Compare the2024 Audi S5VS 2023 Porsche 911

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi S5 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 Porsche 911 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 911 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Audi S5 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 911 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 911 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S5. But it costs extra on the 911.

The S5’s standard 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. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 911.

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 911 doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the S5 and the 911 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

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 911 has not been tested, yet.

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.

The S5’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 38 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 331) than the 911’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the S5 Coupe gets better mileage than the 911 Coupe:

On the EPA test cycle the S5 Cabriolet gets better mileage than the 911 Cabriolet:

Regenerative brakes improve the S5’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The 911 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi S5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The 911 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi S5 higher (5 out of 10) than the Porsche 911 (3 to 5). This means the S5 produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 911 every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the S5’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the 911:

For better traction, the S5 has larger standard tires than the 911 (255/35R19 vs. 235/40R19). The S5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 911 (265/30R20 vs. 255/35R20).

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 911 Dakar’s standard 45 series front and 40 series rear tires. The S5’s optional tires have a lower 30 series profile than the 911’s optional 35 series front tires.

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 911; 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 S5’s wheelbase is 12.3 inches longer than on the 911 (108.8 inches vs. 96.5 inches). The S5’s wheelbase is 12.1 inches longer than on the 911 GT3 (108.8 inches vs. 96.7 inches).

The S5’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56.7% to 43.3%) than the 911’s (39.5% to 60.5%). This gives the S5 more stable handling and braking.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the S5 Prestige Coupe is quieter than the 911 GT3:

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the S5 Coupe a Subcompact car, while the 911 Coupe is rated a Minicompact.

The S5 Coupe has 11 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 911 (84 vs. 73).

The S5 Coupe has 2.7 inches more front shoulder room, 3.6 inches more rear headroom, 5.5 inches more rear legroom and 2.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the 911 Coupe.

The S5 Coupe has a much larger trunk than the 911 Coupe with its rear seat up (10.9 vs. 4.6 cubic feet).

The S5 Cabriolet has a much larger trunk with its top down than the 911 Cabriolet with its top down (7.3 vs. 4.6 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the S5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The 911 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

With its coupe body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the S5 offers cargo security. The 911’s non-lockable folding seat defeats cargo security.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the S5’s available trunk can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The 911 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

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 911 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 911 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 911 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 911 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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 911’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

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 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The 911 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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 911 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 911.

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 911.

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 911 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Audi S5 comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Porsche 911 isn’t available as a four door.

The Audi A5/S5/RS 5 outsold the Porsche 911 by over two to one during 2022.