Audi S5 vs Aston Martin DB11
What's the difference?

Audi S5

$97,880 - $140,990

2025 price

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Aston Martin DB11

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2019 price

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Aston Martin Vanquish

Lamborghini Aventador

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A35

Mercedes-Benz A45

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLA250

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Summary

2025 Audi S5

2019 Aston Martin DB11

By Chris Thompson

By James Cleary

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 2.0L

V12, 5.2L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded/Electric

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

6.9L/100km (combined)

11.4L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Stacked with techy features
Edition One value is hard to deny
Still a delight to drive

Looks
Speed
Dynamics

Dislikes

Loses some interior simplicity
Edition One not a permanent fixture
Having to wait for more variants

Expected safety tech MIA
Modest warranty
No Apple CarPlay/Android Auto

2025 Audi S5 Summary

The Audi A5 has done something naughty. It’s replaced the Audi A4.

Or at least that’s the case for now after the Ingolstadt brand made a bit of a mess of its naming strategy.

Essentially, the Audi A5 is now available as a sedan or a wagon, and the next A4 coming soon will be electric. The previous A5 was a swoopier two-door coupe or four-door gran coupe style model. So the A5 is now effectively Audi’s main BMW 3 Series or Mercedes C-Class and CLA rival.

Plus, the Audi S5 is also here to cater to performance car fans.

Can a new platform, a sleek, fresh look and a techy interior do the job?

We’ve been pedalling around the Victorian countryside in the hopes of finding out.

Stick with me, and I reckon we’ll get to the bottom of it. The question about the car, that is, not the bottom of Victoria.

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2019 Aston Martin DB11 Summary

It might look like a stealth fighter, but this dramatic example of Aston Martin’s DB11 AMR didn’t fly under anyone’s radar during its time in the CarsGuide garage.

Forget the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, this piece of British royalty caused jaws to drop and camera phones to rise more effectively than any mere ginger celebrity or ex-TV trouper.

AMR stands for Aston Martin Racing, and this performance flagship replaces the ‘standard’ DB11, delivering even more fire under the hood and fury from the exhaust. Aston also claims it’s faster, dynamically superior, and sleeker on the inside.

In fact, the DB11 AMR’s 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 now produces enough grunt to accelerate it from 0-100km/h in just 3.7 seconds.

More than just a flash Harry, then? Let’s find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2025 Audi S5 2019 Aston Martin DB11

Verdict

The Audi A5 remains a convincing option in the premium mid-size sedan category, even with the near-$10K price increase over its equivalent grade A4 predecessor.

Even in its base spec, it’s a lovely thing to drive and adds enough new kit to be a reasonable option when it comes to value. In terms of tech usability, it stands out from rivals. Practicality is still king for Audi.

But for the heart-over-head types, the S5 is fast and fun while remaining a comfortable cruiser and the price is decent. On a personal note, a six-cylinder wagon? That's a big yes from me.

For the time it’s available, it’s hard to go past the value on offer in the S5 Edition One. Getting an AWD V6 with that kind of capability for under $100K is something that's sure to tempt buyers. If it doesn’t, we need to take a good look at ourselves.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

Verdict

The Aston Martin DB11 AMR is fast, capable and beautiful. It has a unique character and charisma its Italian and German competitors can’t match. That said, some important media and safety-tech features are absent. So, it’s not perfect... just brilliant.

Audi S5 vs Aston Martin DB11 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Audi S5 vs Aston Martin DB11
What's the difference?