Audi A4 vs A5 – which is best?

At least the German brand isn’t selling cars with made-up names like ‘40 TFSI’ and ‘30 TDI’ any more. But Audi has thought it’d be a good idea to change the name of the A4 to the A5, which is a little confusing.

The A4 and the A5 occupy the same position in the range; the new A5 simply replaces the A4. New vs old. Join us as we find out which is best. We’ll also compare the A4 with the previous-shape A5 Coupe further down the page.

Audi A4 vs A5 compared

Styling

The Audi A4 has seen a gentle evolution in styling over the last 15 years – a few nips and tucks, but broadly the same shape. The A4 is a saloon and that’s clear in its side profile – you can clearly make out the ‘three-box’ shape, with the bonnet, boot and passenger area all distinct zones. Its detailing is quite sharp and geometric, with top-spec cars gaining black trim, intricate headlights and diamond-cut alloy wheels.

Immediately, it’s clear that the Audi A5 has a sleeker look than the A4. It’s turned into a hatchback (both for aero efficiency and practicality) with a swooping ‘fastback’ rear end and a longer rear quarterlight window. This makes the car look longer and lower – while it is marginally longer than the A4, it’s actually taller despite looking sleeker.

The A5’s front end is characterised by a set of curvier headlights than the A4’s, plus a much wider grille. Again, this makes the look low and wide.

Interior

Although the A4’s touchscreen looks a bit like something that’s been tacked on by a previous owner, it works very well and is easy to get your head around. The home screen gives you your radio preferences, map and telephony at a quick glance, and there are shortcut keys on the driver’s side to get to the submenus.

The 10-inch touchscreen and 12-inch digital instrument cluster – both now standard features – are crisp and well laid out, and we really like the configurability of the instrument cluster. There are plenty of physical buttons and dials, so it’s simple to get in the A4 and know how most of the functions work without much thought.

First impressions of the new A5 are that the cabin is much more modern and swish than the A4’s. The touchscreen has swollen to 14.5 inches and now includes over-the-air updates, meaning you’re always getting the latest software. A third screen for the passenger is an optional extra, but little more than a novelty.

The bigger touchscreen means that there are far fewer buttons around the cabin, and it’s not as easy to adjust things while you’re driving as it is in the A4. There’s also a lot more glossy black plastic than in the A4, which looks nice in the showroom but can get scratched easily.

Dimensions and practicality

As you can see, the A5 is longer than its predecessor, and all the extra space is between the wheels – meaning that the passenger area is more spacious than before. The extra legroom is particularly noticeable, although the swept-back shape of the A5 does cut into headroom a little more than in the boxier A4.

We mentioned above that the A5 is now a hatchback. That makes it much easier to load bulky items than in the A4 – that car’s saloon bootlid limits the size and shape of what you can put in it. The boost in versatility means the slight decrease in overall boot size isn’t an issue.

Plug-in hybrid A5 models drop to 417 litres, which is a little disappointing. There’s also the A5 Avant estate, but it’s a similar story – the overall size is a little smaller than the A4 it replaces, and the plug-in hybrid offers less outright space than petrol and diesel models.

Engines

The Audi A4 offers a range of very conventional 2.0-litre turbo petrol and diesel engines with around 150hp and 200hp, plus high-performance S4 and RS4 range-toppers. The normal engines offer a good blend of performance and running costs, with the diesel engines ideal for high-mileage drivers. Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system is available on the more powerful engines, and will come in handy in rural areas or if you’re planning to tow a caravan.

In the A5, Audi has swapped the less powerful diesel engine for a new plug-in hybrid, which will appeal to company-car drivers but is likely to be too expensive for many private new-car buyers. It’s worth considering as a used car, though, because it offers an EV range of up to 68 miles on a full charge. 

The PHEV’s performance impresses, too, with a 0-62mph time of under six seconds and a combined output of 299hp. The petrol-powered S5, meanwhile, has 367hp and a 4.5-second acceleration time.

Value

Of course, you’ll find cheaper A4s than A5s because the A4 has been on sale for a few years and it’s widely available on the used market. But even when comparing an A4 and A5 that are both from 2024, the A4 is going to be a few thousand pounds cheaper as a cash purchase.

The difference between the two cars we compared was about £70 per month on PCP finance, which makes the case for the A5 stronger. You might not think it’s a huge difference to pay for the A5’s newer looks and tech, and its more spacious seats.

Audi A4 vs used Audi A5

Previous-shape A5s – available as a coupe, convertible and a five-door hatchback – are closely based on the A4, with the same engines and interior. The coupe and convertible are a bit cramped in the back seats, but that’s to be expected because these cars aren’t likely to be your first choice if you’re regularly using the second row. The A5 retains the A4’s long-distance cruising quality – it’s a coupe that aims to soothe rather than excite.

Which is best?

To summarise, the Audi A4 is still a fantastic choice, with an intuitive and premium interior, smart styling and a decent level of passenger and boot space. The Audi A5 is newer and more up-to-date, with a new plug-in hybrid option and slightly better value – especially if you’re buying on PCP finance. There isn’t much between the A4 and A5 in terms of running costs and performance.

Shop used Audi A4 and used Audi A5 cars for sale, or read our in-depth Audi reviews.