It had been a while since I drove an Audi product, and it was nice to have my memory refreshed by the sleek new 2008 Audi A5 Coupe.

This car really embodies what Audi's all about: groundbreaking styling that looks as though it belongs in a museum of modern art, terrific road performance and an interior to die for.

The price on my 2008 Audi A5 was about $52,000, which included navigation system and the S-line package with sports suspension, 19-inch alloy wheels, sports design seats and paddle shifter if you order Tiptronic. The base price range is $39,900 to $41,200 on the A5.

Audis are selling particularly well these days, and I suspect it's because they've found their niche in the market. The company caters to consumers looking for balance in all elements of a car's design: strong performance, but not strident; high style, but not trendy; high-tech features, but practical.

The Audi A5 Coupe is built on the same platform as Audi's A4 series, but with a unique front suspension, engine, steering system and transmission. Power comes from a 265-horsepower, 3.2-liter V-6 that hits 60 mph in about 5.8 seconds. Fuel mileage figures are unavailable.

Inside the A5, the emphasis is on finely crafted luxury, with double stitching everywhere, deep leather bucket seats and an abundance of both leather and metal. The driver sits fairly low, so unless you're tall, you'll want to make liberal use of the power seat buttons. Even then, I felt that the seat didn't quite suit my tastes, although it wasn't so bad that I didn't enjoy driving this car.

The steering wheel is nice and thick, almost perfect for performance driving and the seats offer plenty support.

The unusual teardrop shaped openings on the dash have deep-set circular gauges, and it's fun to watch the needles spin around when you start the car, which you can do with either with the key fob placed in a dashboard slot or by hitting the aluminum start button.

The console is dominated by a large silver knob that controls the navigation, audio and climate control features, and the entire multisystem controller is far more intuitive than the BMW iDrive setup.

This is a touring coupe of the first order, perfect for leisurely drives around town or long trips (the trunk is huge).

It's not the car for driving at breakneck speed. And it's not the car for you if you're shy -- you'll be getting plenty of attention and questions.

Handling was controlled and completely stable; potholes barely registered with this car. And the all-wheel drive makes it perfect for this area.

My biggest problem was the sunroof. It can only be tilted, and not very far at that. Quite a disappointment when the weather is nice.

Still the A5 Coupe was a perfect reintroduction to the Audi line for me.