Love these kind of shoot outs. I'm making an Audi convert out of my neighbor when I give him a ride to work in my S4 while his 5-series is in the shop.
I don't pick a car based on "fact". I do so based on driving experience and the "chemistry". For that reason, I bought a BMW. It doesn't matter which technical aspect of Audi or Mercedes is how much superior. BMW clicks better for me.
You guys did it wrong. The BMW has this thing where, when your stopped, the engine goes into idle mode to save gas. If you look below the start button there is a tiny button which turns this off. When it is off the engine is ready to go. My dad just bought a 535 so I know.
The Audi isn't even considered a competitor to the BMW in Europe. Its a badge engineered Skoda underneath. Still a competent car but dynamically inferior. The new A6 (are they even new when it's just headlights that are changed?) is 150kg heavier than the rear wheel drive 5 series. It makes no sense
@constv1 I was really impressed by the BMW's steering and handling, but you can't argue with physics and the BMW is just sooooo much heavier. Keep in mind that I've owned an M3 and a 525ix so I'm very familiar with both the car and the brand. We're not cheer leading for either BMW or Audi, but in this case the Audi is the better car in our opinion based on the criteria we established.
I owned a 2009 BMW 535i and loved it but it had a few issues and I finally traded it in with 116K miles for a...2013 Audi A6. Both cars are great cars but the Audi is a better built car and I've enjoyed the Audi more. I bought both of them used - 3 years old and about 44,000ish miles. I took care of both the same way. I'm sticking to Audi's going forward (and maybe a Porsche).
BMW is and was always the ultimate driving machine, They dominated Audi and Mercedes in sales and everything else no question. There was an article that was released two days ago and here what is says- Global leader in its executive car segment Since its launch in 1972, the BMW 5 Series has been the undisputed global leader in the executive car segment. Throughout its successful 42 years, the BMW 5 Series has acquired more than 72 international awards including: Germany's Favourite Car and Car of the Year from the UK, Bulgaria, Mexico, Thailand and New Zealand, USA's 2010 GOOD DESIGN Award, the Red Dot award, the iF Product Design Award, the Design Prize of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Design Award from the Auto Bild, the Design Trophy from the Auto Zeitung magazine and a multitude of other awards on different continents that continue to reaffirm the global popularity of the BMW 5 Series. www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2014/05/14/7828872.htm
Yeah but that's in the past, now in the present they did a head to head match of BMW M5 competition package vs the Mercedes E63 AMG sport package(forgot actual sport package name) and the Mercedes won. You can see yourself in the Motor Trend channel. For any car brand it's just a matter of time before Mercedes will beat it, sorry man Mercedes invented the automobile.
juan tafoya I know I saw the video sometime ago but here is the spec sheet for the 2013 BMW M5(non performance package) vs 2014 Mercedes e63 s model,The spec sheet speaks for itself. www.automobile-catalog.com/auta_cmp2.php 2013 BMW M5 (non performance package) 0 to 60 mph- 3.9 seconds when the Mercedes get 3.7 with awd 0 to 160 mph- 25.8 seconds Quarter mile- 12.1 seconds @ 119mph Weight- 4387 pounds 2014 Mercedes E63 AMG S model 0 to 60 mph- 3.7 seconds 0 to 160 mph- 26.5 seconds Quarter mile- 12.1 seconds @117mph Weight- 4431 The Mercedes has awd and more power/torque and barely beats the M5 that has rwd to 60. Like I said BMW has and will always be the ultimate driving machine period, if they added awd to the M5 it would demolish the Mercedes cause awd usually shreds a second of the time to 60 mph. The M5 beat the Mercedes to 160 mph when it has awd, more power and a good amount of torque.
O J there is no "if" , you're either the best or you're not. I can say "if" the e63 was lighter but "if" doesn't count. BMW is good theyre the best balanced cars in the world with perfect 50/50 weight distribution but Mercedes is notorious for torque and superior AMG engines they always outdo every brand.
Nose to tush drag race????. You know better than that. If two cars with identical acceleration profiles are having a drag race, then the first one off the line will always be going faster than the second one off the line and will be pulling away from the other forever. That's what happened here. Hence the acceleration test was bogus. BTW, I own an A6.
LOL @ the bmw butt hurt fan boys. Im a fan of all of them. I noticed that in the early 90's benz was dominating, late 90's-mid 2000's bmw took over now its audi's time to shine and everyone is crying. I drove the 5 series and the A6 along with the 7 series and A8 and let me tell you... in MY opinion, audi was in fact better.
Di3zell Honestly, dont take my advice or ANYONE elses. Your best solution is to test drive both of them. No specs or recommendation will make that choice for you. You must make the choice. Take them both out and see for your self. Both are really great cars, it would be foolish of me to say one is shitty and one is perfect. Plus test driving is always fun. It honestly depends on your taste.
My dad had the 7-series, before that the S-class and now my mom got the Q7 and he agrees that the audi is better than the other 2. But its an unequal comparison since 1 is an SUV and the other 2 are sedans
Di3zell Yep, you must perform a testdrive of both cars and see for yourself which one fits you and your driving style better. I love both BMW and Audi. For me, I was looking for a crossover, I testdrove both Q5 3.0T Premium Plus and X3 xDrive35i M-Sport. I choose the X3 because of its responsiveness to my steering input and off-the-line 0-60 in 5.5 seconds for a SUV/SAV. The Q5 wasn't far behind at 6.1 seconds 0-60 time. I still love both. If I have a bigger garage, I can purchase both.
I work as a service advisor at a BMW dealer here in LA. The vast majority of the owners I see of the 535i will never be drag racing with anyone. They are doctors, real estate agents, owners of companies that buy the car for the image (nothing wrong with that), the quality, the luxury and safety. Wheter it goes from 0-60 in 5.1 secs or in 5.8 seconds wont matter worth a shiat to any of them.
I just scored a 2014 A6 Prestige, 16,500 miles, immaculate. White with a gorgeous coffee brown interior. My neighbor was selling his Dad’s car. Omg. What an awesome car. These reviews make me even HAPPIER!!!!!!
Very well done car review, even though I'm a BMW fan. Entertaining, informative, and detailed (even the gear lever haha). In this particular case I have to begrudgingly agree that the A6 wins hands down
Lots of BMW fanboys here raging, don't worry about them. Great review. BMW's forgot that taking out 1 turbo from the N54 to the N55 made turbo lag horrendous. Whereas Audi done what Mercedes has failed with their Kompressor line; eliminate the Supercharger noise and kept the instant torque. Plus, X-drive is rubbish compared to the Quattro. Audi wins in interior quality too... On a track, the 535 would be better balanced, but who in the right of mind would do that in a 535? A6 wins hands down.
If you're drag racing with an automatic turbo, you don't just mash the gas pedal down. You hold the brake and push the gas to build up boost. When you let go of the brake, you'll leave the audi in the dust. Don't forgot to turn off trac control. Regardless, they are both great cars. People buying these cars aren't picking one over the other based on a few tenths of a second difference in the 0-60 time. Buy what you like.
I bought the 2012 Audi A6 S-Line and the car is amazing. The ride , the quality and the looks far better than BMW . My brother in law has the 535i X- drive he says himself that the Audi is much better than his bmw in every way . He is actually selling it and buying the Audi.
Opinions are just opinions, so if their thought is that the Audi is better, than that's their opinions. The 5 series, to this day in the US, still sells over 2 times as much as the A6, so I'm sure BMW isn't too worried.
Well yea that's bc they lease the car out for $450 a month. Anybody with a pulse and a $20,000 salary can afford a 5 series. They've sold themselves out and there is nothing special about BMW ownership anymore.
Scott Maurizi Yeah, everyone drives a 3-series and most people who have no knowledge of cars, will never notice the difference of a 5-series. There are way too many 3-series out there, and BMW is way too mainstream where I live. Reason why I wouldn't buy one.
In plus, Audi is the number-one selling Luxury/Premium automaker in the U.S, surpassing BMW every month since last February. So what does that tell you?
1820AL That the VW GROUP's scheme for absolute dominance is very real indeed. HOWEVER BMW is still the ONLY premium luxury independent brand in the world. THAT and the beautifully sporty styling is enough of a reason to buy the Beemer. + BM's got nicer steering feel, + Better MPG + Far superior elegantly simplified interior + BMW Apps far more advanced + iDrive system/NavSystem is superior in every respect + STYLING is far sportier/distinguished than AUDI's line of cars. + Far more reliable ( F10 5-Series came 2nd place reliability) national ranking.
atnstn Honestly, I don't find the styling of BMW to be on par with Audi. Heck, look at the dashboard of a 3-series! It's so basic and bland for a luxury car.
@yjzang You are completely wrong. Both Nathan and I love BMWs. In fact, I've owned a few great ones including a killer M3. Please don't assume that just because we liked the Audi A6 better...we hate BMWs.
I was okay with your argument until you said "horrible RWD drive experience." I don't know if you meant drivetrain faults, but to drive, BMW's are almost second to none. M3 E46/E92, E60 M5, 1series M, all exceptional RWD drivers cars. X-drive may not be AS good as the next AWD system but cars like the X5 M can still manage extremely impressive numbers with x-drive. BTW I'm NOT an Audi hater. I embrace almost all of BMW's Audi's and Porsche's products. Mercedes? Can go eat a bag.
this BMW has to be launched properly to take off fast, if your at a standstill, you have to spool up the turbos to about 4000 rpm with left foot on the brake and release, it will take off like a rocket, im curently looking for an f10 535i with the manual transmission.
abelucious Glad someone said it! Although I believe you only need to take it to about 2500 rpm. Anyways just a stupid drag race over all comparing a supercharger to a turbocharger and not launching the turbo correctly.
abelucious In my A6, I just press the pedal to launch. That's it.. btw: I'm using my right foot for both pedals.. Breaking with your left foot and flooring it with you're right foot sounds like playing twister instead of racing. But that might be just me..
2Fast4Mellow Right and your A6 is supercharged. Read up on superchargers vs. turbochargers and you will get what we were talking about. The whole point of racing these is so you can kick someone's ass at a stoplight right? Well if that BMW gets to spool up its turbo (barely takes any time with their new very little turbo lagging engines) wouldn't you like to know if it will kick your ass? Your A6 has more power and would likely win btw but I'm just saying they did this "drag race" in a bad way.
Lucas Cruz So, you only race from standstill? So, wait complicated procedure do you have to follow if you're driving with a mate on a highway both at say 60mph and side by side and do a race who of the two has finished the next mile first? I just floor my pedal, the VCT gear will kick down and I will be 'launched'. I guess you have to shift down manually then in order to spool up the turbo? In other words where I can just press my pedal, you have to configure you're car for each and every 'race'. BTW Rotrex has supercharges for most BMW models. I think my A6 has less power than yours as I only have a 2.0TFSI 260HP (originally 211HP, but downtuned to 180HP by Audi on order to meat the emissions specs for energy class A) engine.. For me 'racing' is about escaping every days complicated routines. So while I can focus on the road ahead, while you also have to keep paying attention to you're revs..
2Fast4Mellow Uh put simply, no. Turbo lag nowadays especially with BMWs is very short. if you're cruising down the highway you might get a slight lead but your mate in the bmw is gonna destroy you after a second. The point I was making was in the video they did it at a standstill so you're gonna see a big gap in the cars if not launched correctly. Remember its driving cars a little difference in acceleration appears big. I said your car had more power cuz I just assumed your A6 was 3.0T but since it isn't, your car would be left in the dust by a 535 no question. Also, BMWs you can just hit the pedal and take off too it's not that complicated... again the turbo lag nowadays with their twinscroll turbochargers is very very short. Even with their single scrolls it is still minute.
Sorry mate, you're really off the line by starting the Audi comment by an VW news state.. Yes Volkswagen Group sells passenger cars under the Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Audi, Porsche, SEAT, Škoda and Volkswagen! But you're describing an Audi like it's from a VW factory. Well it's NOT and that is a big different. Now i guess you probably know that, but some of us don't. Tomorrow somebody is going to say that an Audi is same as VW.....Or a Porsche is same as Seat!!! Commeee onnnnn a big minus there!!
audi is for people that are new money. mercedes is for grandparents while the bmw is for your parents i drive an audi and i love it. its a young persons car. and its got the power and luxury features i need. audi is the treadsetter(style wise) in the car game.
I have Audi a6,believe me you have to drive this car to know it performance. it runs very smooth,so much power on the the engine, audi's are the best. Bmw is now behing Audi,no question.
yes for every day car i think audi now look amazing i will take one for the look but for performance you can visit green-hell and you will see that the most popular brands are bmw;s and porsches.. i not a one brand fan i just like and love cars ! by the way new rs 6 is amazing and handles perfect on the new static coil-over suspension ! :)))
The new Audi A6 is better than what I imagined, it's sleeker, classier and better looking than before. The new 5 series has matured too much, and not as good as youthful as it's predecessor the E39 which in my opinion was the best 5 series produced, a fantastic car. The new A6 looks as classy and as good looking as the A8 whilst the 5 series does look like it's younger brother the 3 series.
I have been in both cars, the Audi is a much better car. The build quality in and out can't be matched certainly by BMW. The cabin is so classy that if I didn't know it was an Audi, I would think the car was £20K more expensive. The Audi is certainly the car of my choice.
Lol it wasnt ive owned both brands, they have strengths and weaknesses but bmw has moved in a different direction over the last decade, numbers in sales over anything else. Meaning they want you to pay top dollar for any performance, that wasnt always the case.
Great review guys. I like how in the beginning Nathan explained how the 5 series has been the benchmark to beat for years, and now now finally Audi came along and beat it. The A6, A7, and new A8 will put Audi on the map forever.
This is an Audi appliance advert. They should sell it in a bundle. Buy an efficient, soulless and fugly Audi and get a blender for you and a G shock for him.
My take is this. The 5 series is all about excitement (which it doesn't quite produce anymore). The A6 is all about technology and "wow, look at that" -ness, plus it now has great power. The Audi is the obvious choice.
My eyes were wide open thank you and I was smelling the coffee. The Audi is the better car, as far as quality and finish. I have not driven the cars, so unable to comment on engine refinement or ride.
Audi might have the better performance,the cheaper car etc etc but there is always one thing from the Beemer above it all.That is the fact it is a Beemer.Therefore I buy them and not because one is faster as the other.With a race is comes to the driver.Here in Germany Audi tries for decades to be the number one But till now it is still 1: BMW 2:Mercedes and only 3th Audi..why?because it is an Audi.Even as they have good sales numbers but most are company cars on lease contracts.Almost to compare with a Ford Mondeo
Much respect to both auto makers, but in all fairness, the AWD version of this BMW adds weight to it, while the pure RWD car loses no traction because of the way it is geared and the way the dual power straight 6 works. Admittedly Audi has always been the benchmark for AWD with their Quattro systems, but the BMW 535i RWD version is 300 pounds light than their X-Drive model, while the performance figures are the same. Believe that would of been a fairer test, as BMW made its name on RWD sedans.
So they don't talk anything about driving in the city, or gas mileage or comfort, the things these cars NEED to do, they are EXECUTIVE cars, not sports car.
I know Audi's are great cars, but you guys were way too biased against the BMW. First off, the biggest part of a drag race is the launch. When the Audi has open road in front of it, it can launch better, and get to its power peak faster. When the BMW has to wait a second, and get a slow launch, the Audi will already be gone. In all honesty I think the new 5 looks more like the new 7. However I rather it look like a sportier 3 than an old man's 7 series.
A6 is good but there is no use to compare it with the 5 serie. The BMW is passion wildness and elegance also. The Audi is something neither BMW nor Mercedes.
The 550i would run against the Audi S6, the "S" being used to represent the most powerful non RS car in the lineup. In this case the 550i would be destroyed, be a large margin.
If the 5 series looks like a 3 series, and an a6 looks like an a8, that poses a problem for audi's flagship sedan. A8 looks like the lower end vehicle.
You really can't fault Audi reliability by using statistics from years past. They've come a long way and don't have nearly as many mechanical or electrical problems as before.
Audi A6 has the best looking exterior, interior! PLUS better engine, transmission. If the tradeoff was the driving dynamics i'd take the A6 anyday over BMW 5 series..
I have the A6 3L supercharged car. But i think not to give the BMW the nod for driving feel.at the wheel is an impirtant ommission. Most people drive these cars at 3/10ths to 5/10ths 95% of the time and how the car feels at the wheel is a real pleasure is a key value point driving a fine car. On the other hand the Audi's 3L is exceptional in fuel.economy, also not mentioned. Driving across Sydney in heavy slow traffic recently, for 90 minutes it returned better than 26mpg (US). On highway cruise at 65mph it returns 34npg(US). But if you drive dynamically around town it drops to 20mpg(US).
The Audi is the best car in this segment at the moment, PERIOD!! Driven all of them back to back and all around package is the best from Audi!! quattro is amazing and the car gets great fuel economy with a superb 8 speed
@EmilDrumAndBass Who said anything about kilograms vs pounds? Please leave the reviews and the Laughing out Loud to us. The European spec cars weight less than the American Spec cars, and it doesn't matter if you measure that weight in pounds or kilograms.
the 5 series still looks better inside and out, and the BMW warranty service package is far superior. I've owned a 330ci, M3, X3, M6, an X5 and a 535Xi.. Never once paid a penny to service them.. Only thing I ever bought was gas and rubber. BMW pay for all brake pads, wipers, fluids, etc. A friend has a Q5 and every appointment to the service center for their required check ups are several hundred $$$... And don't tell me about the price difference being the reason. The numbers don't add up and when I buy a new car I don't want to be nickel and dimed to death at the service center. I chipped my 535 and now it has far less turbo lag and 15 more hp. Audi 4 BMW 5
I like the interior of the Audi but I just cant stand the exterior shape. Boring! BMW 5 resembles a grinning lion whereas Audu A6 looks like a robot. Audi have stuck with the same shape for over a decade and I'm sick of it!
I know you americans don't like diesels but you should really try the 535d, it has an amazing engine that behaves much better than the one in the 535i.
1st: The new 5 looks like the new 7, not the 3 series. 2nd: PERSONALLY if I'm buying a mid-sized business class luxury sedan the launch time is not going to matter to me at all. If i cared i'd buy the M5. 3rd: BMW is a better, more prestigious name so that would influence the high-end luxury car buyer too.
I had the 2011 5 series..2 years later I switched to the 2012 A6 3.0T Quattro S Line with 20" wheels, exclusive 2 tone valcona leather seats, all bells & whistles. And boy does it knock the 5 series out!! it so much better at torque, speed and handling. It just hugs the road. Put the gear in Sport mode and it's totally different and powerful car. 0-60 in 5.5 sec..awesome
Both cars are great, if you prefer BMW than you'll take 5 series, if you like Audis, than you'll take A6, that's it! It all comes down to the persons taste.
Don't believe these reviews. Try it out for yourself. I traded in my bimmer for an audi. Though the audi has a more quiet cabin, the bimmer still handles better and feels more solid than the audi. Going back to bmw after my lease is over with audi.
More of a realistic test, huh? The 535i has only 10 hp less than the A6 3.0 and makes 0-60 in 2/5 of a second slower... So then how can you honestly try and convince anyone you are flooring the BMW when the Audi gets away so quickly? Anyone looking at these specs alone can see how clearly biased this video is! Especially when the BMW doesn't start moving when given the signal to MOVE. This isn't even the BMW's top line 5 series. Nearly the same price, the top of the line 5 would own this top A6.
A supercharged engine will, most of the time, beat a turbo off the line. Duh. The BMW "turbo" doesn't kick in in low range. Price is relative. Both nickel and dime you. The A6 isn't the A8 and the 535 isn't the 3 series. Dumb comparison. The Audi disappears in traffic, the BMW does not. At that price point, no one wants to disappear in traffic.
My A6 is 8 years old w/ 140,000 mi and I assure you, there is nothing about that car's interior that is cheap - the car hasn't even hit it's half life yet!
