Compare the2023 Audi S5VS 2023 BMW 2 Series

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi S5 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 2 Series doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The S5’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The 2 Series doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The S5’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The 2 Series doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S5. But it costs extra on the 2 Series.

Both the S5 and the 2 Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, 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, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the S5 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 109 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 2 Series has not been tested, yet.

The S5’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 94 more horsepower (349 vs. 255) and 75 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 294) than the 230i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi S5 is faster than the 230i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

Regenerative brakes improve the S5’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The 2 Series doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi S5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The 2 Series requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The S5 has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the 2 Series (15.3 vs. 13.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi S5 higher (5 out of 10) than the BMW 2 Series (3 to 5). This means the S5 produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 2 Series every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the S5’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the 2 Series:

The S5 stops shorter than the 2 Series:

For better traction, the S5 has larger standard tires than the 2 Series (255/35R19 vs. 225/45R18). The S5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 2 Series (265/30R20 vs. 245/35R19).

The S5’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 230i’s standard 45 series tires. The S5’s optional tires have a lower 30 series profile than the M240i Coupe’s optional 35 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S5 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the 230i. The S5’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the M240i.

The S5 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the 2 Series; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the 2 Series don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the S5 Prestige Coupe is quieter than the M240i Coupe xDrive:

The S5 Coupe has 1.4 inches more rear headroom and .5 inches more rear legroom than the 2 Series Coupe.

The S5 Coupe has a larger trunk than the 2 Series Coupe (10.9 vs. 10 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the S5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The 2 Series doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the S5’s available trunk can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The 2 Series doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the S5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 2 Series doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S5 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The 2 Series 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 S5 has standard extendable sun visors. The 2 Series doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the S5 Premium Plus/Prestige keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The 2 Series doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The S5 has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the 2 Series.

The Audi S5 comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the BMW 2 Series isn’t available as a convertible or four door.

The Audi A5/S5/RS 5 outsold the BMW 2 Series by 34% during the 2022 model year.