Audi A5 vs. Audi S3
iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the Audi A5 and Audi S3 contrasts the two cars across a broad spectrum of vehicle specifications to determine which car is better. In addition to comparing pricing and specs, iSeeCars uses all the ratings, rankings, and insights from its comprehensive analyses of each vehicle model, including calculations of reliability, safety, depreciation, value retention, and the vehicle's projected lifetime recalls (based on analyzing over 25 billion data points). This in-depth evaluation is used to identify which vehicle represents a better overall choice for shoppers who are considering both the Audi A5 and the Audi S3.
When comparing the Audi A5's and the Audi S3's specifications and ratings, The Audi S3 has the advantage in the areas of resale value and base engine power. Based on this comparison of the Audi A5's and the Audi S3's specifications and ratings, the Audi S3 is a better car than the Audi A5.
Resale/Retained Value: Looking at the 5-year depreciation rate for both models, the Audi A5 loses 52.5 percent of its value and the Audi S3 loses 48.3 percent of its value. This means the Audi S3 retains 4.1 percentage points more of its value and has the advantage of higher resale value versus the Audi A5.
Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the Audi A5’s base engine makes 268 horsepower, and the Audi S3 base engine makes 328 horsepower.
Safety Ratings: The Audi S3 has an average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars based on NHTSA's crash test ratings.
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
53155 - 59472
Starting MSRP:
49700
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
49451
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
33000 - 79900
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
52000
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
60930
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
41700 - 102100
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
55534
Price Range:
49391 - 58675
Category Avg Price:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
51959
Category Avg Price Range:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
34107 - 95081
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
# Good or Great Deals:
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
Price Range:
-
Category Avg Price:
N/A
Category Avg Price Range:
N/A
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
# Good or Great Deals:
5-year Depreciation
Depreciation $:
26242
Depreciation %:
0.52800586
Resale Value $:
23458
Residual Value %:
0.47199413999999995
Typical Category Depreciation %:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
0.51356376
Category Depreciation Range:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
0.34749831 - 0.55942423
5-year Depreciation
Depreciation $:
25354
Depreciation %:
0.48756813
Resale Value $:
26646
Residual Value %:
0.51243187
Typical Category Depreciation %:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
0.47202712
Category Depreciation Range:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
0.43382734 - 0.48756813
Audi A5 Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
7.7 / 10
Reliability:
7.8 / 10
Retained Value:
7.6 / 10
Safety:
Not available
Audi S3 Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
Not available
Reliability:
Not available
Retained Value:
7.9 / 10
Safety:
8.0 / 10
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Audi A5
Avg Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Life Expectancy:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
11.0
Category Life Expectancy Range:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
9.5 - 20.1
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Audi S3
Avg Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Life Expectancy:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
13.6
Category Life Expectancy Range:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
13.4 - 13.9
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
1.9952336161408148
Typical Category Recalls:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
2.2
Category Range for Recalls:
(Luxury Compact Cars)
1.5 - 10.4
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
Typical Category Recalls:
N/A
Category Range for Recalls:
N/A
Audi A5 Rankings
Ranking
2 out of / 36Ranking
3 out of / 36Ranking
4 out of / 36Ranking
6 out of / 36Ranking
9 out of / 36Ranking
12 out of / 36Ranking
21 out of / 32Ranking
27 out of / 36Ranking
27 out of / 36Audi S3 Rankings
Ranking
12 out of / 36Ranking
18 out of / 36Ranking
18 out of / 36Ranking
20 out of / 32Ranking
34 out of / 36Ranking
34 out of / 36Available Body Styles
Sedan
Available Body Styles
Sedan
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Audi A5 Trim Levels
quattro Premium Plus TFSI, quattro Premium TFSI, quattro Prestige TFSI
Audi S3 Trim Levels
2.0T quattro Premium
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
4 years
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
4 years
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
Not yet available
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
Not yet available
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
268 hp
Torque:
295 foot-lbs
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.066 hp per pound
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
328 hp @ 5850 rpm
Torque:
295 foot-lbs @ 2000 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.092 hp per pound
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Automatic
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
AWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
22 / 31 / 26
Range (city/hwy):
326 / 459 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Premium Unleaded
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Automatic
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
AWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
Not yet available
Range (city/hwy):
Not yet available
Recommended Fuel Type:
Not yet available
Standard/Optional Features
Adaptive Cruise Control:
Standard
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Android Auto:
Standard
Apple CarPlay:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Heated Seats
Standard
Internet Radio:
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Keyless Ignition:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Standard
Navigation System:
Standard
Paddle Shifters:
Standard
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
Standard
Parking Sensors:
Standard
Power Lift Gate:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Roadside assistance:
Standard
Satellite radio:
Standard
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Standard
Voice Recognition:
Standard
Wifi:
Standard
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
Standard
Automatic Parking:
Available
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
Available
Heated Steering Wheel:
Available
Air Suspension:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Standard/Optional Features
Adaptive Cruise Control:
Available
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Android Auto:
Standard
Apple CarPlay:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Heated Seats
Standard
Internet Radio:
N/A
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Keyless Ignition:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Standard
Navigation System:
Standard
Paddle Shifters:
Standard
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Parking Sensors:
Standard
Power Lift Gate:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Roadside assistance:
Standard
Satellite radio:
Standard
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Standard
Voice Recognition:
Standard
Wifi:
Standard
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
Standard
Automatic Parking:
Standard
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Air Suspension:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roof Rack:
Available
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
Blind Spot Monitoring:
Standard
Driver Attention Monitoring:
Standard
Forward Collision Warning:
Standard
Lane Departure Warning:
Standard
Lane Keeping Assist:
Standard
Pedestrian Detection:
Standard
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
Standard
Rear Seat Reminder:
Standard
360-Degree Camera:
Available
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
Blind Spot Monitoring:
Standard
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
Standard
Lane Departure Warning:
Standard
Lane Keeping Assist:
Standard
Pedestrian Detection:
Standard
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
Standard
Rear Seat Reminder:
Standard
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
40 inches
Front Leg Room:
41.3 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
57.3 inches
Rear Head Room:
37.2 inches
Rear Leg Room:
36.1 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
55.1 inches
Cargo Space:
22.6 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
Not yet available
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
36.8 inches
Front Leg Room:
41.2 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
54.8 inches
Rear Head Room:
36.6 inches
Rear Leg Room:
35.2 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
53 inches
Cargo Space:
8.3 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
87.0 cubic feet
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
4090 lbs
Width:
82.6 inches
Height:
57 inches
Length:
190.1 inches
Wheelbase:
113.8 inches
Ground Clearance:
Not yet available
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3549 lbs
Width:
78.1 inches
Height:
55.7 inches
Length:
177.4 inches
Wheelbase:
103.6 inches
Ground Clearance:
Not yet available
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
18.0 x 8.0 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
235/45R18XL
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
18.0 x 8.0 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
225/40R18XL
Exterior Colors
Black
Mythos Black Metallic
Blue
Firmament Blue Metallic / Horizon Blue Metallic
Gray
Chronos Gray Metallic
Red
Grenadine Red Metallic
Silver
Florett Silver Metallic
White
Arkona White / Glacier White Metallic
Green
Not available
Yellow
Not available
Exterior Colors
Black
Mythos Black Metallic
Blue
Ascari Blue Metallic / Navarra Blue Metallic
Gray
Daytona Gray Pearl Effect
Red
Progressive Red Metallic
Silver
Not available
White
Arkona White / Glacier White Metallic
Green
District Green Metallic
Yellow
Python Yellow Metallic
Interior Colors
Beige
Pearl Beige w/ Gray Stitching
Black
Black w/ Gray Stitching
Brown
Muscat Brown w/ Gray Stitching
Interior Colors
Beige
Not available
Black
Black w/ Express Red Stitching / Black w/ Rock Gray Stitching
Brown
Not available
