• Review
• Prices
• Photos & Videos

Audi S5 - What the Auto Press Says

The following is a performance-capsule review of the 2010 Audi S5. It is based on our analysis of 29 published reviews and test drives.

The 2010 Audi S5 impressed auto critics with its sporty yet comfortable nature. However, it’s still unable to match the sporty handling of rivals like the BMW M3.

The S5 is a performance-tuned variant of the Audi A5 -- which earns praise for its elegant exterior design and comfortable cabin, but suffers when compared to luxury sports cars because of its less-than-stellar performance abilities.

Where the A5 suffers, the S5 excels. It packs up to 89 more horsepower, blows away the A5’s top speed by 25 mph and blasts from 0 to 60 mph up to one second quicker. Combined with the attractive body lines and accommodating cabin of the A5, it’s easy to understand why the S5 receives so much praise. In fact, Car and Driver describes it as “[a] pleasing compromise between sportiness and luxury. The S5 is seriously quick, makes lustworthy noises, and is a hoot to drive."

Still, compared to rivals like the Chevrolet Corvette and BMW M3, the S5 lags in performance. Few competitors, however, can match its balance of luxury, performance and everyday practicality.

For 2010, Audi introduces an S5 Cabriolet (convertible) trim -- which replaces the S4 Cabriolet. Audi is also slowly phasing in a supercharged V6 engine, which is standard on the Cabriolet but not available for the Coupe (which still features Audi’s much-loved 4.2-liter V8). In 2011, the new engine will be standard on both models. Quattro All-Wheel Drive remains standard.

• "That little red S isn't just a decoration to sparkle on the door sill and steering wheel. It's Audi's equivalent of an 82nd Airborne Division patch on a soldier's right sleeve -- combat proven. It doesn't take prisoners." -- Detroit News
• "Like an Olympian, the S5 is pure athlete, but in a sexy body. A four-seater based on Audi's equally attractive A5 coupe, it is the high-performance version of the vehicle that was introduced as a 2008 model. Using the platform of its sibling, the Audi A4 as the basis for its DNA was a good start, but the good looks push it into an entirely different realm." -- Left Lane News
• "As M is to BMW and AMG to Mercedes, Audi's 'S' cars are high performance versions of existing models. While the S5 is no exception to the rule, it is our experience is that it is not as uncompromisingly geared toward performance as BMW's M3, or as luxury oriented as the Mercedes-Benz CLK 550." -- Kelley Blue Book
• "The 2010 Audi S5's repertoire expands thanks to the new soft-top S5 Cabriolet and its exclusive supercharged V6, while the classy V8 continues to power the coupe. If you want a luxury performance coupe or convertible, the S5 belongs on your short list." -- Edmunds
• "They have strong acceleration, capable handling, and offer the security of all-wheel drive. They're not as outright sporty as the two-seat Porsche Boxster and Cayman, but they are more practical and undercut them on price, making A5 and S5 Best Buy choices in this segment." -- Consumer Guide

The Bottom Line

Shoppers in the market for a sports car with a pleasing balance of luxury and performance ability will like the 2010 Audi S5. For under $60K, it’s a steal -- offering loads of luxury and elegance, impressive sports performance and a standard all-wheel drive system.

Buyers seeking greater power, faster acceleration and sportier road performance will find the slightly more expensive BMW M3 more satisfying. While it doesn’t come equipped with an all-wheel drive system, test drivers assert that it does set the benchmark in its class for sports handling.

For those who care very little about luxury, a Chevrolet Corvette will make a better choice than both the S5 and M3. It’s the least expensive and more powerful of the three vehicles. Equipped with a 430-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 engine, it offers Ferrari-levels of performance than neither rival can touch.

Performance Dynamics

Test drivers are less enthusiastic about the S5 Cabriolet’s supercharged V6 engine than they are about the Coupe’s V8. However, most agree that both power plants are plenty strong. Shoppers who admire the S5’s V8 power should consider buying one now before the Coupe’s engine is switched out for the V6 -- a change that Audi plans to make in 2011. Nevertheless, interested shoppers should test drive both the Coupe and Cabriolet -- as the transmission offerings vary greatly and get mixed reviews.

The Audi S5 Coupe is equipped with a 4.2-liter V8 engine that produces 354 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 325 pound-feet of torque at 3,500 rpm. It’s available with a traditional six-speed manual transmission or Tiptronic automatic with manual options. According to Audi, the S5 has a top speed of 155 mph and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds when equipped with a traditional manual transmission (5.1 seconds with the Tiptronic).

The new S5 Cabriolet, on the other hand, features a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine that makes 333 horsepower at 5,500 to 7,000 rpm and 325 pound-feet of torque at 2,900 to 5,300 rpm. Its engine is mated to a seven-speed S automatic transmission. Audi claims that the S5 Cabriolet has a top speed of 155 mph and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds.

The EPA reports that the S5’s city/highway fuel efficiency ranges from 14/22 mpg to 17/26 mpg, depending on the engine and transmission.

Standard enhanced handling components include a Servotronic power steering system, sport suspension and Quattro permanent all-wheel drive. Stopping the S5 is a four-wheel Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.

Also standard on the S5 is Audi's Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP), which uses the vehicle’s ABS, EBD, Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), and traction control systems to engage individual brakes in such a way that the vehicle safely stays on its intended route.

Optional features include Audi Drive Select, which allows drivers to select between three modes -- Comfort, Auto and Dynamic -- that alter drive quality. A fourth driver-customized mode, Individual, is optional and only available for vehicles featuring a navigation system.

• "The S5 cab shares its supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 with the all-new 2010 S4 sedan, although the S5 coupe will retain the use of a naturally aspirated V-8 until the 2011 model year, when it gets the blown six. Audi claims the V-6 delivers nearly identical performance and 20 percent better overall fuel economy compared with the V-8." -- Car and Driver
• "The coupe's 4.2-liter V8 is simply one of our favorite engines. Acceleration is authoritative, yet it never seems to be working hard, emitting an intoxicatingly mellow burble from idle to redline.  … The cabriolet's supercharged 3.0-liter V6 is smooth and strong, and its automated dual-clutch manual is quicker than you'll ever be in a conventional three-pedal car. However, the V6 lacks character compared with the V8 -- it's highly capable but hardly inspiring." -- Edmunds
• "S5 coupe feels as fast as Audi's claim of 4.9-seconds 0-60 mph. Its manual transmission disappoints with long throws and less precise shifting and clutch engagement than we've come to expect from Audi. S5 Cabriolet is a step slower off the line than S5 coupe, but acceleration is invigorating once underway. The 7-speed automatic shifts smoothly and quickly." -- Consumer Guide
• "Throwing the six-speed into first gear makes you appreciate the precision of the S5's manual gearbox. It's just one of those ‘snick, snick, snick' affairs where you think where you want it to go next, and it does so, almost effortlessly. Banging through the gears brings up the vehicle's 'soundtrack,' which is pure music in a high performance sort of way." -- Left Lane News
• "A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is the S5's only transmission. Unfortunately, it's slow to get the 4000-pound cabrio moving off the line and painfully lethargic in its reactions to the steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles." -- Automobile Magazine
• "The newest Quattro drive system allows Audi to favor the rear axle in a 60/40 power split that helps the S5 maintain its race car-like handling. This system also allows the car to manage the power from wheel to wheel in each axle and its self-locking differential can send power to whichever axle has the most traction." -- Detroit News
• "Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system allows more traction than most drivers will ever need to call upon during hard acceleration, and a revised torque split in all models sends 60 percent of torque rearward, allowing a neutral feel that mimics rear-wheel-drive cars. As we've come to expect of cars competing in this segment, the brakes are excellent and powerful." -- Kelley Blue Book