Spot on review Kirk. Having owned both Type S and now S5 you made a lot of great points. You can easily pull low 4's but you need to engage the launch control. It will slam you into the seat. This is a great daily driver and turns really sporty with a couple of setting changes. Also agree with you on the physical controls. It's so nice not to have to dig into the screen all the time. Lastly, Acura reliability comments are hilarious. Honda/Acura reliability has gone to sh*t for some years now yet people still praise them. Many are tuning S5's and getting apsolutely insane amount of pwer. Sorry, but Acura's drivetrain will not handle the power with their 10 speed and SHAWD. Goahead get the Type S and tune it and see how long it will last. S5 pulls low 4s and 12.3 quarter mile bone stock. You will already need a lot of upgrades on Type S just to keep up with stock S5. Also the interior quality is on a next level same goes for the technology....

YES if it's a SPORTBACK 100%

I've owned a 2021 Audi S5 Sportback in Turbo Blue! Great car, but it has it's own pluses and minuses. I also driven the new TLX Type-S, and in normal and spirited driving, I didn't notice any major difference in terms of performance, without specifically measuring them with a RaceBox. The S5 is faster from a launch start, but from idle they are the same. Now as far as the S5, there are some vital details. As far as the positives, it looks cool, has a nice scent inside, great ride (way better than the RS5 ride), sounds good, and is practical. It has secure handling, although slightly floaty and disconnected at much higher speeds, and a good AWD system. As far as the negatives. The seats here are somewhat tight and cramped, and tiring to drive in past 2 hours. It's also quite small on the inside, especially headroom wise. The paint is very gentle and gets chipped quickly. The inside black gloss trim scratches easily. The infotainment lacks physical dials, and you can't connect two different phones simultaneously, like an Android and iPhone at the same time like in BMW - and use one for CarPlay and the other for Bluetooth music. The 360 camera quality is not the best, and the angles look awkward on the sides. Very distorted. There is no 3D view like in the A6. The self parking in the Prestige is also far less advanced than BMW as well. The Bang and Olufsen audio system sounds OK at best, and doesn't feel any different from the audio in the base Premium trim. To get all the good features you have to go to the Prestige trim. In terms of driving, the gas pedal is not floor mounted like BMW and Mercedes. You get VW pedals. There is a noticeable off the line lag when accelerating from a stop. The intercooler in the S5 is the one from the A5, so after a couple of fast accelerations, you will start seeing heat soak. One of the first upgrades to do is to get a Wagner intercooler. At higher speeds on curvy highways, you will feel some understeer. The steering wheel could be more thick and sporty. Everything inside just seems flat (hood, dashboard). Audi also doesn't include 3 year free maintenance like BMW and Volvo. AudiCare is a must, since Audi services charge a hefty amount for regular service. If you get the black optics package, you may be faced with having to replace tires and rims due to such a low profile if you ever hit a pothole, so get the tire and rim protection package. In the winter when the weather is cold, park the car inside if you can. Frameless doors may stick, and you can break the glass when trying to open the door. P.S - As far as the acceleration, it's not 4.3 seconds just off idle. You're doing it in 5.5-5.7 seconds at minimum. Only way to get to these numbers is to have decent conditions, and use launch control. In summary, if you are buying an S5. Get the tire and rim protection package, AudiCare, PPF wrap, interior film wrap for the gloss trim, and a Wagner Intercooler. I would highly suggest taking a look at the new BMW M440i Gran Coupe and Volvo S60 T8 Recharge. Hope this helps any future buyers who are looking!

You can tell the folks who never purchased a Audi saying its so expensive to fix, not if you get Audi care and they share parts with VW making it cheaper than mercedes and bmw. I love the TLX and Integra but the RS5 is way faster has more presence and the quattro system is special, most cars cant beat it from -0-60

Hey Kirk, I love the Raiti's Rides inspired title, man 👌

Can you put the map on the instrument cluster? I know, it's probably redundant with a head-up display, but I still like that feature.

I just got mine a week ago. Loving it. Mythos Black with black trim. However I am finding it all too black and planning to change the Audi emblem to chrome in the grill and back. As well as the S5 logos and side wings. It would be different if I were in my 30s or 40s, but I'm 60 years old. It just seems to aggressive to me. Thoughts?

I would take the Audi S5 and i own the 21 Type S right now lol. The Audi just offers more for similar pricing

Get the BMW if you want more sport and more speed. Get the Lexus IS350 if you want reliability. You highlighted all the reasons why I'm about to by an S5 Sportback. It is just a great all-around sport sedan. Ventilated seats are an option, but they are hard to find because you lose the fancy diamond-stitched, massaging sport seats. It is overdue for an update, but I'm afraid the nice buttons and knobs will go away when that happens. The TLX ended up at the bottom of my list due to the lack of touch screen and the awful push button gear selector. The TLX looks sharp though.

I prefer the TLX or CT5-V before this. This Audi is ok, but everything seems bland including the design. I would still pick this Audi over its German rivals though.

still very nice for a 7-8 year old model.

Are there ambient lights on the inside ?

I would lease the Audi. Drive the piss out of it for two years and give it back. I would consider purchasing a TLX type S and taking care of it.

Very much like exterior design, a junior A7/S7 ... IMO, the red exterior color does not look good, possibly the light effects when filmed ...

How do you like this compared to the CT5-V (not blackwing)? I'm very interested in the 2025 model Cady with the big curved display. It should have been announced by now, but I guess last year's strike delayed it. Oh, and if only the CT5 was a liftback 😞 Also, kind of a miss with no brake hold (for me, with my disability, brake hold is a must-have - thanks for calling that out!)

Best family performance car next to the Golf R and M340.. I like the size more than the BMW, GOLF R obviously for hatch purposes and performance out the box

Great review.

Frameless windows tend to leak air as the seals age.

TLX Type S will never be better than S5 in terms of handling.

I cross shopped these exact 2 vehicles. I went with a 2024 TLX Type S. Both are compelling choices but the Audi is moments away from a re-design and Audis as a brand are a bit generic looking across the lineup.

This is actually my dream car. Only thing I'd say is the high tunnel in back makes it hard to seat someone in the middle and I think the steering wheel looks a little dated. I rather seeing the infotainment screen integrated to the dash rather than sticking up. Hypocritical saying that while I own a Civic and it looks exactly the same but my Civic is an econocruiser. That leads me to my other gripe, my car has auto brake hold, this doesn't. That's unacceptable at this price point, but fix those things and this car is flawless to me.

With the slight exception of the curvier side line, the rear/side view looks like Honda flat out stole the Accord’s design from Audi S5.

Beautiful car, keep up the great vids kirk!

I'll take anything Audi but would definitely prefer an A3 Premium with black out option.

definitely taking the S5 over the TLX

Audi always has the best interior and exterior!!

Less than 7 inch ground clearance = unbuyable with road quality etc

Fool me once, VW, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Actually, I’ve had reliability issues with both VW (major) and Honda (multiple vehicles). Toyota has never let me down.

Should’ve blurred out the feet in the ground projection pick. 3:37

Design is amazing. Reliability, can't touch the Acura

Yes.

the Japanese vs German comparison is a joke. The S5 is one of the most gorgeous cars out there. My wife has the 2024 in "district green." BMW calls it San Remo Green and Lexus has it for the SC500, but i forget what they call it. To my eyes all three are the same exact paint, lol. Audi is giving these cars away rignt now, because they start shipping the 2025's next month. I greatly prefer the 2024, better dimensions inside and out, better ergonomics, and no crazy expensive electric battery and motor in the boot, robbing cargo space. Oh, i got 9K off sticker last week.

Some horrible reliability issues. Like having a colicky baby, you love them, in spite of all the annoyances that come with both.

You can't compare this to Acura lol. To Lexus yes. The S5 is the real deal. I smoked a type s last week with my b8 s4😂 It's a joke to compare these cars

IS500 > S5

Audi outperforms...Acura outlast.... You choose

The title should be BETTER than the BMW M440i. Lets be honest...TLX Type S is not in the same league. As usual loved the video.

Love the Audi, haven't cared about Acura in a long time.

These are very tunable. They can make lots of power.

😮not worth $73k go with BMW ///M and u can still get manual 😄

3:35 🦶

For a daily driver I’d prefer the M340i or M440i xDrive - better engine, better tech, better MPG, and better acceleration numbers. Also 3 years of complementary maintenance.. no reason to get the M3/M4/RS5 unless you track it. M340i xDrive or X3 M40i as a daily driver with a 718 GTS as a secondary car

Acura is light years ahead of Audi in reliability terms....and you don't want to pay for audi repairs for sure!

easy

The new Camry is better than this S5

WHY? This will be dead long before the ACURA.

Acura all day long.

Lovely but this thing is older than dirt

Nice

Audi's have the worst storage in the game

What a POS for 73k yikes!

S5.. this isn’t even close. I know you youtubers like comparing germans to acura but no one really does. Like 8 people. 😘

Audi fell off And Honda and Acura is coming back…

who needs 400 hp? to what, sit in traffic and burn unleaded premium at $3.75? Seriously? imagine dropping 75 large on this endless money pit , after warranty is up, etc. Insurance costs will be off the rails! And people will do it with a loan!! End up paying close to 100 large for transporation from A to B. Insane waste of wealth that could be better used in numerous ways. I'm speaking from a plebian guy with Toyota tastes. If you have 100 large burning a hole in your pocket, I still wouldn't get this. What i want to know is what is the true cost of these junk boxes? what does it cost Audi to build one? + research and dev necessary. interested in what the profit margin is. I notice very few old Audi's on the road as they are mechanically totalled after 60k-100k or less. losing 30-50% in depreciation in 3-5 yrs!!. No ROI on impressing the Jones. Might as well give them the money, they would be a whole lot more impressed!