Compare the2024 Audi S5VS 2023 Porsche 718 Boxster

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

Safety

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The S5’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The 718 Boxster doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The S5’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 718 Boxster doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The S5 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 718 Boxster 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 S5 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The 718 Boxster doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The S5’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The 718 Boxster doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The S5 Premium Plus/Prestige has a standard Top View Cameras to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 718 Boxster only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the S5 Premium Plus/Prestige’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Automatic Brake Activation automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The 718 Boxster doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the S5 and the 718 Boxster have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available blind spot warning systems.

The Audi S5 weighs 574 to 1147 pounds more than the Porsche 718 Boxster. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the S5 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 718 Boxster has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

There are over 56 percent more Audi dealers than there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the S5’s warranty.

Engine

The S5’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 49 more horsepower (349 vs. 300) and 89 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 280) than the 718 Boxster’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The S5’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 60 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 309) than the 718 Boxster S’ standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The S5’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 60 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 309) than the 718 Boxster GTS 4.0’s standard 4.0 GT3 6-cylinder. The S5’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 60 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 309) than the 718 Spyder’s standard 4.0 GT3 6-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the S5 Cabriolet gets better mileage than the 718 Boxster:

			MPG
S5 Cabriolet
	Auto	3.0 turbo V6	20 city/27 hwy
718 Boxster
	Manual	T 2.0 turbo flat-4	20 city/26 hwy
		2.0 turbo flat-4	20 city/25 hwy
		2.5 turbo flat-4	19 city/24 hwy
		GTS 4.0 4.0 DOHC flat-6	17 city/24 hwy
		718 Spyder 4.0 DOHC flat-6	17 city/23 hwy
	Auto	2.5 turbo flat-4	19 city/25 hwy
		GTS 4.0 DOHC flat-6	19 city/24 hwy
		Spyder 4.0 DOHC flat-6	18 city/24 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi S5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The 718 Boxster requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The S5 has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the 718 Boxster’s standard fuel tank (15.3 vs. 14.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi S5 higher (5 out of 10) than the Porsche 718 Boxster (1 to 5). This means the S5 produces up to 39 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 718 Boxster every 15,000 miles.

Transmission and Drivetrain

The Audi S5 comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the 718 Boxster.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Audi S5, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the 718 Boxster.

All wheel drive, available in the S5, 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 Porsche 718 Boxster is not available with all wheel drive.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the S5’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the 718 Boxster:

	S5	718 Boxster
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.8 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the S5 has larger standard tires than the 718 Boxster (255/35R19 vs. 235/45R18). The S5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 718 Boxster (265/30R20 vs. 245/35R20).

The S5’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 718 Boxster’s standard 45 series tires. The S5’s optional tires have a lower 30 series profile than the 718 Spyder’s 35 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S5 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the 718 Boxster.

The S5 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 718 Boxster; 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 S5’s wheelbase is 11.4 inches longer than on the 718 Boxster (108.8 inches vs. 97.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the S5 is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 718 Boxster.

Passenger Space

The S5 has standard seating for 4 passengers; the 718 Boxster can only carry 2.

The S5 Cabriolet has 32 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 718 Boxster (81 vs. 49).

Cargo Capacity

With its coupe body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the S5 offers cargo security. The 718 Boxster’s non-lockable remote release defeats cargo security.

Ergonomics

The S5 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 718 Boxster doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The S5 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 718 Boxster doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the S5 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 718 Boxster can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the S5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 718 Boxster doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The S5’s standard LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the 718 Boxster’s standard 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. Laser headlights, standard on the S5 Prestige, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the 718 Boxster’s optional LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the S5 has standard extendable sun visors. The 718 Boxster doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The S5’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The 718 Boxster’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

The S5 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 718 Boxster.

The S5 has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the 718 Boxster.

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 718 Boxster doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The S5 Prestige’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The 718 Boxster doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The Audi S5 comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Porsche 718 isn’t available as a four door.

Recommendations

The Audi A5/S5/RS 5 outsold the Porsche 718 by almost 8 to one during 2022.