Compare the2024 Toyota CrownVS 2024 Audi A5 Sportback

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Crown are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The A5 Sportback doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Crown Limited/Platinum has a standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The A5 Sportback doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Crown 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 and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the A5 Sportback’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Crown has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Parking Support Brake on the Limited/Platinum automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the A5 Sportback.

The Crown’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 A5 Sportback doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Crown and the A5 Sportback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Crown 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the A5 Sportback. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the A5 Sportback ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Crown for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the A5 Sportback.

There are over 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Crown’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 27 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota 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 Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Audi is ranked 6th.

The Crown’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 35 more horsepower (236 vs. 201) than the A5 Sportback 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Crown Platinum’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 79 more horsepower (340 vs. 261) and 127 lbs.-ft. more torque (400 vs. 273) than the A5 Sportback 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Crown gets better mileage than the A5 Sportback:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Crown higher (7 out of 10) than the Audi A5 Sportback (5). This means the Crown produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the A5 Sportback every 15,000 miles.

The Crown has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The A5 Sportback doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the Crown’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the A5 Sportback:

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Crown has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the A5 Sportback. The Crown’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the A5 Sportback.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Crown is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the A5 Sportback.

The Crown has 7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A5 Sportback (98 vs. 91).

The Crown has .5 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear legroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the A5 Sportback.

With its sedan body style, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the Crown offers cargo security. The A5 Sportback’s hatchback body style defeats cargo security.

The Crown’s optional easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The A5 Sportback doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

If the windows are left open on the Crown the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the A5 Sportback can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Crown has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the A5 Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige offers wireless charging.

The Crown Platinum’s Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The A5 Sportback Prestige’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Crown, based on reliability, safety and performance.