Compared: 2023 Audi A5 vs. 2023 Audi S5

Deciding between Audi's compact offerings is like a choose-your-own-German-sports-car adventure.

Emme Hall | 

Jan 13, 2023 | 2 min read

Audi | A5 (top), S5

If you’re looking for an all-wheel-drive luxury car, Audi should be at the top of your list. The manufacturer excels at producing techy, sexy vehicles that pack a punch. The compact A5 and its sportier S5 sibling come in three body styles—coupe, four-door Sportback, and two-door convertible—and are great choices for those who want decent performance and elegant design.

Audi | A5

2023 Audi A5 vs. 2023 Audi S5: Performance

All A5 coupes and convertibles come standard with a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder, making 261 horsepower. You can get that engine in the Sportback, too, but it’s the upgrade pick. The base model (or 40 TFSI) uses a detuned, 201-hp version of that powertrain.

The coupe is lightest and therefore the quickest, scooting to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, according to Audi. The lower-powered A5 Sportback 40 TFSI takes more than a full second longer to reach that speed.

Audi | S5

The S5, with a 349-hp, turbocharged, 3.0-liter six-cylinder, moves quite a bit quicker than the A5. The coupe can reach 60 in 4.4 seconds; even the heavy cabriolet hits the mark in 4.8.

Audi | A5

2023 Audi A5 vs. 2023 Audi S5: Price

The A5 coupe starts at about $48,000, and the cabriolet, close to $55,000. The four-door A5 Sportback in 201-hp, 40 TFSI guise goes for about $46,000, while the 261-hp 45 TFSI costs just as much as the coupe.

As for the S5, the coupe opens at around $57,000 — same as the Sportback. The cabriolet costs about $8,000 more, with a base price just over $65,000.

Audi | S5

Regardless of body style, the A5 and S5 are available in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trims. In general, for each step up the trim-level ladder, the price increases by about $4,000-$5,000. All models have leather seats, panoramic sunroofs, and three-zone automatic climate control, but only Premium Plus and Prestige A5s and S5s have adaptive cruise control and Audi’s 12.3-inch configurable instrument cluster. The brand reserves its enhanced sound system, built-in navigation, and head-up display for the top trim.

Audi | A5

2023 Audi A5 vs. 2023 Audi S5: Fuel Economy

The A5 has a 12-volt mild-hybrid system to improve fuel economy. The entry Sportback, with 28 mpg combined, is the most efficient of the bunch. The 45 TFSI counterpart — with an additional 60 hp on tap — manages a still-respectable 27 mpg. The coupe is also rated at 27 mpg combined, while the cabriolet returns 26 mpg combined.

Audi | S5

With its larger, more powerful engine, the S5 definitely takes an efficiency hit. The Sportback and coupe both return 24 mpg on the EPA’s combined cycle, while the cabriolet nets 1 mpg less.

Emme Hall

Emme Hall is an award-winning automotive journalist who comes to Capital One after many years at CNET, where she wrote extensively about electrification, ADAS systems, and in-car technology. She also has bylines at Car and Driver, MotorTrend, SAE Automotive, TechCrunch, The Verge, and Inside EVs. A sought-after media personality, she has appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan and is a frequent guest on The Truck Show Podcast, Off the Road Again, and Get Your Hands Dirty, a podcast that encourages young women to get into STEM careers. She is an experienced off-road racer, having competed in the United States, Mexico, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia.