Photography by ©2018 Toni Avery

The last S5 I drove was on a road trip to Colorado for my birthday last year. The S5 Coupe provided plenty of room for all my stuff, was very comfortable for the 1000 + mile drive and offered all the tech you could want for a car under 60k base price.

This Audi is equipped with a 3.0 L TFSI turbocharged V6 engine producing 354 HP and 369 lb-ft of torque mated to a 7-speed S tronic transmission. Just like with the previous S5, the transmission’s lack of a quick response got in the way of the car truly performing. In Dynamic mode, the S5 performs much better than it does in its more commuting oriented modes. Shifts are a little more aggressive, which helps the car appear peppier and the sound that comes from each up shift is really cool with a brrraapp of the exhaust.

This go-around, the car was driven on more winding roads to test out the handling rather than its long-distance capabilities. The car stays planted and doesn’t lean into the corners. Thanks to its Quattro all-wheel drive the car doesn’t slide at all even during more spirited driving. Even when attempting to get it to slide with all electronic aids off it will just go right into a push.

The exterior of the S5 Sportback features Tango Red paint, 19″ 5-spoke-cavo-design wheels and the S sport package which includes red brake calipers. The S5 Sportback features two more doors than then Coupe and a baby RS7 rear end look.

Inside the S5 is a Rotor Grey interior with the Prestige package which includes Bang & Olufsen sound system and Head up display etc. This Sportback featured the same massaging seats as the Coupe and were really nice for my commute to Porsche. Apple Car Play worked pretty well in the Audi and made not having to figure out some of the technical nuances of the S5 much easier. The sound system was really nice and crisp, especially with music played through Apple Car Play.

2018 Audi S5 Sportback 3.0T quattro Tiptronic:

Base Price: $54,400

Options:

Tango Red Metallic, Prestige Package (Bang & Olufsen sound system with 

3D sound, Head up display full color, interior LED lighting plus

package, Top view camera system, Audi MMI Navigation plus with

MMI touch, Audi connect PRIME & PLUS – 6 month trial, Audi Virtual cockpit),

S Sport Package (red brake calipers, sport adaptive damping suspension,

sport rear differential), Driver Assistance Package (adaptive cruise control,

and Audi active and assist, high-beam assistant and traffic sign

recognition), Fine Nappa Leather Interior, Dynamic Steering, 19″ Wheel Package (19″

5-spoke-cavo-design wheels, 255/35 summer tires), Carbon Atlas Inlays,

Destination Charge: $975

Total Price: $68,350

Fuel Economy: 21 City, 30 Highway, 24 Combined 

 GirlsDriveFastToo gives the 2018 Audi S5 Sportback 3.0T quattro Tiptronic an overall rating of (out of 5 total):