Audi A5 cabriolet

It will warm back or butt like many others, but what sets the Audi A5 cabriolet apart is that it will warm your melon as well.

Yup, turn on the seat heater, press the fan button along the side of the front seat and warm air is directed up and out a vent just below the headrest. Audi calls it a "heated scarf" so you can drive with the top down a little longer into the fall without brain freeze.

What next, heat ducts in the floor mats to toast the toes?

Sadly, the feature in the optional $2,400 comfort system only warms, not cools, the head, at least for now. We tested the 2010 Audi A5 cabriolet with head warmer and all-wheel drive, or quattro in Audi parlance.

The "A" doesn't stand for adorable, though it could. It's a neat-looking, low-slung, wide-body, soft-top convertible, which powers down at the push of a console button.

Since the top is thick cloth, you'll hear more wind and road noise than you would with a retractable hardtop, but not much thanks to its acoustic design. But the canvas must be kept out of heavy snows.

When down, the top slides into what looks like a slim drawer in the roof of the trunk. It stows so neatly you can load small packages and luggage in the trunk. Need a little more room? Levers drop either or both rear seatbacks flat for more cargo space.

The top folds and hides in 15 seconds, even if you're going 30 mph, so sudden storms won't force a detour to a detailer.

Posted in: 2010 Audi A8,Audi A5