Where the Audi A5 is heading with its latest generation
The 2025 Audi A5, starting at $49,700, marks the beginning of this mid-size sedan’s third generation. Since its initial 2008 production year, the A5 has attracted fans with a sport luxury design featuring a tech-focused interior, solid comfort, and competitive performance. For the 2025 version, Audi slightly increased the A5’s overall size, installed a more powerful engine, updated its infotainment technology, and more. Our look into the refreshed 2025 A5 will highlight its upsides and downsides so you can better judge its value against competitors like Mercedes-Benz’s C-Class, BMW’s 4 Series, and Acura’s TLX. Dive in below to get the full picture.
Subtle, but meaningful exterior design changes
Audi’s debut third-generation A5 is available in one body style: a four-door liftback, also called the Sportback. While some may desire more body styles, the 2025 A5’s curb appeal helps make up for this limitation. Audi updated this A5’s exterior dimensions by extending its wheelbase 2.6 inches, making it 0.6 inches wider and 2 inches taller than last year’s version. Additionally, the rear deck lid now opens with the rear window. This liftback design facilitates more effortless cargo loading and unloading, so drivers get the practicality of a hatchback without losing the sportiness of a coupe-like profile. Competitors like Mercedes-Benz’s C-Class offer multiple body styles, but you won’t find a liftback design.
The peak Prestige A5 trim has eight customizable digital LED daytime running light signatures and new customizable digital OLED taillights in a strip configuration. Audi has made the 2025 A5’s front grille flatter, but increased the size of the base air curtains for improved aerodynamics. The headlights are also slimmer, and the door handles are now flush for a more modern look.
Interior updates improving form and function
Wider, longer, and taller dimensions help the Audi A5 offer greater cargo volume and interior space. Along with a competitive 21.8 cu ft cargo capacity, the 2025 A5 features an extra inch of rear seat legroom and an additional 1.6 inches of front shoulder room. Cargo capacities from competitors such as the 2025 BMW 4 Series and 2025 Acura TLX fall short of the 2025 A5 at 16.6 cu ft and 13.5 cu ft, respectively. One of the interior’s most significant new available features is its panoramic glass roof with electrochromic 6-segment technology for shade level adjustment. Opting for the warm weather package gives you ventilated front seats and manual rear slide window sunshades available in three colors. You can also select an optional dynamic interaction light—an LED strip running across the top of the dashboard, providing visual cues that reflect functions such as locking/unlocking doors and turn signal operation.
Competitive power, decent fuel efficiency
The 2025 A5 offers a single powertrain, but it’s an upgrade from last year’s 40 TFSI engine with 201 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque, and 45 TFSI with 261 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. Drivers now get a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that’s good for 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. By comparison, standard horsepower and torque levels from competitors are 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque for the 2025 BMW 4 Series, and 272 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque for the Acura TLX. Regarding efficiency, fuel economy for the 2025 A5 ranges from 22-26 mpg in the city and 31-36 mpg on the highway. For comparison, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz C300 delivers 24-25/33-35 mpg city/highway, the 2025 BMW 4 Series offers 24-28/33-36 mpg city/highway, and the 2025 TLX gets 21-22/29-31 mpg city/highway.
A new technology presentation that may prove divisive
Audi has updated the A5’s infotainment display, replacing the previous setup with a large, curved glass panel featuring an 11.9-inch instrument panel display and a 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen. There’s also an available 10.9-inch rectangular display for the front passenger. While this infotainment setup feels modern, the number of screens and their sizes can feel overwhelming. Those looking for an infotainment presentation that’s more contained may favor a 2025 Mercedes-Benz C-Class or a 2025 Acura TLX. The 2025 BMW 4 Series’s interior feels less screen-heavy than the 2025 A5, but only slightly. On the safety front, the Audi A5 hasn’t received an award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave it a five-star overall rating.
Final thoughts
Overall, I would say the 2025 Audi A5 is worth its $49,000 starting price. This luxury mid-size sedan boasts significant strengths inside and out, with additions like a more aerodynamic exterior, more interior room, and increased engine power. While I lean toward an interior that balances touch controls with tactile ones, this Audi’s preference for screens isn’t a big enough weakness to overshadow its upsides. The 2025 A5 holds its own against key competitors in just about every category, while boasting practicality in areas like rear cargo capacity that’s complemented by a liftback design.
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the Car Buying section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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