Alfa Romeo 4C vs Audi RS5
What's the difference?

Alfa Romeo 4C

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2019 price

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Audi RS5

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2021 price

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Aston Martin Vanquish

Lamborghini Aventador

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz C43

Mercedes-Benz C63

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Summary

2019 Alfa Romeo 4C

2021 Audi RS5

By Matt Campbell

By Andrew Chesterton

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 1.7L

Twin Turbo V6, 2.9L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

6.9L/100km (combined)

9.4L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Startling performance
Superbly in tune with the road
Addictive to drive

Potent engine
Supermodel looks
Premium and polished interior

Dislikes

Expensive
Lacking gear
Rich servicing costs

Tight rear seat in Coupe
Gearbox can feel fidgety at speed

2019 Alfa Romeo 4C Summary

Nothing could’ve better prepared me for my drive in the 2019 Alfa Romeo 4C than a trip to Sydney’s Luna Park.

There’s a rollercoaster there called Wild Mouse - an old-school, single carriage coaster with no loop-the-loops, no high-tech trickery, and with each ride limited to just with two seats apiece.

The Wild Mouse throws you around with very little regard for your comfort, gently impinging your fear factor by making you consider the physics of what is happening underneath your backside.

It’s an unbridled adrenaline rush, and genuinely scary at times. You get off the ride thinking to yourself, “how the hell did I survive that?”.

The same can be said with this Italian sports car. It’s blisteringly quick, it’s superbly agile, it handles like it has rails attached to its underbody, and it could potentially do brown things to your underpants.

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2021 Audi RS5 Summary

Audi's A5 Coupe and Sportback have always been good looking cars. Yes, yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, but seriously, just look at one and tell me it's not handsome.

Happily, the just-updated RS5 doesn't just build on the looks of its more sedate sibling, but on the performance, too, adding near-supercar speed to those supermodel looks.

Sounds like a pretty good match, right? Let's find out, shall we?

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Deep dive comparison

2019 Alfa Romeo 4C 2021 Audi RS5

Verdict

People might wonder if there’s a reason to buy an Alfa Romeo 4C. It has some great dollar-for-dollar competitors - the Alpine A110 does most of the things the Alfa does, but in a more polished way. And then there’s the Porsche 718 Cayman, which is a considerably more, well, considered option.

But there is no doubt the 4C stands alone, a sort-of cut-price alternative to a Maserati or Ferrari, and nearly as rare to spot on the road as those cars, too. And just like the rollercoaster at Luna Park, it’s the sort of car that’ll leave you wanting another go.

Verdict

Good looking, good to drive, and good to simply sit in, the Audi RS5 range ticks plenty of premium boxes. Whether you can live with the practicality pitfalls of the Coupe is up to you, but if you can't, might I suggest taking a wander over to our RS4 Avant review?

Alfa Romeo 4C vs Audi RS5 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Alfa Romeo 4C vs Audi RS5
What's the difference?