Compare the2023 Subaru WRX VS 2023 Audi S5 Sportback

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the WRX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The WRX Limited SPT/GT has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the WRX and the S5 Sportback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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 crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the WRX its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The S5 Sportback is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the WRX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the S5 Sportback. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the S5 Sportback ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the WRX’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 48 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Subaru higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 6 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Audi.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the WRX lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

The WRX has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the S5 Sportback (16.6 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The WRX offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and fuel economy. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

The WRX offers an optional continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer a CVT.

The WRX stops shorter than the S5 Sportback:

	WRX	S5 Sportback
70 to 0 MPH	153 feet	158 feet	Car and Driver

The WRX Limited handles at .96 G’s, while the S5 Sportback Prestige pulls only .93 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the WRX’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the S5 Sportback’s (36.74 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The Subaru WRX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 650 pounds less than the Audi S5 Sportback.

The WRX is 3.4 inches shorter than the S5 Sportback, making the WRX easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The WRX has 7.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the S5 Sportback (98.9 vs. 91).

The WRX has 2 inches more front headroom, 1.8 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear legroom and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the S5 Sportback.

The WRX offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the WRX Premium/Limited/GT’s exterior PIN entry system. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the WRX Premium/Limited/GT has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Subaru WRX outsold the Audi A5/S5/RS 5 by 313 units during 2022.