Audi S5 Review - good enough to get you out of that BMW M340i?

evo Verdict

Long gone are the days when an S badge on the grille and boot of an Audi signified the fastest four-ringed car from Ingolstadt, instead S models sit between the bread and butter range models and Audi Sport's flagship RS models. It’s a strategy that continues today, with the latest S5 saloon and Avant (replacing the S4, which has been retired for now), which in spite of stealing the identity of Audi’s bygone sexy svelte two-door coupe, isn’t flush with what you would call passion and personality. Yet in spite of this, it has a decent turn of performance, an unexpected level of body control and quiet damping, a pleasing balance and, as you’d expect, a quality cabin deserving of Audi’s reputation for such things. The new S5 models are not a poor alternative to the all-conquering BMW M340i, because while not as inherently thrilling as its rival from Munich it has an identity of its own and an appeal that focuses on refinement across the board. 

Background and model range

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Before Audi dived head first into its own naming convention rabbit hole, the S5 was a two-door coupe or five-door Sportback, and while the latter lives on (albeit now called a saloon), the former is now a five-door Avant replacing the S4. There’s no S5-saloon. For now.

The reason for the change lay in Audi’s plan to use odd numbers to name its internal combustion- and hybrid-powered models, with even-numbered models being all-electric. Unfortunately, the result was A4 customers hunting around the configurator bot being able to find a newer version of their car with the same name. It quickly caused enough confusion for Audi to backtrack, with what was to become the new A7 staying as the A6, leaving the S5 (and its A5 siblings) stuck on the original plan as it was too late to change. And yes, the person responsible for the idea was fired.

The new S5 models exist to battle the Mercedes-AMG C43 and BMW M340i saloons and estates, with next month’s RS5 flagship (available in both Sportback and Avant form) will face off against the BMW M3 and M3 Touring and Alfa Romeo’s Giulia Quadrifoglio. Mercedes-AMG’s soon-to-be pensioned-off C63 might also come in for consideration by some.

If you’re a fan of Audi’s sharp-edged design language, the S5 doesn’t wear a poor angle. Its bespoke diamond pattern, single frame grill and aggressive flanking intakes provide it with its S5 identity, if not as overtly obvious as a ‘hot’ one. That said, spec it wrong (dark red, silver grille accents and brightwork) and it does look a little staid and ready for your retirement. 

There’s a lot of bodywork in the car’s length, which works better in Avant form than saloon, the higher roofline and additional glasshouse providing more definition and allowing those Audi signature creases to work harder. There’s an impressive drag coefficient of 0.25, but being an S model it doesn’t have the confident lines of its RS siblings, headroom clearly being left for the forthcoming RS5. For now, the S5 Avant is definitely the looker of the two, it sits more confidently and carries a sub-RS looks better than the Sportback.

Engine, gearbox and technical highlights

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Being the head of the range the S5 saloon and Avant are fitted with the model’s most powerful powertrain: a 3-litre turbocharged V6 engine. Familiar to the old S4, as per the rest of the current A5 engine range, it’s been given a thorough update, not only to meet the latest emission standards but improve performance accordingly. It now features a revised combustion process and a variable geometry turbo, as well as Audi’s new MHEV-Plus 48-volt mild hybrid system, saving up to 17g/km of CO2.

Naturally the S5 is equipped with a quattro four-wheel-drive system with power and torque sent to all four corners via a seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox, with a clutch-adjustable torque-vectoring differential also fitted to the rear axle. The S5s and the diesel A5s were the only A5s available with quattro all-wheel drive before the plug-in hybrid arrived.

> Audi RS5 Avant and saloon spied testing: 500bhp of V6 hybrid power expected

Along with the new A5, the S5 is one of the first Audis to use the brand’s Premium Platform Combustion architecture, which is a heavily revised version of the MLB Evo chassis that underpinned the last-generation A4/A5 models. Audi’s goal with the new S5 has been to combine the practicality and versatility of the outgoing A4 range, with a premium, performance-positive driving feel and presence, serving the more upmarket positioning the saloon and Avant only bodystyles are gunning for.

This approach permeates everything on, in and under the car, from its styling, to cabin layout and design, to the dimensions, chassis and suspension setup. Audi has in particular concentrated on developing a neutral handling balance, such as fitting stiffer axle bearings and drop link stabilisers installed to improve the steering. Another goal was to broaden the talents of the driver modes within the Drive Select system and provide more distinguishing characteristics between modes.

Power, torque and 0-62mph

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The new Audi S5’s mild-hybrid turbocharged V6 develops 362bhp between 5500 and 6300rpm, with 405lb ft being delivered between 1700 and 4000rpm. With the S4 it directly replaces only available as a diesel, if you want to compare like-for-like you need to step back to the pre-facelift turbocharged petrol V6 S4 that produced 349bhp at 5400rpm and 369lb ft at 1370-4500rpm. 

Performance figures for the new S5 are competitive, with the 0-62mph sprint taking a claimed 4.5sec on the way to a limited 155mph top speed. That's 0.2sec quicker than the petrol version B9 S4, which is impressive given the S5 is just under 400kg heavier. BMW’s M340i, by comparison, has near identical power and less torque but thanks to being almost 200kg lighter, gets to 62mph 0.1sec quicker, in 4.4sec.

Driver’s note

‘The engine, while delivering a strong mid-range takes time to get going and offers little incentive to rev out to its limit due to two factors: it’s not an especially strong top end and the engine note throughout the power and torque band is quite thin and non-descript, lacking any aural edge or sharpness. It’s an effective engine in terms of performance and the gearbox is quick to shift and is hard to catch out unless you're too quick with the paddles to downshift, where there is always a lag.' – Stuart Gallagher, Editor-in-Chief, evo

Performance, ride and handling

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How fast does the Audi subjectively feel? It’s brisk but refined, isolating you from the sensory stimuli that ordinarily come with a rapidly rising speedo needle to the extent that it feels in a way procedural. 

Its soundtrack is predominately a whine of the mild hybrid system as it discharges and recoups energy. Again, it’s subtle but the presence of the technology is tangible. So it is in the response too, with the electrified torque burst adding to the engine’s strong mid-range. At low speeds in town, the engine isn’t shy about shutting off and handing over to the power generator either and the switch from engine to battery power is imperceptible.

The S5 will avoid firing up the engine in low speed manoeuvring situations – when you're parking or setting off slowly from traffic lights or when you’re leaving for work at ‘how early?' o’clock. It’ll also ‘sail’, which sees the engine turn off and the electric motor take over when you’re moving but speed maintenance is low effort and you’re basically off throttle. The handover once the engine does cut remains seamless.

The S5 springs to life in Dynamic mode, the standard-fit adaptive dampers remaining rocksteady providing a platform of control at speed without crashing across harsher surfaces. Comfort slackens everything off nicely, but isn’t too aloof, keeping you keyed in to what's going on just enough.

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On good surfaces it is, like any car, silky smooth in how it rides and adapts to the roadway beneath it. Even more impressive is how it performs when road quality worsens. Audis of old with an S badge would thud and crash across the slightest surface imperfection but the S5 has a quality to its damping that allows it to absorb almost the worst that today’s roads can throw at it. There is some tyre noise that’s exaggerated on concrete and worn out surfaces and the biggest imperfections thud through the cabin as there’s very little sidewall offering an additional layer of absorption. 

With great body control comes a bit of athleticism in the S5 courtesy of its torque-vectoring quattro sport differential. Turn-in on power is keen, while the amount the S5 is happy to send power to the outside rear wheel provides a level of agility that many won’t be expecting of an Audi. It’s happiest when cultivating a positive neutrality with the occasional flourish, without the natural, always rear-lead feel of a longitudinally-engined xDrive BMW. 

The balance is good and the damping is great, so you do eventually find yourself pushing on a bit. Do so and like so many of today’s cars the S5’s weight starts to make itself felt. It’s the only real time you get a sense of what the tyres are doing as you feel and hear them begin to strain under the mass. The S5 Avant is nominally heavier than its saloon sibling - 1965kg v 1950kg - and that extra mass is all at the rear with the extra bodywork. If anything, it adds to the sense of agility with momentum with more of a sense the rear wants to chase you under deceleration.

Slightly disappointing is the progressive-rate steering, which doesn’t quite deliver on the promise of improved feel. It’s precise off centre, certainly, but the rack doesn’t accumulate the natural sense of mass you’re looking for until you’re really pushing on. Nor does it quite have the tightest ratio, with some corners requiring more lock to find your desired line than you initially expect. It’s at odds with the clarity the dynamics provide.

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A note for the braking too, which of course incorporates a regenerative element. As is often the case, the handover to friction braking isn’t perfectly resolved at low speeds but it’s fine when driving enthusiastically. It’s far from the worst out there and considering that mass braking performance only becomes a challenge after persistent, hard stops from high speed.

By and large the S5 delivers on its promise of pushing upmarket in terms of driving feel, from where the S4 left off. It’s impressive but stops short of being emotionally stimulating. Could the S5 do with more of a sense of humour? Perhaps. There’s definitely bandwidth for it, that we expect to be filled by the upcoming RS5. Truthfully, the S5 is all the car it needs to be and that its customers ask it to be: the reserved sub-RS fast Audi.

Driver’s note

‘It’s very impressive and enormously capable. The ride and body control are great. But it’s just not engaging and compelling in the way you want a proper performance car to be. It’s no RS6 but a strong base for the forthcoming hybrid RS5.’ – Stuart Gallagher, evo editor-in-chief, who drove the new Audi S5 on the road in the UK.

MPG and running costs

If you dig into the Audi S5’s power reserves you’re going to be seeing averages a lot lower than the 35mpg claim. That said, over 30mpg is very possible even on a swift cruise.

The mild hybrid system becomes very useful when in slow rubberbanding traffic, the car eager to stay engine-off for impressively long periods, as you’d hope given the generator has a whole 1.7kWh battery to draw from. It should have had a positive impact on emissions but with the S5 producing just under 180g/km of CO2, it’s no cleaner than the BMW M340i. The S5 is still in the band that will cost buyers £2190 to first register it.

Interior and tech

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Inside the S5 Audi’s new ‘Digital Stage’ of crisp OLED screens takes over from the quality-feeling clicky buttons of the outgoing models. The number of physical buttons in the 2026 S5 can be counted on one hand, which is a shame, as the clicky rotary controls of Audis over the last decade were almost without peer, with a feeling of quality spanning all the way from the A1 hatch to the R8 supercar. 

The S5’s HMI screen is canted towards the driver within its panel, meaning it is easier to read and navigate than some other touch-heavy efforts. The UI is also responsive and relatively intuitive. A bit more variety in terms of the digital cockpit dial options would be welcome, though. And the revs rising and falling on a small straight line in the bottom left of the driver’s display, rather than in a traditional counter graphic, can mean you lose track of them.

The steering wheel, as with the recently updated Audi e-tron GT, also features haptic touch controls. They’re far from the worst but do suffer from the same issue of susceptibility to being unintentionally operated, as many others do. You also lose the feeling of individual clicks from individual buttons, the panel instead operating on a rocker (that’s not as tactile).

Clicky physical control cull notwithstanding, the S5’s cabin is as you’d expect, nicely put together with quality materials and stylishly designed – the red leather of the S5 Avant we sampled was particularly arresting. The sports seats are comfortable and reasonably supportive too, and their diamond stitching is always a nice tell that you’re in the warmed-over ‘S’ model.

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The OLED rear lights are cool, with their dynamic signatures. This uses second-generation digital OLED tech, with 60 segments per digital OLED panel. As Audi says, we’re at the point that this is as much an information display, as it is a light. At rest, Launch Edition cars shimmer at the rear, giving the light bar a ‘lake surface under moonlight’ vibe.

Seats and boot space

The S5 makes a decent fist of the practical stuff. For front occupants, it’s as spacious and comfortable as you could want although some might find the driver’s seat lacks enough height adjustment. In the back it’s a little hemmed in with the tradeoff from the svelte glasshouse being a bit of a gloomy feeling for rear occupants. Head and legroom are passable in the Sportback with the former improved in the Avant. 

In terms of boot capacity the Audi S5 saloon packs a decent 417 litres, the Avant adding 31 litres of capacity and a bit more rear headroom.

Equipment and specs

Standard spec is good on the S5 with Matrix LED lights with their eight light signatures fitted as standard. The only major options are fancy paint (£1495 for Ascari blue), a tow bar (£1160) and carbon mirrors and interior trim, together for less than £1000. 

An S5 is well equipped from standard, coming (whether you want them or not) with an electric panoramic roof, a Bang & Olufsen sound system and heated and cooled power adjustable sports seats.

Prices and rivals

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Audi offers two trimlines for both 365bhp S5 bodystyles: the Black Edition and Vorsprung priced from £65,825 and £73,325 respectively for the saloons and £67,725 and £75,225. It costs more than the £62,425 BMW M340i xDrive saloon (£66,065 for the Touring). Though the BMW comes with significantly less standard equipment, it’s still a little cheaper than the S5 spec for spec.

Mercedes-AMG C43 four-cylinder engined saloon and estate cost £69,960 and £71,710 respectively. All are available with favourable discounts, with S5 Avants offered with up to £10,000 discounts on stock cars, BMW M340i’s with discounts up to £13,000 and the C43 with nearly £10,000 off stock cars.

Specs