Compare the2022 Audi A5VS 2023 Nissan Z

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission and Drivetrain
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability

Safety

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The A5’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Z doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Audi A5 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Z doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The A5 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Z doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The A5 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Z doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The A5 Premium Plus/Prestige has a standard Top and Corner View Cameras to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Z only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the A5 and the Z have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the A5 the rating of “Top Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 217 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Z has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The A5 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Z’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The A5’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Z’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

The Audi A5’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Z’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Audi 20th in reliability. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the A5’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Z doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the A5’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Z doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi A5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Z requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Transmission and Drivetrain

The A5 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Z doesn’t offer an SMG.

All wheel drive, available in the A5, provides the best traction for acceleration in wet, dry, and icy conditions. In corners, all wheel drive allows both outside wheels to provide power, balancing the car. This allows for better handling. The Nissan Z is not available with all wheel drive.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the A5’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Z:

	A5	Z
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.1 inches

Tires and Wheels

The A5’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Z Sport Coupe’s standard 45 series tires. The A5 Premium Plus/Prestige’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Z Performance Coupe’s 40 series front tires.

The A5 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Z; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the A5’s wheelbase is 8.4 inches longer than on the Z (108.8 inches vs. 100.4 inches).

Passenger Space

The A5 has standard seating for 4 passengers; the Z can only carry 2.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the A5’s available trunk can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Z doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

The A5 Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Z doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The A5’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Z has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The power windows standard on both the A5 and the Z have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the A5 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Z prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The A5’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Z’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The A5’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Z’s

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the A5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Z doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A5 Premium Plus/Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Z doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The A5’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Z Performance.

The A5’s standard rear view mirror and optional side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Z has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

On extremely cold winter days, the A5’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Z doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The A5’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Z doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The A5 Prestige’s Park Steering Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Z doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The Audi A5 comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Nissan Z isn’t available as a convertible or four door.