2025 Audi RS 5

If the Audi A5 lineup was a range of hot sauces, the A5 Sportback would be mild, the S5 would be medium, and the RS 5 would be extra-spicy. The 2025 Audi RS 5 is a high-performance variant of the A5 that's now offered exclusively as a liftback — a four-door sedan with a sloping hatchback. Under the hood is a twin-turbocharged V6 delivering 444 horsepower to all four wheels via a performance-tuned Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The RS 5 also comes with a host of standard go-fast goodies, including an RS sport suspension, torque-vectoring rear differential and summer performance tires. If you need even more performance capability, you can upgrade your RS 5 with the formidable Competition package.

The BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe is the RS 5 Sportback's primary competitor. Both are performance sedans equipped with rear liftgates. Because it's not a full-bore M4, the M440i makes less power and torque than the RS 5, though it still packs a punch. Other potent four-door options worth looking at include the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance and Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.

The most significant change from last year's model is the discontinuation of the coupe body style. The RS 5 coupe is the latest casualty to hit the shrinking two-door luxury performance car segment, which also recently lost the V8-powered Mercedes-AMG C 63 coupe, Audi TT and Jaguar F-Type. A redesigned A5 is expected to debut for 2026, so you can bet an all-new RS 5 isn't far behind. It's unclear, though, if we'll see a coupe variant return for the next generation.