Compare the2024 BMW 5 SeriesVS 2024 Audi A6

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 5 Series are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The A6 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The 5 Series 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 A6’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the 5 Series has standard Cross Traffic Warning and Brake Intervention automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the A6.

The 5 Series’ 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 A6 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the 5 Series and the A6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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.

The BMW 5 Series achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The A6 has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the 5 Series 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 A6.

There are over 14 percent more BMW dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the 5 Series’ warranty.

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 2024 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW 10 places higher in reliability than Audi.

The 530i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 273) than the A6 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The 540i xDrive’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 40 more horsepower (375 vs. 335) and 29 lbs.-ft. more torque (398 vs. 369) than the A6 55 TFSI’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the 5 Series gets better mileage than the A6:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the BMW 5 Series uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The A6 55 TFSI 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 BMW 5 Series higher (7 out of 10) than the Audi A6 (5). This means the 5 Series produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the A6 every 15,000 miles.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the BMW 5 Series, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the A6.

The 5 Series’ launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The A6 doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the 5 Series’ brake rotors are larger than those on the A6:

The 5 Series’ optional 245/35R21 front and 275/30R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the A6’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 5 Series offers optional 21-inch wheels. The A6’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The 5 Series offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The A6 doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The 5 Series offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Audi doesn’t offer an active suspension on the A6.

The 5 Series offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The A6’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the 5 Series’ wheelbase is 2.8 inches longer than on the A6 (117.9 inches vs. 115.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the 5 Series is 1.5 inches wider in the rear than on the A6.

The front grille of the 5 Series uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The A6 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The 5 Series has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the A6.

The 5 Series has a much larger trunk than the A6 (18.4 vs. 13.7 cubic feet).

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.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the A6, the 5 Series has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW 5 Series has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the A6.

The 5 Series is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The A6 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The BMW 5 Series outsold the Audi A6/S6/RS 6 by almost three to one during 2023.