Compare the2024 Audi S8VS 2024 BMW 7 Series

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi S8 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 7 Series doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi S8 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 7 Series doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The S8 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The 7 Series doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S8. But it costs extra on the 7 Series.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The S8 has Car-to-X Services, a system that seemlesly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The 7 Series doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the S8 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 and even aims one of the vehicle’s headlights in the direction of the person or object. The 7 Series doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the S8 and the 7 Series 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 and rear cross-path warning.

The S8’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 188 more horsepower (563 vs. 375) and 192 lbs.-ft. more torque (590 vs. 398) than the 740i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid. The S8’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 80 more horsepower (563 vs. 483) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (590 vs. 516) than the 750e’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid. The S8’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 27 more horsepower (563 vs. 536) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (590 vs. 553) than the 760i’s standard 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi S8 is faster than the 740i 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid:

The S8 has 2.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the 7 Series (21.7 vs. 19.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the S8’s brake rotors are larger than those on the 7 Series:

The S8 stops shorter than the 7 Series:

For better traction, the S8 has larger tires than the 7 Series (265/35R21 vs. 255/45R20).

The S8’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 7 Series’ standard 45 series front tires. The S8’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the 7 Series’ optional 40 series front tires.

The S8 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 7 Series; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The S8 handles at .95 G’s, while the 740i pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The S8 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the 740i (24.4 seconds @ .79 average G’s vs. 26 seconds @ .71 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the S8’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the 7 Series’ (38.7 feet vs. 39.7 feet). The S8’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the 7 Series xDrive’s (38.7 feet vs. 40.4 feet).

The S8 is 3.2 inches shorter than the 7 Series, making the S8 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The S8 uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The 7 Series doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The S8 has .3 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more rear legroom and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the 7 Series.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the S8 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 7 Series doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The S8 offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The 7 Series doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.