Compare the2025 Audi S6 e-tronVS 2025 BMW i5

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi S6 e-tron are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW i5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the S6 e-tron and i5 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S6 e-tron has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The i5’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S6 e-tron. But it costs extra on the i5.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The S6 e-tron has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The i5 doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

The Audi S6 e-tron offers an optional Top View Cameras and it also offers an optional rear camera washer to make backing always safe, regardless of road dirt or grime, while the BMW i5 doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the S6 e-tron and the i5 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, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 1 place higher in reliability than BMW.

The S6 e-tron’s electric motors produces 208 more horsepower (543 vs. 335) than the i5 eDrive40’s standard electric motor. The S6 e-tron’s electric motors produces 154 more horsepower (543 vs. 389) than the i5 xDrive40’s standard electric motors.

On the EPA test cycle the S6 e-tron gets better mileage than the i5:

The S6 e-tron can travel longer on a full charge than the i5 on a full charge:

For better stopping power the S6 e-tron’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the i5:

For better traction and acceleration, the S6 e-tron has larger standard rear tires than the i5 (265/40R20 vs. 245/45R19).

The S6 e-tron’s standard 265/40R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the i5’s standard 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S6 e-tron has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the i5.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the S6 e-tron can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The i5 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The front and rear suspension of the S6 e-tron uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the i5, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The S6 e-tron has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The S6 e-tron’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The i5 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The S6 e-tron is 5.2 inches shorter than the i5, making the S6 e-tron easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the S6 e-tron uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The i5 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the S6 e-tron a Large car, while the i5 is rated a Mid-size.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S6 e-tron Premium Plus/Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The i5 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the S6 e-tron has standard extendable sun visors. The i5 doesn’t offer extendable visors.