2024 Audi RS 5 Competition: Super Sportback Gets Personal

Get it while it's hot, 'cause the current Audi RS 5 won't be around for long. Next year will be the last for Ingodstadt's scorching "Sportback," with the A5 on the verge of a generation change. And now that we know both the A5 and sportier S5 will switch to hybrid power, it's a fair bet that today's RS 5 will be the final pure-combustion example. If you're at all a fan of fast Audis, this 444-hp thunderclap of a luxury compact marks the end of an era.

Since the original RS2 wagon of the early 1990s, Audi's high-performance RS cars have stressed ferocious on-road capability more than outright track usage, especially compared with the BMW M3. To wit, this B9-generation RS 5 will leave behind a legacy of immense over-the-road speed and unflappable composure.

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Our test car was a 2024 model with the Competition package, painted Nardo Gray and containing all of the improvements Audi made to the RS 5 for the 2023 version. The Competition bits ($10,300) primarily affect the suspension. A manually adjustable coilover suspension replaces the RS 5's standard setup (the Dynamic package brings adaptive capability), and the Competition also gets a unique front anti-roll bar. Competition wheels are ordinarily 20-inch Y-spokes shod in Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber, though our spring loan dates yielded a car with 19-inch multi-spoke wheels and Pirelli Sottozero winter tires. Other upgrades include fixed-ratio steering, a 180-mph top speed (exceeding the Dynamic package by six mph), reduced sound insulation to improve the "RS sport" exhaust noise, and unique styling for the exterior and interior. With the RS driver assistance package ($1500), Navigation package ($1450), and side assist safety package ($500) accounted for, this RS 5 Sportback totaled $93,745.

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Those paying close attention will note that nothing above indicates changes to the RS 5's powertrain. Indeed, the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6 and eight-speed automatic transmission have carried on practically unchanged since the B9-generation RS 5's arrival for the 2017 model year. Power and torque remain steady at 444 hp and 442 lb-ft. That's enough to bang off 0-60 sprints in 3.8 seconds, and from behind the wheel the experience feels even quicker. Mid-range torque is where this engine really excels, though there's good shove at the top of the rev range. (Interesting note: both the smaller RS 3 and larger RS 7 are quicker to 60, the former capable of a 3.6-second sprint and the latter 3.3 seconds with the latest Competition pack.)

Specs: 2024 Audi RS 5 Competition

• Price: $93,745 (as tested)
• Powertrain: 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6; eight-speed automatic
• Output: 444 hp @ 6700 rpm, 442 lb-ft @ 1900 rpm
• Layout: All-wheel-drive, five-seat sedan
• Weight: 4050 lbs (est.)
• EPA-rated fuel economy: 18/25/20 mpg (city/hwy/combined)
• 0-60 mph: 3.8 seconds
• Top speed: 155 mph (180 mph available at extra cost)

Still, the Audi shows its age against the latest BMW M3 Competition, which with all-wheel drive can claw to 60 in 3.4 seconds thanks mostly to its 523 hp. Then there's the Mercedes-AMG C63 S hybrid, which does the deed in 3.3 seconds with 671 hp and 752 lb-ft of torque.

Chris Stark

If you care more about driving than comparing stat sheets, the RS 5's engine offers more than enough thrust on public roads. There's only a whisper of turbo lag before the rush of torque arrives, and the aggressive shifts of the eight-speed add to the thrill. These upshifts can be somewhat rough, but downshifts on curvy roads-especially under braking-are both timely and crisp. Audi claims to have yanked out sound deadening around the engine bay and interior, but the V-6's voice isn't especially loud. It's not particularly satisfying from inside the car, either. At the very least, it's no substitute for the 4.2-liter V-8 in the prior-generation B8 RS 5-one of the all-time best German screamers for drivers and passersby alike.

Those paying even closer attention will note that the carbon-ceramic front brakes included with the Competition pack for 2023 are no longer offered. That means traditional cast iron brakes for 2024, which are more than sufficient on the street. The brake pedal lacks precise feel, but stopping power with the six-piston front and single-piston rear calipers rein the car in from triple-digit speeds without drama. The swap, which, according to Car and Driver, is a consequence of supply issues with the carbon-ceramics, also results in a meaningful price reduction of $5800. Pricing for the RS 5 with Competition is now within hundreds of dollars of the M3 Competition xDrive, rather than knocking on the door of $100,000.

Chris Stark

Past iterations of the RS 5 have come across as a bit sterile behind the wheel, or at least lacking in unique character to differentiate the experience from that of the mid-tier S5. The Competition pack addresses this shortcoming head-on; Audi's chassis updates here produce a more lively, more engaging driving experience. The most noticeable of these changes is the fixed-ratio (13.1:1) steering, which feels far more naturally weighted than the standard adaptive setup. Our test car was delivered on the adjustable coilovers' most aggressive setting, giving it a slammed appearance that was as enticing as it was foreboding for the ride quality. (The Competition suspension is already 0.4 inches lower than the standard RS 5's fixed setup, and with the supplied wrenches and a set of jack stands or a lift, owners can lower the ride height an additional 0.4 inches if they so choose.)

Chris Stark

On smooth roads, the chassis exhibits lovely balance and composure. There's a whiff of lean as you enter corners, helping you place the outside tire right where you want it before gradually adding throttle at the apex. Audi says that the Competition version's Quattro system pushes even more power to the rear, and that the rear sport differential has been "enhanced" to improve agility and driving enjoyment. It's tough to give specific feedback on those changes without a standard RS 5 against which to compare, but suffice to say that the RS 5 Competition version turns almost any road into your personal playground. It's possible to carry shocking speed through corners with hardly any understeer, and under moderate throttle, the rear of the car will subtly pivot to let you straighten the wheel sooner. Rougher roads with inconsistent pavement interrupt this fluid experience, producing a busy ride with a fair amount of head toss. Unpaved side roads, of which there are many in Michigan as you get away from cities, are an absolute no-go unless you enjoy violent wheel thunks, strained wincing, and repeated spinal compression. These issues may have been mitigated somewhat had the suspension arrived with a bit more height.

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The car sure looks good, though. The matte carbon and blackened exterior bits unique to the RS 5 lend this sleek Sportback a sinister vibe without looking excessive. Inside, the changes are even more restrained; suede-like Dinamica and Alcantara fabrics replace the standard leather, and are spiced up with red contrast stitching and a unique "runway" tachometer graphic for the all-digital instrument cluster. It's subtle but tasteful, and doesn't detract from Audi's typically minimalist cabin design and styling. The "Sportback," aka liftback body style, lends the RS 5 compelling practicality; the seats fold nearly flat, allowing for several large suitcases to fit, and the cargo area opening is generously wide. (In its ongoing campaign against two-doors, Audi has discontinued the RS 5 Coupe for 2025.)

Audi touts the car's 180-mph top speed in its press release. If you're intent on heading to a track in pursuit of testing that number, know that I found it more or less impossible to sit comfortably in the RS 5 while wearing a helmet. The beltline and cowl are fairly tall, requiring shorter drivers like me to sit higher up to maintain good outward visibility, leaving little room for even a mohawk. The middle seat in the rear row is also useless for anything other than a car seat or small child-a casualty of the high center tunnel to house Audi's longstanding mechanical all-wheel-drive hardware.

Chris Stark

Top speed and coiler suspension aside, this Competition pack should make Audi RS 5 buyers no more likely to visit a road course than they were before. Striped curbing and the like have always been more of the M3's territory, anyway. It is, however, loaded with a host of enticing chassis improvements that make a quick car on paper that much more engaging in real life. Audi's efforts to reward drivers with more engine sound, a more agile rear end, and a customizable suspension suggest an awareness of what high-performance car buyers most want in their vehicles-personality. Whether this is a last hurrah for driver engagement or a high bar that the next RS 5 will clear remains to be seen.

2024 Audi RS 5

Price: $79,995 / $97,745 (base / as-tested)

Highs: Torquey powertrain. Chassis combining Audi-typical composure with nimbleness approaching that of the RS 3. Competition package now has a price worth considering.

Lows: Busy ride on less-than-perfect roads. Engine noise may be improved, but it's still relatively tame. Outgunned in the horsepower department by key competitors.

Takeaway: The Competition package represents a fitting, driver-minded send-off for Audi's RS-flavored sport sedan.

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