Compare the2023 Audi RS 5VS 2022 Ford Shelby GT500

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi RS 5 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 Ford Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The RS 5’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The RS 5’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The RS 5 has standard Pre Sense Front, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Shelby GT500 doesn't offer collision warning or crash mitigation brakes.

The RS 5 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 Shelby GT500 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 RS 5 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The RS 5’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The RS 5 offers an optional Top and Corner View Cameras to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Shelby GT500 only offers a rear monitor.

Both the RS 5 and the Shelby GT500 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The RS 5 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Shelby GT500’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The RS 5’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Shelby GT500’s (12 vs. 5 years).

The Shelby GT500’s redline is at 7500 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The RS 5 has a 6500 RPM redline.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 8 places higher in reliability than Ford.

As tested in Road and Track the Audi RS 5 is faster than the Ford Shelby GT500:

	RS 5	Shelby GT500
Zero to 60 MPH	3.4 sec	3.6 sec

On the EPA test cycle the RS 5 gets better fuel mileage than the Shelby GT500 (18 city/26 hwy vs. 12 city/18 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the RS 5’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the RS 5’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 Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi RS 5 higher (5 out of 10) than the Ford Shelby GT500 (3). This means the RS 5 produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Shelby GT500 every 15,000 miles.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Audi RS 5, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Shelby GT500.

All wheel drive, available in the RS 5, 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 Ford Shelby GT500 is not available with all wheel drive.

The RS 5 offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The RS 5 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 Shelby GT500; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the RS 5’s wheelbase is 1.8 inches longer than on the Shelby GT500 (108.9 inches vs. 107.1 inches).

For better maneuverability, the RS 5’s turning circle is 5.4 feet tighter than the Shelby GT500’s (38.4 feet vs. 43.8 feet). The RS 5’s turning circle is 5.7 feet tighter than the Shelby GT500 Track Package’s (38.4 feet vs. 44.1 feet).

The RS 5 is 3.5 inches shorter than the Shelby GT500, making the RS 5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The RS 5 has 1.3 inches more rear headroom and 3.7 inches more rear legroom than the Shelby GT500.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the RS 5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

With its coupe body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the RS 5 offers cargo security. The Shelby GT500’s non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the RS 5’s trunk can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Ford. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 27% lower rating, Ford is ranked 22nd.

The RS 5 offers an optional 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 Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the RS 5 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 Shelby GT500 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The RS 5 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The RS 5’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 Shelby GT500’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the RS 5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The RS 5’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Shelby GT500’s xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RS 5 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the RS 5 detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

The RS 5’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford charges extra for heated mirrors on the Shelby GT500.

When the RS 5 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 Shelby GT500’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The RS 5’s standard rear and 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 Shelby GT500 has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

On extremely cold winter days, the RS 5’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The RS 5 has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Shelby GT500.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the RS 5 has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer rear vents.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the RS 5 offers an optional Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi RS 5 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The RS 5’s optional 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 Shelby GT500 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the RS 5 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the RS 5 will cost $510 less than the Shelby GT500 over a five-year period.