Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: £24,660 to £39,825
Quality and solidity, sumptuous cabin, big boot, gutsy 3.0 TDI engine, effective Multitronic transmission.
Feels nose heavy despite new chassis design, unresolved styling, poor rear-seat room.
Lacks a clear personality. Competent in many ways but could have been so much better. The 3.0 TDI Quattro is the best version.
These are all economical engines for their size and power, thanks to direct injection in the petrol units. The 3.2 FSI Multitronic's official mpg figures (32.4mpg combined) are actually better than the manual's, because all those ratios can make the engine operate more often at its most efficient speed. The S5 manages a less impressive 22.7mpg, the 3.0 TDI Quattro an admirable 39.2. Carbon dioxide outputs and thus taxation are reasonable for a car this powerful, with the diesels obviously doing better (the S5's no cost-effective company car, and it's Group 19 insurance, as well).
