Audi S5 review

Where do we even start with this? It’s not the new S4 – the A4 model name has been reserved for an electric car (even numbers are now EVs in Audi world) – except it is. It’s not the same as the old S5, because that coupe model has been ditched and merged with whatever this now is. Except it is the S5, because that’s its name.

Still, a saloon. Nice and simple.

Indeed, although Audi says it's got coupe stylings. Venture towards the boot and it’s an electrically assisted liftback that opens up before your confused face. There's an estate too. Well, an Avant in Audi speak.

Is it more like the old 5 or the old 4?

If you’ve owned an A4 in the past you’ll definitely see a more familiar car before you than any previous owner of an A5. The new hybrid (design-wise, that is, although the V6 engine does have mild hybrid assistance) car is larger and more grown-up than the previous A4. Audi has tried to incorporate some of the sleekness of the 5, but it’s an uneasy alliance of fleet motorway pounder and golf club runabout.

So how does the faster A5 drive?

The S badge on an Audi signifies a perkier drive than the standard car, but not an out and out sporty one. That tracks: the 3.0-litre V6 TFSI engine sends 362bhp/369lb ft through a seven-speed DSG, getting the car to 62mph from rest in 4.5 seconds and on to the traditional 155mph top speed.

The S5 also manages an official 36.2mpg and 178g/km CO2. It gets adjustable dampers, sports suspension and fancier styling to mark it out.

It drives very capably (yep, it's that familiar buzzword again that so often crops up around warm Audis). The S5 turns in astutely, holds firm through a corner and accelerates briskly back out again. But you get the impression it would rather be pillaging up the outside lane of a motorway.

It comes with a suite of driver aids and electronic trickery to ensure that power is delivered where it’s needed (it’s all-wheel drive of course), but is it fun? Not really. There's an air of reluctance to its handling and it feels like it doesn’t really need you to contribute. We'll dig into this some more on the Driving tab.

Is the interior nice? 

The interior is nice: it’s comfortable up front with all your heated and ventilated electrically adjustable seating fanciness, there’s decent legroom in the back but compromised headroom with that sleek coupe-style roof in the saloon version. That’s where the new car remains like the A5 Sportback of old.

The rear lights on the S5 get Audi’s new OLED tech as standard: there are 60 segments per panel that offer configurable lighting displays and a shimmering welcome. They’re really quite mesmerising to look at, so that’s a pleasant distraction for anyone behind you in a traffic jam.

What's it up against?

The BMW M340i and Mercedes-AMG C43 immediately spring to mind, but there aren't many hot (okay, warm) saloons around these days. It costs £68,700 so the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is a step up from here; the Peugeot 508 PSE is a step down. A Jaguar XE? Forget it, that's long gone.

There’s a lot to appreciate about the S5: it’s a tech marvel, offering a brisk, well curated driving experience. Unfortunately it gets everything going except your heart rate. Is it mean to criticise a car for being too good? Perhaps, but the S5 is clinical rather than passionate.

The A4 of old was Audi’s heartland car, competing against rivals from the likes of Mercedes and BMW that set the bar for everyone else to meet. Everyone knew what they were, too: good old-fashioned saloons and estates. The world is different now though, and in a sea of SUVs we applaud that the S5 still exists. Even if it's not the force it once was.