The Sportback sits in between the more mellow A5 Sportback and the RS5 Sportback rocket ship. Under the S5 Sportback's hood lives a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 cranking out a healthy 349 horsepower, which is sent to all four wheels via Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system. While it offers quick acceleration and nimble handling, the S5 Sportback ultimately fails to excite us in the same way that both the Mercedes-AMG C43 and BMW M340i do.

The Audi S5 Sportback tries to blend S4 Avant practicality with S5 coupe style. This car plays to the four-ringed brand's strengths: brimming with cutting-edge tech, quattro surety and austere design.

Powerful, functional, comfortable and techy -- it's hard to make an argument against Audi's do-it-all S5 Sportback.

Audi denotes the performance levels of its cars with the letters A, S, and RS, with the latter pair signifying the hottest models. Which makes the 2021 S5 coupe and cabriolet the second most powerful member of the Audis that have the number "5" on their decklid. While the four-door S5 Sportback is reviewed separately, it shares the same 349-hp V-6 powertrain and standard Quattro all-wheel drive as its two-door siblings.