Compare the2024 Volkswagen ArteonVS 2024 Audi A5 Sportback

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Arteon has standard Maneuver Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The A5 Sportback doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Arteon 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 Arteon has standard rear cross-path warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the A5 Sportback.

Both the Arteon 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 seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, 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.

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 Arteon its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The A5 Sportback is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Arteon for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, 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 2 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Arteon’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 15 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Audi.

The Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 99 more horsepower (300 vs. 201) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 236) than the A5 Sportback 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 39 more horsepower (300 vs. 261) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 273) than the A5 Sportback 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

The Arteon has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the A5 Sportback (17.4 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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

The Arteon’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the A5 Sportback’s standard 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Arteon has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the A5 Sportback. The A5 Sportback’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Arteon SEL Premium has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the A5 Sportback; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Arteon a Large car, while the A5 Sportback is rated a Mid-size.

The Arteon has 5.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A5 Sportback (96.5 vs. 91).

The Arteon has .2 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 5.1 inches more rear legroom and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the A5 Sportback.

The Arteon has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the A5 Sportback with its rear seat up (27.2 vs. 21.8 cubic feet). The Arteon has a much larger trunk with its rear seat folded than the A5 Sportback with its rear seat folded (56.2 vs. 35 cubic feet).

The Arteon has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The A5 Sportback has no towing capacity.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Arteon has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The A5 Sportback doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Arteon also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Arteon SEL Premium has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the A5 Sportback.

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

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volkswagen Arteon, based on reliability, safety and performance.