Compare the2025 Audi RS 6VS 2025 BMW M5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi RS 6 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The BMW M5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The RS 6’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The M5 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi RS 6 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 6 and M5 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The RS 6 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.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The RS 6 has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The M5 doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the RS 6 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. The M5 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the RS 6 and M5 offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the RS 6 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 6 and the M5 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, 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, driver alert monitors and available blind spot warning systems.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the RS 6’s fuel efficiency. The M5 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The RS 6 has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the M5 (19.3 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the RS 6’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the M5:

The RS 6’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 40 series tires. The RS 6’s optional tires have a lower 30 series profile than the M5’s 40 series front and 35 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the RS 6 has standard 21-inch wheels. Only 20-inch front wheels are available on the M5. The RS 6 offers optional 22-inch wheels.

The front and rear suspension of the RS 6 uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the M5, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The RS 6 has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The RS 6’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The M5 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For better maneuverability, the RS 6’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the M5’s (40 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

The Audi RS 6 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 550 pounds less than the BMW M5.

The RS 6 is 3.9 inches shorter than the M5, making the RS 6 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the RS 6 a Mid-Size Station Wagon car, while the M5 Touring is rated a Small Station Wagon.

The RS 6 has 3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the M5 (101 vs. 98).

The RS 6 has 1.4 inches more rear headroom and 1.2 inches more rear legroom than the M5.

The RS 6 Avant has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the M5 Touring with its rear seat up (30 vs. 17.7 cubic feet). The RS 6 Avant has a much larger trunk with its rear seat folded than the M5 Touring with its rear seat folded (63.8 vs. 57.6 cubic feet).

The RS 6’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The M5 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the RS 6 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 6, 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 6 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 6 has standard extendable sun visors. The M5 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The RS 6’s optional Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The M5’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.