Compare the2025 BMW M5VS 2025 Audi RS 5 Sportback

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 5 Sportback doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The M5 has standard Active Park Distance Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

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 5 Sportback’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 5 Sportback.

The M5’s 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 RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the M5 and the RS 5 Sportback 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 and rearview cameras.

The BMW M5 weighs 1311 to 1451 pounds more than the Audi RS 5 Sportback. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the M5 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 RS 5 Sportback.

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’ 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 M5’s 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid produces 273 more horsepower (717 vs. 444) and 296 lbs.-ft. more torque (738 vs. 442) than the RS 5 Sportback’s 2.9 turbo V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the BMW M5 is faster than the Audi RS 5 Sportback:

The M5 can travel with zero emissions for 25 miles. The RS 5 Sportback can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The M5’s 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 RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the M5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the RS 5 Sportback:

The M5 offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

For better traction, the M5 has larger standard tires than the RS 5 Sportback (285/40R20 vs. 265/35R19). The M5’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RS 5 Sportback (F:285/40R20 & R:295/35R21 vs. 275/30R20).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the M5 has standard 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the RS 5 Sportback. The RS 5 Sportback’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the M5’s wheelbase is 7 inches longer than on the RS 5 Sportback (118.3 inches vs. 111.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the M5 is 3.4 inches wider in the front and 2.9 inches wider in the rear than on the RS 5 Sportback.

The M5 Sedan handles at .98 G’s, while the RS 5 Sportback pulls only .97 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The front grille of the M5 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The M5 has 7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the RS 5 Sportback (98 vs. 91).

The M5 has 2.9 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, 3.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear legroom and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the RS 5 Sportback.

The M5 has a larger trunk with its rear seat folded than the RS 5 Sportback with its rear seat folded (57.6 vs. 35 cubic feet).

The M5’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The M5’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. Audi does not offer a locking feature on the RS 5 Sportback’s standard power windows.

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 5 Sportback’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The RS 5 Sportback’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 and manual rear side window sunshades are optional in the M5 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the M5 keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The RS 5 Sportback doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The M5’s Parking Assistant can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling the transmission and speed with the brake pedal. With its available fully controlled system, the driver just activates it and it parks autonomously, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The RS 5 Sportback’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

The BMW M5 comes in sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Audi RS 5 Sportback isn’t available as a station wagon.