ASPEN, Colo.—The SUV might be the dominant design in the American automobile market, but it hasn’t completely taken over. At Audi, there is still life in the sedan. The old A4 four-door is no more—at least for a while or until Audi redoes its nomenclature yet again. If you want a small Audi four-door, you need to step down to the A3. Five doors is where it’s at, with the 2025 A5.
Like the new Q5 SUV, which you may have read about last week, the new A5 uses an all-new vehicle architecture from Audi called PPC (for premium platform combustion). PPC will give rise to a wide range of new vehicles from Audi, Porsche, and the other premium VW Group stablemates, and it takes a meaningful step into the future with advanced new electronics, making this a true software-defined vehicle.
Under the hood
There will be two versions at launch. The regular A5 features a 2.0 L four-cylinder turbocharged, direct-injection engine driving all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and generates 268 hp (200 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm). That’s a pretty large power and torque bump compared to the outgoing A5 Sportback, in part thanks to a new variable geometry turbocharger that replaces the old twin-scroll blower.
The A5 in particular is a very anodyne shape. It’s almost as if it’s a generative AI’s idea of an Audi sedan.
Jonathan Gitlin
The A5 in particular is a very anodyne shape. It’s almost as if it’s a generative AI’s idea of an Audi sedan.
Jonathan Gitlin
Disc-like alloy wheels are good for fuel efficiency.
Jonathan Gitlin
Disc-like alloy wheels are good for fuel efficiency.
Jonathan Gitlin
OLED taillights are available on the Prestige trim, but unlike in other markets, they are not allowed to be animated while the vehicle is in motion in the US.
Jonathan Gitlin
OLED taillights are available on the Prestige trim, but unlike in other markets, they are not allowed to be animated while the vehicle is in motion in the US.
Jonathan Gitlin
Disc-like alloy wheels are good for fuel efficiency.
Jonathan Gitlin
OLED taillights are available on the Prestige trim, but unlike in other markets, they are not allowed to be animated while the vehicle is in motion in the US.
Jonathan Gitlin
Audi says that the new A5 has much more precise steering thanks to mounting the rack directly to the unibody, plus a stiffer antiroll bar. There’s also more front camber and stiffer front axles. A brake-based differential slows the inside rear wheel during cornering for a tighter turning radius.
The other version is the S5, which gets a couple more cylinders, among other upgrades. Its 3.0 L V6 engine—also coupled to an all-wheel drive seven-speed DCT, albeit with some reinforcement against torque—gives the S5 a more meaningful 362 hp (270 kW) and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm). That’s a more modest bump to the specs of the previous S5 than the four-cylinder car, although one that still shaves a couple of tenths off the 0–60 time.
The S5 also benefits from some suspension upgrades compared to the regular A5. The car is almost an inch (20 mm) lower in terms of ride height, and there is optional adaptive damper suspension that offers a more comfortable Comfort mode and a firmer Dynamic mode than the old S5.
The S5 is eager and more engaging to drive than the A5.
Jonathan Gitlin
The S5 is eager and more engaging to drive than the A5.
Jonathan Gitlin
Yes, it’s the most expensive variant, but the inflation calculator tells me that it’s actually quite a lot cheaper than the one that was launched in 2018.
Jonathan Gitlin
Yes, it’s the most expensive variant, but the inflation calculator tells me that it’s actually quite a lot cheaper than the one that was launched in 2018.
Jonathan Gitlin
Audi was keen to point out that the exhaust tips you see here are real and not facades.
Jonathan Gitlin
Audi was keen to point out that the exhaust tips you see here are real and not facades.
Jonathan Gitlin
Yes, it’s the most expensive variant, but the inflation calculator tells me that it’s actually quite a lot cheaper than the one that was launched in 2018.
Jonathan Gitlin
Audi was keen to point out that the exhaust tips you see here are real and not facades.
Jonathan Gitlin
Like the Q5 last week, the A5 and S5 use a new electronic architecture called E3 1.2. This is a clean-sheet approach to the various electronic subsystems in the car, replacing decades of legacy cruft and more than a hundred individual electronic control units with five powerful high-performance computers, each with responsibility for a different domain: ride and handling, infotainment, driver assists, and convenience functions, all overseen by a master computer.
On the road
Sadly, those looking for driver engagement will not find much in the A5. Despite the improvements to the front suspension, there’s still very little in the way of feedback, and in comfort mode, the steering was too light, at least for me. In Dynamic mode, on the other hand, the car felt extremely sure-footed in bad weather. The A5 makes do with conventional springs, so the ride doesn’t change between drive modes, but Audi has tuned it well, and the car is not too firm. I noted a fair amount of wind noise, despite the acoustic front glass that comes with the ($6,450) Prestige package.
The S5 will appeal much more to driving enthusiasts. The steering provides a better picture of what the front tires are doing, and the suspension gives the car a supple ride, albeit one that gets firmer in Balanced rather than Dynamic modes. Like some other recent fast Audis, the car is deceptively quick, and because it’s quite quiet and smooth, you can find yourself going a good deal faster than you thought. The S5’s exhaust note also sounds rather pleasant and not obnoxious.
The A5 cabin has a similar layout as the Q5 and Q6 e-tron SUVs.
Audi
The A5 cabin has a similar layout as the Q5 and Q6 e-tron SUVs.
Audi
The capacitive panels on the multifunction steering wheel may annoy the heck out of you with unwanted button presses.
Audi
The capacitive panels on the multifunction steering wheel may annoy the heck out of you with unwanted button presses.
Audi
Rear legroom is 36.1 inches (917 mm).
Audi
Rear legroom is 36.1 inches (917 mm).
Audi
The capacitive panels on the multifunction steering wheel may annoy the heck out of you with unwanted button presses.
Audi
Rear legroom is 36.1 inches (917 mm).
Audi
The S5 seats get bigger side bolsters.
Audi
Not much to look at under the hood of the A5.
Audi
The rear seats split 40:20:40. With the seats in use, there’s 22.6 cubic feet (640 L of cargo volume, or up to 36.6 cubic feet (1,038 L) with the seats folded flat. And the opening is very large, so fitting a bike in here should be doable.
Audi
More capacitive controls.
Audi
Carbon-fiber trim, and it’s the woven stuff not the cheaper, uglier forged carbon.
Audi
I adore the Alcantara on the dash; it’s wonderful to touch.
Audi
The A5 starts at $49,700, but the $3,600 Premium Plus package is likely a must-have, as this adds adaptive cruise control, a heads-up display, top-down parking cameras, and some other features (including USB-C ports). If you want to get really fancy, the Prestige pack adds speakers in the front headrests, OLED taillights, the aforementioned acoustic glass, plus a second infotainment screen for the front passenger.
Meanwhile, the S5 starts at $62,700; the Premium Plus package (which adds mostly the same stuff) will set you back $3,800. For the S5, the $7,550 Prestige pack includes front sports seats, Nappa leather, rear window sunshades, the passenger display, and the adaptive sports suspension. Those are all some hefty numbers, but the A5 and S5 are actually both cheaper in real terms than the models launched in 2018, once you take seven years’ worth of inflation into account.
Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC.
That A5, in that color, is the blandest vehicle I could imagine. Just buy a Camry, it has more personality. The S5 looks marginally less boring but those front air scoops are stupid.
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It's just way too much screen. Obviously the marketing geniuses are in a race with BMW and Merc to see who can add more useless screens to the cars in order to sell premium packages, but I'll pass hard on it. All I want is a reasonably sized panel with great CarPlay/Auto integration and not much else (love the display in my CX-50).
Too much capacitive touch everywhere. Our Mk8 GTI has most of the same parts bin touch controls, and they suck.
Rear hatch seems better than a traditional sedan trunk, but its silly to not offer this in a wagon format. All you'd do is just reshape the rear quarter and hatch shape a bit.. I think the hinge itself could stay right in the same spot, right?
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