Rivals are quicker and more fuel efficient, but we’d still spend our money on the Audi S5 Sportback.

They say you can’t have it all, but the 2024 Audi S5 Sportback begs to differ. This car combines coupe style and sedan practicality, but adds a hatchback-style liftgate that improves practicality to near-SUV levels. That sounds like the ideal combination to us, but Sportback models like the S5 have failed to take off in the US thanks to the popularity of crossovers. In fact, the S5 Sportback only has one close competitor in the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, which is offered in M440i guise.

The S5 is based on Audi’s A5 lineup, which is offered as a two-door coupe, cabriolet, and the aforementioned Sportback. While less potent than the high-performance RS5, the S5 boasts significant power gains over the base A5 while retaining comfort and daily drivability. Power comes from a turbocharged V6, producing a healthy 349 horsepower. Audi hasn’t majorly updated the A5 line in several years, but after spending a week in the S5 Sportback, it doesn’t feel dated inside. We’d go so far as to say the S5, particularly in the Sportback body style, might be one of the most well-rounded sports sedans on the market.

Exterior: Coupe Costume, Hatch Heart

From the B-Pillar forward, the S5 Sportback is nearly identical to the S5 Coupe. Moving towards the back, the Sportback adds a second set of doors and a longer rear deck that accommodates a hatch opening. The Sportback stretches 187.2 inches in length, making it 2.3 inches longer than the Coupe. Audi even increases the wheelbase from 108.8 to 111.2 inches, which is similar to the S4 Sedan.

The current A5 lineup has been on the market since the 2018 model year, with the Sportback arriving stateside for the first time in the model’s history around that time. Audi facelifted the car in 2020, making changes to the headlights and taillights. For 2024, a new color called Progressive Red (pictured) replaces the longstanding Tango Red. Aside from subtle hues like white, black, and gray, Audi also offers Navarra Blue Metallic and District Green Metallic.

19-inch five-spoke, double-arm wheels come standard, but the $1,800 Black Optic Plus Package adds sportier 20-inch polygon design wheels as well as black exterior trim (Audi rings, mirror housings, fender badges, exhaust tips, and rear lip spoiler). For a relatively low cost, the Black Optic Plus Package makes the S5 look far more aggressive than the base model.

Interior: Sporty And Functional

Audi has improved the technology inside the S5 over the years, but the overall layout hasn’t changed much since the 2020 update. A 10.1-inch touchscreen comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, powered by Audi’s MIB 3 infotainment software. It’s not the largest screen in the class, but it’s easy to use and comes with plenty of physical buttons to make climate control less of a hassle, unlike the BMW 4 Series. The intuitive design extends to the Audi Virtual Cockpit, which can display a full-color map or show three different gauge styles.

Every S5 Sportback gets special sports seats with diamond stitching and the S logo embossed on the seat backs. The base Premium trim interiors come in Black or Rotor Gray, while the Premium Plus and Prestige add fine Nappa leather options for $1,000, such as Black with Crescendo Red stitching, Magma Red with Granite stitching, and Rotor Gray with Anthracite stitching. These sports seats look fantastic, and can be heated with a massage function. Unfortunately, front seat ventilation is part of the $550 Warm Weather Package that deletes the sport seats and replaces them with the regular ones from the A5 Sportback, so you can’t have your cake and eat it, too.

Practicality: Who Needs An SUV?

With the addition of rear doors and a longer wheelbase, the S5 Sportback is more spacious than the S5 Coupe. Rear legroom sits at 35.1 inches, a sizable 2.4-inch increase over the S5 Coupe; the S4 Sedan is roomier though at 35.7 inches. Rear headroom is only compromised slightly by that sleek Sportback styling.

• 

  S5 Sportback

  Sportback

  Interior Space

  Legrooom Front|Rear

  41.3 | 35.1 inches

  Headroom Front|Rear

  37.8 | 37 inches

  Cargo Space

  21.8 – 35 ft³

• 

  S5 Coupe

  Coupe

  Interior Space

  Legrooom Front|Rear

  37.4 | 36.1 inches

  Headroom Front|Rear

  41.3 | 32.7 inches

  Cargo Space

  10.9 ft³

• 

  S4 Sedan

  Sedan

  Interior Space

  Legrooom Front|Rear

  41.3 | 35.7 inches

  Headroom Front|Rear

  37.3 | 37.4 inches

  Cargo Space

  12 ft³

The Sportback sets itself apart from other S5 body styles and the S4 in terms of cargo capacity. It delivers an impressive 21.8 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, which can open to 35 cubic feet with the seats folded. By comparison, the S5 Coupe offer just under 11 cubes and the S4 Sedan not much more than that. A similarly-priced Audi SQ5 Sportback boasts 24.7 cubic feet (51.9 cubes when folded), but as an SUV, it lacks the S5’s attractive coupe roofline and styling.

Performance: Speedy Enough

Audi S models are all about delivering a significant boost in performance without compromising on daily comfort. The S5 Sportback replaces the A5’s turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a 3.0-liter boosted V6. It delivers a healthy 349 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, going out to standard quattro all-wheel-drive via a smooth eight-speed automatic transmission. Audi quotes a 4.5-second 0-60 mph time, which we were able to match down to the last tenth of a second thanks to a smooth, drama-free launch control system. Buyers who crave AMG or M levels of performance should seek out the RS5 Sportback, which uses a smaller 2.9-liter V6 with two turbos, producing 444 hp and 442 lb-ft.

• 

  2024 Audi S5 Sportback

  Audi

  Performance Specs

  Engine

  3.0L Turbo V6 Gas

  Drivetrain

  All-Wheel Drive

  Transmission

  8-Speed Automatic

  Horsepower

  349 hp

  Torque

  369 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm

  0-60 MPH

  4.5 seconds

  Top Speed

  155 mph

• 

  2024 BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe

  BMW

  Performance Specs

  Engine

  3.0L Turbo Inline-6 Gas

  Drivetrain

  All-Wheel Drive

  Transmission

  8-Speed Automatic

  Horsepower

  382 hp

  Torque

  369 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm

  0-60 MPH

  4.4 seconds

  Top Speed

  130 mph (155 mph with increased limiter)

The S5 isn’t the most powerful sports sedan in this segment, but it’s just a tenth of a second behind the 382-hp M440i, and it manages to be reasonably efficient, too. EPA ratings of 20/29/23 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles isn’t bad, but it’s worth noting that the more potent BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe is more efficient still at 22/30/25 mpg.

Driving Impressions: Everyday Performance

It’s remarkable how well Audi S vehicles combine speed and comfort into one vehicle. Our tester came equipped with the $2,500 S Sport Package, which adds a sport adaptive damping suspension along with a sport rear differential and red brake calipers. The optional suspension rides beautifully over bumps to the point where we almost forgot we were driving an S5 rather than an A5. Put the car into Dynamic Mode, and the suspension firms up; it never reaches an uncomfortable level, but it controls the body more and doesn’t allow as much lean.

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There are sharper sports sedans out there, but the S5 possibly strikes the best balance between thrills and softness. The $1,150 optional Dynamic Steering has a nice heft to it without being twitchy, and it delivers enough feedback to feel the rear end rotate as you feed into the throttle. Audi’s turbo V6 emits a sweet wail, with little crackles on the overrun and on downshifts to make the experience satisfying. All things considered, the S5 Sportback is a sensational all-rounder.

Pricing & Verdict: Perfect Combination

Despite being larger and more practical, the S5 Sportback is priced identically to the S5 Coupe, starting at $57,500 for the Premium trim. We’d highly recommend stepping up to the Premium Plus for $60,500, since it adds Bang & Olufsen audio, Virtual Cockpit Plus, a wireless phone charger, Audi Side Assist, and a top-view camera. The Prestige starts to get pricey at $64,900, but it adds Audi Laser Light, headlight/taillight animations, a head-up display, navigation, and park assist. Our tester also had a host of options, pulling the price to $72,940 with a $1,095 destination charge included.

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The Audi S5 sportback undercuts the BMW M440i Gran Coupe, which starts at $61,050, but is priced at $63,050 with xDrive all-wheel drive to put it on par with S5 Sportback. If it was our money, we’d settle for the well-equipped Premium Plus, then add a premium color like Progressive Red ($595), the Black Optic Plus Package ($1,800), Nappa leather ($1,000), and the S Sport Package ($2,500). That leaves the S5 Sportback at a reasonable $67,490.

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The 2024 S5 Sportback doesn’t have the most modern technology, nor is it the fastest or cheapest luxury sports sedan you can purchase. You could purchase an S4 Sedan for less, but you’d lose out on style and practicality. The BMW is quicker, but its newer tech detracts from being straightforward to use. Despite its relative age, we think the S5 Sportback combines everything we’d want in a daily driver, so we’d gladly spend our own money on one.