2021 Audi RS5 Sportback review: Where’s the drama?

The 2021 Audi RS5 Sportback has 444 horsepower, 442 pound-toes of torque and will hit 60 mph in significantly less than four seconds. It has Quattro all-wheel travel with a torque-vectoring rear differential, ceramic entrance brakes, adaptive dampers and a sport exhaust. Toss in a ton of tech, cozy accommodations and a liftback shape that’s each fashionable and purposeful, and the RS5 positions by itself as 1 hell of a go-speedy all-rounder. So why will not I want 1?

This car’s most important difficulty is that it desperately lacks drama. It really is not sufficient for the RS5 Sportback to just be speedy, speedy or agile. It demands to be visceral. It demands to be exciting. It demands to make you chuckle. You must want to travel it more difficult and more difficult, again and again. Audi unquestionably nails this unquantifiable emotion with vehicles like the R8, RS6 Avant and even the electrical RS E-Tron GT. The RS5, by comparison, is variety of sterile.

The 2.nine-liter twin-turbo V6 has a lot of shove, but it’s way too tranquil — ditto the RS Sport Exhaust. The 8-velocity automated transmission shifts immediately and seamlessly, but the smaller, steering wheel-mounted paddles provide no experiential attract. At the very least the RS5 is much more gasoline-productive than other sporty compact luxury vehicles, returning 18 mpg metropolis, 25 mpg highway and 21 mpg mixed. Usually I’d say excellent luck hitting individuals numbers provided the RS5’s functionality stats, but due to the fact this vehicle truly won’t eke you into driving it hard, individuals EPA numbers are rather spot-on.

To its credit, the RS5’s adaptive dampers make it truly snug to travel all around city, and it’s going to gobble up hundreds of miles on the highway. But when you simply call up Dynamic method and level the RS5 up a mountain highway, it’s like you might be forcing it to do something it’s not up for. There’s pronounced entire body roll in speedy corners and audible protesting from the 275/30R20 Pirelli P Zero tires. You would feel Audi’s sport steering possibility would aid liven issues up, but it’s way too light and way too numb, regardless of travel method. The ceramic brakes are a lot powerful, but the inconsistent pedal truly feel hampers self-assurance. Definitely, the RS5 is happiest when you might be rocking a reasonable speed, which sort of defeats the goal. The BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 might not be as nicely-rounded, but holy smokes are they much more entertaining. And just isn’t that what manufactured you want to invest in 1 of these in the initial location?

All the aforementioned functionality kit can be equipped to any RS5, but it will come common with my examination car’s constrained-run Ascari Start Version pack. Only a hundred RS5 Sportbacks and 25 RS5 Coupes will be optioned like this, painted in the correctly named Ascari blue, which is a hue so lovely it practically makes up for some of this car’s shortcomings. Paired with matte aluminum trim, this RS5 seems incredibly hot as heck, and individuals 20-inch wheels truly fill out the wheel arches for a good stance. The exclusive-edition trimline also will come with a 360-degree digital camera program, head-up show, adaptive cruise control, lane-preserving help, navigation and a bunch of other goodies. Then again, thinking about the Ascari Start Version is a $20,500 possibility, it experienced freaking greater be totally loaded.

The RS5 receives the same updates as Audi’s other 2021 A5/S5 versions. You may see the redesigned headlights, broader grille and larger exhaust pipes, and inside, Audi’s updated MIB 3 infotainment interface is shown on a ten.one-inch touchscreen. This tech is good — colourful, responsive and simple to get the job done by means of, with Google Earth map imagery and a common Wi-Fi connection. You can use Apple CarPlay wirelessly or hook up Android Automobile with a USB cable. Blended with Audi’s often-magnificent Digital Cockpit electronic gauge cluster, the RS5’s tech recreation are not able to be beat.

Yet another massive earn, the RS5’s Sportback shape provides a heap of performance. The complete rear hatch opens to reveal 21.eight cubic toes of cargo house at the rear of the rear seats, which is much more than double what you get in an RS5 Coupe. You can fold the back again bench down to have longer products, way too, making this 1 of the most purposeful cars all around that won’t get slapped with an SUV or crossover designation.

All issues thought of, the RS5 Sportback would make a good each day driver. But $seventy six,445 (which include $one,045 for location) is a complete large amount of money, and if I am shelling out for an RS-badged Audi, I want it to make me truly feel all the feelings. Oh, and this Ascari Start Version rings up at $96,945, which would normally make some modicum of perception provided its constrained-run status, but not when the RS5 is so inherently meh.

Other than, if it’s tranquil competence you might be after, why not just get an S5 Sportback? It really is every single bit as deluxe and purposeful, and you can get a generously geared up 1 for all around $65K. The RS5 might have an excess 95 hp, but it just just isn’t well worth the additional value. Remember, specs will not often inform the complete story.