Compare the2026 Audi S5VS 2026 Mercedes AMG E-Class Sedan

Both the S5 and AMG E-Class Sedan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S5 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The AMG E-Class Sedan’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Audi S5 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Audi S5 achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, outperforming the Mercedes AMG E-Class Sedan which scored only an “Acceptable” in these critical safety features.

The S5’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the AMG E-Class Sedan.

Both the S5 and the AMG E-Class Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, front seat center airbag, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the S5 is much safer than the AMG E-Class Sedan:

The Audi S5 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The AMG E-Class Sedan is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

The S5’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the AMG E-Class Sedan’s (12 vs. 5 years).

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 6 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi S5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The AMG E-Class Sedan requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The S5 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires optional on the S5 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The S5 has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The S5’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The S5 handles at .95 G’s, while the AMG E 53 HYBRID Sedan pulls only .93 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the S5’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the AMG E-Class Sedan’s (39.7 feet vs. 41.1 feet).

The S5 is 4.6 inches shorter than the AMG E-Class Sedan, making the S5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Audi A5/S5/RS 5 outsold the Mercedes E-Class by 24% during 2025.