Compare the2022 Audi S5 SportbackVS 2021 Subaru WRX

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi S5 Sportback have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Subaru WRX doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The S5 Sportback’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The WRX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the S5 Sportback and WRX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S5 Sportback has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The WRX’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Audi S5 Sportback 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 WRX doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The S5 Sportback 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 WRX 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.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the S5 Sportback’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The WRX doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The S5 Sportback 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 WRX only offers a rear monitor.

Both the S5 Sportback and the WRX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The Audi S5 Sportback weighs 411 to 631 pounds more than the Subaru WRX. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

The S5 Sportback comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The WRX’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The S5 Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the WRX’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the S5 Sportback’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the WRX’s camshafts. If the WRX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

Engine

The S5 Sportback’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 81 more horsepower (349 vs. 268) and 111 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 258) than the WRX’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The S5 Sportback’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 39 more horsepower (349 vs. 310) and 79 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 290) than the WRX STI’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi S5 Sportback is faster than the Subaru WRX 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder (automatics tested):

	S5 Sportback	WRX
Zero to 60 MPH	4.3 sec	5.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	10.9 sec	14.4 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.8 sec	6.4 sec
Quarter Mile	12.9 sec	14.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	108 MPH	99 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the S5 Sportback gets better mileage than the WRX:

			MPG
S5 Sportback
AWD	Auto	3.0 turbo V6	21 city/30 hwy
WRX
AWD	Manual	2.0 turbo flat-4	20 city/27 hwy
		2.5 turbo flat-4	16 city/22 hwy
AWD	Auto	2.0 turbo flat-4	18 city/24 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the S5 Sportback’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The WRX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the S5 Sportback’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 WRX doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi S5 Sportback uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The WRX requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi S5 Sportback higher (5 out of 10) than the Subaru WRX (1). This means the S5 Sportback produces up to 39 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the WRX every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Audi S5 Sportback comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the WRX.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the S5 Sportback’s brake rotors are larger than those on the WRX:

	S5 Sportback	WRX	WRX STI
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.4 inches	13.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.3 inches	12.8 inches

The S5 Sportback’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the WRX are solid, not vented.

The S5 Sportback stops shorter than the WRX:

	S5 Sportback	WRX
70 to 0 MPH	158 feet	160 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	105 feet	112 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the S5 Sportback has larger standard tires than the WRX (255/35R19 vs. 235/45R17). The S5 Sportback’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the WRX (265/30R20 vs. 245/40R18).

The S5 Sportback’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the WRX’s standard 45 series tires. The S5 Sportback’s optional tires have a lower 30 series profile than the WRX STI’s 35 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S5 Sportback has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the WRX. The S5 Sportback’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the WRX STI.

Suspension and Handling

The S5 Sportback offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The WRX’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S5 Sportback’s wheelbase is 6.9 inches longer than on the WRX (111.2 inches vs. 104.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the S5 Sportback is 2.3 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than on the WRX.

The S5 Sportback’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the WRX’s (58.4% to 41.6%). This gives the S5 Sportback more stable handling and braking.

The S5 Sportback Prestige handles at .95 G’s, while the WRX STI Limited pulls only .90 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The S5 Sportback Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the WRX (25 seconds @ .76 average G’s vs. 25.7 seconds @ .72 average G’s).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the S5 Sportback Prestige is quieter than the WRX STI:

	S5 Sportback	WRX
At idle	40 dB	54 dB
Full-Throttle	79 dB	80 dB
70 MPH Cruising	70 dB	75 dB

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the S5 Sportback a Mid-size car, while the WRX is rated a Compact.

The S5 Sportback has .1 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the WRX.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the S5 Sportback’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The WRX doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the S5 Sportback, the optional memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle and climate settings. The WRX doesn’t offer a memory system.

The S5 Sportback 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 WRX doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The S5 Sportback’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The WRX 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 S5 Sportback and the WRX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the S5 Sportback is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The WRX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The S5 Sportback’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 WRX’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the S5 Sportback the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the WRX can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The S5 Sportback’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 WRX’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the S5 Sportback to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The WRX 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 S5 Sportback has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The WRX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The S5 Sportback has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The WRX has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Premium/STI/Limited.

When the S5 Sportback is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The WRX’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The S5 Sportback’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 WRX offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The S5 Sportback has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the WRX Premium/Limited/STI. The S5 Sportback Prestige also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the WRX.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the S5 Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The WRX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the S5 Sportback’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The WRX doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The S5 Sportback has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the WRX.

The S5 Sportback has a 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. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the WRX STI.

Both the S5 Sportback and the WRX offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the S5 Sportback has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The WRX doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi S5 Premium Plus/Prestige has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The WRX doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The S5 Sportback 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 WRX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The Audi S5 comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Subaru WRX isn’t available as a coupe or convertible.