There are 'sportbacks', 'liftbacks', 'hatchbacks' and other kinds of backs, which could make for a lot of confusion.
We are talking about car body styles because the S5 can come with something called a Sportback with a long sloping rear end combined with a hatchback tailgate that offers up practicality with style – two things most car buyers can get behind.
Both the A4 and A6 Audi ranges include a standard sedan in the lineup, but the A5 makes do with a coupe, convertible and Sportback version only.
The S5 Sportback is where our interest naturally leads, this being a sporty hatchback-coupe that should tick all the boxes and rub shoulders with the best in class in a competitive end of the premium car market.
The Audi S5: Quick, Stylish, Reasonably Practical And With Badge Kudos As Standard
In this part of the market, the Audi is naturally pitted against BMW and Mercedes-Benz as the badge on the front will be as important as the performance figures.
Performance figures are good for a sub-flagship, mid-size executive car and certainly on par with most supercars from a couple of decades ago.
4.5 seconds to 60 mph is possible and on to 155 mph, thanks to a turbocharged 3-liter V6 engine that makes almost 350 hp through all four wheels.
Transmission is an 8-speed automatic and so on paper, all the boxes do appear to be ticked for performance.
Inside the cabin looks positively plush and luxurious as you would expect of an Audi in 2022 but not as special as something like a Mercedes-Benz AMG C43 Sedan which has a more impressive design at first glance.
As standard in the S5 for around $56,000; you receive 19” wheels, matrix LED headlights, and a 10.1” infotainment screen – for basic safety features like active lane-keeping assist or dynamic cruise control, you have to step up to the next trim level for $2,000 more.
Audi’s S5 Vs BMW’s M340i Vs Mercedes-Benz’s AMG C43: A Lot Of Power And Prestige
There are other options of course if you need a premium 4-door coupe with a large trunk – which the S5 can claim to have, with 22 cubic feet of space for your golf clubs.
Pitting the Audi against two other premium cars – the $56,000 BMW M340i and $57,500 Mercedes-AMG C43, both mid-sized executive cars that both also have all-wheel-drive and turbocharged 3-liter engines, 382 hp for the BMW and 385 hp for the Merc.
While the Audi is therefore up to 35 horsepower behind the others, all cars are quoted as having a similar mid-4-second sprint to 60 mph.
As these cars all feature a very similar turbocharged 3-liter engine, all-wheel-drive and 8-speed transmissions (9 speeds for the Mercedes), and acceleration times between 4 and 5 seconds, it’s the Audi which should get credit for the sleek styling combined with a large trunk.
Cars like this are entertaining on twisty roads and for smoking the tires with your friends, but in the end, comfort and refinement are key as well as the ability to transport luggage and cases.
The BMW might have the driver-focussed feel, the Mercedes the classy cabin and universal kudos, but the Audi is elegant, competent, and can be equipped with whatever options and packs you feel are necessary.