CAR WARS! Audi RS7 vs. BMW M6 Gran Coupe vs. Mercedes CLS63 AMG S-Model

This was a very close comparison any way you look at it. You really couldn't go wrong with any of them and it almost just comes down to personal taste, especially with design.
What I find interesting is that the Audi was noted for "Superior backroad handling", yet the BMW scored higher in Chassis scores and, specifically, Handling.

For me, it would be the RS7, CLS63, then M6 GC.

"In terms of practicality, the RS7 is the clear winner. Its rear seats are nicely sculpted and offer excellent thigh support. The RS7 is the only car in this test in which rear headroom feels on par with its conventional sedan counterpart. The hatch adds nine cubic feet of cargo space over the BMW."

"The RS7 isn’t just the most fun on back roads and the most pragmatic four-seater, it’s also the best value. Audi hadn’t finalized option pricing as of this writing, but the RS7’s low base price suggests it should easily undercut the BMW and the Mercedes when all parties are equipped with those pricey carbon-ceramic brakes. Nevertheless, the Audi could be the most expensive car in this test and still walk away with a win. The fact that it owns the rational categories as well as the emotional ones makes victory for this four-seater that much more conclusive."

Audi combines the most fun driving experience on backroads, blistering straight-line performance (it matches the CLS63 AMG at 11.6 seconds through the quarter-mile), the best braking performance, with the most cargo space and rear passenger comfort, top-notch interior and the lowest base price as well as optioned price.

Audi's formula for beating the competition is obviously working and it goes like this: build a car that offers a fun driving experience, top-notch interior quality, practicality, technological gizmos that meet or exceed the competition's offerings, clean design and undercut the competition by $5,000-$15,000.

Whether it be regular A7 vs. BMW 640i Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLS550, performance Audi S6 vs. BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG or ultra-high performance Audi RS7 vs. BMW M6 Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG S-Model 4Matic, Audi has consistently proven it has the right mix of characteristics to win Car and Driver's comparison tests.

gotta agree, they are all awesome, really impressed with 0-60 in 3.2 for the benz, thats amazing !
id take the rs7, m6, then cls

I'll take the CLS, then the RS7 and finally the GCM6

Great article, I was waiting for the first test between these 3. I'd like the A7 more if it weren't for the way it looks, like something sat on an A5.

The Merc and the BMW look really good and more unique in a positive way. I also think the Audi and Merc interiors look to similar to their sedan siblings, the A6 and the E-class.

For this kind of money and in this niche I expect more of an effort in interior and exterior design but I suppose that's why you pay a bit more the the Beamer.

All great cars though, I would have M6 GC; CLS AMG; and then RS7.

CLS all the way, then RS7, then M6

M6, RS7, CLS for me. The difference between first and second place (5 pts out of over 200) basically came down to the personal appearance preference of the author, practicality, and price. The best performer was the M6 (though all three were stellar), and both it and the RS7 got the highest marks for "fun to drive", but what would swing it for me is that in my opinion the M6 is the only one of the group that actually looks like a "four door coupe". The RS7 and CLS are good looking, but if I'm paying $130k for a "four door coupe", I want the one that looks the part. The M6 looks like something a valet would park with the Bentley's and Ferrari's. The fact that it also is the best performing and most fun to drive is icing on the cake.

I have One big issue with the article and that is rear seat space. At our location we have both the Mercedes CLS 63 and M6 Gran Coupe and S7 in trade and being 6 ft tall, the only car that I can even pretend to sit in the back seat of is the BMW. In both the Mercedes and the S7 I have to lean my whole torso just to sit in as there is Zero Headroom and even less leg room. At least with the Gran Coupe I can sit in the back seat .

Also this is the first test I have seen in any of them in which the Audi scored better exterior wise in the looks department, where the Gran Coupe has taken that honor in every comparison to date.

really? back seat room? nobody who buys one of these high performance machines is fretting over the back seat.

enthusiast, that was actually one of the main reasons the RS7 came in first. That, and trunk space, and the authors personal preference for exterior and interior looks. On numbers alone the M6 wins, and obviously looks are subjective. Bottom line, you're not going to get a bad car in the group. Get the one you want (speaking here to folks who can actually afford any of these vehicles, which more than likely includes no one commenting or arguing about them or their rankings on this or any other internet post).

all SPECTACULAR cars. i would be thrilled to drive any one of them. truly impressed with how far audi has come with the RS7. sounds like it's the most fun to drive.

I read this article the other day. All great cars. Depends on your needs.

The Audi RS7 is .1 seconds quicker to 60 mph and through the 1/4 mile compared to the BMW M6 Gran Coupe. Not to mention, it also brakes from 70-o mph in 1 less foot. The Audi RS7 also received 23 points for the 'Fun to Drive' category, which tied it with the BMW M6 Gran Coupe.

It again goes to show that performance is not the sole determinant of how good a car is. A car is more than just performance. Audi has consistently demonstrated its ability to build a more complete 'overall' car than BMW in Car and Driver's opinion based on the results of recent comparison tests involving the Audi A7, Audi S6 and Audi RS7 models.

Audi' RS7 scored 125 total points in the 'Powertrain' 'Chassis' and 'Experience' sections compared to the BMW M6 Gran Coupe's 133. However, the Audi RS7 erased that 8 point deficit by scoring 90 points in the 'Vehicle' section compared to the BMW M6 Gran Coupe's 77 and thereby winning by 5 points overall.

I dont understand how the Audi is more fun if the BMW is faster at mid range power and a rolling start and to top it off, faster through the slalom.
Also, how can the Audi be more comfortable up front if it has 6 cubic feet less space than the BMW?
Ergonomics is purely up to the driver, not factual. Only the BMW has programmable memory keys that it is one touch operation for navigation, music and phone numbers. Seems a lot easier that going in to Audis crap MMI!

I thought that Lexus built the best sport sedans? Why isn't the Lexus GS-F included in this comparison? Everyone knows that Lexus/Toyota has every vehicle on earth covered with their own better vehicles I call Bollocks! Why isn't Lexus represented? Afraid that a Lexus might show up the Germans? And besides who want's sportiness when you can have reliability?