Audi A5 vs Audi S5

The 2025 Audi A5 presented a familiar yet refined design, maintaining Audi's signature styling with its large "single frame" grille and prominent daytime running lights. Despite its hatchback form, the A5's profile closely resembled a sedan, akin to the Audi A4 it replaced. While the design elements were recognizable, they lacked excitement, though subtle details like the "ice cream scoop" hood indents and programmable lighting signatures added a touch of novelty. The interior followed Audi's current design language, featuring a well-integrated dashboard with a curved screen and a supplemental passenger touchscreen, offering a retro yet modern feel with high-quality materials.

In contrast, the 2025 Audi S5, with its Sportback body style, combined sporty aesthetics with practicality, thanks to its power-operated liftback and spacious cargo area. Despite its aggressive bumper designs, the S5's appearance was somewhat bland, lacking distinctiveness. The interior, however, was a highlight, with Fine Nappa leather, Carbon Atlas inlays, and a panoramic glass roof. The S5's high-tech interior featured the Audi Digital Stage display, offering a minimalistic yet functional layout. The driving experience was enhanced by the sport rear differential and adaptive-damping sport suspension, providing a thrilling ride, especially on winding roads.

The 2025 Audi A5 was equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 268 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and standard all-wheel drive. This setup allowed the A5 to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, with a top speed of 130 mph. The A5's performance was enhanced by variable-geometry turbochargers, reducing turbo lag and providing snappy acceleration, although the transmission's engagement was slower than expected. The A5 featured brake-based torque vectoring for improved cornering, offering a lively driving experience.

The 2025 Audi S5, on the other hand, boasted a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine, delivering 362 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. This powertrain enabled the S5 to reach 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, with a top speed of 155 mph. The S5's sportier suspension tuning, sport rear differential, and summer tires contributed to its dynamic performance. Despite its increased weight of 4,288 pounds, the S5 offered a satisfying power delivery, especially in Dynamic mode, where it excelled on challenging roads. The adaptive damping suspension and precise steering further enhanced the driving experience, making the S5 a thrilling choice for enthusiasts.

The 2025 Audi A5's redesign resulted in a larger and more spacious interior, with increased dimensions contributing to improved rear legroom, shoulder room, and headroom. The A5 excelled in cargo space, offering 22.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expandable to 36.6 cubic feet with the seats folded. The hatchback design provided convenient access to the cargo area. The A5 also featured a dimmable glass roof, adding a touch of luxury and convenience, along with heated and ventilated seats across different trim levels.

In the 2025 Audi S5, the interior was snug yet comfortable, accommodating four adults with ease. The sport seats offered a wide range of adjustments, including heating, ventilation, and massage functions. Rear passengers benefited from a triple-zone climate control system and heated seats in the Prestige trim. The S5's configurable lighting added a unique touch, enhancing the cabin's ambiance. The cargo area, with a capacity of 22.6 cubic feet, expanded to 37.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, providing ample space for various needs.

The 2025 Audi A5 featured a significant upgrade in infotainment technology, with a standard 14.5-inch touchscreen and 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster housed in a curved display. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with wireless device charging, were standard, while the Prestige trim offered an optional front-passenger touchscreen. The Bang & Olufsen sound system in higher trims provided an immersive audio experience, with speakers integrated into the front headrests for enhanced sound quality.

The 2025 Audi S5 incorporated the Audi Digital Stage OLED displays, including an 11.9-inch digital instrumentation screen and a 14.5-inch MMI touchscreen. The Prestige trim added a 10.9-inch passenger touchscreen, offering comprehensive functionality. The Audi Digital Assistant provided intuitive voice recognition, although the navigation system occasionally misdirected. The Premium Plus trim included a head-up display and a 20-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, delivering an exceptional audio experience. Despite some minor issues, the S5's technology package was impressive, enhancing the overall driving experience.

The 2025 Audi A5 came equipped with a range of standard driver-assist features, including adaptive cruise control, active front assist, safe-exit warning, parking sensors, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Premium Plus trim added park assist, a 360-degree camera system, and adaptive cruise assist with lane centering. While safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available, Audi aimed for high safety standards, similar to its predecessors.

The 2025 Audi S5 offered a comprehensive suite of driver-assistance systems, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. The Premium Plus and Prestige trims added Adaptive Cruise Assist with lane-centering, a surround-view camera system, and Park Assist Plus. However, the lane-assist system was aggressive and occasionally inaccurate, leading to driver intervention. Despite these issues, the S5's safety features provided a solid foundation for driver confidence.