Compare the2027 Audi e-tron GT VS 2026 BMW i5

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

Both the e-tron GT 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 and rear cross-path warning.

The e-tron GT’s electric motors produces 577 more horsepower (912 vs. 335) and 442 lbs.-ft. more torque (737 vs. 295) than the i5 eDrive40’s standard electric motor. The e-tron GT’s electric motors produces 523 more horsepower (912 vs. 389) and 302 lbs.-ft. more torque (737 vs. 435) than the i5 xDrive40’s standard electric motors. The e-tron GT’s electric motors produces 319 more horsepower (912 vs. 593) and 151 lbs.-ft. more torque (737 vs. 586) than the i5 M60’s standard electric motors.

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

	e-tron GT	i5
Zero to 60 MPH	2.1 sec	5.1 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	4.8 sec	12.4 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	2.4 sec	5.6 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	1.3 sec	2.2 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	1.4 sec	3.2 sec
Quarter Mile	9.8 sec	13.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	139 MPH	105 MPH
Top Speed	153 MPH	111 MPH

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

			Miles
e-tron GT
	AWD	RS e-tron GT performance Electric Motors	278 miles
i5
	AWD	M60 19" Wheels Electric Motor	277 miles
		20" Wheels xDrive40 Electric Motors	272 miles
		M60 20" Wheels Electric Motor	266 miles
		M60 21" Wheels Electric Motor	259 miles

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

	RS e-tron GT performance	RS e-tron GT performance CCB	i5
Front Rotors	16.1 inches	16.5 inches	14.7 inches

The e-tron GT offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The i5 doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The e-tron GT stops much shorter than the i5:

	e-tron GT	i5
100 to 0 MPH	299 feet	323 feet	Car and Driver
70 to 0 MPH	147 feet	158 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	109 feet	112 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the e-tron GT has larger tires than the i5 (F:265/35R21 & R:305/30R21 vs. 245/45R19). The e-tron GT’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the i5 (F:265/35R21 & R:305/30R21 vs. F:255/35R21 & R:285/30R21).

The e-tron GT’s 265/35R21 front and 305/30R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear 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 e-tron GT has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the i5.

The front and rear suspension of the e-tron GT 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 e-tron GT has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The e-tron GT’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.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the e-tron GT is 2.8 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the i5.

The RS e-tron GT performance handles at 1.01 G’s, while the i5 eDrive40 pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The RS e-tron GT performance executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.9 seconds quicker than the i5 M60 xDrive (23.3 seconds @ .93 average G’s vs. 25.2 seconds @ .82 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the e-tron GT’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the i5 eDrive40’s (38.1 feet vs. 38.4 feet). The e-tron GT’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the i5 M60 xDrive’s (38.1 feet vs. 39 feet).

Laser headlights, standard on the e-tron GT Prestige/RS, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the i5’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

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

The e-tron GT has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the i5.