Audi A5, S5 or RS5 Which one to Choose?

Audi A5 Rundown

The Audi A5 was first introduced in 2007 and was a head turner from its beginnings. This Slick two door coupe, available in convertible as an option, was designed with the executive in mind. It’s been a while since Audi has released a compact executive coupe; it goes all the way back to the B3/B4 Audi 80 model which ended its production in 1996. Beside the TT coupe and the R8, Audi did not have a business class coupe model available for over 10 years.

Xotic Tech 4 Pieces Red Alloy Car Wheel Rim Center Cap Hub Rings Decoration Compatible…

  • One set car wheel hub centric decorative ring
  • Made with high quality chrome finish material
  • Diameter: Outer 2.79″ (71mm), Inner 2.48″ (63mm)

Wanting to impress the business executives, Audi paid particular attention to details when creating the A5 platform. The inspired design from their Nuvolari Quattro concept car, Audi A5 was launched simultaneously at the Genève and Melbourne international auto shows on March 6th 2007. Only two engine option where made available In the US for its debut year. The 3.2L FSI was the base version pushing 261HP/243ft-lbs while the V8 4.2L FSI which was available on the Audi S5 model and was developing a whopping 349HP/325ft-lbs. Personally, I don’t really like their choice of engines, but I am sure they had some valid reasons for selecting the ones they did. I would have preferred to see some turbocharged engines in their initial line-up.
Due to popular demand, in 2008 Audi added their very popular 2.0TFSI Quattro engine with 208hp/258ft-lbs. I think this was a great move from Audi to allow the A5 to be a little more affordable to a wider audience but in the same time pleasing the ones demanding the turbocharger experience. From those of you who follow the automotive industry you would be able to recognize that more and more car manufacturer have been slowly transitioning to the turbocharged engines to allow a better driving experience, a reduction in engine cc and an increase in fuel efficiency.


In 2009 Audi has added the V6 3.0T engine, to the popular platform after having a very successful experience with the S4 launch in 2008. You must understand that Audi is a little tricky with its marketing here, and I don’t necessarily agree with them. They advertise the 3.0L with a “T” which stand for Turbo, but the car does not have a turbo instead it has a supercharger. If you are a car enthusiast you know the difference between a supercharger and a turbo engine. The driving experience is just not the same.
I don’t fully understand the reason behind Audi’s little marketing tactics here but it may be a reason of popularity. Let me explain. The term “Supercharged” is not one that has been very popular compared to the Turbo one. Not many are familiar with that technology, thus making it much less appealing on a higher end vehicle where one is looking for proven iconic technology. Especially if you are an executive, you are looking for quality and long term reliability in exchange of the price you pay. To go around this little inconvenience, Audi has chosen to identify and mislead with a “T” marking thus reassuring the customers of the performance and reliability while exchanging the turbo for a supercharger. Very sneaky move and in the same time; brilliant marketing. I find it lack a little transparency but in the end, what matters it’s the customer experience and satisfaction.


The Audi 3.0T is a great engine to modify. With a simple flash install, also called a performance software flash or a performance chip you can benefit from an additional 55 to 80HP gains from its baseline of 333hp/324ft-lbs. Now wait! How about bringing your car all the way up to 450hp/385ft-lbs with very simple and minor modifications? If you change the supercharger pulley/belt and the performance software you will be able to get over 110HP out of your engine. Yes, you heard me right. Just make sure you have it done by a professional company who has a solid track record. You don’t want to mess around with low quality product that may damage your engine. Please check back with us a little later as we will be reviewing and recommending some products which we believe have been meticulously developed and pride themselves with quality.


In 2010 you where able to acquire the Audi RS5 equipped with the upgraded 4.2L FSI V8 Engine pushing a huge 450hp and 317ft-lbs to the crank. A performance software in this case would only yield you a few ponies and would not be your best investment. I would just keep it stock, it’s great the way it is, unless you are planning to turn it into a 1000hp beast with massive investment.
So if you are planning to get an Audi A5, whether it is an Audi A5 Coupe, an A5 Audi convertible, or the Sportback edition consider the following. If you just like the looks of the Audi A5 and don’t care much about performance then the 2.0T engine would satisfy you plenty. If you are on a tighter budget but would want higher performance out of your A5 then just get the 2.0T and install a chip on it to bring it up by about 50hp. You will be very happy with the results. If this is still not enough for you and are considering the RS5 which is a beautiful model just take the time to read the next paragraphs.
Ultimately, if you ask me and if you have the coins available, I would get the 3.0T Supercharged engine, S-line edition and throw in the pulley with the software. This will allow you to benefit from the power that the Audi RS5 has to offer while saving a ton of cash.

If you like the V8 sound then you may either get the RS5 or just get a good sounding set of exhausts for your 3.0T Supercharged that is already equipped with the pulley and the performance software. Trust me you will not be disappointed by your choice and you will love me forever for writing this article.
My optimal choice would be a 2015 or 2014 Audi A5 or a with the 3.0T Supercharged engine. From this baseline, I would install an aftermarket exhaust system and definitely install the pulley and chip to turn this sexy looking coupe into a total beast. Enjoy your ride!

JI Loncky Leather Gear Shift Knob Cover for 2013-2016 Audi A4 Audi A5 /2012-2015 A6…

  • Suitable Vehicle:For 2013 2014 2015 2016 Audi A4 / 2013 2014 2015 2016 Audi A5 / 2012 2013…
  • √ Material Feature:Top quality of cowhide(full grain leather) or Suede ,it turn out our…
  • √ An ideal replacement and upgrade to damaged or worn out original leather cover.Matches…
Scroll to Top