Compare the2025 Audi S5VS 2025 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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The S5’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the S5 and Jetta GLI 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 Jetta GLI’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.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the S5 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The S5 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The S5 has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

The S5 offers an optional Top View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Jetta GLI only offers a rear monitor.

The S5’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the S5 and the Jetta GLI have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The Audi S5 weighs 977 to 1047 pounds more than the Volkswagen Jetta GLI. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

The S5’s corrosion warranty is 5 years and unlimited miles longer than the Jetta GLI’s (12/unlimited vs. 7/100,000).

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the S5 has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Jetta GLI’s 140-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 12 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Audi higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 11 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The S5’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 134 more horsepower (362 vs. 228) and 148 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 258) than the Jetta GLI’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The S5 has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Jetta GLI (14.8 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The Audi S5 comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Jetta GLI.

The S5’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the S5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Jetta GLI:

	S5	Jetta GLI
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	13.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	11.8 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the S5 has larger tires than the Jetta GLI (245/40R19 vs. 225/45R18).

The S5’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Jetta GLI’s standard 45 series tires. The S5’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Jetta GLI’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S5 has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the Jetta GLI. The S5 offers optional 20-inch wheels.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available 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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S5’s wheelbase is 8.4 inches longer than on the Jetta GLI (114 inches vs. 105.6 inches).

The S5’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the Jetta GLI’s (58.6% to 41.4%). This gives the S5 more stable handling and braking.

Passenger Space

The S5 has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Jetta GLI.

Cargo Capacity

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the S5’s hatch uses gas strut supported hinges that don’t intrude into the cargo area. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Jetta GLI’s useful trunk space.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the S5. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the S5’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Servicing Ease

The S5 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Jetta GLI uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the S5 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Jetta GLI. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The S5’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The S5 Premium Plus/Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction, infotainment and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the S5 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Jetta GLI can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

The S5’s standard Audi Advanced Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access standard on the Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S5 Premium Plus/Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the S5 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The S5’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Jetta GLI has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Audi S5 and Volkswagen Jetta GLI offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The S5 features standard power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Jetta GLI’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Both the S5 and the Jetta GLI have standard heated front seats. The S5 Prestige also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Jetta GLI.

The S5 (except Premium) offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Jetta GLI.

Both the S5 and the Jetta GLI offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the S5 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Audi S5 has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Volkswagen charges extra for Homelink® on the Jetta GLI.

The S5 Premium Plus/Prestige’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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