2009 Audi S5 - Safety Review and Crash Test Ratings

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Though neither NHTSA nor the IIHS have crash-tested the 2008 or 2009 Audi S5, the S5 shares its underlying body structure with the new Audi A4 sedan, which has garnered top marks in crash tests from both the federal government and the insurance-industry-supported IIHS. And the 2009 Audi S5 is packed with safety features.

Cars.com notes that there have been no published crash-test ratings for the 2009 Audi S5 by the government or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, "but Audis generally do well in both such tests."

Crash-test scores aside, the 2009 S5 comes with an alphabet soup of safety features: ABS, ESP, ACC, AWD, and so on. Edmunds catalogs the standard safety features that come on the Audi S5: "Antilock disc brakes (with brake assist), stability and traction control, front-seat side airbags and side curtain airbags"--a good selection. Additional features include an optional "backup camera and Audi's Side Assist blind spot warning system," says Cars.com. A new adaptive cruise control that maintains a safe distance from the car ahead is optional this year.

According to MyRide.com, the 2009 Audi S5's "four-wheel antilock disc brakes [are] bolstered by electronic brake force distribution and a stability control system," keeping you safe on the road. "That's in addition to Quattro all-wheel drive," says MyRide.com, which praises the "sure-footed technology standard on every model." For those who "like to push the limits of adhesion during spirited driving," ForbesAutos reports, "the electronic stability program can be deactivated in two stages," depending on whether you plan to drive your S5 more enthusiastically or just want a little wheel slip to power through a snowy driveway.