Compare the2023 Mercedes AMG E-Class SedanVS 2023 Audi S5 Sportback

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The AMG E-Class Sedan has a standard Maneuvering Brake Function that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The AMG E-Class Sedan has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the S5 Sportback’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the AMG E-Class Sedan has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Active Brake Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Audi charges extra for rear cross-path warning on the S5 Sportback.

The AMG E-Class Sedan’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the AMG E-Class Sedan 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, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available lane departure warning systems.

The Mercedes AMG E-Class Sedan weighs 452 to 663 pounds more than the Audi S5 Sportback. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

There are over 25 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the AMG E-Class Sedan’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the AMG E-Class Sedan has a standard 180-amp alternator. The S5 Sportback’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the AMG E-Class Sedan has a standard 850-amp battery. The S5 Sportback’s 420-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 50 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes 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 Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 37 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

Engine

The AMG E 53’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 80 more horsepower (429 vs. 349) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (384 vs. 369) than the S5 Sportback’s 3.0 turbo V6. The AMG E 63 S’ standard 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 254 more horsepower (603 vs. 349) and 258 lbs.-ft. more torque (627 vs. 369) than the S5 Sportback’s 3.0 turbo V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the AMG E 63 S 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid is faster than the Audi S5 Sportback:

	AMG E-Class Sedan	S5 Sportback
Zero to 30 MPH	1.2 sec	1.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	3 sec	4.3 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	4.7 sec	7.1 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	7 sec	10.9 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	3.9 sec	5.8 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	2.3 sec	3.4 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	2.7 sec	3.5 sec
Quarter Mile	11.1 sec	12.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	126 MPH	108 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The AMG E-Class Sedan has 5.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the S5 Sportback (21.1 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Mercedes AMG E-Class Sedan, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the S5 Sportback.

The AMG E-Class Sedan offers an available 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 S5 Sportback doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The AMG E-Class Sedan 63 S’ launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the AMG E-Class Sedan’s brake rotors are larger than those on the S5 Sportback:

	AMG E 53	AMG E 63 S CCB	S5 Sportback
Front Rotors	14.6 inches	15.8 inches	13.8 inches
Rear Rotors	14.2 inches	14.2 inches	13 inches

The AMG E-Class Sedan stops shorter than the S5 Sportback:

	AMG E-Class Sedan	S5 Sportback
70 to 0 MPH	155 feet	158 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction and acceleration, the AMG E-Class Sedan has larger standard rear tires than the S5 Sportback (275/30R20 vs. 255/35R19). The AMG E 63 S’ rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the S5 Sportback (295/30R20 vs. 265/30R20).

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the AMG E-Class Sedan can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the AMG E-Class Sedan uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the S5 Sportback, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The AMG E-Class Sedan has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The AMG E-Class Sedan’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The AMG E-Class Sedan’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the AMG E-Class Sedan’s wheelbase is 4.5 inches longer than on the S5 Sportback (115.7 inches vs. 111.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the AMG E-Class Sedan is 2 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the S5 Sportback.

The AMG E 63 S handles at 1.01 G’s, while the S5 Sportback Prestige pulls only .95 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The AMG E-Class Sedan has 6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the S5 Sportback (97 vs. 91).

The AMG E-Class Sedan has .4 inches more front legroom, 2.1 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear legroom and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the S5 Sportback.

Cargo Capacity

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the AMG E-Class offers cargo security. The S5 Sportback’s hatchback body style defeats cargo security.

Ergonomics

The AMG E-Class Sedan has a standard 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.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the S5 Sportback, the AMG E-Class Sedan has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The AMG E-Class Sedan’s standard easy entry and exit feature raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The AMG E-Class Sedan’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The S5 Sportback’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the AMG E-Class Sedan to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid. Its standard heated washer nozzles will defrost the washer fluid but not the windshield.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the AMG E-Class Sedan offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the AMG E-Class Sedan has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

A power rear sunshade and manual rear side window sunshades are optional in the AMG E-Class Sedan to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

The AMG E-Class Sedan has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the S5 Sportback.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes AMG E-Class has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the S5 Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige offers wireless charging.

The AMG E-Class Sedan offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The AMG E-Class Sedan’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park by itself, stopping and changing direction automatically. The S5 Sportback Prestige’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Recommendations

Motor Trend selected the E-Class as their 2021 Car of the Year. The S5 Sportback has never been chosen.

The Mercedes E-Class/CLS outsold the Audi A5/S5/RS 5 by 469 units during 2022.

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