Compare the2024 Audi S5 SportbackVS 2023 Subaru WRX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability

Safety

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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 WRX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the S5 Sportback and WRX 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 WRX’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 Audi S5 Sportback 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 WRX doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 WRX 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.

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

The S5 Sportback’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 WRX.

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

Both the S5 Sportback and WRX 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 WRX’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the S5 Sportback and the WRX 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 and available blind spot warning systems.

Warranty

The S5 Sportback comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The WRX’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The S5 Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the WRX’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 1 place higher in reliability than Subaru.

Engine

The S5 Sportback’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 78 more horsepower (349 vs. 271) and 111 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 258) than the WRX’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi S5 Sportback is faster than the Subaru WRX (automatics tested):

	S5 Sportback	WRX
Zero to 60 MPH	4.3 sec	5.4 sec
Quarter Mile	12.9 sec	14.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	108 MPH	101 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
S5 Sportback
	Auto	3.0 turbo V6	20 city/29 hwy
WRX
	Manual	2.4 turbo flat-4	19 city/26 hwy
	Auto	2.4 turbo flat-4	19 city/25 hwy

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

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the S5 Sportback’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The WRX doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

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

Transmission

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	S5 Sportback	WRX
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.4 inches
Opt Rear Rotors		11.8 inches

The S5 Sportback stops shorter than the WRX:

	S5 Sportback	WRX
60 to 0 MPH	105 feet	112 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the S5 Sportback has larger standard tires than the WRX (255/35R19 vs. 235/45R17). The S5 Sportback’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the WRX (265/30R20 vs. 245/40R18).

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 WRX’s standard 45 series tires. The S5 Sportback’s optional tires have a lower 30 series profile than the WRX’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S5 Sportback has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the WRX. The S5 Sportback’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the WRX.

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 WRX; 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 Sportback’s wheelbase is 6.1 inches longer than on the WRX (111.2 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the S5 Sportback is 1.1 inches wider in the front than the average track on the WRX.

The S5 Sportback’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the WRX’s (59.9% to 40.1%). This gives the S5 Sportback more stable handling and braking.

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the S5 Sportback Prestige is quieter than the WRX Limited:

	S5 Sportback	WRX
At idle	40 dB	49 dB
Full-Throttle	79 dB	79 dB
70 MPH Cruising	70 dB	71 dB

Cargo Capacity

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 WRX doesn’t offer a power trunk.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Subaru. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 13% lower rating, Subaru is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the S5 Sportback, the optional memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle and climate settings. The WRX doesn’t offer a memory system.

The S5 Sportback 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 WRX doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The S5 Sportback’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The WRX has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The power windows standard on both the S5 Sportback and the WRX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the S5 Sportback is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The WRX prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

The S5 Sportback’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The WRX’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 WRX can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The S5 Sportback’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The WRX’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 WRX 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 WRX’s 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 Sportback has standard extendable sun visors. The WRX doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The S5 Sportback’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the WRX Premium/Limited/GT.

When the S5 Sportback is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The WRX’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The S5 Sportback has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the WRX Premium/Limited/GT. 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 WRX.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the S5 Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The WRX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the S5 Sportback’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The WRX doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

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

The S5 Sportback has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the WRX Premium/Limited/GT.

Both the S5 Sportback and the WRX offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the S5 Sportback has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The WRX doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

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 WRX doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The S5 Sportback 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 WRX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

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

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