2021 Audi S5

The 2021 Audi S5 comes in 3 trim levels, Premium, Premium Plus & Prestige, all of which are heavily equipped and allow the coupe to compete with vehicles above its class. With 2021 MY, the Premium Plus trim now comes standard with the Convenience & Driver assistance package which includes almost everything except for the heated rear seats, head-up display, and navigation system, features reserved exclusively for the Prestige trim. 

The 2021 Audi S5 falls in a price range that extends from $56,800 for the base variant to a little under $70,000 for the base trim. Add the optional packages to this, the price soars quickly. 

Which Trim should you buy?

At $56,000, the base S5 isn’t cheap and has most of the features one would look for in the car except for some safety-related specifications. This makes the 2021 Audi S5 Premium Plus, the go-to option. Not only does it add to the existing feature load, but the availability of the Convenience and driver-assistance Package makes it one of the better choices in the segment that provides the best value for the money spent. The availability of a standard virtual cockpit and adaptive cruise control ensures that you do not miss out on any comfort creatures and have an enlightening experience.

All that performance and quicker acceleration do come with a price. The 20 MPG city mileage of the S5 is one of the least in its group. Coupled with a smaller 15.6-gallon fuel tank, the 2021 S5 gets the lowest driving range of 306 and 428.4 miles in the city & on the highway, respectively. Overall, this fuel economy isn’t bad per se. No one is going to expect a 30 MPG city mileage from a turbo V-6 engine.

Mercedes-Benz always manages to extract higher fuel economy figures than its equally powered rivals. Despite having a much heavier body the E450 coupe has the best-combined fuel economy rated at 25 MPG and best overall driving range thanks to its 17.4 gallons fuel tank. While the 2021 BMW M440i manages similar performance in the aspect as the E-450 Coupe, the 2021 Lexus RC-350 F Sport is the least efficient vehicle on the block. However, the latter’s fuel tank allows it to uphold a higher driving range. 

The interior of the 2021 Audi S5 Coupe is a very nice place to be in. The overall design theme is very minimalistic as Audi loves to keep it simple even on the priciest of its cars. The material choice is a mixed bag; you can see that on the doors as they have brushed aluminum & carbon fiber inserts, leather padding for the armrests, and plastic for the door bins. The dashboard design is flat and the A/C vent grille continues all along with the dashboard. The instrument cluster on the Base trim is all digital but having an Audi with the Virtual cockpit display is a decision you would not probably regret.

The S5 has leather sport seats with diamond stitch patterns in contrasting colors and heating features as standard for the front row. Even massage function is standard on all the trims of the S5, however, opting for the ventilated seats will remove the massage feature. The seats have enough bolstering and are perfectly soft with 12-way power adjustability for both driver and passenger. It’s the second row where things start to fall apart. Agree, that it’s a coupe and it stays true to its name as the space on the second row is abysmal.

Getting inside the 2021 S5 is a challenge itself, even for kids, because of the car's overall design. Consider this car for only 2 passenger accommodation. At 10.9 cubic feet, the trunk space isn’t that bad and has a nice wide opening. The seats can be folded from inside the trunk itself and the passthrough is rather big so that you can keep wider objects easily.

All the cars have similar interior dimensions but the BMW and Mercedes-Benz have a better second row than the Audi. The seats are carved in the M440i, which allows better under-thigh support for passengers. As the interior space and passenger capacity, the trunk capacity of the 2021 RC 350 F-Sport and E-450 Coupe is similar to the S5, but the BMW M440i continues to extend its ascendancy over its competitors by hosting the most voluminous trunk of 12 cubic feet in the segment that can easily accommodate your small luggages on a weekend getaway.

Some of its standout interior features:

• Heated and Ventilated seats
• Massage function
• Carbon fiber inlays.
• Diamond pattern stitched leather seats.
• Tri-zone climate control.
• S-line logo puddle lamps.

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The 2021 Audi S5 comes with a 10.2-inch touch screen and a 10-speaker setup with Android Auto & Apple CarPlay standard. The touchscreen is responsive but it still takes a second or two to complete a task. Only if Audi could have somehow integrated this screen on the center console itself, it would have been nice. As of now the screen just sits on the dashboard like it is some aftermarket accessory. 

The virtual cockpit that is available with the S5 is the quirkiest yet the most practical element of the car. We would have liked if Audi would have kept it as standard on all trims and removed the touchscreen altogether. While the base sound system is impressive in its performance, a Bang and Olufsen speaker is available as optional with the base and mid-level trim, however, it is standard on the Prestige trim.

Some standout infotainment features of the 2021 Audi S5 include:

• 10.2-inch touchscreen
• Bang & Olufsen 19-speaker sound system
• Android Auto & Apple CarPlay
• Navigation (Optional)
• SiriusXM
• Voice Commands
• HomeLink

The 2021 S5’s exterior is doing all the talking here. The front end itself is aggressive with the sharp front bumper and honeycomb grille. The headlight setup has a unique LED setup for the DRLs that add up to the design language of this car. The side profile of the S5 is particularly appealing as the designers have chiseled out the side profile where the doors end. The 18-inch wheels do look sharp with a dark finish to them. Look at it from afar, and the Audi S5 is reflective of the brand’s strategy of creating dynamically styled vehicles that are razor-sharp and exquisite.

The optional 20-inch wheels have a different 5 bi-spoke design, much more aggressive than the 18-inch wheels. At the back, the low-slung roofline meets a trunk lid that has an integrated little spoiler which can be also had in black with the Black optic package. The LED taillight setup is equally aggressive and has a nice turn indication animation that goes from inward to outwards. The 2021 Audi S5 Coupe might be the lightest in the segment at 3,847 lbs but it’s relatively smaller in every other aspect. Though its ground clearance of 4.6 inches is not the lowest in the segment, it feels low for a daily-driven coupe. 

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E450 Coupe is the largest vehicle in terms of overall dimensions and proportions. It’s the heaviest at 4,200 lbs and is the longest sporting a wheelbase of 113.1 inches. While it has the lowest clearance grom the ground, the 2021 BMW M440i and 2021 Lexus RC 350 F-Sport have better ground clearance at 5.1 and 5.3 inches, respectively. 

Standout exterior features:

• Split LED DRL setup.
• Blacked-out roof (Optional)
• 18-inch machined alloy wheels.
• Quad tip exhaust pipes
• Blacked out Audi logo & window sills. (Black Optics Package)

The crash test results are always missing when it comes to luxury cars or sports cars, it’s a norm. Even though there isn’t any data available regarding the structural integrity of the car, only 2 recalls and zero consumer complaints do tell something about the quality control of the automaker. One welcome change for the year 2021 is the standard availability of active safety features. 

Below is the list of safety features you will get on your S5.

• Lane Departure Warning.
• Forward collision assist.
• Adaptive cruise control.
• Lane-keep assist.
• Surround-view camera system.
• Automatic parking.

2021 Audi S5 Coupe vs 2021 BMW M440i Coupe

The 2021 BMW M440i has more power than its Audi counterpart but the rest of the spec sheet is similar. Fuel economy is more than Audi. The standard safety features are more on the BMW. While the Audi has a better infotainment system and better overall interior, BMW wins on the cargo space and second-row comfort. At standard pricing, the BMW is just a tad bit expensive and that’s totally fine considering the extra features it comes with. It’s a difficult call here as both the cars have similar offerings, only the design aspect, and brand loyalty will affect the buyer’s decision.

2021 Audi S5 Coupe vs 2021 Lexus RC 350 F Sport

Visually the 2021 Lexus RC 350 F-Sport resembles more of a sports car ready for track duties whereas the Audi has a fine balance between sportiness and elegance. The naturally aspirated V-6 falls short on torque compared to the rival. However, a lower price tag and more safety features as standard have made Lexus a viable competitor in the segment. The interior on the RC 350 F Sport is nice but nowhere close to what Audi is offering. For the price, Lexus seems a nice option but the limited practicality and an underpowered engine will make you think twice before writing that cheque.

2021 Audi S5 Coupe vs 2021 Mercedes-Benz E450 Coupe

Now, this is a fair comparison. The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E450 Coupe and the S5 both have nice balanced designs; the engine specs are more or less similar. Though Mercedes lags behind a little in the downright acceleration due to its weight; generally more weight means high-quality metal used for construction. The interior of both cars is phenomenal. The Audi is elegant & classy, whereas the Mercedes is all about curves and premium materials. Top that with the standard safety features and the Mercedes-Benz just keeps getting a higher spot in buyers’ wish list. 

The 2021 Audi S5 Coupe is a fine balance of performance & luxury. The car is very fun to drive on twisty roads and the virtual cockpit system is a blessing to use. The design language is phenomenal; you can take this car to grocery shopping as well as on race tracks. One evident drawback we see is the cramped rear seats but it is a segment-wide issue and not exclusive to the Audi. The second one is the price, while it is not the most expensive one but $65,000 for a car that can only sit 2(Practically speaking) seems illogical. If you can live with that second row, there isn’t a better preposition on the market than the S5 Coupe. However, if you want maximum comfort out of your coupe, there are other options to look out for in the segment.