Audi RS5 Sportback vs. Audi e-tron GT: which is better?
The ultimate battle of the fuels is taken to the track as we pitch the Audi e-tron GT against the Audi RS5 Sportback
The Audi RS5 Sportback and Audi e-tron GT are well-rounded performance models that you could live with every day, with coupé-like designs, rear doors, and space for up to five.
However, there are some key differences not just in terms of how they drive, but also in other areas such as practicality.
Read on to find out what we thought when we put the Audi e-tron GT and Audi RS5 Sportback head-to-head on a track.
Does the Audi RS5 Sportback or Audi e-tron GT offer more style?
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As far as performance cars go, the Audi RS5 Sportback and the Audi e-tron GT are among the most practical because they both have a set of rear doors and space for up to five.
Regardless of their practical natures, they both offer an incredibly stylish blend of saloon and coupé styling that we think we stand the test of time.
Being a fully-fledged RS model (the most performance-oriented model you can get from Audi), the RS5 Sportback has an aggressive design with lots of upgraded bumper and grille designs compared with standard A5 Sportback models.
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Despite the sporty rear diffuser, large exhaust pipes and small boot spoiler, we think the RS5 Sportback verges on being more understated, but it’s still a dramatic and eye-catching car.
Compared with the RS5, the Audi e-tron GT has a more futuristic-looking design, with a low and wide stance that helps aerodynamics.
Electric cars don’t need a traditional grille, but the e-tron GT still has a honeycomb-effect grille area, which helps it to look more familiar.
Similarly, it doesn’t have any exhausts, but the rear diffuser is designed in such a way that you don’t feel that they’re missing.
We’ve pitched the RS5 Sportback against the standard e-tron GT because they have similar levels of performance, but you can get an even quicker RS e-tron GT that looks even more aggressive.
Audi e-tron GT vs. Audi RS5 Sportback: performance and drive
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Beginning with the familiar, the RS5 Sportback’s 450hp 2.9-litre V6 engine sounds and feels great. In fact, it was jointly developed with Porsche.
It’s mated to an automatic gearbox, which is comfortable in its standard setting, but tweak the car’s drive modes and you can exploit its lightning-fast gear changes, which are good for outright acceleration.
Compared to other similarly-sized sports cars like the BMW M4, we think the RS5 Sportback can be more comfortable and predictable.
The electric e-tron GT offers a similar experience in that it’s comfortable, but because its large battery is located low down under the floor, it has a low centre of gravity, so it feels a lot more stable and engaging.
Where it’s safe to do so, you can really push this car because it has a lot of grip from its large tyres.
It’s arguably the more premium option – it’s not just the more expensive of the two, but it’s also available with more standard equipment and a few optional extras, like air suspension and four-wheel steering.
In terms of performance, both cars are good at putting their power down because they have very capable four-wheel-drive systems.
The RS5 Sportback does 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds, which is the same as the smaller and lighter three-door RS5 Coupé.
The e-tron GT is pitched as a performance model regardless of specification, so it’s almost as quick. With 476hp, it does 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, but by engaging a boost mode, you can unlock 530hp for a few seconds, bringing that time down to 4.1 seconds.
For more performance, the RS e-tron GT’s 598hp setup propels it to 62mph in 3.6 seconds, or 3.3 seconds with 646hp in boost mode.
Audi e-tron GT range: how many miles will it do?
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The Audi e-tron GT has a large 93.4kWh battery pack, which is nearly twice as big as the one you’d find in a Peugeot e-208 and three times as big as you’d find in the MINI Electric.
You may think that it’ll cost more to charge than those cars, which is true, but you’ll also get a far greater range.
Audi reckons you’ll be able to get nearly 300 miles from a charge, but we think somewhere in the range of 200-250 miles is more realistic, especially if you like to put your foot down.
This isn’t too far off how many miles you could travel in an RS5 Sportback with a full tank, which should be able to do nearly 30mpg but will more likely get around 25mpg.
The RS e-tron GT has the same battery pack but is marginally less efficient, so might get around 20 miles less range.
Audi RS5 Sportback vs. Audi e-tron GT: interior
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Neither car is considered to be cheap, and they’re both flagship models in terms of performance and technology, so you can expect a lot of car tech.
The RS5 Sportback has a driver-focused cockpit design with a large touchscreen infotainment system and another large display behind the steering wheel.
It has a flat-bottomed steering wheel with paddle shifters and supportive sports seats. Even the back seats have a premium-feeling quilted leather design, and there’s plenty of legroom, even for adults.
Although the designs are slightly different, you wouldn’t be able to tell that the e-tron GT is an electric car from behind the wheel, because it has similar equipment and an equally high level of build quality.
In terms of extras, you can specify things like all-around parking cameras, a heads-up display, and even night vision technology. e-tron GT models also come with a heat pump, which makes them considerably more efficient in the colder months.
Audi e-tron GT vs. Audi RS5 Sportback: which has more boot space?
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Put simply, if you’re after a more practical boot, then you’ll want to focus on the RS5 Sportback. It has a larger 465-litre space, but more importantly, it has a wide hatchback-style boot opening.
The e-tron GT has 405 litres of space and a narrower saloon-style opening. Furthermore, RS e-tron GT variants have smaller 350-litre boots.
However, due to the lack of engine, these electric models also get 85 litres of storage under the bonnet in an area known as the frunk. That’s more or less the same as the Tesla Model 3, which incidentally has a bigger main boot.
For reference, the Porsche Taycan, which shares many mechanical parts with the Audi e-tron GT, has a slightly larger 407-litre boot (84-litre frunk), though performance variants have smaller 366-litre spaces.
Compare Audi RS5 Sportback and Audi e-tron GT: which is more reliable?
Being new performance models, there’s not a lot of data to back up either model’s reliability credentials.
However, the RS5 shares a lot of parts with the slightly more popular S5 and the mainstream A5 models, which are available as coupés, convertibles and five-door coupés.
Similarly, the e-tron GT is a relatively new model for Audi, but it shares parts with several other cars.
More importantly, Audi is part of the Volkswagen Group, which means that both models dip into the endless catalogue of parts shared with the likes of Volkswagen and Porsche, which helps improve overall dependability across all marques.
Audi e-tron GT vs. Audi RS5 Sportback dimensions
Measuring 4,783mm long, 2,029mm wide (including mirrors) and 1,399mm tall, the RS5 Sportback is fairly standard compared with many other saloon models, though it does sit lower and is slightly wider.
Although it looks similar, the e-tron is noticeably larger, both on paper and in the flesh. It’s 4,989mm long and 1,413mm tall. It’s also around 13cm wider than the RS5, at 2,158mm wide, which you’ll notice in tight spaces.
Audi e-tron GT vs. Audi RS5 Sportback: which should you buy?
The reality is that both models offer incredibly premium, high-performance propositions, so the question is more about which fuel you prefer – petrol or electric.
However, if you want the best levels of luxury and technology, the e-tron GT does have the RS5 Sportback beat, but only by a small margin.