Compare the2025 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 and rearview cameras.

The BMW M5 weighs 474 to 667 pounds more than the Audi RS 7. 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 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’ 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 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.

The M5 can travel with zero emissions for 25 miles. The RS 7 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The M5 stops shorter than the RS 7:

For better traction, the M5 has larger standard tires than the RS 7 (285/40R20 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 (53.9% to 46.1%) than the RS 7’s (56.1% to 43.9%). 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 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 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 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 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.