Lotus Exige vs Audi S5

What's the difference?

To say the Lotus Exige 350 Sport exists at the very pointy end of motoring is a sharp understatement. It is, in essence, a track car that you’re somehow allowed to drive on the road, which means it's hugely compromised in various ways as a vehicle for day-to-day use, yet it's not really fair to criticise it for those failings, because commuting was never its intended purpose.

While it would obviously shine in its natural environment of a race circuit, the fact is you could also enjoy it enormously between track days if you pointed it at a suitably smooth and winding bit of country blacktop.

The performance, handling, steering and stopping are all fantastic, in the right conditions, and you can see how someone might justify it to themselves as a far cheaper version of a ($327,100) Porsche 911 GT3. The difference being that a Porsche doesn't make you fold yourself up like a pocket knife every time you get in.

The Lotus, then, is a car for the extreme enthusiast, only. And possibly for nudists, too.

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.

The Lotus philosophy is summed by this slightly absurd mission statement: "Simplify, then add lightness". In the words of the great Barnaby Joyce "you don’t have to be Sigmund Freud" to work out that lightness is not something you can 'add', but you get the idea.

Everything about a Lotus is focused on the power-to-weight ratio, and this 350 Sport version takes the Exige to the ultimate degree, weighing in a full 51kg lighter than the S version, at just 1125kg, and with its hefty 3.5-litre supercharged V6 it is capable of lapping the company’s Hethel, UK test circuit a full 2.5 seconds faster.

Lap times, rather than road manners, are what this car is all about, and as such there are no creature comforts of any kind.

The Exige is an eye-catching beast, though, looking a bit like Darth Vader's helmet strapped to a skateboard. Everything about it is a statement of intent, and while the interior is as bare as Barnaby's brain, the gear lever, with its exposed workings and shiny silver knob, is a thing of strange beauty.

The A5 incorporates Audi’s new design language in a way that makes the 2026 model stand out from Audi’s older offerings, but we won’t know how well it works in the family until more new-gen Audi cars arrive.

For now, the A5 is a generally handsome car. It very much looks like an Audi from the front, even a recent A4 if you only very quickly glanced.

The aforementioned S line styling does plenty in making even the base Audi A5 look like a properly luxe thing. There were a few double-checks at the launch to make sure drivers were getting into the right cars.

Fortunately the new car’s designers refrained from busying up the car with trim, the only big features being the side vents at the front.

But even in Avant form the S5 looks athletic, quad-exhausts in the lower bar and the angular rear bodywork moving away from the previously softer, more rounded look Audi had gone with before.

Inside, the changes are arguably more obvious. The A5 is now much more ‘screeny’ than before, especially if optioned with the passenger-side touchscreen.

It’s still decidedly Audi in its layout and design, with geometric shapes on the steering wheel, screen housing, door cards and even on the gear shifter, which is no longer the more traditional handle-type.

Both the words 'practical' and 'space' have no place in a road test of this Lotus, so shall we just move on?

Oh, all right. There is no shoulder room to speak of and to change gears you have to fondle your passenger's leg. You're also in danger of breathing into each other’s mouths accidentally, you’re sitting that close.

Speaking of impractical, the door apertures are so small, and the whole car so low, that getting in or out is about as much fun as attempting to hide in a child's suitcase.

Cupholders? Forget it, nor is there anywhere to put your phone. There are two tiny oddment storage holes just near each well-hidden door handle, and a kind of slidey, slick shelf where a glove box might be, on which it’s not safe to leave anything.

Put things on the floor and they will slide under the super low seats and never be seen again.

The Lotus people pointed out a parcel shelf behind the seats, but I think they imagined it, and there is a tiny boot at the rear, behind the engine, which is smaller than some actual boots.

…and that gear selector is a bit indicative of the new A5’s interior. It’s now more of a switch that requires a little more attention than the traditional shifter, just like the way the more screen-focused interior requires a little more of your eyeball time than physical buttons.

Don’t get me wrong, as far as screens in modern cars go, Audi seems to have made it as easy as possible to use the new-gen software in the A5. The menus are clear, there are good shortcuts and there’s no lag… but buttons are always better when your focus needs to be on the road.

Fortunately the driver display is nice and clear, it’s a good update on Audi’s ‘Virtual Cockpit’ and you can set it to display important information without looking too busy.

Ergonomically, the way the central screen is angled towards the driver, the centre console layout and the small control panel on the door for lights, mirrors and the like all seem to be well considered and mean you don’t have to awkwardly reach for anything.

There are a few quirks specific to the A5 and S5, one being that if you opt for the panoramic sunroof, it comes with a transparency switch rather than a physical cover, so it doesn’t do much to keep the light out.

It’s also good to note that the passenger screen - again, if optioned - turns to privacy mode when playing media so as to not distract the driver. Pretty handy!

Behind the front row, a regular-sized adult should have enough room to sit comfortably for a decent amount of time without feeling cramped. The light through the sunroof comes in handy here.

Behind that is a 445L boot in Sedan form, or 1299L with the rear seats folded down. As an Avant, the space increases to 448L and 1396L respectively.

The new Audi A5 range starts from $79,900 before on-road costs for the standard A5 Sedan, though the rest of the models available at launch are all S5 variants. A more powerful A5 with 200kW and quattro all-wheel drive will come later, as well as a 270kW plug-in hybrid A5 quattro variant.

For now, the sole A5 in the line-up is well equipped for the price, coming with standard 19-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights with adjustable lighting signatures, keyless entry and digital key via Audi’s app, electric bootlid (or tailgate, given its liftback style) and S line styling as standard.

Interior features include sports seats in real and synthetic leather, heated and electrically adjustable up front, leather steering wheel, tri-zone climate control, a 14.5-inch OLED multimedia touchscreen and 11.9-inch driver display, wireless phone charging as well as wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The A5 can be optioned with a Style pack for $3000 which adds 20-inch wheels, tinted glass and black exterior trim. There’s also a Premium pack for $3769 which adds a head-up display, high-power USB ports, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, ambient lighting and front door acoustic window glazing.

The other key variants in the line-up from launch are the S5 Sedan and S5 Avant, coming in at $114,900 and $117,900 respectively. Aside from the more advanced drivetrains, the S5s also gain plenty more features over the A5 including 20-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels, selectable OLED rear lights, tinted windows and more paint colour options.

Inside, Nappa leather-upholstered seats gain cooling and massage functions up front, the steering wheel is heated, and there’s ambient lighting with a ‘dynamic interaction light strip’ that changes colour based on vehicle functions like indicating or changing temperatures.

There’s also a head-up display, high-power USB outlets, a Bang & Olufsen sound system and, perhaps most notably, a 10.9-inch touchscreen for the front passenger as standard. It’s a $1500 option in the A5.

Audi also has a launch variant of the S5, the Edition One, which comes at a lower price and a trim spec closer to the A5, but with the S5’s performance. It has non-adjustable sport suspension, for example, and to score much of the main S5’s kit requires cost-options or option packs.

But the prices are tempting, just $99,900 for the S5 Edition One Sedan or $102,900 for the Avant, $15,000 less than their same-power siblings. For an extra $6000, you can add a head-up display, high-power USB ports and the Bang & Olufsen sound system to the Edition One.

Comparing the entry A5 to the recent entry-level A4, the new A5 wears a price increase of $8000 (the ageing A4 is $71,900), but has more power and a much more modern interior. On price alone it seems a steep jump, but the value is still there compared to rivals. A Mercedes C200 currently starts from $89,900, while a BMW 330i is $92,900.

In the past, Lotus engineers were satisfied with the power they got from tiny four-cylinder Toyota engines, but this Exige 350 Sport is a Very Serious Car and thus has a relatively whopping 3.5-litre, supercharged V6 shoehorned into its backside, which makes 258kW and 400Nm, and that's enough to fire this tiny machine from 0-100km/h in just 3.9 seconds, although it feels, and sounds, a lot faster.

The six-speed gearbox feels like it's been stolen from an old racing car and is an absolute joy to snick shift at speed.

The Audi A5 is powered by a four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine which powers the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It makes 150kW of power and 340Nm of torque, and should, Audi says, propel the A5 to 100km/h in 7.8 seconds before (eventually) reaching a top speed of 248km/h.

The S5, in all its variants, is powered by a 3.0-litre turbo-petrol V6 which is assisted by a mild hybrid system. It produces 270kW and 550Nm, sending that to all four wheels via a similar seven-speed dual-clutch.

The S5 is much quicker as a result - 100km/h comes along in just 4.5 seconds according to Audi, before reaching a 250km/h top speed.

Lotus claims a combined fuel economy figure of 10.1L/100km. We don't believe that would be easy to achieve, because the temptation to rev the hell out of it and hear it roar would be too great, and too constant.

Audi claims the A5 uses 6.9 litres of fuel per 100km, which should theoretically deplete the 56-litre fuel tank after 811km of driving. We couldn’t test this on the launch, but reaching claimed fuel efficiency figures remains an elusive challenge.

The S5, according to Audi, comes with an impressive 7.1L/100km figure in Sedan form, or 7.2L/100km as an Avant. That’s 788km and 777km of theoretical driving range if you’re up for a challenge.

It's rare to find a car that is such an improbable mix of furious fun and infuriating annoyance. The Lotus is rattly, noisy, hugely firm to the point of punishing, with seats that offer encouragement but not support.

It is the opposite of comfortable and so hard to see out of that driving it around town, in any sort of traffic, feels borderline dangerous. There’s also the distinct sensation that you’re so low and so little that all those people in their SUVs won't see you.

Throw in the fact that it's so painfully, stupidly difficult to get in and out of and it's definitely not the sort of car you take if you're heading to the shops. I got so sick of its hard-edged annoyances at one stage that I became too grumpy to even take people for joy rides in it. I just couldn’t be bothered with the hassle, but then an inner-city suburb with high kerbs and even higher speed humps is not the Exige's natural environment.

The gearbox is a thrill a minute, as is the engine.

Making it even more of a challenge around town, at low speeds or in parking situations is the steering, which isn't so much heavy as wilfully obtuse. Doing a three-point turn is the equivalent of 20 minutes of bench pressing your own body weight. At least.

Out on a winding bit of country road, however, the steering becomes one of the best things about the car, because its pure, unassisted weighting feels so alive in your hands. There’s a sense of actually wrestling, or finessing it around corners that makes you feel a bit Ayrton Senna.

Indeed, the whole car comes alive, and starts to make some kind of sense, once you're on a smooth, perfect piece of tarmac. It is fast, noisy, thrilling, utterly and overtly involving, stiff of chassis and firm of ride, with brakes capable of pulling you up with indecent haste. It’s also, thanks to its low centre of gravity and mid-engined layout, beautifully balanced.

The gearbox is a thrill a minute, as is the engine, particularly once you explore the upper rev ranges, at which point the scenery really does become a scary blur out the ridiculously small windscreen.

Sure, you can't see anything behind you other than the engine, but what a lovely sight that is, and nothing is going to catch you anyway.

It does feel edgy, of course, and sharp, and it’s not as easy or refined to drive as some cheaper sports cars; an MX-5 makes for a far more pleasant companion. But this is an extreme Exige, a machine built by and for genuine enthusiasts.

And, above all, for the sort of people who will take it to a race track, which is where it both looks and feels completely at home.

Unfortunately, on public roads, it would be annoying more often than it would be thrilling, but the truly hardcore Lotus aficionados would never admit such a thing.

One of the first press cars I ever drove as an even younger lad than I am now was the circa-2017 Audi S4.

Without the perspective of all the many, many cars I've since driven, that S4 blew my mind a little bit with its combination of capability and refinement.

Now, with the context of most of the cars available to the Australian buyer in mind, it’s reassuring to get into this new generation and find that the mid-size Audi torch has been gracefully passed on.

Audi says the new generation, sitting on its new platform, has more focus on balanced driving dynamics, steering precision and steering feel. Without sacrificing comfort, Audi wants the A5 to be a sharper driver’s car.

It might not gel with the Euro tradition of a rear-drive executive sedan given the base A5 is front-wheel drive - the brand of course focusing on its quattro all-wheel drive system - but the A5 is decidedly agile for its size. 

Compared to the S5 especially, as the A5’S 1770kg plays the S5’s 2025kg in Sedan form (2040kg as an Avant). It’s a noticeable weight difference, and it makes the A5 more playful without getting properly ragged.

It also rides on smaller 19-inch wheels and would overall probably make for the better daily driver. Even without the all-wheel-drive traction and extra power the S5 offers, the A5 makes a good case for properly plush commuting. Its 150kW isn’t lacking by any means, and that 340Nm does plenty to help when overtaking.

Its suspension feels well damped, keeping the road’s imperfections out of the cabin without numbing the ride and leaving you without feedback. The steering is similarly direct without being too heavy, making the A5 feel athletic for its size.

But for all the A5’s strengths, there is something undeniable about a six-cylinder European sedan (or wagon). The S5 is heavier, sure, and therefore not as naturally nimble, but it makes up for it. And it’s not just the extra power and mild-hybrid assistance.

It’s a great highway cruiser for a start, but it also adds the confidence of all-wheel drive to a trip, which proved extremely useful on the very rainy winter day we tested it. It holds up well on rough surfaces despite the bigger wheels and extra heft, plus it doesn’t feel out of hand when cornering fast, rolling into a predictable understeer rather than quickly losing traction.

But if you’re in any way conscious of your budget, consider the Edition One. It doesn’t lack any of the key things that make the S5 great, and you get to pocket enough money to buy a second used car.

The A5 and its S5 variants share the same safety features, with the full suite of Audi’s more-than 30 safety and driver assistance systems standard across the line-up.

Physically, the A5 has nine airbags and has been crash-tested by Euro NCAP, the firm awarding it five stars. There's no local ANCAP score as yet.

Some of the key safety features in the A5 and S5 models include a driver attention alert, seatbelt reminders, tyre pressure indicator, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings and lane assist, front braking assist, front and rear cross-traffic alert, speed limit sign recognition, surround view cameras and park assist with front and rear parking sensors.

There are also ISOFIX points for fitting child seats to the rear outboard seats.

Your Lotus comes with a three-year unlimited kilometre warranty and three years of roadside assist. A service costs $295, plus parts.

Audi’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty is starting to fall behind the industry standard, though is about normal for a premium brand. On top of this, customers can opt to purchase extra years of warranty up to a maximum nine years which costs $3590.

Audi does also offer 12 years of bodywork manufacturing warranty against corrosion or perforation. There’s also five years of Audi roadside assistance.

Servicing intervals for the A5 come in at every 15,000km or 12 months, with customers able to purchase fixed-price servicing plans at a discount compared to paying per service.

A five-year servicing pack for the A5 Sedan is $3360, and for the S5 it’s priced at $3540.