Audi Vs. BMW: Choose Your Winner in the Brand Battle

German automakers, the brightest representative of which are Audi and BMW, have always been associated with excellent quality and exemplary technical characteristics. Few people can objectively and unbiased say that Audi is better than BMW or BMW is significantly superior to Audi. We compared brands according to various parameters and products offered to help you find your winner.

Audi manufacturer specializes in the production of front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive cars. At the disposal of this German concern is a trump card of branded Quattro all-wheel drive. Even fairly heavy Audi models can demonstrate excellent performance in terms of driving and dynamic characteristics. Moreover, due to this intelligent AWD, cars from Audi, yielding to their competitors produced by BMW in horsepower, are still ahead of them on the straights.

If you make a BMW vs. Audi comparison, you will see several main advantages of Audi vehicles:

• Attractive appearance . Audi models always look modern and advanced. They dictate new exterior trends into world practice.
• Excellent quality and organization of the interior space. At the heart of Audi are high-quality finishing materials. The designers of this brand are among the best in providing exceptional comfort and creating ergonomics.
• Adaptive suspension. It allows vehicles to work confidently in various conditions, offering a wide range of modes – you can safely drive on highways and tracks, as well as off-road.
• Moderate fuel consumption. A lot depends on the specific Audi car, but in general, modern motors paired with advanced gearboxes show exemplary efficiency in many respects.

And what about the shortcomings? Poor equipment in the basic configuration of Audi cars is rightly considered a significant drawback. The initial trims are almost empty, and the relatively small starting price feels like a marketing ploy. You need to take a Premium Plus trim level and above to fully feel the advantages of driving an Audi.

It is hardly worth arguing that BMW cars are designed for aggressive and high-speed driving. In most cases, BMW cars are RWD or FWD . On some sedans, the suspension is too stiff, because of which the driver feels bumps on the roads. It is worth considering BMW vehicles with adaptive suspension, which helps to swallow bumps and pits.

The Bavarian automaker set high prices for its creations. At the same time, vehicles rarely fail. In terms of maintenance, a BMW is more expensive than an Audi and sometimes more laborious. Also, a slightly increased fuel consumption against the background of economical Audi can be called a drawback. The difference depends on the model and is not significant, but still present.

While Audi and BMW are both reliable brands, Audi can be named as a winner in this comparison because of its safety features and extra warranty coverage.

To be more objective when comparing Audi vs. BMW cars, it is worth taking a look at several categories of vehicles. Let’s consider the following classes:

• business sedans;
• premium sedans;
• crossovers;
• supercars.

It is worth comparing popular Audi A6 and BMW 5 series models to find the winner in the class of business sedans.

The new-generation A6 wins in dynamics and has solid strength – up to 310 horsepower. The car needs 5.5 seconds to accelerate from a standstill to 60 miles per hour. These are excellent figures even for more compact vehicles with increased power. Audi manufacturers also offers high-quality interior trim, based on genuine leather and Alcantara.

A certain disadvantage of the A6 is its electronics. Drivers, who have not dealt with such vehicles, may have difficulties with adaptation. Electronics abundance provokes a potentially long list of malfunctions, which can be eliminated only through professional computer diagnostics.

In favor of the BMW 5 Series business sedan is a high-performance diesel engine ready to offer exemplary high fuel economy – up to 25 city / 33 highway. The trim of the BMW 5 Series is not inferior to the competitor vehicles from Audi. It is also a modern sedan equipped with electronics with all the advantages and disadvantages that entails.

If you want to get great dynamics, then Audi will be your favorite, but the business sedan manufactured by BMW turned out to be more economical.

Audi cars depreciate slower, while BMW cars have the worst resale value among German brands. But the situation changes when you buy a used BMW – the BMW 5 Series turns out to be the most profitable.

This segment examines the Audi and BMW flagships: the A8 and the 7 Series models.

The A8 offers an all-wheel drive system, a modern 8-speed gearbox, and a solid selection of powertrains. You can also buy the Audi A8 Long, characterized by increased dimensions.

Although the BMW does not have an optional extended wheel platform, it has a record 3210 mm. Despite the impressive dimensions, the flagship shows ideal dynamics: 4.5 seconds and the speedometer shows figures of 60 miles per hour. This is due to the BMW engine with a return of 450 horsepower.

Unlike business sedans, in the premium category, BMW wins in terms of dynamics.

The service and maintenance advantage is on the side of Audi cars, although BMW vehicles are not much inferior to their competitors. Both brands are expensive in terms of vehicle costs and running expenses. But the direct connection between Audi and Volkswagen has led to the fact that it is cheaper to buy spare parts and carry out routine maintenance on cars under the Audi brand.

If you want to buy the most reliable and high-quality crossover and choose between BMW and Audi, the choice is rather difficult. For the two brands, reliability and safety are synonymous.

If we talk about full-fledged mid-size crossovers, it is worth comparing the BMW X3 and Audi Q5 . There are also full-size Q7 and X5 , and compact Q3 and X1 SUVs. At the same time, BMW can offer the coupe-like crossover X6 , which has no analogs in the competitor’s lineup.

When the Audi Q5 appeared on the market, it immediately gained the status of an exemplary crossover. It combines optimal dimensions, perfect handling, excellent dynamics, and moderate fuel consumption. This model can boast of high-tech stuffing and top-quality finishing materials inside.

In terms of ergonomics, the BMW X3 is inferior to its competitor, although it can offer a high level of comfort in its spacious interior.

The models from BMW and Audi will be equal if you choose a crossover for urban use in Indianapolis. This applies to both Q5 and X3, as well as older models. But when operating a crossover outside the city, Audi breaks ahead. The engines on these cars are more high-torque, and you can also purchase a crossover with a manual gearbox. BMW’s all-terrain performance is more modest.

All supercars in the M package from BMW offer increased and even sportier and more aggressive performance. The answer to this from Audi is the prefix RS .

In this rivalry, we can compare the Audi RS5 vs. BMW M3. In the case of the M3, BMW relies on traditional stuffing in the interior with physical buttons and controls. Audi, on the other hand, takes a more modern approach, equipping the car with a touchscreen display. As a result, the sports car from Audi is more ergonomic and easier to operate. If you are aiming for more aggressive driving, and want to keep the car under your overall control, then the BMW sports car will be the priority choice.

However, when manually shifting the gearbox on the BMW M3, intense overheating of the gearbox begins quite quickly. This forces owners of the extreme version of the BMW 3 Series to contact the service more often and rather quickly face the need to replace the box or its components.

Audi RS5 offers top performance with 450 hp. The BMW M3 gives only 420 horses, but in real racing conditions, the difference is not so noticeable and tangible. Everything depends on the driver and the ability to manage so much horsepower properly.

Each manufacturer is good at certain points, ahead of the competitor in some bells and whistles, and inferior in others.

• If you need a high level of ergonomics, comfort, and handling, then you should consider Audi. These cars aim at family drivers, fans of a more relaxed and measured ride, who do not need to prove anything.
• BMW can offer aggressive design, a certain amount of conservatism, extreme driving feelings, and the possibility of complete control over the car.

Schedule your test drive right now to compare used Audi vs. BMW behind the wheel and buy the best car of your favorite brand!