dealer charge, not a New York State or DMV fee). It excludes state and local taxes, title, registration, and any optional equipment.
Why the entry trim is the value play this year
Audi did something quietly generous with the 2026 Premium: it folded what used to be an $800 option package into the standard car. The heated steering wheel and the surround-view camera, both borderline necessities for a New York winter and a New York parking spot, now come with every Premium, and the price moved up only $500 to cover both. Factor in Audi Signature Care, which pays for scheduled maintenance for three years or 30,000 miles on all 2026 models, and the cost gap between this car and last year's shrinks to a rounding error while the content gap widens.
Mechanically there is no penalty for starting at the bottom. The 268-horsepower turbocharged four, the 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch, and quattro are identical across all three trims, so a Premium pulls the same 5.6-second run to 60 mph as a Prestige and posts the same EPA 22 city / 32 highway on premium fuel. Whatever badge envy exists in this lineup, it has nothing to do with the drive.
The equipment nobody expects at the "base" price
The full curved Digital Stage is standard from the first trim.
Inside, the Premium gets the identical curved glass panel as the $56,700 car: virtual cockpit plus behind the wheel, the 14.5-inch MMI touchscreen beside it, and the "Hey Audi" voice assistant that handles navigation and settings requests conversationally. Leather upholstery, real wood inlays, power front seats with heat and driver memory, and a power tilt-and-telescoping column are all included, and the liftback's 22.6 cubic feet of cargo space comes free with the body style.
The safety roster runs deeper than some rivals' top trims: stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, front and rear intersection assist, cross-traffic alerts both ways, safe exit assist, driver-attention monitoring, and traffic-sign recognition, standard. The one assistance feature held back is lane centering, which arrives with the Premium Plus's adaptive cruise assist. On the LIE at rush hour it's a genuine comfort, so weigh your commute honestly before deciding it doesn't matter.
Options worth a look, and one worth skipping
The $200 integrated dashcam is the cheapest insurance-adjacent purchase in the whole Audi catalog, an easy yes for anyone who parks or drives in the city. The $1,000 dimmable panoramic roof replaces the standard fixed-glass panel with electrochromic glass that shades at a button press, lovely, though if you want it plus several other Premium Plus staples, the math quickly argues for just moving up a trim. The $250 S Sport Suspension drops the car three-quarters of an inch and sharpens responses; enthusiasts on smooth suburban roads will enjoy it, but Queens pavement being what it is, the standard setup's extra compliance is the smarter local choice. The 19-inch wheel upgrades ($800 or $2,000 by design) trade sidewall for style on the same logic.
How the store treats first-time Audi buyers
Plenty of Premium shoppers are crossing over from mainstream brands, and the reviews suggest the Flushing team is good at that handoff. One buyer who traded a Honda wrote: "I inquired about trading in my old Honda on Tuesday and was able to drive out with a new Audi on Thursday" (Shevonne Z.), crediting brand specialist Eric Cheung for making the two-day turnaround feel effortless. The dealership's 4.5-star average across 1,250-plus Google reviews is heavy with that word, "easy," which matters more at this price point than any single feature.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the 2026 A5 Premium cost?
MSRP is $50,200 plus the $1,395 destination charge, before taxes and registration. New York specifics, including the city's 8.875% sales tax, are laid out in the A5 pricing & leasing guide, and current programs live on the Audi Queens specials page.
Does the A5 Premium have heated seats and a heated steering wheel?
Yes, both are standard for 2026. The heated steering wheel is a new addition to the base trim this year; previously it required an option package.
Is the base A5 fast?
Same as every other A5: 268 hp, 295 lb-ft, quattro launch traction, and 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds. There is no lesser engine hiding under the entry price.
What does the Premium NOT include?
The four headline absences are lane centering, the Bang & Olufsen stereo, the dimmable roof (optional here, standard above), and everything in the Prestige's tech column, the head-up display, passenger screen, and OLED lighting. The Premium Plus guide prices out the first three.
Which Audi A5 should I avoid?
Search results on that question are almost always about high-mileage previous-generation cars, not this platform. Among 2026 trims, the Premium is the rational pick if you skip the options list; nothing about it is de-contented or compromised.
Can I see one in Queens today?
The A5 inventory page shows live stock at the College Point Blvd showroom, and the team can have a Premium and a Premium Plus parked nose to nose for comparison, the fastest way to learn which features you'd actually miss.
The bottom line
The Premium is the trim for buyers who want the A5's engineering, its cargo trick, and its screen theater without paying for audio and lighting flourishes. This year it's better equipped than it has ever been, and with maintenance included, the first three years of ownership are unusually predictable. Drive it back to back with the Premium Plus and let your ears cast the deciding vote.
All 2026 Audi A5 guides
Manufacturer’s suggested retail price excludes the $1,395 destination charge and the $175 documentation fee (an optional dealer charge, not a New York State or DMV fee), along with taxes, title, registration, and options; the dealer sets the actual selling price. Fuel economy figures are EPA estimates; real-world results vary. Equipment, packages, and availability can change with configuration and production timing; confirm current specifications with Audi Queens. Customer quotes are excerpts from public Google reviews of Audi Queens.