The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety hasn't crash-tested the A5 or S5. Standard features include frontal and knee airbags, as well as front-seat-mounted side airbags designed to protect occupants' heads and torsos. Antilock brakes and an electronic stability system round things out. Click here to see the full list.

Available in Premium Plus and Prestige trim levels, the S5 convertible starts at a pricey $58,250 — nearly $6,000 more than the S5 coupe and $10,650 more than an A5 Premium Plus convertible. (Compare it with the base, front-wheel-drive A5 Premium convertible, and the difference works out to a staggering $16,250.) Standard features include all-wheel drive, power-adjustable sport seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated leather upholstery and an iPod-compatible stereo.

Options include a navigation system and backup camera, Audi Drive Select, an adaptive suspension, keyless startup and a Bang & Olufsen stereo. Fully loaded, the S5 crests $70,000 — a few grand over a loaded 335i, and an entire Honda Fit beyond the price where the Lexus, Volvo and Infiniti top out. (Mercedes hasn't yet priced the new 2011 E350 convertible, but its predecessor, the soft-top CLK350, tops out around $70,000.)