2025 Audi A5 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The new A5 is a handsome car, but also an indication that Audi has run out of ways to update its signature styling. It’s refreshingly uncluttered, especially compared to the 2025 Audi Q5 crossover with which it shares the automaker’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture. The large “single frame” grille and prominent daytime running lights have been the face of Audi since the mid-2000s, and have been copied by other automakers (arguably less successfully). And while the A5 is available only as a hatchback, the profile is very sedan-like, much more like the Audi A4 that this new model also replaces.

However, the overall familiarity of the major styling elements makes it hard to get excited about this new design. A closer inspection reveals some cool details, including indents in the hood that designers call “ice cream scoops,” subtle fender creases intended to recall the box flares on the legendary Audi Quattro rally cars, and programmable signatures for the daytime running lights and OLED taillights. They just don’t create much of an impact when taken together.

For 2025, the A5 is available in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trim levels, with standard 18-inch wheels and optional 19-inch wheels. A sportier S5 model is also available in the same three trim levels. In typical German sports sedan fashion, it receives subtle styling changes, including standard 19-inch wheels (20-inch wheels are optional), a model-specific front fascia with large side air intakes, and more prominent exhaust tips. The exhaust tips are functional whether it’s an A5 or S5—no fake finishers here.

The interior reflects current Audi practice, with a dashboard designed to accommodate a curved screen and a supplemental front-passenger touchscreen. But the integration seems much better here, without the tortured-looking angles in other Audi models employing the same layout, like the A5’s Q5 platform mate. The steering wheel—another carryover piece from other recent Audi models—also has a vaguely retro look, with a large center section that reminds us of early airbag wheels. Leather upholstery and gray chestnut wood trim are also standard, and the overall quality of the materials was impressive considering the A5’s positioning lower down in Audi’s hierarchy.

Two powertrain options carry over from the 2024 model year, both with standard all-wheel drive (AWD) and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The base 2025 Audi A5 is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 268 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque—increases of 7 hp and 22 lb-ft over the 2024 model-year version. The 2025 Audi S5 gets a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 with 362 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque—13 hp and 37 lb-ft more than before.

While the engines themselves carry over, Audi switched to variable-geometry turbochargers with this redesign for quicker response to the driver’s right foot. These new turbos help build and maintain boost more consistently, cutting down on the dreaded “turbo lag” that can lead to a delay between right-pedal application and acceleration in forced-induction cars. The new turbos produced subjectively-snappy acceleration, but the dual-clutch transmission dampened things with slower-than-expected engagement.

The numbers also indicate the new A5 and S5 are mid-pack for the segment. Audi estimates a zero to 60 mph time of 5.6 seconds (0.8 second quicker than before) and a top speed of 130 mph for the A5, while the S5 ups the ante with a 4.3-second zero to 60 mph time (a 0.2 second improvement) and a 155-mph top speed. That makes the base A5 quicker than a Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic, but the recently updated BMW 330i xDrive will beat even the S5 to 60 mph by 0.2 second, according to the manufacturer estimates.

On the chassis side, A5 models get standard brake-based torque vectoring, which uses braking force to channel power from one rear wheel to the other for better cornering. S5 models receive sportier suspension tuning and a sport rear differential, and are also fitted with summer tires as standard in place of the A5’s all-season run-flats. Adaptive damping is also available on the S5 as an extra-cost option.

Both the A5 and the S5 make an excellent argument for the traditional sports sedan. Their lower centers of gravity made them feel much livelier than the redesigned Audi Q5 and SQ5, which we drove back-to-back with the A5 and S5. And while both versions delivered precise handling that encouraged enthusiastic driving, they weren’t too aggressive. Some modern cars demand a fast pace and a bit of manhandling to really come alive, but these Audis felt great at a moderate pace. Even the passive-damping suspension in the A5 was plenty comfortable for a full day of driving, too.

The redesigned A5 is 2.7 inches longer, 0.6 inch wider, and 2 inches taller than the outgoing A5 Sportback. Its wheelbase is also 2.6 inches longer, which likely contributes to the 2025 model’s extra inch of rear legroom. Front legroom stays the same, but an extra 1.6 inches of shoulder room and 2.3 inches of headroom contribute to a more spacious feeling. Rear-seat headroom increases by 0.2 inch, but that likely won’t make a difference for taller passengers.

Second-row headroom is at least fairly good for the segment, nearly matching the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and exceeding the Cadillac CT4, Genesis G70, and Lexus IS. Up front, the Audi offers nearly the same headroom as the Cadillac and an inch less than the Mercedes, but more than the others. It also offers the most second-row legroom, albeit by only a fraction of an inch over the C-Class. First-row legroom is fairly close to the other small luxury sedans, however, except the Lexus IS, which seems to sacrifice rear-seat legroom to benefit front-seat occupants.

However, in this segment, Audi is unrivalled when it comes to cargo space. The only hatchback in its competitive set, the A5 offers 22.6 cubic feet of space behind its rear seats—substantially more than the available trunk space of any rival. Folding the back seats also yields 36.6 cubic feet of space, and the A5’s rear hatch makes accessing that space much more convenient.

Speaking of convenience, the A5 is also available with a dimmable glass roof, which is divided into six panels that can change from opaque to transparent at the touch of a button and is much simpler to use than a conventional sunshade. While some customers might miss an opening sunroof, it’s impressive that Audi is offering this technology at this price point. It’s included on the mid-level Premium Plus grade, along with a heated steering wheel. Heated front seats are standard on the base Premium trim level, while ventilated front seats and heated rear seats are part of the top Prestige grade.

Infotainment tech is one area where the 2025 Audi A5 sees a particularly big upgrade. It adopts what is now the standard layout for Audi, including a standard 14.5-inch touchscreen and 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster in one curved housing, with an optional 10.9-inch front-passenger touchscreen (in this case, it requires upgrading to the Prestige trim level). Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard as well, along with wireless device charging, while four USB-C charge ports (two for each row of seats) are included on Premium Plus trim level.

As with other recent Audi models in which we’ve experienced this infotainment system, we liked the placement of the curved display, which is easy for the driver to see and use, with even the extreme corners of the touchscreen requiring no stretching. The display is tilted away from the front passenger, but that seems like less of an issue in a driver-focused car like this compared to, say, the Q5 crossover with which it shares a platform. And as in the Q5, this helps justify Audi’s decision to add a third, optional screen.

Graphics were up to the same high standards as previous iterations of Audi’s Multimedia Interface (MMI) infotainment system, although the instrument cluster had fewer configuration options than some previous MMI installations. The natural-language voice recognition is definitely a step forward, however (even if it still can’t tell jokes like Mercedes’ similar system) as is the optional head-up display. Audi claims it’s 85% larger than before, and it can show some infotainment functions and call information in addition to expected readouts like speed.

An Audi-branded audio system is standard on base Premium models, but Premium Plus and Prestige models have Bang & Olufsen systems, the latter with 20 speakers, including two in each of the front headrests. In addition to enhancing the surround-sound effect, they route phone calls and navigation directions to the driver so they don’t compete with whatever music or other media are being played in the cabin. We found this helpful, as it made directions easier to hear from the driver’s seat, and made for a less-abrupt interruption of tunes from the front-passenger seat.

The A5 is also available with now-ubiquitous digital key tech, as well as a built-in toll transponder that will leave the windshield free of double-sided tape and Velcro. Less helpful is the Digital Interaction Light, a light strip at the base of the windshield that’s supposed to provide cues for things like driver aids but that we forgot was even enabled after a short time behind the wheel.

Standard driver-assist features include: adaptive cruise control, active front assist (incorporating forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and front-turn and swerve-assist features), safe-exit warning, parking sensors, and rear cross-traffic alert. Park assist, a 360-degree camera system, and adaptive cruise assist are included on the Premium Plus trim level. The latter adds automated lane centering to the adaptive cruise control.

Safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were not available at the time of publication. Expect Audi to aim for the same high safety ratings as the new model’s A4 sedan and A5 Sportback predecessors, both of which received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.

Audi estimates fuel economy of 26 mpg combined (22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway) for the A5 and 22 mpg combined (19 mpg city, 28 mpg highway) for the S5. Those are respectable numbers for cars with standard AWD and without a hybrid powertrain option.

Pricing starts at $50,995 for the base A5 Premium (all prices include a $1,295 destination charge). That’s $3,400 more than outgoing A5 Sportback and $5,600 more than a base A4 sedan, which the new A5 also replaces. So while it is well-equipped, the redesigned A5 represents a significant price increase for returning Audi customers. And a base A5 is appreciably more expensive than an entry-level BMW 3 Series or Genesis G70, although both of those sedans come standard with rear-wheel drive (RWD). And even with optional AWD, a Cadillac CT4 is nearly $10,000 cheaper than a base A5.

As for the rest of the lineup, the A5 Premium Plus and Prestige start at $54,595 and $57,445, respectively. The more powerful, sportier S5 starts at $63,995 in Premium guise, but $67,795 Premium Plus and $71,545 Prestige trim levels are also available.

It may not be a stellar value, but the 2025 Audi A5 checks every other box. It’s engaging to drive yet comfortable, handsome outside (if a bit too understated) and well-appointed inside, its many tech features aren’t overwhelming, and its hatchback body style makes it a more practical choice than traditional sedans. You’ll likely pay more for an A5, but you’ll get more car as well.