Audi S5 review

The S5 takes whatever you throw at it to the point that it becomes a bit of a dullard. You'll have to be going some to unsettle it, the electronics ingesting whatever nonsense you put in and smoothing it all in an instant.

Special mention should go to the new brake torque vectoring system that keeps the car on track even in the midst of the most panicked stomp on the brake pedal.

Given that the S5 has inherited the same trick diff and seven-speed DSG gearbox that the recently facelifted S3 benefits from (itself a hand me down from the sportier RS3), it’s a shame that the S5 hasn’t been endowed with any of the light naughtiness of the smaller hatch. But then the A4/A5 cars are supposed to be a bit more mature and sensible.

So it's no fun to drive?

Gah. Like we said, it’s incredibly capable and very assured; like driving a computer game with all the aids left on. But if you’re looking for an involved car you should keep searching: for all its composure the S5 doesn't give you the sense that the chassis is game for a lark.

Engage Dynamic mode and the steering tightens up and the throttle response - which is oddly lax otherwise - gets sharper. You can take manual control of the transmission with the paddles, but the readout to tell you what gear you're in is hidden away on the driver display. It'd be front and centre if the S5 had a true playful side. The brakes are firm and allow fine modulation at the top end of travel: there's a hint of unclarity from the regen, but not much.

We also found it weird that you can't pair the most instinctive throttle response (for dialling out tardiness at junctions) with the softest ride. That'd be the Goldilocks setup. Individual model has its limitations, it seems.

That said, if you want something that rapidly covers ground but is reassuring enough to have your family onboard, then this is for you.

Ultimately a BMW M340i would be a better steer and a Mercedes-AMG C43 would provide a bit more drama. Perhaps the Audi offers the touring middle ground.

What about the ride? 

The larger wheels take their toll compared to the standard A5 (which is reasonably pliant and well damped), as does the sportier suspension. The S5 resists body roll on the move, but when the road starts to break up a bit the onboard experience gets fussy. At slower speeds it's notably thumpy.

In the UK we've driven a Launch Edition S5 shod in 20s... on the roughest possible roads imaginable. Comfort levels held up pretty well, but it's definitely more at home on smooth tarmac; think long-distance motorway cruising. In Comfort mode there's a bit of vertical float, but that's preferable to shuddering along with your teeth being rattled from your gums.

Does the mild hybrid tech interfere with things? 

We drove the same tech on the diesel version of the standard A5 and it was a different experience, the ‘MHEV plus’ system giving eco vibes on the diesel. Here it’s all tuned to give a bit more performance. You can stick the S5 into eco mode and it’ll allow extended periods coasting with the engine off, but it hasn’t turned the S5 into an eco-warrior.

Audi does reckon it’s cut 17g/km of CO2 off its headline figure, so that’s something. It’s still 178g/km though, which isn't exactly magic. Against a claim of 36.2mpg, we saw mid-20s during a spirited drive on mostly B-roads. With more care you'll easily better that.