2025 AUDI A5 AND S5 TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE 3 SERIES AND C-CLASS' DOORSTEP

For years now the Audi A4 and A5 have been a bit of a third act behind their main competitors, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3/4 Series, but Audi is hoping to change all of that with a new generation of sedans. For 2026, the German automaker has streamlined its A4/A5 lineup, combining them into one model called A5. The regular sedan is gone, meaning the A5 liftback is now Audi's lone representative in the compact luxury sedan segment, and it's ready to go toe-to-toe with BMW and Mercedes.

Equally as ready to duke it out with the big boys is the just-the-right-amount-of-sporty S5, which adds in retuned suspension and a bigger engine meant to compete with the C43 and M340i/M440i. With their revamped exteriors, interiors and technology, Audi is trying to show the world it's still serious about the compact luxury space. I think it succeeds and gives buyers another very worthy option if they're tired of what the other two German companies are doing with their cars.

Full Disclosure: Audi flew me out to Colorado, put me up in a lovely hotel and fed me all sorts of fancy food just so I could drive the 2026 Audi A5 and S5.

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Looking Outside

The new A5 doesn't exactly rewrite the playbook when it comes to styling for Audi — they both borrow heavily from the design language put in place by previously released EVs like the A6 E-Tron, but that's not a bad thing, because the car is still quite handsome. Up front, there are LED headlights that do all sorts of dances and have different designs to choose from to go along with an upright, slightly more aggressive grille. The liftback shape is super evident from the side profile, though Audi did go to some lengths to split the difference between a liftback and a traditional sedan by employing what looks like a tiny trunk at the rear end.

Along the side, the surfacing and design of the body panels are meant to shrink the car vertically, which I think is successful. There are also more wheel choices than I can count to pick from that measure between 18 and 20 inches. Out back, the aforementioned short trunk makes itself known and there's an LED lightbar (no new car is complete without a lightbar) and visible exhaust tips on both the A5 and S5.

There are some minor styling differences between the two cars that'll help you tell them apart. Up front, you've got a slightly more aggressive grille and some silver bumper treatments that sort of look like fangs. On the side, you'll see that lower ride height as well as some different wheel designs, and out back you're going to easily be able to clock the quad-exhaust setup of the S5 versus the dual tips of the A5.

Overall, the A5 and S5 are handsome, but maybe a bit dull overall. They're certainly less controversial than the 4 Series, but I've got to admit the C-Class is better looking overall. That being said, the liftgate does make up for some deficiencies.

Step Into The A5 And S5

The A5 and S5's interiors are centered around what Audi likes to call a Digital Stage, made up of an 11.9-inch gauge cluster screen, a 14.5-inch central infotainment system and a 10.9-inch passenger display. The gauge cluster screen can give the driver all the pertinent information they'll ever really need, but it isn't as customizable as I'd like, and there's no way to display a map. The few things drivers can choose from on the cluster are accessed on the steering wheel using capacitive touch buttons, which I'm sure won't rub anyone the wrong way. I'll be honest, this system feels like a bit of a step in the wrong direction when compared with Audi's old Virtual Cockpit, which I felt was pretty much second to none in the industry.

Luckily, the center display is an improvement over the old car's — not that it was previously bad or anything. It's extremely easy to use, especially because it's angled toward the driver. It handles all of the main functions of the car, climate controls included, but it's laid out intuitively to make it a more pleasant experience. Audi also designed a small shelf below the center screen to make clicking on what you want a total cinch. The optional passenger screen is a must-have if you ask me, and that's partially because the center display's curvature means it's a bit hard for passengers to use. The third screen can display all sorts of data from the weather and the radio to navigation and performance pages.

I really cannot find fault with the seats in the A5 or S5, but I will say that the S5's specifically could be some of the best in the industry. The quilted leather seats are heated, ventilated, massaging and have enough bolstering to keep my thick hips in place while going around a corner at a slightly too high speed.

The quality of these seats is matched by the rest of the interior. In both the A5 and S5, there is plenty of real metal, dark wood and solid plastics. I'll be real, it feels a lot better than the interior of some of Audi's more expensive offerings like the A6 E-Tron and the Q5 I recently reviewed. I don't know what that's about, but it's certainly welcome in these cars. My one real gripe is a slight overuse of piano black plastic, but that's sort of the way of the world these days.

Space is also above average even in the back seat. Obviously, I fit up front, but I was also able to fit my 6'1" body behind my driving position, though it was a bit tight — especially for headroom thanks to the sloping roofline. Audi says the A5 has 41.3 inches of rear legroom (the S5 has just 41 because of thicker seats) and 37.2 inches of headroom.

Cargo space is a big deal in this car since it's now a liftback. Audi says there is 22.6 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats and if that's not enough, you can drop the second row and increase your cargo volume to 36.6 cubic feet (37.5 in the S5). The C-Class has just 12.6 cubic feet of trunk space, and the 3 Series gets by with 17 cubic feet. The liftback 4 Series has 16.6 cubic feet.

Nothing Too Different Engine-Wise

The new A5 and S5 employ extremely similar engines to what is found in the Q5 and SQ5 I covered earlier. A5s are fitted with the Volkswagen Group's corporate turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4, which makes 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque (slightly more power than both the C and 3). That's enough to take the liftback from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds — pretty good for a not-exactly-sporty 4,090-pound vehicle. The standard Quattro all-wheel-drive and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission does help that effort quite a bit with a 4,000-RPM clutch-dump launch from 0. Unfortunately, that transmission does hamper the A5 a bit when it comes to fuel economy, especially when compared with the 8-speed in the BMW and 9-speed in the Merc. The EPA says the A5 will get 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway and 26 mpg combined. That's not spectacular.

Those power numbers are pretty strong for this type of vehicle, but I hear you. You yearn for more power. Well, Audi delivers that with the S5 and its turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. In this application, the tried-and-true motor lays down 362 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. That drops the 0-to-60 time to just 4.6 seconds, thanks in part to the ferocious launch the dual-clutch gives the driver. It's also enough power to let the S5 hit an electronically limited 155 mph top speed. However, this motor will kill fuel economy. The EPA estimates the S5 will do 19 mpg city, 28 highway and 22 combined. It's a small price to pay for a lot of performance. Still, the S5 is down on power a bit compared to the M440i (382 hp) and AMG C43 (402 hp).

Both of these motors are carryovers from the previous A4/A5 family of vehicles, but that doesn't mean they feel old or outdated. The biggest thing I noticed while driving is a lack of an electric motor component — both of its German competitors have 48-volt mild-hybrid systems — but that isn't exactly something all drivers are going to miss. Audi's dual-clutch has also been around for a hell of a long time, and it certainly would be nice if it had an additional gear and was tuned to be a bit smoother in around-town driving.

A5 Drives How You'd Expect

The 2025 Audi A5 is a very solid way to get from point A to point B. Don't expect it to set your soul on fire, and you'll be fine. Audi created a supremely comfortable ride in the A5 between its (to me) class-leading seats and excellent noise insulation thanks to its revised MLB Evo platform. I spent a lot of time in the A5 as both a driver and passenger, and it was a very pleasant experience overall — especially when Audi's adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist systems did a lot of the heavy lifting. It's a very good car for business people to go to their business meetings to conduct business without the silly notion of a fun-to-drive vehicle getting in the way.

Of course, when it's put into Dynamic mode everything sharpens up a bit. It's still not sporty, but I don't actually know why you'd want it to be. Dynamic mode will make things a bit more fun on a back road, but that's not really the point. The suspension remains delightfully soft, and it's going to roll a bit in the corners. There's no getting around that. The steering is extremely light, which is nice for dealing with everyday traffic, but that also means it can be a bit sloppy and imprecise while being hustled.

The only real downside of the A5's driving experience is its dual-clutch transmission. It's a similar complaint to the smoothness issues I had with the liftback's Q5 sibling. Between turbo lag and the slightly dim-witted dual-clutch looking for the correct gear and hesitating to shift, low-speed driving can be a bit jerky, and acceleration can be a bit more delayed than I'd like. I'm sure with time I'd get used to it, but it's definitely a bit odd.

S5 Might Be A Step Behind

The 7-speed is far better suited in the sportier S5. In this application, snappy gear changes and hard-ish launches are the name of the game. I mean, this isn't a sports car, but when it comes to compact luxury sports sedans, it strikes the right tune.

The S5 also does away with the standard suspension of the A5, giving buyers an adaptive setup with electronic dampers as an option. It does a really good job of being just firm enough in Dynamic mode while also being fairly comfortable in comfort and balanced modes. Audi also lowered the car's ride height by about 0.8 inches compared to its more pedestrian brother.

All of this means that the S5 is very well suited for a quick jaunt up an empty backroad. Its chassis is significantly stiffer than the outgoing car's, and that helps improve the steering feel through the squircle steering wheel. Still, it's not the most communicative system in the world and shares some similar issues with the A5 when it comes to feel.

It's a good car, don't get me wrong, but I can't help but feel that it lags a bit behind the aforementioned M440i and AMG C43. Being down on power compared to those two certainly doesn't help. Car and Driver estimates 3.9-second 0-to-60 times for both the BMW and Merc, besting the Audi by 0.7 seconds. It's a similar story in the quarter-mile. The M440i will cross the finish line in 12.4 seconds at 111 mph, and the C43 is just a tenth behind it. We don't have numbers for the new car, but the old S4 crossed the line in 13.3 seconds at 106 mph, according to MotorTrend. I expect the new S5 will best that slightly.

Pricing The A5 Family

Right now — and this could all change depending on Trump's mood — the A5 with standard Quattro AWD starts at $50,995 including destination. That's pretty much in line with AWD examples of the C-Class and 3/4 Series, which start at $51,600 and $49,125/$52,825, respectively. There are three trim levels to choose from in the A5: Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige.

The Premium comes as standard with 18-inch wheels, eight-way seats, adaptive cruise (and lots of other safety goodies), the 11.9-inch gauge cluster screen and 14.5-inch center screen, leather and LED lights all over, among a ton of other stuff. Stepping up to Premium Plus for $3,600 gets buyers a better highway assist system, taillight animations, a heads-up display and a Bang & Olufsen sound system, plus some other niceties like a panoramic glass roof and a 360 camera.

Finally, we've got the Prestige, a $6,450 package that gives the car acoustic front door glass, OLED taillights, the 10.9-inch passenger display, window shades in the rear, heated rear seats and ventilated front seats with speakers in the headrest. This was how the A5 I tested was equipped, and its pricing came out to $58,840, including destination.

Stepping up to the S5 ain't cheap. It starts at $63,995, slightly more expensive than the C43 ($63,650) and M340i ($63,375), but cheaper than the M440i ($66,375). At least there's a lot of equipment as standard. Structures are broken up similarly to the A5 with Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige.

In base trim, buyers get 19-inch wheels, that squircle steering wheel, adaptive cruise, navigation, heated diamond-stitched leather seats, LED head- and taillights, a panoramic glass roof and a power tailgate, as well as other safety and convenience features. Going up to the $3,800 Premium Plus package gives buyers a lot of similar equipment to the comparable A5, and it's the same story with the $7,550 Prestige package. That's how my test vehicle was equipped for a grand total MSRP of $73,345.

My Thoughts

For better or worse, sedans are dying. Hell, a lot of automakers don't even bother to build them anymore because there just isn't the demand. That's why Audi had to combine the A4 and A5 into one model line — it's for survival.

These cars have some big shoes to fill and some big competition to keep up with if they want to be a success. I think they do a really good job of succeeding in both regards. Time will tell, but I really do believe that there's enough here to pry someone away from their beloved C-Class or 3 Series. These aren't perfect cars, but they make a really admirable attempt to be all things to all men. They're luxurious enough while bringing in the right amount of sporty. They can be used as family haulers despite the fact so many folks would rather just buy an SUV and they're handsome enough that you won't lose them in a parking lot among the sea of other German compact luxury cars.

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2025-06-18T13:06:37Z