Compare the2024 Volvo V60VS 2024 Audi S5 Sportback

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The V60 has standard CTA Auto Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The V60 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 S5 Sportback’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the V60 has standard Cross Traffic Alert and Braking Intervention automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the S5 Sportback.

The V60’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 S5 Sportback doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the V60 and the S5 Sportback 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, 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 and rearview cameras.

The Volvo V60 weighs 571 pounds more than the Audi S5 Sportback. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the V60 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The S5 Sportback is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the V60 for 4 years and 40,000 miles. Volvo 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 S5 Sportback.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the V60 has a standard 210-amp alternator. The S5 Sportback’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the V60 has a standard 800-amp battery. The S5 Sportback’s 420-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The V60’s 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 106 more horsepower (455 vs. 349) and 154 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 369) than the S5 Sportback’s 3.0 turbo V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volvo V60 is faster than the Audi S5 Sportback:

On the EPA test cycle the V60 T8 Polestar Engineered Extended Range running on electricity gets better mileage than the S5 Sportback (74 city/73 hwy MPGe vs. 20 city/29 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the V60 T8 Polestar running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the S5 Sportback (30 city/33 hwy vs. 20 city/29 hwy).

The V60 T8 Polestar Engineered Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 41 miles. The S5 Sportback can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The V60 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volvo V60 higher (7 out of 10) than the Audi S5 Sportback (5). This means the V60 produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the S5 Sportback every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the V60’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the S5 Sportback:

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the V60’s wheelbase is 1.9 inches longer than on the S5 Sportback (113.1 inches vs. 111.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the V60 is .5 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than on the S5 Sportback.

For better maneuverability, the V60’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the S5 Sportback’s (37.1 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The V60 has 3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the S5 Sportback (94 vs. 91).

The V60 has 1 inch more front legroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom and .1 inches more rear legroom than the S5 Sportback.

The V60 has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The S5 Sportback has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the V60 uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the S5 Sportback, the V60 has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the V60 has a standard rear wiper. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The V60 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The S5 Sportback doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The S5 Sportback’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The V60’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.