Bentley Continental vs Audi RS5

What's the difference?

It may not come cheap, isn’t ideal for family buyers and will have you visiting the petrol bowser regularly, but it’s still hard not to love the Continental GT.

It’s an over-the-top car in so many ways, from the dramatic styling to the plush and pampering interior to the effortlessly powerful engine, this is a car that is a pleasure to drive 10km or 10,000km.

It’s certainly not cheap, especially if you start diving into the options list, or the even more costly Mulliner program, but price is relative, of course, and for Bentley buyers purchasing one of these cars isn’t about getting a ‘bargain’ but instead it’s about experiencing the finer things in life.

It's hard to look past the fact that the RS 5 Sportback is more than $50k more expensive than an S5 Sportback, which itself is hardly cheap. But is it the pick of the RS 4 and RS 5 family? Probably, but I’m personally still a sucker for the RS 4’s wagon shape

I also reckon it’s currently the pick of the three fast German options, and I love that you can get it in this bodystyle.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.

The most interesting aspect of the third-generation Continental GT design is how similar it looks to the first-generation model launched 20 years ago.

Put the pair side-by-side and you’ll notice the latest model is more refined and features crisper lines and more intricate details, but the overall shape and design themes, such as the grille, headlights, etc, bare a similar family resemblance.

This is a deliberate act from Bentley, choosing an evolutionary styling approach for the Continental GT in the same way Porsche has approached the 911.

As for the specific details of this particular Continental GT S model, there are some key differences between it and the standard GT and GT Azure models that sit beneath it in the range. 

The most notable - even if it is slightly harder to spot on our black test car - is a ‘black pack’ that swaps all the chrome finishes on the exterior to black.

This includes the grille, headlight surrounds, lower bumper grille, window surrounds, door mirror caps and the exhaust tips. The S also adds black sports sills and black-painted alloy wheels.

From the B-pillar forward, the RS 5 Sportback is identical to the Coupe, with the same deep and aggressive front apron to set it aside from the lesser S5 and A5 models. The same applies at the rear, with a bespoke rear bumper with large oval exhaust outlets on either side.

It also scores the delightfully pumped wheelarches on each corner of its mechanical siblings, along with the same 20-inch wheels.

Like the coupe though, one detail that seems to be missing from the previous RS 5 is a significantly wider track. Compared with the S5 Sportback, the RS 5 Sportback’s track is just 11mm wider at the front and 20mm at the rear, so if you halve those figures per side they’re likely just from additional camber in the wheel alignment settings.

So those wheelarch blisters are largely for aesthetics, rather than a necessary adjustment to allow for a broader stance.

Enough of the comparisons though, the five-door liftback bodystyle gives it a uniquely sleek yet practical appearance, with all of the tasty performance cred of the coupe and wagon.

Also as I alluded before, BMW is unable to build you an M4 Gran Coupe, which would be its BMW equivalent, due to the regular Gran Coupe being built in a different factory to the 3 Series sedan and 4 Series coupe. And Mercedes-AMG’s C 63 bodystyle options are limited to sedan, coupe, wagon and convertible - there just isn’t a five-door liftback on the list.

The RS 5 Sportback’s interior is a continuation of the beautifully detailed coupe and wagon, with real carbon fibre, aluminium and leather tastefully applied leather that has a subtle edginess that really fits the Audi RS brand.

As mentioned earlier, the Continental GT is a two-door, four-seat grand tourer, but while it’s certainly grand, calling it a four seater may be a stretch.

There are two small seats in the rear that can be used if absolutely necessary but anyone in the back won’t feel like they’re in a luxury car because they’ll be cramped for space - even with the roof down.

You could pop small kids in the back in a pinch (and there is a pair of ISOFIX anchor points) but the Continental GT is hardly a family car.

In fact, the Flying Spur is a four-door sedan built on the same underpinnings as the Continental GT, so Bentley does have family buyers covered.

So, let’s keep our attention on the front seats, which is where you want to be in this grand tourer. The seats are comfortable and offer fantastic support, thanks in large part to 12-way electronic adjustment.

To help you enjoy your convertible with the top down regardless of weather, the seats are heated and available with a vent to blow warm or cool air onto your neck.

The seats are just the start, the whole cabin is a blend of modern technology and classic luxury elements.

There’s the media touchscreen, but there’s also a physical button for most functions, so it’s a busy layout but one that will likely appeal to Bentley’s older clientele.

Our test car was fitted with not only the optional sound system but a rotating display, so you can hide the screen away when you’re not using it.

Overall the build quality and attention-to-detail is exceptional, as you’d expect for a car at this price. And it’s really one of the main reasons you buy a Bentley, because it has a level of luxury and quality above brands like Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

This is where it’s hard not to make Goldilocks analogies. Where the RS 5 coupe has a decent boot with a small, sedan-like opening and a back seat for two that’s difficult to access via the front doors, the RS 4 has a great wagon boot with a huge opening and a back seat for three that’s easy to access because it has back doors.

The RS 5 Sportback is closer to the latter, but sacrifices the cargo height of the wagon and the sloping roofline will mean that taller passengers may want for more headroom and easier access to the back seat. It does retain the wagon’s third seating position back there though, and neither back seat compromise is an issue for my 172cm height.

Its 480 Litres VDA seats-up boot capacity is a match for the S5 Sportback, which is only 25 litres short of the RS 4. Like the S5, a space saver spare sits beneath the boot floor.

The RS 5 Sportback also ticks important convenience boxes like dual cup holders front and rear, bottle holders in each door, decent oddments storage and auxiliary connections front and rear, plus ISOFIX child seat mounts for both outward rear seat positions.

If you’ve ever found yourself perusing Audi’s mid-size RS line-up and been disappointed by the lack of back doors in anything without a wagon body, the RS 5 Sportback is the solution.

Two door coupes are a pain to live with unless you have no need for the back seat, and I’m led to believe that there are some who aren’t enchanted by the RS 4 Avant’s epic cool factor.

If this is you, and your local freeway onramp isn’t long enough to suit the S5 Sportback’s 4.7s 0-100km/h claim, you’ll also be delighted to know that the RS 5 Sportback is priced at the same $157,700 (before on roads) as the RS 5 Coupe, and $4800 above the RS 4. You won’t be as delighted by the $51,900 premium over the S5 Sportback.

The standard equipment is a match also, with the Quattro sport rear differential, RS sports exhaust and 'Dynamic Ride Control' with adaptive dampers all on the list.

You’ll also find the black 'Fine Nappa' leather sports seats with diamond stitching, Bang & Olufsen 3D audio, LED headlights, gloss black exterior details, panoramic sunroof and red brake calipers.

The Audi virtual cockpit driver display also features, plus RS-specific tyre pressure, torque and g-force readouts and a shift light.

The RS 5 Sportback aligns with the MY19 RS 5 coupe spec upgrade, which brings a head-up display, wireless phone charger and USB outlets for rear passengers.

The RS 5-exclusive 'Sonoma Green' paint seen on the coupe is also now available on the Sportback for the same extra $1950 any colour aside from Nardo grey will add to the sticker price.

One detail you don’t get on the coupe is the auto liftback with gesture control, similar to the RS 4’s tailgate.

Bentley is renowned for its big, powerful engines, specifically its unique W12. That’s available in the top-of-the-range Continental GT, but the S model we’re driving is motivated by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8.

It may not be what Bentley is famous for, but it’s a fantastic engine in its own right and it’s paired to a well-matched eight-speed automatic transmission and an active all-wheel drive system.

Making a very healthy 404kW and 770Nm it has no trouble getting such a big car moving.

Bentley claims the Continental GT S will run 0-100km/h in just 4.1 seconds, which is very rapid and particularly impressive when you realise this car weighs 2335kg.

The RS 5 Sportback is a genuine mechanical match for the coupe and RS 4, which means the same and impressive 331kW/600Nm 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 and delightfully adaptive eight-speed ZF torque converter auto.

Max power is available from 5700-6700rom, while peak torque is accessible all the way from 1900-5000rpm.

The Quattro all-wheel drive system retains it 60 per cent native torque bias for more of a rear-drive dynamic. 

If you’re looking for a fuel efficient car or are worried about the price of premium unleaded at your local service station, the Continental GT is not for you.

In an entirely unsurprising way, this two-tonne, twin-turbo V8 luxury car is not a fuel-sipping proposition.

Even the official combined urban/highway cycle is 12.5 litres per 100km, which is thirsty.

But if you’re spending most of your time around town, rather than driving to your country weekender, you’ll probably be looking at returns in the mid to high teens, based on our experience.

We saw an average of 16.7L/100km on the car’s long-term trip computer that included more than 1400km of driving.

Fortunately it has a 90-litre tank, which translates to a theoretical driving range of 720km - as long as you can hit the official claim.

Given the familiarity of the RS 5 Sportback’s mechanical package, there’s also no surprises with its fuel consumption.

The official combined fuel consumption figure is 8.9L/100km, which is 0.1 more than the coupe, and the same as the RS 4.

We managed a rare feat during our 350-plus kilometre drive taking the back way from Canberra to Goulburn, to Oberon, then to Bathurst via Lithgow, where we managed to match the official combined figure on the car’s trip computer.

While it’s a good rule of thumb that you can do this on a steady motorway cruise, it was mighty impressive to do it along the flowing country route with regular climbs and overtaking.

It is worth noting though that like all RS models, the RS 5 Sportback commands expensive 98 RON Premium unleaded as a minimum.

There’s a duality to the driving experience of the Continental GT, as it manages to blend its obvious luxury focus with a genuinely dynamic edge that makes it a true grand tourer.

The combination of the powerful engine and air suspension means it possesses a laid back personality and effortless nature around town.

The engine delivers its performance with ease, moving this big car rapidly whenever you put your foot down, so you can jump into gaps in traffic or make a brisk getaway from the lights.

It soaks up all the bumps and imperfections on the road with minimal fuss, too, despite our test car riding on 22-inch wheels, so you feel cosseted inside the plush cabin.

However, if you find yourself on the open road, the Continental GT S is equally at home.

Dial up the ‘Sport’ drive mode and the engine feels more responsive, the steering is more direct and the suspension is more taut but still compliant.

It makes this a really fun car to drive on a fast, sweeping rural road, where you can let the engine stretch its legs.

Because of its size it’s not as enjoyable on a twisty road with lots of changes of direction, though.

But for enjoying an opulent daily commute or a weekend drive in the countryside the Continental GT S is a great companion.

There’s a good chance you’ve skipped straight to this point, and if you've driven the excellent RS 5 Coupe or the RS 4 you won’t find any surprises in the RS 5 Sportback. This is a very good thing.

Compared to its muscular looks, its general refinement around town is still a really nice surprise for a car of this performance calbre. It’s not hard to imagine driving your grandmother around in comfort. In fact, she would have been right at home on our 350-plus kilometre country cruise between Canberra and Bathurst. 

You might miss the V8 growl from an AMG, but the V6 does make a nice bark once you give it some decent throttle, and it delivers those 331kW and 600Nm very effectively through those two turbos. As I often find myself saying these days, this thing is so easy to drive so fast!

Its very impressive 3.9 second 0-100km/h claim feels entirely realistic, which matches the coupe and trumps the RS 4 by two tenths.

You probably won’t be surprised to hear that the ZF eight speed torque converter auto feels right at home with the RS5, being smooth as around town, and as responsive and quick to shift as you’d ever want it to be when you’re getting up it.

Its overall refinement does mean it’s not quite as exciting to drive fast as the AMGs or BMW Ms, even with the controls and mechanicals tightened up in Dynamic mode.

Our best opportunity to put it through its performance paces was via the surprise set of bends hidden between Bathurst and Sofala, where it simply honked its way uphill. You instantly forget that it's a rather large five seater with almost room for a pony in the boot. There’s miles of grip, it steers really nicely and the big brakes do a really good job under pressure. This, is a proper RS.

While not specifically stated, the RS 5 Sportback should be covered by the same five-star ANCAP safety rating as the rest of the fixed-roof A5 family. Note that this rating was awarded based on older 2015 criteria though.

It matches the RS 5’s impressive list of standard safety features, which includes front city AEB with pedestrian detection.

Interestingly, the initial Sportbacks being delivered to Australia match the six airbag count of the coupe, which covers front and side airbags for the driver and passenger, along with curtain airbags covering the front and rear.

The second batch and all future RS 5 Sportback examples will match the eight airbag count of the wagon, which adds rear side airbags to the list above. If you’re about to place an order, I’d strongly recommend insisting on the eight airbag version that this score is based on.

Another surprising feature of the Bentley range is the company’s three-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which feels surprisingly short in this day and age - especially for a brand that takes pride in its carefully built cars.

There is a 10-year warranty available as an optional extra, but it feels like that should be standard if the company is willing to stand by its products anyway and owners are paying such a premium for their cars upfront. 

The good news is all Bentley models are covered by a five-year servicing plan (intervals are 12 months/16,000km) which is included in the cost of the car.

As you should expect from such a premium brand, the local dealer will arrange to collect and return the car when servicing is required, and a loan car can be arranged if required.

Like all Audis, the new RS 5 Sportback is covered by a three year, unlimited kilometre warranty. This is short of the five year-plus periods that now form the status quo among mainstream brands, but equal to the terms offered by BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Lexus differs by offering a four year, 100,000km plan. 

RS 5 Sportback service intervals are a generous 12 month/15,000km though. 

Another detail to be aware of is that RS models are still exempt from Audi’s Service Plan Pricing capped price servicing plan.