Compare the2024 BMW 4 Series Gran CoupeVS 2023 Audi A5 Sportback

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the 4 Series Gran Coupe are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The A5 Sportback doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the A5 Sportback’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the 4 Series Gran Coupe has standard Cross Traffic Warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the A5 Sportback.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The A5 Sportback doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the 4 Series Gran Coupe and the A5 Sportback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 all wheel drive and around view monitors.

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4 Series Gran Coupe for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the A5 Sportback.

There are over 15 percent more BMW dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 4 Series Gran Coupe third among compact premium cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The A5 Sportback isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 29 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in long-term dependability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW third in overall reliability. Audi is ranked 6th.

The 430i Gran Coupe’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 54 more horsepower (255 vs. 201) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 236) than the A5 Sportback 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The 430i Gran Coupe’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 273) than the A5 Sportback 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The M440i Gran Coupe’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 121 more horsepower (382 vs. 261) and 96 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 273) than the A5 Sportback 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe as a “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Audi A5 Sportback is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the A5 Sportback.

For better stopping power the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s brake rotors are larger than those on the A5 Sportback:

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 4 Series Gran Coupe offers optional 20-inch wheels. The A5 Sportback’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the 4 Series Gran Coupe can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The A5 Sportback doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the A5 Sportback (112.4 inches vs. 111.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the 4 Series Gran Coupe is 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the A5 Sportback.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49.8% to 50.2%) than the A5 Sportback’s (54.8% to 45.2%). This gives the 4 Series Gran Coupe more stable handling and braking.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe has .9 inches more front headroom and .2 inches more front legroom than the A5 Sportback.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Audi. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 1% lower rating, Audi is ranked 8th.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The A5 Sportback doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

If the windows are left open on the 4 Series Gran Coupe the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the A5 Sportback can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

Laser headlights, optional on the 4 Series Gran Coupe, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the A5 Sportback’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the 4 Series Gran Coupe offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The A5 Sportback doesn’t offer cornering lights. The 4 Series Gran Coupe also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The A5 Sportback Prestige’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The A5 Sportback doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the 4 Series Gran Coupe will retain 52.7% to 54.31% of its original price after five years, while the A5 Sportback only retains 47.83% to 49.06%.

The BMW 4 Series outsold the Audi A5/S5 by over two to one during 2022.