AUDI S5 SPORTBACK
How does our £69k fully loaded test car compare with a £41k Kia Stinger GT-S?
WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT
To see if diesel power really can excite as much as petrol in a sporting four-door
By sheer luck (and the kindness of Kia UK), I found myself in possession of a Kia Stinger GT-S the week after picking up the S5. Although the Kia is a relatively nice product unlikely to be cross-shopped by many Audi customers, it was interesting to compare the brands’ very different approaches to sporting saloons.
First, the price. Our S5 is just over £50k as a base price but knocking on the door of £70k with all our options added in. The Kia? £41k. And that’s before haggling, which is well worth doing given Stingers haven’t exactly f lown out of showrooms. And don’t think the Korean car is sparsely equipped. It can’t match the Audi’s perceived finish or vast array of tech, but all the main niceties – sat-nav, Harman Kardon sound system, wireless phone charging, electric and heated nappa leather seats, LED headlights and the like – are thrown in. It even gets ventilated front seats and heated rear seats as standard, which the Audi doesn’t. It’s enough to make you wonder what Kia’s profit margin is on it…
Performance is comparable, too.
In outright terms, the S5’s 516lb ft of diesel punch monsters the 376lb ft of the Kia. But both quote the same 0-62mph time (4.9sec) despite the Stinger being two-wheel drive only. Most of that is down to engine and transmission response: the Audi takes longer to hook up, find a gear and hit its stride, while the Kia’s eager twin-turbo V6 and snappier ’box mean it fires off the line with verve. The petrol car sounds nicer, too. And it turns more heads, being far rarer and (I reckon) more distinctive.
So buy the Kia, then? Hold on, I haven’t finished. The S5 remains the better cruiser – not just in refinement terms. It’s also vastly more frugal. You’d be lucky to crack 30mpg in the Stinger on a run, whereas 40mpg plus is within easy reach in the Audi. And while the Stinger is an entertaining steer (and quite tail-happy in the wet), the S5’s all-weather composure and agility mean it’s more confidence-inspiring.
However, a quick look at leasing reveals that while a base S5 is around £140 a month more than the Stinger, the Vorsprung spec is approaching twice the monthly PCP cost on a similar three-year deal.
Anyone set on a fast four-door from the Germans would do well to seek out a Stinger and keep the substantial wad of leftover cash for the extra fuel, spare rear tyres and some f lyers to hand out to people asking what on earth it is.