SHOWDOWN: 2012 Audi A6 Vs. 2011 BMW 5-Series, Who Gets Your Vote?

Tough call- the new 535i is gorgeous but I like the quality and looks of the new A6 interior better.

Also, the new 5 will in a very short time become way too common whereas the uncommon A6 will not- that's a plus.

The new A6 is claimed by Audi to do 0-60 in 5.3 sec's......the current 535 is at 5.6-5.7.......so the A6 is a bit faster as well.

The new A6 is extremely compelling, especially with its A8-inspired technology.

If buyers are looking for a cruiser, this A6 is already making a damn good case for itself. It'll be nice to see how it drives.

C&D did it in 5.4, and edmunds in 5.6. Considering the A6 is newer, im not surprised the A6 is a tenth quicker, they were able to see what the 5 could do and adjusted to it.

The 5 series gets my vote it looks great.

bimmer

5 series looks way better.

Worthless thread. How can you compare two cars when you've only seen pictures of one of them.

Let's get to it. I don't like either if they are spin-offs of their larger offerings. The 5 series and the A6 were "sport" sedans having their own sport tuned chassis, not shortened luxo-barges to perform sportingly. I love the new A8 and 7 series, however their place is to be large luxury, then sport sedans, not shrunken "sport" sedans. With the new arrives, when I look at the 5 series I see a small 7 series, same thing happens when I look at the A6, smaller A8. The older versions had taut, tight proportions. And what's with BMW making an "L" version of the 5, so not right. The 5 and A6 are supposed to be the quintesential "sport" sedans. Now they are merely market pleasers. I think I like the A6 execution better though. The 5 looks a little soft. I'm not even gonna talk about the E class (Benz) cause it just looks like an old honda to me.

The 5 series looks better. Especially the front view. The A6 looks like it should compete with the Saab 9-5.

BMW.

Audi A6

Im with you. We will be in the minority

The A6 is incredibly boring. I would buy the BMW.

they both are!!!!!

The 5 series looks much better, the Audi has no character. Plus BMW make the best engines.

It was a voluntary recall. Plus BMW is constantly listed in Wards also, and its the most winning engine maker in the international engine of the year awards.

a6 but not but not by much though

5 series by far.

"The design of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan skilfully translates the car’s attributes into an authentic formal language. The sheer presence and elegance of its design express the Sedan’s premium quality and outstanding ride comfort, while its sporty driving characteristics are reflected in dynamic bodywork lines and the overall evocation of a distinctly athletic car. The superlative aesthetics of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan are further borne out by its perfectly harmonious proportions and meticulously finished details."

This is from a design award the 5 just won.

hmmm, I would take the 5 series just because the A6 looks too much like the A4 for my liking.

Bimmer for me. The Audi will be slower, wont perform as well, but still will end up costing more. The bimmer also looks nicer. The New A6 is a car for suits and old-folks.

Audis are becoming the german version of lexus. Boring lifeless cars.

Its a luxury car, they made it more luxurious which is a good thing, and it still handles better then the competition. Or you could wait for the M5 and that will satisfy all of you driving/performance desires.

"There is nothing boring about an S4/S5/RS4/RS6 or R8."

- Those are the only models that Audi adds some excitement to. The regular A4, A6, A8 Etc... Are boring, dull, generic looking, lifeless, under-powered, under-performing vehicles.

And oh yeah... the S4 doesn't look anymore exciting than a regular A4 with the S-line body kit. It’s hard to tell the difference between an A4 and an S4. The BMW M3 doesn't suffer from that problem when compared to the regular 3-series.

Audis are nice, but they are for people who like Audis (and nice interiors). Not for people who value performance. If you want an Audi that actually performs? Get ready to spend more money for that Audi when compared to the competing BMW that offers the same (sometimes better) performance.

Audis are just ripoffs. There’s a reason why Audi enjoys the highest profit margins. It’s because they can sell less car for more money.

"Its a luxury car, they made it more luxurious which is a good thing, and it still handles better then the competition."

- Which competition?

The last A6? You mean the one from 10 years ago? Is that the best you can do? What about today?

10 years ago Audi offered cars that were competitive in price and performance. And here it is, 10 years later and the A6 actually has less HP now. So much for progression.

Remember the Audi B6 S4 from the early 2000's?
That car offered BMW M3 performance at a lower price than the M3. The current Audi's are far from that. The current S4 can't even compete against the current M3. And I'm still trying to figure out what the significance of the "S" badge is on the Audi S4. Maybe they needed the "S" moniker to justify the car's price.

As you can see, it isn't just about "looks". I think you just need to admit that Audis are overpriced and don't really offer anything to justify a premium when compared to BMW. And who cares about Mercedes Benz? Just because MB is worse than Audi doesn't make Audi any better. But at least Mercedes offers performance in cars that aren't an AMG. The only Audis that actualy perform are the super expensive "S" and "RS" varients.

The C6 V8 A6 did have 350hp and was available from 2004. Kinda sad that the newest A6 went backwards. But that doesn't surprise me. Audi is smart. They realize that they can sell the car at the same price with a cheaper less powerful engine. Genius!

Can you show me the prices of the new A6? Where are you getting this information from? And besides, the Audi will weigh more than the BMW, and offer a front-heavy chassis design with crappy weight distibution. Audi always does that. When Audi stops putting the bulk of the engine before the front axle then we can talk.

"You DO realize that the current A6 V6 is actually as fast with much better gas mileage than the V8, right?"

- When compared to the Audi V8? Yes. Compare that V6 to the BMW V8 and get back to me. And where are you getting this info from? The new A6 hasn't even been tested yet.

I was talking about the 5 series.

Yeah, its so easy for BMW these days - take the back from 2005 Lexus IS,
http://img2.netcarshow.com/Lexus-IS250_European_Version_2005_1024x768_wallpaper_09.jpg

slap the upper deck lines from 1998 Toyota Paseo
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Toyota_Paseo_rear_20080220.jpg

and you have award winning original german design.

Both bland. I would take the M50

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparisons/10q2/2010_audi_a6_3.0t_quattro_vs._2011_bmw_535i_2011_infiniti_m37-comparison_tests

hello!?!?, auto manufacturers are downsizing...they're putting 4 cylinders in A8's and S-Classes now....nobody buys V8 A6's (or 6cyl A4's)...auto manufacturers have to meet stricter CAFE standards and this is why you are seeing the bigger engines dropped and more FI smaller engines. Why would you buy a V8 when the blown V6 is that good anyways. A6 sales started to pick back up a bit after the refresh and 3.0SC engine came out...put that in a new body (yeah it looks like the old one) that's lighter and has a new interior and it should be a hit..

I take the 5 series, I dont like Audi their cars just dont appeal to me.

"Still a winner in its class, the A6" - 2010 A6 - CarAndDriver ..
So it's clear that 2012 is way much better ... 5 series looks however very good but it's under Audi ...

I must say the interior of the A6 looks great with the optional wood trim. It has the nicest interior in the segment. However exterior wise neither the A6 or the 5 series appeals. The E class has a better exterior then both. When Jaguar re does those headlights on the XF it will also be tied at the top for exterior looks.

@ LexSucks you and your arguments are completely biased and based purely on what you've heard not what you know. Strangely all these folks who say Audi's are unappealing yet the entire auto industry is copying Audi's LED light treatment, BMW who onced clained Audi was no threat is now going to build 4 cylinder engines, and Mercedes is in the works to bring front wheel drive cars to the US. These are all facts. CigarGuy seems more objective and fact based in his statements. Also to those who state the Audi's are over priced in comparison, again false. I work for a multi franchise dealer and we carry both Audi and BMW and I sell both so I have facutal input here. CigarGuy said it right, equip the cars the same and pricing will be very close. In fact the only Audi that directly compares to BMW's that has the $1000.00 or so higher price is the S5 Cab. Other than that Audi is very competetively priced not to mention BMW subvents the hell out of their lease by inflating residuals. Stick to the facts, the new 5 is a nice looking car but my opinion here is the A6 is much more striking in appearance. Also to the Audi's are under powered crowd the old A6 just beat the new 5 series as posted by a few others above. Lets keep it based on facts here. Do you like the looks and of which car, that's all that was asked. Now all that ebing said, I vote A6..lol

Car and Driver, as everyone knows, chose the Current A6 over the previous and current generation 5 series. The new A6 comes to the playing field lighter, better balanced and loaded with technology that's going to be easier to use than the BMW.

2012 supercharged A6 Crushes the BMW 535 in 0-60 and 1/4 mile. My friend and I own both cars and its not even close...

And for LexSucks bring home your Toyota and go German you wont go back...