We drove a $98,000 Audi RS-5 Sportback to find out if this high-tech speed demon is as good as advertised. Here's the verdict.

Matthew DeBord

May 22, 2019 2:38 PM

Matthew DeBord/BI

Behold, the glorious 2019 Audi RS 5 Sportback, in a show-stopping "Sonoma Green Metallic" paint job. Before many thousands of dollars in options, the car costs $74,200. As tested, it was $97,815.

I tested a $98,000 Audi RS 5 Sportback sedan, a car that combines stunning performance with four-door versatility.
The RS 5 now has a twin-turbo V6 in place of the old RS 5's V8, but the new motor makes just five fewer horsepower than the old engine.
The RS 5 Sportback is also jammed with tech.
The Audi RS 5 Sportback, as tested, wasn't cheap but it was stunning.
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When it comes to high-performance, luxury sedans, we're spoiled. BMW's M-Sport cars are fantastic, as are Mercedes' AMG machines. To complete the German triad, we have Audi's RS lineup.

These days, owning a car that can serve up blistering speed and breathtaking handling while also being capable of making weekend runs to the grocery store is something of a given. The compromises of old are long gone. You can have a sports car that, for many practical purposes, is a family sedan. That Jekyll-and-Hyde vibe has been perfected.

True, if you want utterly proper performance, a snug-two door should be more your thing. But sometimes you just want a decent trunk and a back seat. And now you can have the best of both worlds. (You can also choose the RS 5 Coup, if four doors horrify you in any way.)

We first saw the RS 5 Sportback at the 2018 New York auto show. I was personally psyched to take it for a spin, given that the more the US auto market moves away from sedans, the more I like the darn things. About a year later, I got my wish, when Audi flipped us the keys for a few days in the New York/New Jersey area.

Here's what I thought:

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