Compare the2024 Audi S5 SportbackVS 2024 Cadillac CT5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi S5 Sportback 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 Cadillac CT5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The S5 Sportback’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The CT5 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the S5 Sportback and CT5 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S5 Sportback has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The CT5’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The S5 Sportback’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 CT5 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The S5 Sportback 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 CT5 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 Sportback. But it costs extra on the CT5.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the S5 Sportback’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The CT5 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the S5 Sportback and CT5 offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the S5 Sportback with Rear Cross-Traffic Assist also has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The CT5’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the S5 Sportback and the CT5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, 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 available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the S5 Sportback the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 174 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CT5 has not been tested, yet.

The S5 Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the CT5’s (12 vs. 6 years).

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 11 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

The S5 Sportback’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 112 more horsepower (349 vs. 237) and 111 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 258) than the CT5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The S5 Sportback’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 14 more horsepower (349 vs. 335) than the CT5’s optional 3.0 turbo V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi S5 Sportback is faster than the Cadillac CT5 turbo 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the S5 Sportback gets better mileage than the CT5:

Regenerative brakes improve the S5 Sportback’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The CT5 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi S5 Sportback uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The CT5 with the 3.0 turbo V6 engine requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The S5 Sportback has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the CT5. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

For better stopping power the S5 Sportback’s brake rotors are larger than those on the CT5:

The S5 Sportback’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the CT5 are solid, not vented.

The S5 Sportback stops much shorter than the CT5:

For better traction, the S5 Sportback has larger standard tires than the CT5 (255/35R19 vs. 245/45R18). The S5 Sportback’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CT5 (265/30R20 vs. 255/35R20).

The S5 Sportback’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 CT5’s standard 45 series tires. The S5 Sportback’s optional tires have a lower 30 series profile than the CT5’s optional 35 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S5 Sportback has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the CT5.

The S5 Sportback 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 CT5; it requires you to depend on its optional run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The S5 Sportback Prestige handles at .95 G’s, while the CT5 Premium Luxury pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The S5 Sportback Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the CT5 Sport (25 seconds @ .76 average G’s vs. 26.2 seconds @ .68 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the S5 Sportback’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the CT5’s (38.4 feet vs. 39 feet). The S5 Sportback’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the CT5 AWD’s (38.4 feet vs. 40.7 feet).

The S5 Sportback is 6.6 inches shorter than the CT5, making the S5 Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the S5 Sportback has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The CT5 doesn’t offer a power trunk, so its trunk has to be closed manually.

If the windows are left open on the S5 Sportback 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 CT5 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the S5 Sportback to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The CT5 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Laser headlights, standard on the S5 Sportback Prestige, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the CT5’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

The S5 Sportback has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the CT5. The S5 Sportback Prestige also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CT5.

The S5 Sportback 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 CT5.

The Audi S5 comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Cadillac CT5 isn’t available as a coupe or convertible.

The S5 Sportback will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the S5 Sportback will retain 54.47% to 55.05% of its original price after five years, while the CT5 only retains 49.33% to 50.43%.

The Audi A5/S5/RS 5 outsold the Cadillac CT5 by 15% during 2022.