Compare the2025 Audi A6 e-tronVS 2026 BMW i5

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi A6 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 A6 e-tron and i5 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A6 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.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Audi A6 e-tron achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The BMW i5 has not been tested.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The A6 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 A6 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 A6 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.

The Audi A6 e-tron (only applies to vehicles with Active Front Assist) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The i5 has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

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 A6 e-tron has more powerful engines than the i5:

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi A6 e-tron electric motor is faster than the i5 eDrive40 electric motor:

On the EPA test cycle the A6 e-tron gets better mileage than the i5:

The A6 e-tron can travel longer on a full charge than the i5 on a full charge:

For better traction and acceleration, the A6 e-tron has larger standard rear tires than the i5 (255/50R19 vs. 245/45R19).

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the A6 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 A6 e-tron Prestige has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The A6 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 A6 e-tron Prestige handles at .88 G’s, while the i5 eDrive40 pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The A6 e-tron is 5.2 inches shorter than the i5, making the A6 e-tron easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the A6 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 A6 e-tron a Large car, while the i5 is rated a Mid-size.

The A6 e-tron has .1 inches more front legroom, .1 inches more rear headroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the i5.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A6 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 A6 e-tron has standard extendable sun visors. The i5 doesn’t offer extendable visors.