Compare the2024 Audi S5 SportbackVS 2024 Lexus IS

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the S5 Sportback and IS 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 IS’ 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 S5 Sportback’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The IS doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S5 Sportback. But it costs extra on the IS.

Both the S5 Sportback and the IS 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, 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, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

Warranty

The S5 Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the IS’ (12 vs. 6 years).

There are over 25 percent more Audi dealers than there are Lexus dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the S5 Sportback’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the S5 Sportback’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the IS’ camshafts. If the IS’ belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

Engine

The S5 Sportback’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 108 more horsepower (349 vs. 241) and 111 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 258) than the IS 300’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The S5 Sportback’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 89 more horsepower (349 vs. 260) and 133 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 236) than the IS 300 AWD’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6. The S5 Sportback’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 38 more horsepower (349 vs. 311) and 89 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 280) than the IS 350 F Sport’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi S5 Sportback is faster than the Lexus IS:

	S5 Sportback	IS 300 AWD	IS 350 F Sport
Zero to 60 MPH	4.5 sec	5.7 sec	5.7 sec
Quarter Mile	13.1 sec	14.3 sec	14.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	106 MPH	97.6 MPH	100.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
S5 Sportback
	AWD	3.0 turbo V6	20 city/29 hwy
IS
	RWD	5.0 V8	17 city/25 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
	AWD	350 F Sport 3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		300 AWD 3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the S5 Sportback’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The IS 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 IS doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi S5 Sportback uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The IS requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	S5 Sportback	IS
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.1 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.7 inches

The S5 Sportback stops much shorter than the IS:

	S5 Sportback	IS
70 to 0 MPH	158 feet	159 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	105 feet	117 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

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

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 IS 300’s standard 45 series tires. The S5 Sportback’s optional tires have a lower 30 series profile than the IS F Sport’s 40 series front and 35 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S5 Sportback has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the IS 300. The S5 Sportback’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the IS F Sport.

Suspension and Handling

The S5 Sportback has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The IS base model’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The S5 Sportback Prestige handles at .95 G’s, while the IS 500 Performance pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The S5 Sportback Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the IS 300 AWD (25 seconds @ .76 average G’s vs. 25.9 seconds @ .7 average G’s).

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the S5 Sportback a Mid-size car, while the IS is rated a Compact.

The S5 Sportback has .1 inches more rear headroom, 2.9 inches more rear legroom and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the IS.

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 IS doesn’t offer a power trunk.

Ergonomics

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 IS doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the S5 Sportback and the IS 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 IS prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 IS’ standard 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 IS 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 IS’ 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 IS doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The S5 Sportback has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the IS. 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 IS.

The S5 Sportback has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the IS.

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 IS.

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 IS 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 IS doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

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

Recommendations

The Audi A5/S5/RS 5 outsold the Lexus IS by 6% during 2023.