2018 Audi S5

At a starting price of $54,600, it is definitely not the cheapest of the lot. The S5 coupe falls in a very highly competitive segment and is surrounded by rivals from all major German and other luxury brands. The S5 coupe comes with a lot of sharp character lines, a clearly visible 'power dome' on the front and a lot more features which differentiates it from counterparts.

The 2018 Audi S5 Coupe is available in two trims, namely the base Premium Plus and the high-end Prestige. The 3.0L TFSI six cylinder engine mated with an 8-speed auto shifter delivers 354 hp. The standard features include leather seating surfaces with diamond stitching, massage function, and a special ‘S’ embossing, Audi side assist and Audi pre sense rear with rear cross traffic and vehicle exit assist and six-piston fixed front calipers with the ‘S’ embossing.

The prestige variant is $4400 more expensive than the base variant brings features like a 19 speaker, 16 channel amplifier music system, Audi’s virtual cockpit and HUD with nav, parking system plus with top view camera system and assistance information display. Notably, the cabriolet version is $7900 costlier than the coupe.

Trims	Premium Plus	Prestige
MSRP	$54,400	$58,800
Features	Six-piston fixed front calipers with S badging Audi side assist and Audi pre sense rear with Rear cross traffic assist & Vehicle exit assist Leather/Alcantara seating surfaces with diamond stitching & S embossing Front S sport-contoured seats with pneumatic side bolsters and massage function for driver and passenger	Everything on Premium Plus and: Audi virtual cockpit and Head-up display with navigation and assistance systems information Six-month trial subscription to Audi connect PRIME and Audi connect PLUS online services Bang & Olufsen sound system with 3D sound, 19 speakers, 16-channel amplifier and 755 watts MMI navigation plus with MMI touch with handwriting-recognition technology Parking system plus with top view camera system

Trim We Recommend

The Audi S5 Coupe is a somewhere sport orientated version of the A5 sedan. Unless you specifically want the drop-top version, the lighter and agiler coupe appeals the most to us. The extra money spent on the prestige trim would most certainly make a lot of sense shall you decide to go with it. Features such as the signature Audi virtual cockpit, a HUD etc. endemic to the high-end trim add a lot more potency to the car.

"The new Audi A5, the S5's lesser sibling, already has an excellent blend of power, dynamics and everyday drivability. In the S5, the performance equation gets a serious boost, all without sacrificing comfort. The 2018 Audi S5 is the automotive equivalent of having your cake and eating it, too." -- Kelley Blue Book

Engine and Transmission

The turbocharged 3.0L TFSI 6 cylinder motor powers all versions of the Audi S5. The motor produces a blistering 354 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Audi has given a lot of heft to the engine of the S5 coupe, at least on paper. The only setback here is the absence of theatricals from the engine. It is too middling at times with a little to no roar from the engines, certainly not what you’d expect out of a sport coupe.

Models	Audi S5 Coupe Premium Plus	Mercedes-Benz C43	Infiniti Q60 3.0t Luxe	BMW 440i Coupe
MSRP	$54,600	$55,900	$44,300	$49,700
Engine	3.0L TFSI 6 Cylinder	3.0L V6 Biturbo	3.0-liter V6 twin turbo	3.0L DOHC 24-Valve 6-Cylinder
Transmission	8-Speed Automatic	9-Speed Automatic	7-Speed Automatic	8-Speed Automatic
Power	354 hp	362 hp	300 hp	320 hp
Torque	369 lb-ft	384 lb-ft	295 lb-ft	330 lb-ft

The S5 coupe is second only to the Mercedes Benz C-43 AMG in the segment which has merely 20-ish more hp than it. The 8-speed automatic transmission is slick between the shifts and brave enough to let the car climb up the revs while holding on to a gear when the car is driven enthusiastically. It also features paddle shifters behind the steering column shall you decide to take control of the transmission.

Acceleration

The S5 coupe sports a new 3.0L turbocharged engine which provides tarmac shattering yet linear acceleration. This combined with Audi’s all-wheel drive with fine-tuned 8-speed transmission provides amazing off the line performance of the car. The car handles efficiently at fairly high speeds with very little to no drama whatsoever thanks to its G-vectoring tech.

Models	Audi S5 Coupe Premium Plus	Mercedes-Benz AMG C43	Infiniti Q60 3.0t Luxe	BMW 440i Coupe
0-60 MPH	4.4 sec	4.6 sec	5.0 sec	4.9 sec
Quarter mile	13.2 sec	13.1 sec	13.3 sec	13.4 sec
Engine	3.0L	3.0L	3.0L	3.0L
Emission (Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)	7.4	8.0	8.0	7.0

The S5 coupe is faster than all It’s competitors at both 0 to 60 mph dash and quarter mile runs. The S5 coupe does 0-60 mph in 4.4 sec and demolishes the quarter-mile track in 13.2 seconds. In comparison to its closest rival, the Mercedes Benz AMG C43 takes about 2/10th of a second more to complete the sprints

Ride and Handling

Audi has achieved remarkably low NVH levels on the S5 and the car does not show any undesired body movements when driven enthusiastically. The all-wheel-drive system provides a grippy and firm ride even when cornering the car at moderately high speeds. The Audi stays cool and collected most of the times. However, if the car is pushed too much, the good ol’ villain, understeer becomes observable. The steering wheel in itself feels too damp and uninvolving at times.

Braking

The six-piston braking system in the Audi S5 coupe is fat and beefy, to say the least. The brake rotors on the front are 13.8” and the one in the rear is 13.0”. Given the substantial curb weight of 3836 lbs, the car manages to produce a segment-leading 60-0 mph distance of 110 ft. This is then closely followed by the Infiniti Q60 at 112 ft, the BMW 440i Coupe at 113 ft and then the Mercedes Benz C43 AMG at 114 ft.

Model	Audi S5 Coupe Premium Plus	Mercedes-Benz C43	Infiniti Q60 3.0t Luxe	BMW 440i Coupe
Brake Front(in)	13.8	14.2	12.6	13.4
Brake Rear(in)	13.0	12.6	12.1	13.0
Curb Weight(lbs)	3836	3968	3774	3704
60-0 MPH (ft.)	110	114	112	113

The mammoth calipers provide braking in a smooth and efficient manner. The efficiency is optimum even at times of panic braking. But, this is what you'd expect out of an Audi sports car.

The 2018 S5 coupe returns a reasonable fuel efficiency of  21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. The slightly heavier cabriolet returns only 1 less mpg which is commendable as well.

Model	Audi S5 Coupe Premium Plus	Mercedes-Benz C43	Infiniti Q60 3.0t Luxe	BMW 440i Coupe
MPG (City)	21	20	19	21
MPG (Highway)	30	27	28	31
MPG (Combined)	24	22	22	25

When compared to its rivals, the S5 stands tall amongst all it’s competitors as far as the fuel economy is concerned. The fuel efficiency returned by the BMW 440i coupe slightly overshadows the S5.

“The S5's cabin is a wonderful expression of modern, understated luxury. The material's quality is high, and the smart layout of controls makes operation easy and distraction-free.” - Edmunds

Seating and Comfort

The seating arrangement inside the Audi S5 is an ergonomic delight which wraps the passenger in the lap of luxury. Going into the rear compartment requires a push of the power buttons to move the front seats. The front passengers benefit from a high seating position but it might become a hassle for tall passengers due to the limited headroom. The rear seats are barely adequate for such an expensive vehicle but then again, it’s a coupe.

Model	Audi S5 Coupe Premium Plus	Mercedes-Benz C43	Infiniti Q60 3.0t Luxe	BMW 440i Coupe
Passenger capacity	4	4	4	4
Passenger Volume (ft cube)	88.6	85.2	84.6	89.5
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	39.0/55.3/41.3	38.8/54.8/42.0	37.4/54.6/43.1	39.8/55.3/42.2
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	36.1/50.7/32.7	35.6/54.8/32.0	34.5/52.0/32.4	36.1/51.7/33.7

The seats also feature a massage function to add to the comfort. There is also an optional warm weather package which adds cooled front seats but surprisingly removes the massage function.

Infotainment System

A 7.0-inch dash mounted TFT screen and a similar sized screen in the gauge cluster are standard on the Audi S5 premium plus variant. If you opt for the prestige variant, the screen is bumped to 8.3 inches and is now fitted in the center console. There is also a 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit which displays all the gauges and other related information. The inputs are made via MMI knobs or the MMI handwriting tech that features on the prestige variant.

Infotainment Features

The Audi S5 coupe is packed with a good amount of tech. Some of the features are -

• A 7 inch or 8.3-inch screen
• A 12.3-inch screen featuring the virtual cockpit
• Optional 19 speaker music system
• Apple Carplay and Android Auto compatibility
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Massage function for driver and passenger

Cargo Capacity

Being a two-door variant, the Audi S5 coupe loses out on a lot of space in the rear and the trunk. There is just enough space to fit a couple of average sized suitcases in there. However, as the car sits quite low on the tarmac, there is no height related issue that might pester you if you ever need to load some heavy stuff in the rear.

Model	Audi S5 Coupe Premium Plus	Mercedes-Benz C43	Infiniti Q60 3.0t Luxe	BMW 440i Coupe
Volume (ft cube)	11.6	10.5	8.7	15.7

As clearly visible, none of the other cars in the rival list have acceptably sized trunks. Still, the BMW 440i Coupe features the biggest trunk at 15.7 ft cube, followed by the S5 coupe at 11.6 ft cube, the Mercedes Benz AMG C43 at 10.5 ft. cube and then lastly by the Infiniti Q60 at 8.7 ft cube.

“As with the S4/A4 sedan relationship, the S5 coupe and convertible look very similar to their lesser A5 brethren. Up front are Audi's big ol' Singleframe grille -- quite tasteful for what it is -- and a domed hood that is meant to evoke muscularity.” – Kelley Blue Book

Dimensions and Weight

The Audi S5 coupe is a reasonably heavy car. The length, width, and height are more or less equal to the S5 coupe’s rivals. The wheelbase of 108.8” on the Audi S5 Coupe, makes it the smallest in the segment is also the reason why there is a dearth of leg and headroom at the back.

Model	Audi S5 Coupe Premium Plus	Mercedes-Benz C43	Infiniti Q60 3.0t Luxe	BMW 440i Coupe
Curb weight(lbs)	3836	3968	3774	3704
Length(in)	184.7	184.9	184.4	182.7
Width(in)	72.7	71.3	72.8	71.9
Height(in)	53.9	55.3	54.9	54.2
Ground clearance(in)	4.3	3.6	4.9	5.1
Wheelbase(in)	108.8	111.8	112.2	110.6
Track width(in) F/R	62.5/61.7	62.1/61.2	61.2/62.2	60.8/62.8

Exterior Features

The Audi S5 Coupe is a feature packed car. Some of Its features are:

• All new updated design
• Six-piston front calipers with ‘s’ badging
• LED headlights
• Signature hexagonal grille
• 18” alloy wheels
• Optional 19” alloy wheels
• Chrome accented window frames
• Optional red colored brake calipers

Although the IIHS and NHTSA crash tests are yet to be performed on the 2018 Audi S5, you can expect no compromise on safety. Audi has packed a lot of life-saving tech such as automatic emergency braking both on the rear and front, a set of 8 airbags and much more as standard on all S5s.

Safety Features

• Driver and front passenger advanced airbags, knee airbags and front head/thorax side airbags

• Front passenger occupant detection for airbags

• Power central locking system with safety unlock feature if airbags deploy

• Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and brake assist

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with secondary collision brake assist and traction control (ASR)

• Anti-theft alarm system

• Tire-pressure monitoring system

• Safety belt reminder for driver and front passenger

• Lower anchors for child seats in rear seats

• Electromechanical parking brake

Audi S5 Coupe vs Mercedes Benz AMG C43

The Mercedes Benz AMG C43 is just a loud mean looking car. Both the cars feature an AWD system but Audi clearly has an edge here as the AMG C43 AWD is just not as refined as the Audi Quattro. The interior on the Audi and the Merc looks similar-ish but the quality of the S5 is just a pinnacle, sorry Merc.

In C43’s reply, its driving dynamics are spot on, much better than the lackluster dynamics on the S5. All in all, the S5 appears to be more of a luxury car while the C43 actually behaves like a sports car.

Audi S5 Coupe vs Infiniti Q60

The Infiniti Q60 arrived on the scene and crashed the German party. The car is certainly a looker with its trademark Japanese look. The Q60 sacrifices on performance for styling and comfort. It also features a special computer controlled steering wheel which controls the movement of the steering wheel without any direct contact with the steering linkages. Although its functioning sounds weird in theory but works just fine in real life.

The Q60 is a car for folks who want to look at something other than the German stuff. But, take into account, it will never perform or feel like a German car on the inside or the outside.

Audi S5 Coupe vs BMW 440i Coupe

The BMW 440i coupe and the Audi S5 coupe are two very similar cars. They both have a powerful engine, marvelous interiors, and drive dynamics. As far as styling goes, Audi manages to be low key with all their vehicles and so is the case with the S5 coupe. The interior on the Audi S5 is a benchmark, the BMW has good interiors as well but just not as good as the rival. The Audi S5 features AWD while the BMW 440i is RWD. Both these cars are very competitive and it all really boils down to personal preference.

The all-new 2018 Audi S5 coupe is really pleasurable to drive. The interior and driving dynamics are surely a letdown which will certainly disappoint enthusiasts. The S5 coupe will travel mile after mile like no other car and all this will happen while the passengers sit in pure opulence. The Audi S5 coupe is more of a grand tourer rather than a full-blown sports car. If you can sacrifice a little on the driver dynamics in the name of comfort, look no further than the Audi S5.