Audi RS5 review

If you think that buying a 444bhp coupé is a good way to save money, you’ve probably got your calculator the wrong way up. Even so, the RS5 compares well with rivals from BMW and Mercedes. The C63 Coupé is pricier to buy but the similarly powerful M4 with an automatic gearbox is more expensive. The Sportback, meanwhile, is pretty evenly matched to the C63 Saloon and Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, price-wise. 

Carbon emissions are par for the course in this class; as is the case for its rivals, it falls into the top 37% benefit-in-kind company car tax bracket. Claimed economy is much better than the previous V8 RS5 but still lags slightly behind the competition.

Equipment levels are generous, so you shouldn’t need to plunder the options list too much. All RS5s get unique RS body styling, 19in wheels (20in on the Sportback), three-zone climate control, keyless start, electric tailgate and a wireless phone charger. 

Independent safety experts Euro NCAP gave the Audi A4 – on which the RS5 is based – its highest five-star rating, which is a match for the M4 and C63. Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and blind spot monitoring are included as standard to help prevent accidents in the first place, while hill-start assistance, cruise control and parking sensors add extra reassurance. 

Audi didn’t perform particularly well in the 2018 What Car? Reliability Survey, though, finishing only 20th out of 31 manufacturers. That’s behind BMW but still above Mercedes, though. 

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