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 loves small convertibles and gets out to the canyons in her 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata whenever she can. You can also find her in the dirt in her lifted (yes, that's right) 2001 Mazda Miata, or racing air-cooled Volkswagens in races like the Baja 1000. She's taken first place twice in the Rebelle Rally — once driving a Jeep Wrangler and then a Rolls-Royce Cullinan the second time. She was also the first driver to take an electric vehicle to the Rebelle Rally when campaigning the Rivian R1T to a top-five finish.