The last generation Audi A4 and A5 were underrated. They never seemed to win the comparison tests or the hearts and minds of enthusiasts at large, but they represented everything Audi did well—handsome design, superb build quality, excellent ergonomics, and strong driving dynamics to boot. The new S5 isn’t necessarily a bad car, but it is a frustrating, disappointing thing.
Audi killed the A4 nameplate entirely, with plans to use even numbers for EVs and odd numbers for gas-powered cars. The company has since abandoned that idea, but not before releasing the new A5 and S5—essentially a replacement for both the old S4 sedan and S5 Sportback.
| Quick Specs | 2025 Audi S5 |
| Engine | Turbocharged 3.0-Liter V-6 |
| Output | 362 Horsepower / 406 Pound-Feet |
| 0-60 MPH | 4.3 Seconds |
| Base Price / As-Tested | $63,995 / $73,345 |
The A5/S5 ride on the new Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture that’s really just an evolution of the longitudinal-engine, front-transaxle platform Audi’s used for years now. For the S5, the engine is familiar, too, a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 making 362 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. This five-door hatch is also the only body style available in the US, as the S5 coupe and convertible are dead, and the Avant wagon is not for our shores.
Carryover components aren’t bad news here, because the fundamentals of the previous “B9” generation S4/S5 were sound. And this is a pretty nice car to drive. Even without the mild-hybrid system it gets in Europe, this V-6 has excellent throttle response and smooth power delivery across the rev band. It even sounds pleasing, too, if somewhat muted.
Audi ditched the eight-speed automatic here, too, and instead went for a seven-speed dual-clutch. Seems curious on its face, but the move comes because the S5 also eschews the traditional center-Torsen-differential Quattro all-wheel drive system for the lighter, more efficient Quattro Ultra setup. This means, in theory, that the S5 should behave more like a front-wheel drive car, but in practice, you wouldn’t know anything meaningful’s changed. It still sends power rearwards often, and a sport differential across the back helps the car rotate.
I wouldn’t say the S5 is fun so much as it is very competent, but that was the case with the previous generation, too. The steering is decent, but the car doesn’t feel terribly agile, and indeed, Audi quotes a 4,288-pound curb weight. That seems like an awful lot for a non-hybrid luxury sport sedan of this size. The BMW 3 Series is no lightweight either, but even the current M340i xDrive weighs in at just over 4,000 pounds.
Pros: Hatchback Practicality, Great Seats, Smooth Engine
That weight manifests in the S5 not feeling agile. It’s noticeable in the ride quality, too. No matter what mode the adaptive dampers are in—which are only available as an option on the mid-tier Premium Plus and standard on the top-trim Prestige—the ride never quite settles down. The car just fidgets, and some of that is surely down to the optional 20-inch wheels.
So, to drive, the S5 is good, if not great, in some ways. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s much better than its predecessor, or a patch on the excellent BMW M340i or the left-field Cadillac CT5-V. That’s not the big problem, though.
Audis used to feel expensive; you paid a premium, but didn’t feel shortchanged by what you got. Now, though, the interior looks nice enough at first, and the seats are lovely, but then you notice there isn’t a single piece of metal trim anywhere. The dashboard is covered in Alcantara, the center console is everyone’s least favorite material, Piano Black, and even the door handles are just plastic.
Then there’s the strange haptic touchpads—one on the door controls mirrors, exterior lighting, locking, and seat memory. It works fine, but it looks and feels cheap. And the steering wheel has haptic touch pads, too, which respond to both swipes and clicks, and you will accidentally swipe on them, changing some setting you didn’t want to.
Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital gauge cluster used to set the standard for these sorts of displays, with excellent graphics and a super-easy-to-understand interface. But now, the menu structure on the 14.5-inch screen is bizarre and confusing, and the graphics are strange, with the speedometer (or tachometer in Dynamic mode) rendered vertically for some reason.
Audi also has one of those silly Tesla-style displays that shows you where cars are around you, and it doesn’t actually work that well. Cars and lane lines suddenly appear and disappear without warning.
Cons: Cheap Interior, Confusing Infotainment, Weight
The infotainment system is now Android-based, and while it’s super quick—the days of car infotainment feeling markedly slower than your iPhone are over—it’s not as easy to use as Audi’s old system. There are just so many menus and things to wade through.
Complaining about ergonomic quirks is a tricky one in car reviewing because, ultimately, buyers get used to things. I only get to spend a week with a car before I hand it back. But, while I’m sure I’d get used to this S5 too, it also annoyed me in so many ways that previous Audi models didn’t. Getting into an Audi used to feel like a breath of fresh air. Hell, the facelifted S3 I drove a couple of months ago felt that way. This car just irritated me, and it didn’t have enough redeeming qualities to make up for it. Especially not at $73,345, for this Edition One version.
In Audi’s defense, the company knows it needs to step up in quality. The new Q3 looks like it’s moving in the right direction, too, and we’ve had good things to say about the electric Q6 E-Tron.
Fundamentally, the new Audi S5 is not a flawed car; it’s just a step sideways, if not a step backwards, from its predecessor. For now, I’d look at gently used S4 and S5 models over this.
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2025 Audi S5
