What It Is Like to Drive the 2025 Audi S5
Out with the old and in with the new.
Last year, Audi announced plans to launch a third-generation A5 as part of its 2025 model year lineup. The new sedan won’t just be replacing its immediate predecessor, but also the fifth-generation A4. Yes, we know that’s confusing, but the move is part of an attempt by the marque to simplify its lineup. From now on, even-numbered model names will be reserved for EVs, and odd-numbered names for vehicles with an internal-combustion engine.
Following the name change, the A5, and its performance variant, the S5, will only be available as sedans. The four-door has received a comprehensive redesign, along with new tech and a noticeable power bump. There may be fewer flavors to choose—the A4 Avant wagon and A5 coupé and Sportback models have been done away with as part of the lineup compression—but the four-door looks better and is more capable than what came before.
Robb Report recently got to try out the U.S.-spec 2025 S5 on the roads around Aspen, Colorado. Here’s what we thought after an afternoon spent maneuvering switchbacks at 12,500 feet above sea level.
2025 Audi S5
Audi
An All-New Look
The biggest change between the 2025 S5 and its predecessor(s) is its design. The redesigned exterior is bigger (2.6 inches longer, 0.6 inches wider, and two inches taller), smoother, and more muscular. The front fascia has been completely reworked and features a more prominent grille bookended by a pair of razor-thin headlights sitting atop large air scoops. A fastback roofline gives the four-door a revised profile awfully familiar to the previous generation’s Sportsback. That change also means the sedan is a liftback. Finally, the rear is more sculpted than before and features a taillight strip that runs the width of the vehicle.
Inside, the driver gets an integrated dual display that includes an 11.9-inch digital gauge cluster and a 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen. The passenger, meanwhile, has access to an optional 10.9-inch display that features an auto-shutter so that it won’t distract the person behind the wheel. A wheelbase that is 2.6 inches before means there’s a smidgen more shoulder room up front, a tad more legroom in the back, and 36.6 cubic feet of storage space when the rear bench is folded down or 22.6 cubic feet when it’s not.
Inside the 2025 S5
Audi
Refining What’s Under the Hood
The S5 may sport a new look in 2025, but the engine is the same 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 that the model has been equipped with since early last decade. Despite this, Audi’s been able to wring more power out of the mill. The six-cylinder produces 362 hp and 406 ft lbs of torque, an increase of 13 hp and 37 ft lbs of torque over the last generation. It’s also 94 hp and 111 ft lbs of torque more than the new A5, which is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four. Thanks to the increase, the performance sedan and sprint from zero to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, which is two-tenths of a second quicker than before, and tops out at an unchanged 155 mph.
The S5’s turbocharged V-6 is mated to a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox along with, like all S models, Audi’s trademark Quattro all-wheel-drive system. It also features a firmer chassis, and an adaptive S sport suspension is available as an option. You’ll actually notice the latter feature while cycling through the vehicle’s three driving modes (Dynamic, Comfort, and Balanced).
The S5’s 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6
Audi
What It Is Like to Drive
The S in the S5’s name may stand for Sport, but that doesn’t mean it’s the sort of car that delivers visceral thrills (for that, you’d really want one of Audi’s RS models, of which there is no A5 equivalent yet). The redesigned sedan has some pep, but it delivers more of a comfortable ride than an exciting one. Still, for most types of driving, including on winding mountain roads, it’s got more than enough power to easily (and safely) overtake slow pokes.
More impressive than the S5’s strength was its agility. Like its SUV cousin, the SQ5, the steering on the S5 felt incredibly precise. Sure, it could stand to be a tad more engaging, but it’s satisfying, especially when you accelerate out of turn. That’s exactly what you want from an everyday driver, and considering the S5’s $62,700 starting price, that’s exactly what most buyers will be using it for.
Click here for more photos of the 2025 Audi S5.
Audi
