2021 Audi S5 Review

Name: 2021 Audi S5 Review
Brand: Audi
Price: 42590 USD

Audi S5 Prestige quattro 4dr Hatchback Exterior Shown

+128

The S5 is very balanced for both performance and luxury. It's a beautiful vehicle inside and out and has easy-to-use controls. It's genuinely enjoyable if you want to take it on twisty roads, and it doesn't sacrifice comfort and luxury. It's not perfect — the design compromises rear passenger space and visibility, and the price is a little steep for the top-end Prestige — but it's a highly compelling choice in the class.

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Audi S5 model years

Audi S5 for Sale

Audi S5 types

Hatchback
Coupe
Convertible

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2021 Audi S5 Review

byDan Frio^{Reviews Editor
Dan spent many years covering the go-fast, look-good, get-loud corners of the automotive universe. First, he served as editor of enthusiast magazines AutoSound and Honda Tuning, then as executive editor at SEMA News, the publishing arm of the trade group that produces the annual SEMA Show (yes, that show). As a contributor to Edmunds, he now likes to keep the volume low and the speed limit legal, providing expert car-shopping advice to drivers looking for the perfect match.}

Pros

Acceleration is strong and smooth
Excellent grip delivers confident handling
Interior is modern, stylish and packed with high-tech features
Comfortable for long-distance touring

Cons

Not a lot of interior storage

What's new

Wireless functionality for Apple CarPlay
Premium Plus trim gets additional advanced driver aids
S5 Sportback in Prestige trim gets heated rear seats as standard
Part of the second S5 generation introduced for 2018

Overview

Perhaps with the ubiquity of SUVs, we've forgotten that cars aren't simply about utility. Style matters, and great design connects with us in ways that acres of available cargo space can't. When it comes to emotional appeal, few cars are as striking as the 2021 Audi S5. Whether the S5 is in coupe, convertible or four-door hatchback form, its lines and proportions match its impressive V6-powered performance and sharpened handling.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Audi S5 Premium 4dr Hatchback AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.45 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio

$236/mo

$181/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

Calculate my fuel costs

More powerful and luxurious than its A5 counterpart, the S5 adds about 100 horsepower and some extra standard features such as massaging front seats, heated rear seats and diamond-stitched leather upholstery. While the newly redesigned BMW 4 Series Coupe offers stiff competition, the S5 stirs the soul. Read our Expert Rating below to get our full in-depth take on this year's S5.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Our Verdict^{The Edmunds Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.}

Good

8.0

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

Rated for you by America's best test team.

Performance

8.5/10

How does the S5 drive? We tested an S5 Sportback, which is the four-door hatchback. There's plenty of power from the turbocharged V6, even if it's not immediately explosive off the line. Once on the move, acceleration is swift, steady and satisfying. In Edmunds' track testing, our S5 Sportback test car was able to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a rapid 4.3 seconds. The brakes work well to bring all that speed to a halt, offering relatively fade-free performance in dynamic situations, but they're equally easy and smooth-acting during a casual commute.

The S5 is capable around corners too. Our car came equipped with the optional S Sport package. It helps blend the best of all-wheel-drive traction with the nimble feeling of a rear-wheel-drive car. The S5's dynamic steering also feels well matched to whatever drive mode setting you're in.

Comfort

8.5/10

How comfortable is the S5? We continue to be amazed at the balance of the S5 Sportback. Comfort is just as much a priority as performance. The front seats are very supportive and pleasant, and the available heated and ventilated elements work swiftly. The easy-to-use climate control maintains the cabin temperature accurately, and the fans aren't excessively noisy, even on high.

The optional adaptive suspension is a great way to go in the S5 because it offers excellent qualities for multiple scenarios. Comfort mode smooths out rough interstates and broken pavement with ease, while Dynamic mode keeps the body motion in check through spirited driving. The S5 is relatively silent at all speeds and well isolated from both road and wind noise.

Interior

7.5/10

How’s the interior? Getting in and out of the S5 Sportback's front seats is easy. If you're on the taller side, you might have to duck to get into the rear seats due to the sloping roofline. There's a good amount of room for front occupants plus plenty of adjustment range for the driver. The rear seats are decent in terms of comfort and space for two adults up to about 5-foot-10 or so.

Audi's S5 Sportback doesn't have the dual touchscreen interface that the newer Audis have, but that could be a good thing for some people. Most interior controls are clear, logically placed, and consistent in look and feel. The menu structure for both the digital instrument panel and the touchscreen menu system takes a few uses to learn, though.

Visibility out of the front is decent. The over-the-shoulder view is a bit compromised due to the Sportback design and the thick rear roof pillars. The available surround-view camera system definitely helps when you're backing out of parking spaces.

Technology

8.0/10

How’s the tech? Audi's 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system's graphics are crisp and vibrant. Audi's Virtual Cockpit, a configurable fully digital instrument panel, is able to display nearly anything you want with as much information you want. The navigation system is straightforward and simple to use. The voice controls work pretty well, and while they're not quite conversational, the commands come close and have a good breadth of functions. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration is standard.

Most of the S5 Sportback's advanced driver safety aids are optional except on the top Prestige trim, which is a little disappointing. But they all worked smoothly in our testing.

Storage

8.0/10

How’s the storage? The S5 Sportback has a good amount of room for stuff in the rear cargo area under the hatch. The 40/20/40-split rear seats help give you versatility for odd-sized objects. The load height is reasonable, and the cargo area is free of intrusions.

The storage for small items in the cabin is merely average. There are a couple of small pockets in the center console area with room to keep items like a phone, keys or credit cards. The center console bin can fit a wallet and other similar-size items but nothing much bigger. The cupholders are on the small side, so don't plan to stop for that Big Gulp.

Fuel Economy

7.0/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA estimates the S5 Sportback gets 23 mpg in combined driving (20 city/28 highway). This is slightly below average in its competitive class. On our 115-mile mixed-driving evaluation route, we observed 23.5 mpg on 91 octane, indicating the EPA's numbers are realistic. Naturally, more spirited driving could result in fuel economy falling into the mid- to high teens.

Value

7.0/10

Is the S5 a good value? Audi's S5 Sportback is well built, which is something we've come to expect from Audi. There are no unsightly gaps, welds or hinges, and the interior is simple but modern. Our only gripe: the piano black surfaces around the shifter and center console area that attract fingerprints. The warranty and ownership experience are decent.

The S5 Sportback is on the pricier side compared to peers when they're similarly equipped. The starting price of $52K isn't bad, but once you equip it thoroughly, it closes in on $70K — which is slightly more than the competition. There's value with the midline trims, but you may miss out on a couple of desired features.

Wildcard

8.5/10

While the S5 Sportback has a sleek profile, its overall design is quite understated. If you want to have some fun, the S5 is capable of delivering it. Power is ample but not overwhelming, and it's well matched to the Audi's handling capability. It engages you and once you're done having fun, you ease off and enjoy it purely as a luxury sedan.

Which S5 does Edmunds recommend?

The base S5 Premium is tempting, but you need to add the optional Convenience package to get features such as keyless entry, driver-seat memory function and satellite radio — features that should really come standard. As such, we say spend a little more for the Premium Plus trim. It includes the Convenience package features along with some other appealing extras such as adaptive cruise control.

2021 Audi S5 models

The 2021 Audi S5 is the high-performance counterpart to the A5. Compared to the A5's four-cylinder engine, the S5 comes with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine (349 horsepower, 369 lb-ft of torque) paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive.

The S5 is similarly offered in coupe, convertible (Cabriolet) and four-door hatchback (Sportback) body styles. The coupe and convertible seat four, while the Sportback accommodates five. The S5 is available in three trim levels: Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige.

Premium
The S5 Premium base trim comes well equipped with:

18-inch alloy wheels
Sport suspension
LED headlights
Panoramic sunroof
Power liftgate (Sportback)
Three-zone automatic climate control
Leather and faux suede combination upholstery
Power-adjustable, heated front sport seats
LED ambient cabin lighting
Auto-dimming rearview mirror with integrated toll road transponder

Technology and safety features include:

10.1-inch central touchscreen
Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay smartphone connections
Forward collision mitigation (warns you of impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)

The optional Convenience package for the Premium trim adds:

Auto-dimming side mirrors
Keyless entry
Heated steering wheel
Driver-seat memory functions
Front and rear parking sensors
Satellite radio
Blind-spot monitoring (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)
Rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle behind you is about to cross your vehicle's path while you're in reverse)

Premium Plus
Moving up one tier to the Premium Plus gets you the features of the Convenience package as standard plus:

Digital instrument panel
Driver-seat memory functions
Simulated leather-wrapped center console and armrests
Wireless charging pad with a signal booster
Rear USB charge ports (Sportback only)
Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the S5 and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the S5 and the car in front)
Lane keeping assist (steers the S5 back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker)

Prestige
The Prestige trim maxes out the tech and comfort features, adding:

Upgraded headlights
19-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium audio system
Heated rear seats
Navigation system
Head-up display
Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention)

The Premium Plus and Prestige trims can also be equipped with several options, including:

S Sport package

Adaptive suspension dampers
Sport rear differential

Warm Weather package

Different sport seats with ventilation but without massage
Leather upholstery
Neck heaters (convertible only)

Black Optic package

20-inch wheels
High-performance summer tires
Black exterior trim accents

Premium leather upholstery
Dynamic steering (changes steering ratio for higher or lower effort based on speed)
Bang & Olufsen premium sound system

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

2/5Average

#63 out of 68 among Luxury Midsize Cars

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

^{The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Audi S5 from 2008-2022.}

$849/yr

vs. $607/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize Car

Frequency

^{The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).}

2.27x/yr

vs. 1.36x/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize Car

Severity

^{The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).}

20.5%

vs. 10.5%
for Average Luxury Midsize Car

powered by RepairPal ^{Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.}

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2021 Audi S5.

5 (78%)

4 (10%)

3 (2%)

2 (8%)

1 (2%)

4.5

49 reviews

Write a vehicle review See all 49 reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

Screaming fast. Fantastic fun

Mark J, 01/20/2019

2018 Audi S5 Premium Plus quattro 2dr Coupe AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)

3rd update: Not change, but needing breaks at 38,000 seems too soon when virtually all the miles are highway miles. 4th update: 44000 miles. Still love this car. 2nd update: Just turned 36k miles and still love the car. Just replaced tires. I learned that Audi uses a bit of negative camber (helps with cornering) which causes the tires to wear on the inside at a faster rate than …

Perfect blend of performance & luxury

Eric Gokcen, 12/19/2020

2021 Audi S5 Prestige 4dr Hatchback AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)

Have had the car for a month and love everything about it. Just came off of a Mercedes C43 AMG convertible which was a much harsher ride with a more high revving engine sound. The S5 is more of the V8 rumble and feels more powerful even though the numbers are similar. Handles extremely well but also absorbs the bumps nicely. The layout of the interior is perfect. Really excellent car in …

Possibly the best car I have ever owned.

texastoast4, 01/28/2020

2019 Audi S5 3.0 TFSI Prestige quattro 2dr Convertible AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)

Just took delivery of my 2nd S5 Cabriolet. The previous was a slightly used (5k miles) 2015 Premium Plus. This model is a brand new 2019 Prestige fully loaded. I could not find anything quite comparable to my previous S5 after test drives with BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Porsche, and even Tesla (albeit a completely different concept all-elec). Throwing in all the tangibles and in-tangibles … (warranty, maintenance service support, handling, performance, versatility, wet-sexy looks, country-club street cred, durability, and price) I could not find any match. First, the new 2019 S5, although it looks similar, is a completely different car than its predecessor. Audi changed the body lines and design and added a ton of technology and improvements to the 2018 model. The new 2019 comes with a $10-15k higher price point, regardless of options, but I have to say...WORTH IT. The car is packed so tight with high tech customizable features and options, that it is overwhelming. On the Prestige model, there is almost nothing in the cockpit that is not customizable. For example, the stock Milano leather sport seat with quilted cross-hatch stitching have no less than 40 different possible settings. Not the least of which is the back and lumbar massage system which comes standard with three different pressure points with three different levels of intensity each. Not only can you customize the interior LED lighting system, which is elegantly tucked under the the seamless Atlas carbon fiber inlays, foot-wells, and cup-holders, to literally ANY color in the visible spectrum, you can even delineate the "upper" level lights to a different color than the "lower" level lights. The exterior camera system provides 360 degree "top view" of the car when parking and backing up. You can select any individual camera to view for tight-quarter maneuvers when needed. If that is not enough, you can even change the HUD system (Heads Up Display) to rotate up to 5 degrees R-L and position the projection higher or lower on the windscreen, as well as adjust the brightness and actual information projected to include turn-by-turn navigation, road sign information, and the active lane assist. The car is simply astonishing with advanced customizable features. One of my big disappointments in the 2015 was the lack of voice-command microphone for phone operation and other radio and climate features. The Audi (Volkswagen) engineers figured that out in the 2018-2019 model. The acoustic dampening convertible top is a feat of technology in itself. I can tell no difference in the interior road noise from my friend's plush Lexus hard-top sedan, and my sporty coupe convertible. The exhaust note on start-up turns heads. A friend of mine just said, "Whoa-that sounds like a Ferrari engine." Performance In the 2019 is much better. It has a touchy throttle, and when pressed, it sprints. The over-all 0-60mph time may not be significantly different, but it "feels" lighter and more nimble. The wide 19-Inch sport summer tires could probably hold a 1.1+ G lateral on a track, but I'm slightly disappointed Audi didn't recognize that most of us in the U.S. are daily commuters and not formula-one drivers. They should have installed all-season performance tires to hold up under the all-wheel torque and grind of the Quattro system such as Pirelli P-Zeros. Almost as good, with 4x the mileage wear. The dynamic steering is really necessary to avoid wheel rim rash. The rear wheels track far inside front wheels. This car is ridiculously good for what it is. A very high performance luxury convertible with the price tag of a loaded full-size domestic pick-up truck. Unfortunately they ain't making more. Audi has sadly discontinued the S5 cabriolet for 2020 and the foreseeable future. Go grab one while you still can!

My First Audi. Glad it was the 2018 S5 Prestige!

Gene Simpson, 10/17/2017

2018 Audi S5 Prestige quattro 2dr Coupe AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)

This car is absolutely incredible. It drives and handles like a dream. The technology can be a bit overwhelming at first but once you get used to how things work it is great. The controls and ergonomics of the cabin are almost perfect. Great quality materials in the buttons, high-quality diamond stitched Nappa leather and a sound system that is fantastic. Everything is arranged within …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 Audi S5, so we've included reviews for other years of the S5 since its last redesign.

See all 49 reviews of the Audi S5

Write a vehicle review

2021 S5 Highlights

Type:

Hatchback

Trim:

Premium

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$52,500
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	23 MPG
Cost to Drive	$236/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	21.8 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Our experts like the S5 models:

Audi Pre Sense Basic and City: Warns of an impending front collision and automatically applies the brakes if you don't.
Audi Side Assist: Notifies you if there's a car in your blind spot and alerts you if you activate the turn signal.
Audi Active Lane Assist: Steers the S5 back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker.

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2021 Audi S5 Review

2021 Audi S5 Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Audi S5 Premium 4dr Hatchback AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.45 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which S5 does Edmunds recommend?

2021 Audi S5 models

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Most helpful consumer reviews

Screaming fast. Fantastic fun

Perfect blend of performance & luxury

Possibly the best car I have ever owned.

My First Audi. Glad it was the 2018 S5 Prestige!

2021 S5 Highlights

Safety

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Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Audi S5 Premium 4dr Hatchback AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.45 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.}