The New 2025 Audi S5 Is a Cool Luxury Sport Sedan

TL;DR

The 2025 Audi S5 replaces the S4 with better tech, quirky lighting, and a fun driving experience despite costing more and having less power than rivals.

Key Points

• 1.The S5 replaces the S4 with a significant price jump. Starting at ~$63,000, it replaces both the outgoing S4 (~$56k) and S5 Sportback (~$59k), with only a four-door hatchback body style available — coupe and convertible versions are gone.
• 2.Lighting is the S5's most distinctive quirk. Features include an animated welcome sequence with 8 user-configurable patterns, 3D layered rear turn signals, sweeping front indicators, a dashboard light pipe that illuminates turn direction, and rear-seat ambient lighting that changes color with temperature adjustments.
• 3.The electrochromic glass roof replaces a traditional sunshade. A ceiling switch toggles individual roof panels between transparent and opaque/frosted, allowing mixed configurations — a genuinely unusual alternative to a standard sunroof blind.
• 4.On paper, the S5 is outgunned by rivals at the same price. Its 362 hp turbocharged V6 lags behind the BMW M340i (386 hp) and Mercedes-AMG C43 (400+ hp), both priced similarly around $63–64k.
• 5.The dual-clutch transmission is a highlight. Audi switched back from the torque converter automatic (used in the outgoing S4) to a dual-clutch, and it delivers quick, smooth shifts at both low and high speeds without the clunkiness sometimes associated with DCTs.
• 6.The driving experience exceeds expectations for the power output. The reviewer found the S5 surprisingly flat in corners, well-balanced, grippy, and engaging — with less understeer than past Audi models — making the power deficit feel irrelevant in practice.
• 7.The interior is tech-forward but has trade-offs. A massive central touchscreen dominates, with an optional passenger screen; climate controls are fully screen-integrated with no physical buttons. The gauge cluster lost configurability versus older Audi models, and there are no household-style power outlets anywhere in the car.