Compare the2026 Volkswagen Golf RVS 2025 Audi RS 5 Sportback

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Golf R has standard Maneuver Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Golf R has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the RS 5 Sportback’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Golf R has standard Rear Traffic Alert and automatically engage the brakes. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the RS 5 Sportback.

The Golf R’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 RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Golf R and the RS 5 Sportback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Volkswagen Golf R weighs 2071 pounds more than the Audi RS 5 Sportback. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Golf R for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the RS 5 Sportback.

There are over 2 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Golf R’s warranty.

The Volkswagen Golf R’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the RS 5 Sportback’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 44 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Audi.

On the EPA test cycle the Golf R DSG gets better fuel mileage than the RS 5 Sportback (22 city/31 hwy vs. 18 city/25 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Golf R uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The RS 5 Sportback requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Golf R offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Golf R Automatic’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 RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer launch control.

The Golf R handles at .99 G’s, while the RS 5 Sportback pulls only .97 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Golf R’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the RS 5 Sportback’s (38 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

The Golf R is 1 foot, 7 inches shorter than the RS 5 Sportback, making the Golf R easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Golf R has .8 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room and 1.1 inches more rear headroom than the RS 5 Sportback.

The Golf R’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Golf R’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The RS 5 Sportback does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Golf R’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. Audi does not offer a locking feature on the RS 5 Sportback’s standard power windows.

The Golf R’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The RS 5 Sportback’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Golf R has a standard rear wiper. The RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The RS 5 Sportback’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Golf R’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Golf R (except with Euro Style Package) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Motor Trend selected the Golf R as their 2026 Car of the Year. The RS 5 Sportback has never been chosen.