Compare the2024 Audi RS 5 SportbackVS 2023 Mercedes AMG E-Class Sedan

Both the RS 5 Sportback and AMG E-Class Sedan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The RS 5 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 AMG E-Class Sedan’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 RS 5 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 AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The RS 5 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 AMG E-Class Sedan 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 RS 5 Sportback’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The RS 5 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 AMG E-Class Sedan.

Both the RS 5 Sportback and the AMG E-Class Sedan 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, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi RS 5 Sportback is safer than the Mercedes AMG E-Class Sedan:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The RS 5 Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the AMG E-Class Sedan’s (12 vs. 5 years).

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 10 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The RS 5 Sportback’s 2.9 turbo V6 produces 15 more horsepower (444 vs. 429) and 58 lbs.-ft. more torque (442 vs. 384) than the AMG E 53’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the RS 5 Sportback gets better fuel mileage than the AMG E 63 S 4.0 turbo V8 Hybrid (18 city/25 hwy vs. 16 city/24 hwy).

For better stopping power the RS 5 Sportback’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the AMG E-Class Sedan:

For better traction, the RS 5 Sportback has larger standard tires than the AMG E-Class Sedan (265/35R19 vs. 245/35R20). The RS 5 Sportback’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the AMG E-Class Sedan (275/30R20 vs. 265/35R20).

The RS 5 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 AMG E 53’s standard 40 series front tires. The RS 5 Sportback’s optional tires have a lower 30 series profile than the AMG E 53’s optional 35 series front tires.

The RS 5 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 AMG E-Class Sedan; it requires you to depend on its 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. Some tire options on the AMG E-Class Sedan don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

For better maneuverability, the RS 5 Sportback’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the AMG E-Class Sedan’s (38.7 feet vs. 41 feet).

The Audi RS 5 Sportback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 550 pounds less than the Mercedes AMG E-Class Sedan.

The RS 5 Sportback is 6.9 inches shorter than the AMG E 53, making the RS 5 Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Mercedes. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 16% lower rating, Mercedes is ranked 18th.

Laser headlights, standard on the RS 5 Sportback, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the AMG E-Class Sedan’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RS 5 Sportback has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the RS 5 Sportback has standard extendable sun visors. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Audi A5/S5/RS 5 outsold the Mercedes E-Class/CLS by 39% during 2023.