Compare the2025 BMW 5 SeriesVS 2025 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.

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 rated the 5 Series second among upper midsize premium cars in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The A6 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 36 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 With 85 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks BMW higher than Audi.

The 5 Series has more powerful engines than the A6:

On the EPA test cycle the 5 Series running its gasoline engine 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 84.9 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 (4). This means the 5 Series produces up to 13.2 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 540i xDrive’s brake rotors are larger than those on the A6:

The 5 Series stops shorter than the A6:

The 5 Series’ optional 285/30R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the A6 55 TFSI’s optional 35 series tires.

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 530i xDrive handles at .95 G’s, while the A6 Prestige pulls only .93 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

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).

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.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the BMW 5 Series and the Audi A6, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The BMW 5 Series outsold the Audi A6/S6/RS 6 by over two to one during 2024.