Compare the2026 BMW M5VS 2025 Audi RS 7

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 M5 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The RS 7 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The M5 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 RS 7’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the M5 has standard Cross Traffic Warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the RS 7.

Both the M5 and the RS 7 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, 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 and available around view monitors.

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the M5 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, 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 RS 7.

There are over 14 percent more BMW dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the M5’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 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 73 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 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 13 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

The M5’s 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid produces 96 more horsepower (717 vs. 621) and 111 lbs.-ft. more torque (738 vs. 627) than the RS 7’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the M5 Sedan running on electricity gets better mileage than the RS 7 Performance (41 city/57 hwy MPGe vs. 14 city/21 hwy).

The M5 Sedan can travel with zero emissions for 29 miles. The RS 7 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the BMW M5 higher (4 out of 10) than the Audi RS 7 (2). This means the M5 produces up to 15.6 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the RS 7 every 15,000 miles.

The M5 stops shorter than the RS 7:

For better traction, the M5 has larger tires than the RS 7 (F:285/40R20 & R:295/35R21 vs. 275/35R21).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the M5’s wheelbase is 3 inches longer than on the RS 7 (118.3 inches vs. 115.3 inches).

The M5’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52.2% to 47.8%) than the RS 7’s (55.9% to 44.1%). This gives the M5 more stable handling and braking.

The M5 Sedan handles at .98 G’s, while the RS 7 pulls only .95 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The M5 has 3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the RS 7 (98 vs. 95).

The M5 Sedan has 3.6 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the RS 7.

The M5 has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the RS 7 (27.2 vs. 24.6 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the M5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The RS 7 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the M5 offers cargo security. The RS 7’s non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

The M5 has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The RS 7 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The M5’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The RS 7’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The M5’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the RS 7’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The RS 7’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The M5’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

A power rear sunshade is optional in the M5 Sedan and manual rear side window sunshades are optional in the M5 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The RS 7 doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The BMW M5 comes in sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Audi RS 7 isn’t available as a station wagon.

The BMW 5 Series outsold the Audi A7/S7/RS 7 by over 11 to one during 2024.