Compare the2024 Audi A5VS 2024 BMW 8 Series

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi A5 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 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The A5 has a standard Audi Backguard System, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Audi Backguard System moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The 8 Series doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the A5. But it costs extra on the 8 Series.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the A5’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The 8 Series doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the A5 and 8 Series offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the A5 with Rear Cross-Traffic Assist also has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The 8 Series’ Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the A5 and the 8 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 and around view monitors.

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 A5 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 8 Series has not been tested, yet.

The Audi A5’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the 8 Series’ engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the A5’s reliability 45 points higher than the 8 Series.

On the EPA test cycle the A5 Coupe gets better mileage than the 8 Series Coupe:

On the EPA test cycle the A5 Cabriolet gets better mileage than the 8 Series Convertible:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi A5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The 8 Series requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi A5 higher (5 out of 10) than the BMW 8 Series (3). This means the A5 produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 8 Series every 15,000 miles.

The A5 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The 8 Series doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better traction, the A5 Premium Plus/Prestige’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 8 Series (255/35R19 vs. 245/35R20).

The A5 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; 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 don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

For better maneuverability, the A5’s turning circle is .5 feet tighter than the 8 Series’ (37.7 feet vs. 38.2 feet). The A5’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the 8 Series xDrive’s (37.7 feet vs. 39 feet).

The A5 is 6.3 inches shorter than the 8 Series, making the A5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The A5 Coupe has 3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 8 Series (84 vs. 81).

The A5 Coupe has 2.5 inches more rear headroom, 3.2 inches more rear legroom and 3.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the 8 Series Coupe.

The A5 Convertible has 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 3.6 inches more rear legroom and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the 8 Series Convertible.

The A5’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. BMW does not offer a locking feature on the 8 Series’ standard power windows.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the A5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 8 Series doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Laser headlights, standard on the A5 Prestige, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the 8 Series’ LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A5 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The 8 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 A5 Coupe has standard extendable sun visors. The 8 Series doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Both the A5 and the 8 Series have standard heated front seats. The A5 Premium Plus/Prestige also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the 8 Series.

The A5 Coupe 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 doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

Insurance will cost less for the A5 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the A5 will cost $2620 to $8840 less than the 8 Series over a five-year period.

The A5 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the A5 will retain 47.82% to 49.46% of its original price after five years, while the 8 Series only retains 42.63% to 42.96%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi A5 will be $43547 to $53656 less than for the BMW 8 Series.

The Audi A5/S5 outsold the BMW 8 Series by almost three to one during 2022.