Audi S5 Avant (2024 - ) review

There’s no avoiding it, the S5 Avant commands a chunky asking price. This is in line with its German rivals from BMW and Mercedes but it’s a significant step up in cost verses the regular A5. Saying that, the S5 does come with all the bells and whistles as standard and if you were to add these options onto the A5 the price gap does narrow. Out on the road, the S5 Avant officially does around 35mpg (or 36mpg if you choose the Saloon). We averaged nearly 27mpg with some spirited driving on our test route, so we reckon you might manage 30mpg on a good run which is not bad for a car with over 300 horsepower. However, like the A5, you’ll have to pay the additional rate of 'luxury' car tax for the first five years due to the car costing over £40,000.

German engineering tends to be fairly dependable, however the A5 and S5 are built on a new platform which will also be used for the upcoming Q5, so we don’t yet know how reliable it will be. At a brand level Audi hasn’t fared as well for reliability in recent years finishing 24th out of 31 manufacturers in the latest What Car? reliability survey. However, you do get a standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty and you can buy an extended warranty for extra peace of mind.

The S5 comes with the usual suite of safety features as standard including lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, a reversing camera, front emergency braking and systems which will intervene if the car detects you are about to turn into oncoming traffic. While some of these systems are helpful, others can be overly cautious, but the good news is you can easily turn them off in the settings. You’ll also get blind spot monitoring which is one of our favourite features and it will even alert you if you are about to reverse out into traffic. Furthermore, like the top of the range A5 models, the S5 comes with the ability to detect if you’ve left children or pets in the back seats.

Mirroring the A5, this generation of S5 is much more modern than before with nearly all buttons replaced by sleek screens and interior features including ambient lighting and piano black finishings which look smart but are a magnet for fingerprint smudges. The S5 has plenty of room for front passengers who both get electrically adjustable quilted leather sports seats with memory functionality. The S5 is longer than the previous S4, but not as big as the new S6 and as such, rear head- and legroom is fine, but taller passengers may find it tight with those in the middle being impacted by a large transmission tunnel. The outer rear seats are heated, though. Saloon models have the flexibility of a hatchback rather than a separate boot compartment which provides a good amount of space, but the Avant model we drove offers more room besides. Ironically, given this is the sportier model, the S5 seemed to have a more comfortable ride than the Launch Edition A5 we tested and overall was very refined.

As you would hope given the car's price, the S5 comes with a long list of features, the most prominent being the large, curved infotainment screen which is integrated into a second driver display. There's even a separate screen for the passenger. In theory you shouldn’t be able to see this from behind the wheel, but we could still spot it in our peripheral vision, and we’re not convinced this addition really adds much. However, we do like the large head-up display and Bang & Olufsen sound system. All cars have wireless phone charging and following in the footsteps of Volvo, Renault and Nissan, the navigation is now powered by Google, though you can still use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto wirelessly if you prefer. Additionally, there’s Alexa built-in and the option to download further apps from Audi’s app store. On the outside S5 models get some snazzy matrix LED headlights with a choice of eight different light signatures and the rear lights can even communicate warnings to other drivers if they get too close.

The purring 367 horsepower V6 engine is the reason for upgrading to the S5 model over the A5. It will effortlessly cruise around in comfort mode but pop it into dynamic mode and it will growl with vigour. While the S5 is not as hard core as a full-fat RS model like the highly tuned RS 6 Avant GT, it’s considerably more understated and it still provides more than enough power for overtaking, joining motorways, and enjoying a Great British B-road. Audi’s famed quattro all-wheel drive system gives additional confidence in bad weather and the smooth seven-speed automatic gearbox you’ll find in all the A5 models makes it relaxing to drive. If you are considering an A5 and your budget can stretch to the S5, it’s the one to go for, but don't expect sports car thrills as the the S5 Avant feels very grown up and sensible to drive.