Experienced by Adrian McQueen
Photography by Adrenaline Lifestyles
The good weather is back on the east coast and the 2022 Audi S5 Sportback with the Prestige Package came in just time to get show it off and see what it had in store for me.The Audi S5 Sportback is one of two high-performance variants of Audi’s A5. Most versions of the S5 are manufactured at Audi’s plant in Ingolstadt, Germany. The Audi S5 (B9) is an all-wheel drive coupé, sportback, and cabriolet built by Audi from late 2017, after its’ unveiling in June 2016. Its’ sportback trim adds rear doors and a hatchback rear.
So let’s start off with the exterior. The model that we reviewed came in a Turbo Blue hue. Upon first look you will notice the prominent grille, front and rear bumpers, HD Matrix LED Headlights, OLED Taillights and the menacing dual exhaust look. I really enjoyed the design of the S5, as it is aggressive but luxurious at the same time. It sits on 20” bi-color finish, 5-twin-spoke- design wheels, with red brake calipers that are part of the Prestige package. At “Cars and Brunch”, patrons commented about how much they liked the Sportback look and eye catching color.
The interior of the S5 matches the style and quality of the exterior. This luxury sedan seats five passengers, with plenty of head and legroom in the two rows. The Prestige package model that we reviewed decked the interior out with Fine Nappa leather seats, carbon atlas inlays, leatherette covered center console and armrests. The head-up display, Audi virtual cockpit, LED lighting interior plus package and the top view camera system were nice additions as well.
The infotainment system is pretty nice in the Audi SQ5. There is a virtual cockpit along with the center console being complete with the MMI infotainment system with 10.1-inch touch screen. I loved the look and feel of this setup. The infotainment system has the Audi Smartphone interface with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a navigation system, a Wi-Fi hot spot, satellite radio, HD Radio, Bluetooth and USB ports. There is also a Bang & Olufsen 3D surround-sound stereo that blasts crystal clear sound throughout the cabin.
The S5 Sportback comes with a 3.0 TFSI, 349-hp turbocharged V-6 engine. This engine makes very good power and can get up to speed fast. The standard Quattro all-wheel drive ensures that all the power is applied to the road. The eight-speed automatic transmission shifts rather smoothly. Hitting the road, I felt like the Audi S5 handled well and felt nimble when carving up the corners. The S5 gets 21 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway and 24 mpg combined. This is good gas mileage for a sporty vehicle.
Audi is high on safety and the S5 hit the mark. The S5 comes with front and rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, automatic high-beam headlights, and a rearview camera. There is also Audi Pre Sense Rear (blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert) and Audi Pre Sense Side, which uses sensors to detect an oncoming side impact. There is a vehicle exit warning system, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, intersection assist, lane keep assist, a surround-view parking camera system and traffic sign recognition.
As a parent of young children, the child car seats are extremely important to me. There are five complete sets of LATCH connectors for the rear outboard seats. This was a plus for me and very easy to use.
The Audi S5 is in a competitive class going up against the Kia Stinger GT, BMW M440i GranCoupe and the Mercedes-AMG C43. Audi backs the S5 with a four-year/50,000-mile limited warranty, a 12 year limited warranty against corrosion perforation and 4 years roadside assistance coverage. The model that we tested came in at $70,670.00.
I really enjoyed the Audi S5 Sportback with its’ smooth handling and quick acceleration. The interior is luxurious and the infotainment system is top notch. Audi definitely ranks near the top of its class. Please enjoy the photo gallery.
