Compare the2022 Audi S6VS 2022 BMW M5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi S6 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW M5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi S6 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW M5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the S6 and M5 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S6 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The M5’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the S6 Prestige helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The M5 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the S6 and the M5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

On the EPA test cycle the S6 gets better mileage than the M5:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi S6 higher (5 out of 10) than the BMW M5 (3). This means the S6 produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the M5 every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the S6’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the M5:

The S6’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the M5’s standard 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S6 has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the M5. The M5’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

For better maneuverability, the S6’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the M5’s (39.7 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

The S6 has .9 inches more rear legroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the M5.

The S6’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 M5 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S6 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The M5 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the S6 has standard extendable sun visors. The M5 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi S6 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The M5 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Insurance will cost less for the S6 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the S6 will cost $3235 to $3925 less than the M5 over a five-year period.

The S6 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the S6 will retain 47.69% to 47.97% of its original price after five years, while the M5 only retains 45.52%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi S6 will be $23872 to $28859 less than for the BMW M5.