Audi RS5 Review 2024

Audi RS5 At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
Great looks, raw turbocharged power, superb comfort and the latest tech all make the Audi RS5 a desirable performance coupe. Not quite a match for some of its rivals, it’s getting a bit old now – but still delivers real driving enjoyment.

+Superb engine and impressive comfort. The Sportback model provides five-door versatility, too.

-Feeling dated now. Expensive to run. Not as dynamic as rivals.

New prices start from £70,500
Insurance Groups are between 43–47

In a world where many are looking for more efficiency and lower emissions, is there still space for a raucous performance coupe? Of course there is, and the Audi RS5 is just such a car: engineered to take on the BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C63. It’s powerful, fun and surprisingly practical, but don’t expect it to be cheap to run.

Audi has always made great performance saloons, the mighty RS4 being the most iconic of them all. Then along came the A5 coupe, a two-door version with slinky styling and a dynamic personality. Naturally Audi’s go-faster RS division got to work on it and provided enthusiasts with this car: the RS5.

Not such a sledgehammer as the Mercedes-AMG, Audi has combined raw power with elegance and a degree of practicality. The latter is even more present in the Audi RS5 Sportback, a five-door version that means you can pack in the kids and all the family paraphernalia for a weekend away.

It’s not even that compromised when it comes to ride quality, with Audi engineers doing a fine job of balancing comfort and performance.

There’s decent space inside too – more in the Sportback, of course – and all models have Audi’s interior design with great layouts, Audi Virtual Cockpit instrumentation and infotainment, and all the essentials we expect in a modern premium car.

At its heart, though, beats a 2.9-litre turbocharged V6 that thumps out 450PS. It is thrilling when pushed, and quattro all-wheel drive provides plenty of grip when you do so. The ride is composed enough to ensure your golf clubs won’t get thrown around too much in the boot, either.

How much longer we will be able to enjoy the work of Audi’s RS engineers and the sound of a car like the RS5 we don’t know. But for now, we are very glad that we can.

Ask Honest John

What alternative finance methods are there to PCP?

"I bought a new Audi RS5 in May on PCP. Can you advise a cheaper way to do finance? "
There are lots of variables with financing so I recommend you read our guide on cheap car finance here: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/cheap-car-finance-advice/
Answered by Sarah Tooze
More Questions

What does a Audi RS5 cost?