Audi S5 vs Bentley Continental: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Audi S5 burns about $3,150 of fuel annually against $4,000 for the Bentley Continental. That $850 yearly gap compounds to roughly $4,250 over five years and $6,800 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Audi S5 leads in both cycles — 21 mpg city and 30 mpg highway against 17 and 26 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Audi S5 is recorded with 1 distinct engine configuration (SIDI), the Bentley Continental with 4 (SIDI; PHEV, SIDI, SIDI & PFI). Across 33 recorded Audi S5 configurations and 32 for the Bentley Continental, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Audi S5 is offered with All-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive, the Bentley Continental with All-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Subcompact Cars and Subcompact Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Bentley Continental emits 161 g/mile of CO2 versus 363 g/mile for the Audi S5. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.