Audi A6 vs BMW 5 Series: Which Is The Better Car?

Audi and BMW are going for slightly different looks with the A6 and 5 Series. The A6 is premium and sporty. The BMW makes a bolder statement with its kidney grille and has a little more of an executive edge around it.

Judging the two cars on their exterior is a touchy subject for some. There’s a lot of conflict between Audi and BMW fans regarding the aesthetics of the two brands. We’ll say this. The new Audi A6 is tauter and more athletic looking but the BMW 5 Series has a more aggressive feel to it.

The M Sport trim of the 5 Series comes with either 18 or 19-inch M light alloy wheels, LED fog lights, high-gloss Shadowline exterior trim, and anthracite headlining. With the Sport trim on the A6, you get 18-inch ‘5-arm’ design alloy wheels, a titanium black radiator grille with horizontal struts in Aluminium silver, and a matt black side air intake grille.

Both are sleek and thoughtfully designed, but at the end of the day, we can’t say which is the better looking - it all depends on your personal taste. If you’re a fan of subtle, sporty styling, go for the A6. If you want something a little bolder and muscular, the 5 Series is for you.

Let’s start with the engines. There isn’t much in it between the two cars in terms of engine power. They both have 2.0-litre turbo diesel engines paired with automatic gearboxes. Whilst the Audi A6 has a seven-speed transmission, the BMW 5 Series has a smoother eight-speed gearbox with pretty seamless gear shifts whereas the A6 lags a fair bit. In a drag race, the 5 Series is quicker off the mark with its rear-wheel drive (RWD) but as soon as you hit the 30-70 mph range, the A6 pulls further ahead.

In this 5 Series vs A6 battle, the 5 Series comes out on top as the most fun to drive. The suspension on the A6 does not make for a comfortable ride at all. It’s firm and you’ll feel every pothole in the road with force. You can add on adaptive dampers and Audi quattro all-wheel drive to improve things, but it still doesn’t square up to the 5 Series. In the BMW alternative, you can swap the suspension to a softer set up at no extra cost, and you can also add adaptive dampers.

Handling is pretty good in the A6. Out of the two, it has the hardest grip and leans least. Steering on the 5 Series is weak comparatively but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyable driving experience.

Both cars have front and rear parking sensors as standard and the A6 has an additional rear view camera thrown in for good measure. Your view of the road ahead of you is fantastic in both, with blazing LED headlights on both. You’ll have the least worries about blind spots with the thin front pillars on the A6. Adaptive cruise control is available as an add-on on the BMW 5 Series but not on the A6.

BMW’s motto is “The Ultimate Driving Experience” and it shows in this category. In a drag race, it wins hands down. Suspension and transmission is smoother. Handling isn’t quite as good as the A6, but it’s not poor by any means.

As major producers of luxury cars, it’s no surprise that both the A6 and 5 Series have gorgeous interiors. Whilst you can see where both manufacturers have saved a bit of cash (more plastic, less leather on the dash and upholstery) when you compare them to their pricier sisters, the BMW 7 Series and Audi A8, the interiors still scream premium.

The new A6 infotainment system consists of two touchscreens - the top controls your navigation, media, phone, and so on, whilst the bottom is home to the climate controls. The system uses haptic feedback so you can be sure you’ve actually pressed a button, which is particularly useful because you’ll struggle to keep your eyes on the road when using it. You can add on the Audi Virtual Cockpit at an extra cost so the important functions like sat nav are displayed behind the driver’s wheel and are operated by buttons on the wheel.

In the 5 Series, the central display sits on top of the dashboard and can be operated either via touchscreen or the rotary control near the gearshift. BMW’s iDrive system is generally seen as more user-friendly than the Audi MMI infotainment system. The climate controls are button-operated which doesn’t look as cool but when you’re driving, it’s far less fiddly.

Both come with standard sound systems (but you can upgrade these at a cost which we recommend for a holistic premium driving experience) and automatic climate control, and Apple Carplay functionality.

It’s a tough call here. Audi are known for their stunning interiors and we like the aesthetic of the MMI set-up compared to the iDrive. But the iDrive is easier to use. If you add Virtual Cockpit to the mix, the A6 wins but since it’s not standard, we have to go with the 5 Series for usability reasons.

The A6 is the more practical model out of the two. In terms of boot space, the A6 Saloon boot has 530 litres and the A6 Avant boot capacity and A6 Allroad trunk is 565 litres. The 5 Series Saloon has slightly less at 520 litres, but the Touring has 570 litres. The square shape of the A6 boot is easier to live with, and the 40/20/40 split folding seats are standard, but you need to pay extra for them in the 5 Series.

The driving position is better in the A6 too. You get an electrically adjustable driver’s seat as standard so you can find the perfect position with ease. With the 5 Series, you have to pay extra for basic adjustable lumbar support. With this support, however, the 5 Series has the most comfortable front seats, but if we’re talking about the standard specs here, the A6 pulls ahead.

Rear passengers will be happiest in the A6. The optional sunroof in the 5 Series eats into the headroom and if you’re a middle passenger, the lighting console above your head also poses a problem. The A6 has an extra couple of centimetres of legroom in the rear seats, so there’s more knee wiggle room for growing kids.

When it comes down to costs, it’s a close call between the two. To purchase outright, the A6 is a couple of grand more expensive.

A6 Saloon mpg is 62.8 for the entry level diesel (insurance group 32) and 42.8 mpg for entry level petrol (insurance group 37). The A6 Avant mpg is 60.1 for diesel and 42.4 mpg for petrol and the insurance groups are the same as the Saloon. The A6 Allroad insurance group is a little higher at 43 and mpg is 48.7 for diesel.

The fuel tank in the 5 Series Saloon stays fuller for slightly less time in the basic diesel models, offering 62.7 mpg (insurance group 31) but the petrol is less thirsty at 48.7 mpg. In the Touring, the diesel manages 58.8 mpg and petrol 45.6 mpg. All of these entry 5 Series cars sit in insurance group 31.

BMW and Audi reliability aren't great, so repair costs can hike up. The Reliability Index says that average repair costs in the first 5 years for the A6 come to £541.75 and for the 5 Series, £523.80. This isn’t a major difference but is something worth considering if you’ve had bad experiences with maintenance and repairs in the past and don’t want a repeat!

An Audi warranty lasts 3 years/60,000 miles but BMW outdoes them here with a 3 year, unlimited mileage warranty, great for longer distance driving. If you need longer, both offer an extended warranty - we look at the Audi extended warranty in particular here.