Compare the2023 Audi S7VS 2023 BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi S7 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 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi S7 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 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the S7 and 8 Series Gran Coupe have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S7 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 8 Series Gran Coupe’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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S7. But it costs extra on the 8 Series Gran Coupe.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the S7 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 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the S7 and the 8 Series Gran Coupe 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, 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.

The S7’s 2.9 turbo V6 hybrid produces 109 more horsepower (444 vs. 335) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (442 vs. 368) than the 840i Gran Coupe’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the S7 gets better mileage than the 8 Series Gran Coupe:

The S7 has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the 8 Series Gran Coupe (19.3 vs. 18 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi S7 higher (5 out of 10) than the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe (3). This means the S7 produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 8 Series Gran Coupe every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the S7’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the 8 Series Gran Coupe:

For better traction, the S7 has larger tires than the 8 Series Gran Coupe (255/35R21 vs. 245/40R19). The S7’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 8 Series Gran Coupe (255/35R21 vs. 245/35R21).

The S7’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 840i Gran Coupe’s standard 40 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S7 has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the 840i Gran Coupe.

The S7 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 8 Series Gran Coupe; 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 8 Series Gran Coupe don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the S7 is 1.1 inches wider in the front than the average track on the 8 Series Gran Coupe.

For better maneuverability, the S7’s turning circle is .4 feet tighter than the 840i Gran Coupe’s (40 feet vs. 40.4 feet). The S7’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the M850i Gran Coupe’s (40 feet vs. 41.4 feet).

The S7 is 4.3 inches shorter than the 8 Series Gran Coupe, making the S7 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The S7 has .1 inches more rear headroom, .4 inches more rear legroom and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the 8 Series Gran Coupe.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the S7’s rear seats recline. The 8 Series Gran Coupe’s rear seats don’t recline.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the S7 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 8 Series Gran Coupe 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 S7 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The 8 Series Gran Coupe 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 S7 has standard extendable sun visors. The 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The S7 has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The S7 Premium Plus/Prestige offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the 8 Series Gran Coupe.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi S7 offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The 8 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The S7 Prestige’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Park Assist Plus Remote will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The 8 Series Gran Coupe’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Insurance will cost less for the S7 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the S7 will cost $675 less than the 8 Series Gran Coupe over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi S7 will be $2803 to $39132 less than for the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe.