2025 Audi S5: Evaluate, Costs, and Specs | The Day by day Drive

Textual content by Tom Appel

2025 Audi S5 Status quattro

Specs

Class: Premium Compact Automobile

Nation of Manufacture: Germany

Coloration: Ascari Blue Metallic

Miles pushed: 237

Noticed gasoline economic system: 18.9 mpg

Driving combine: 65% metropolis, 35% freeway

EPA-estimated gasoline economic system: 19/28/22 (mpg metropolis/freeway/mixed)

Gasoline kind: Premium gasoline

Base value: $80,135 (not together with $1945 vacation spot cost)

Choices on check automobile: Head-up show ($600), Adaptive Variable Suspension ($1045), energy working boards ($1005), entrance skid plate ($385), sprint cam ($499), related providers (2 years) ($325), roof cross bars ($365)

Value as examined: $86,304

Audio-System Model

Bang & Olufsen

Audio-System High quality

Poor  Truthful  Good Very-Good Glorious

Execs and Cons

The good: Sporty, comfy, luxurious

The nice: Hatchback comfort, respectable rear-seat legroom

The not so good: Somber cabin lacks pleasure

Evaluate

In case you have grown connected in any approach to Audi’s conventional A4/A6/A8 lineup of premium Sedanswe’ve got very unhealthy information for you. The German maker of sporty luxurious automobiles is juggling its lineup—and naming scheme—in such a manner that even model loyalist might be left scratching their heads.

Rebranding

The top plan is that this: Audi gasoline-powered automobiles might be named utilizing odd numbers, whereas electric-vehicle monikers will make use of even numbers. The end result? A transitional interval of confusion for positive, however finally a line-wide branding scheme that can make discussing—and looking for—an Audi simpler for everybody. Finger’s crossed.

As for the standard A4/A6/A8 lineup–the upheaval has begun.

Changing the A4

Blame crossovers for this, however the A4 compact sedan has been a sluggish vendor of late, and has thus been discontinued. As soon as a quantity participant within the Audi lineup, the good-looking little 4-door accounted for simply over 7000 U.S. gross sales in 2024, this together with the sporty S4 variant.

In the meantime, the rakish and pricier A5 lured nearly 25,000 prospects into the Audi fold in 2024, although that quantity consists of all A5/S5 fashions and variants.

Coupe and Convertible Dropped

For 2024, the A5 (and sportier S5) was supplied as a coupe, convertibleand sedan (dubbed Sportback). Utterly redesigned on Audi’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) structure for 2025, the A5/S5 combo return solely in 4-door sedan type. Although, reasonably surprisingly, the brand new A5 retains the outdated automobile’s hatchback design. (We think about this a great factor.)

Tariffs

Audi has advised that killing the A4 was additionally a matter of cash, as the entire German maker’s U.S. fashions are imported. Most of Audi’s lineup comes from Europe, although the favored Q5 compact crossover is imported from Mexico. As such, the entire marque’s fashions are uncovered to doubtlessly expensive tariffs. And, because the A5 has historically value greater than the A4, the transfer successfully shifts the model’s compact sedan consumers upmarket, doubtlessly bringing in income.

Costs

For 2025, the A4’s final 12 months, the small sedan began at $45,395. The redesigned A5, now solely supplied as a 4-door hatchback, began at $47,595. Nonetheless, the A5 jumps to $52,290 for 2026, largely unchanged.

Confusion

However the true disgrace right here is that the launch of an all-new Audi has been buried in branding and repositioning intrigue, in addition to tariff-related insanity. A disgrace, as a result of the brand new A5—no less than in S5 trim—is known as a good automobile.

Legacy Fashions

(Word that, as a result of Audi enjoys complicated prospects, the brand new A5/S5 is being bought alongside the outdated A5 and S5 for 2025. The old-design automobile continues to be dubbed Sportback, whereas the brand new automobile is dubbed Sedan. Word, too, that the coupe and convertible variations of the “outdated” A5 have been dropped after 2024.)

Costs and Trim Ranges

For 2025, the S5 Sedan (simply the redesigned model) is obtainable in three trim ranges:

• S5 Sedan Premium ($63,995)
• S5 Sedan Premium Plus ($67,795)
• S5 Sedan Status ($71,545)

Check Automobile

Client Information not too long ago spent every week behind the wheel of the 2025 Audi S5. Our Status check automobile got here in Ascari Blue Metallic and was outfitted with the Version One package deal. All advised, together with vacation spot cost, the automobile got here to $73,940.

A5 versus S5

Once more for 2025, the S5 represents a substantial bump-up in sportiness over the extra mainstream A5. Not solely does the improve embody distinctive S5 exterior and inside trim, however suspension and brake upgrades, and extra energy.

Engines

By way of energy, the 2025 S5 is powered by a 362-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. This instead of the A5’s 268-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter 4 which is augmented by a 48-volt “gentle hybrid” system. Each the A5 and S5 are fitted with a 7-speed dual-clutch-style computerized transmission and Audi’s quattro-brand AWD.

Design

We’re type of bummed that the A5/S5 has misplaced its particular place as a model design halo automobile of types. The A5 was as soon as meant to attracted customers trying to stand out in visitors and within the health-club parking zone. And whereas nonetheless very engaging, it appears as Audi has to some extent “normalized” the A5/S5 design, this, we presume to achieve a broader viewers.

Cabin Appointments

Entering into the S5 reminds us that Audi as soon as led the trade when it comes to cabin design and common—if restrained–opulence. That position appears to have been usurped by Genesis, although the S5 inside is actually upscale. We discovered the black-on-black motif slightly somber, although on no account lower than luxurious. Supplies high quality is high notch, and meeting match and end in line with our expectation of a German luxurious sedan.

Three Screens

When you like numbers, you’ll get pleasure from the next: There are three screens mounted on the S5 dashboard, an 11.9-inch drive show, a 14.5-inch heart console touchscreen, and a ten.9-inch passenger-side touchscreen.

Controls

The passenger display screen permits front-seat co-pilots to entry a variety of automobile capabilities, together with navigation and media. We discovered the entire screens brilliant and straightforward to learn below most circumstances, and fast to answer inputs. We typically desire that local weather management not be included within the touchscreen-operated suite of capabilities, however the S5 system is comprised of mounted controls which run alongside the underside of the display screen, and are simple sufficient to rapidly manipulate.

Room and Consolation

Total, the S5 cabin is barely bigger than that of the outgoing A5/S5 Sportback, which implies this massive editor discovered loads of room as soon as seated, although getting into and exiting concerned some minor contortion work. Rear-space can be improved, with legroom growing by about an inch. Taller back-seat passengers will wish to sit behind the shortest front-row occupant, although for essentially the most half the Audi will mange 4 adults in cheap consolation.

Trip and Dealing with

On the street the S5 shines, with a sporty character that’s each playful and refined. Whereas we want the steering had slightly extra really feel, we loved driving the compact Audi aggressively. Cornering lean is effectively managed, and the sturdy brakes add to the motive force’s common sense of management. The turbocharged V6 is usually hushed, however emits a cultured snarl when pushed, as does the exhaust. Certainly, we might have appreciated slightly extra exhaust noise, no less than throughout acceleration.

And, talking of noise, there may be little or no of it at freeway velocity. The S5 cabin is impressively hushed at instances the engine isn’t being exercised. Trip high quality, too, is noteworthy. The S5’s typically buttoned-down suspension tuning serves up a agency however compliant trip, although with none harshness and little or no street noise. Name the trip elegant, with a facet of athleticism.

Cargo Area

As we famous earlier, the A5/S5 enjoys a rear hatch as an alternative of a trunk, which opens up cargo hauling to bigger gadgets, and extra stuff usually. A middle pass-through within the rear seat decomplicates the hauling of lengthy gadgets, together with skis.

Worth

Whereas the we lament the worth enhance, and can miss the tidy and accessible A4/S4, the redesigned S5 is a powerful alternative, boasting slightly extra passenger area and a sexier profile. For a lot of luxurious sedan customers, we suspect the “commonplace” A5 will match the invoice, however for fans in search of additional commuting pleasure, we recommend placing the S5 in your test-drive brief checklist.

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