Compare the2024 Audi RS 5 SportbackVS 2023 BMW M5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi RS 5 Sportback 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 M5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi RS 5 Sportback 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 M5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the RS 5 Sportback and M5 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The RS 5 Sportback 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 M5’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.

The RS 5 Sportback’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 M5 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the RS 5 Sportback and M5 offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the RS 5 Sportback with Rear Cross-Traffic Assist also has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The M5’s Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the RS 5 Sportback and the M5 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, all wheel drive, 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.

On the EPA test cycle the RS 5 Sportback gets better mileage than the M5:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi RS 5 Sportback higher (5 out of 10) than the BMW M5 (3). This means the RS 5 Sportback produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the M5 every 15,000 miles.

The RS 5 Sportback’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 M5’s standard 40 series tires. The RS 5 Sportback’s optional tires have a lower 30 series profile than the M5’s optional 35 series tires.

The RS 5 Sportback 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 M5; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better maneuverability, the RS 5 Sportback’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the M5’s (38.7 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

The RS 5 Sportback is 8.1 inches shorter than the M5, making the RS 5 Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The RS 5 Sportback’s standard Audi Advanced Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Comfort Access standard on the M5 doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the RS 5 Sportback to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The M5 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Laser headlights, standard on the RS 5 Sportback, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the M5’s 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 RS 5 Sportback has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The M5 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 RS 5 Sportback has standard extendable sun visors. The M5 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Insurance will cost less for the RS 5 Sportback owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the RS 5 Sportback will cost $3285 less than the M5 over a five-year period.

The RS 5 Sportback will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the RS 5 Sportback will retain 55.03% of its original price after five years, while the M5 only retains 47.18%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi RS 5 Sportback will be $34918 less than for the BMW M5.

The Audi A5/S5/RS 5 outsold the BMW 5 Series by 6% during 2023.