Mercedes-Benz A35 vs Audi A5
What's the difference?

Mercedes-Benz A35

$29,995 - $61,888

2020 price

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Audi A5

$79,900 - $92,900

2026 price

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Maserati Quattroporte

Mazda 2

Mazda 3

Mercedes-AMG E63

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A45

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz C43

Mercedes-Benz C63

Mercedes-Benz CLA

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Summary

2020 Mercedes-Benz A35

2026 Audi A5

By Matt Campbell

By Chris Thompson

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 2.0L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded/Electric

Fuel Efficiency

7.4L/100km (combined)

6.9L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Sleek design
Fun to drive
Excellent warranty

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

Dislikes

Media glitches
Back seat is tight
Terrible road noise

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

2020 Mercedes-Benz A35 Summary

If you want a Mercedes-AMG A45 sedan, you’re dead out of luck - there isn’t going to be one. Your alternatives are the sleeker, more style-focused CLA 45 four-door ‘coupe’, or the A45 hatch, which is more often associated with boy racer types… with deep pockets.

Or you could buy this car - the Mercedes-AMG A35 4Matic sedan. A lot of pundits have questioned the two-prong AMG strategy in the hatchback range, with the A35 slotting between the already-pretty-hot A250 4Matic and A45 S.

In the sedan line-up, however, there’s a different approach, with the Mercedes-AMG A35 4Matic topping the range. So is it a fitting flagship for the small sedan line-up? It certainly has the tech, safety and equipment levels to live up to buyers’ expectations.

And as a rival to the likes of the Audi S3 sedan, BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe and its own sibling, the Mercedes-AMG CLA35, does it offer a compelling alternative?

Let’s go through it, criteria by criteria.

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2026 Audi A5 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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Deep dive comparison

2020 Mercedes-Benz A35 2026 Audi A5

Verdict

The Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan is a genuinely fun small car. To me it’s a more mature offering than the A35 hatch, while not being quite as pretentious as a CLA35. Therefore I like it on principle.

Would I personally choose it over an Audi S3? Probably not - but there are plenty of objective reasons why you would.

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.

Mercedes-Benz A35 vs Audi A5 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Mercedes-Benz A35 vs Audi A5
What's the difference?