What is it about car people and fast, sporty wagons? Well, they generally feel like secrets only you and your car-nerd friends know about. Plus, they’re fast. And sporty. And carry more stuff than a typical sedan.
In this comparison test, we have one just introduced to the American market battling one that’s been here for a little while. Audi began selling the go-fast RS6 Avant to us Yanks back in 2019. Originally producing just 591 horsepower, the 621-hp RS6 Avant Performance debuted soon after.
Its opponent is the new-to-the-U.S. BMW M5 Touring. It’s based on the sixth-generation M5 sedan and is the third generation to also come as a wagon after the E34 Touring of 1992–1995 and the V-10-powered E61 Touring of 2003–2010. The current, G90-generation M5 is the most powerful ever, meaning the G99 BMW M5 Touring has 717 horsepower. That’s quite the first impression.
What Are They?
Since its launch, much of the talk about the G90 M5 has been about its weight; it has a heavy plug-in-hybrid system, all-wheel drive, and plenty of other hardware that pushes its curb weight well past 5,000 pounds; the Touring here clocked 5,456 pounds on our scales. We won’t dwell on the weight, because we never thought about the poundage during our week behind the wheel—it simply didn’t matter. The reason the plug-in-hybrid setup was adopted boils down to two points: First, to meet tightening emissions targets and keep the relatively large 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, said engine had to be electrified. Second, there are major tax breaks in certain markets for lower-emission vehicles.
The M5’s biggish V-8 combines with a 194-hp electric motor to pump out a total system output of 717 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. That power is routed through an eight-speed ZF transmission and on to all four wheels. Of course, like the previous F90-generation M5, the driveline can be put into full rear-drive mode with a few button clicks.
Like all M Division products, the range of adjustability (engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, sound, etc.) in the new M5 is seemingly limitless. Happily, it’s equipped with two red programmable buttons (M1 and M2) on the steering wheel to save your favorite configurations.
Pro setup tip: Use the M1 button to save the middle settings—which is usually Sport—and the M2 button to keep the hardest-core settings. You can then dial in from there if need be, but we found that we didn’t really need any of the other 1,942 possible combinations. The M5 Touring we tested also has rear-wheel steering, and carbon brakes, as well as a starting price of $125,275. As tested, our car rang in at $140,775.
The stunning Audi RS6 Avant Performance is a more conventional vehicle, though also well kitted out for high-performance wagon duties. Under its fine-looking hood sits the familiar VW Group 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 that in Performance tune kicks out 621 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. There is no hybrid anything.
Like all good Audis, the RS6 sports Quattro AWD, and it also uses a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. There is no RWD mode, however. Like the BMW, the Audi has carbon ceramic stoppers, rear-wheel steering, and adjustable air springs.
The RS6 Performance starts at $129,195 and arrived at our HQ wearing a $167,140 price tag. Oh, and the RS6 weighs 4,902 pounds, making it an 800-pound gorilla to the BMW’s 900-pounder. Or maybe think of these two Bavarians as NFL offensive linemen, with the Audi a 305-pound center, and the BMW’s a 320-pound left tackle.
Stats, Please
Much ink has been spilled about the G99 M5’s shrinking power-to-weight ratio when compared to its ancestors. Case in point, the F90 M5 sedan came in at 7.1 pounds per horsepower whereas this M5 Touring sports a ratio of 7.6 pounds per pony. For its part, the RS6 carries 7.9 pounds per horsepower.
The BMW beats the Audi to 60 mph in our testing, at 3.2 seconds versus 3.4, but slightly trails the prior M5 sedan’s 3.0-second time. When it comes to the quarter-mile, the M5 again bests the Audi, this time by a more considerable margin, 11.2 seconds at 126.1 mph against 11.8 seconds at 118.6 mph. The last-gen M5? 11.1 seconds at 126.7 mph. Now, is it fair to compare a sedan against a wagon? Probably not, but the new M5 is technically slightly slower than the old one.
In terms of stopping power, the RS6 outbrakes the M5 Touring by four feet, stopping from 60 mph in a very tidy 101 feet versus an also-good 105 feet. Stopping from 100 mph, the BMW needs 290 feet whereas the Audi requires only 274.
Interestingly, the BMW beats up on the Audi in our 0–100–0 test, getting it done in 11.3 seconds versus 12.2, a rather large delta. Looking at the 0–100– mph times helps explain why: 7.2 seconds for the M5 wagon against 8.3 seconds for the RS6. Just to give you a little bit of perspective about these numbers, legendary driver Andy Wallace famously got a McLaren F1 from 0–100–0 in 11.5 seconds. Now a wagon beats it. What a time to be alive.
Then we come to our figure-eight test, where Audi gets another win, making up time in the corners. Thanks to its slight max-lateral grip advantage (0.98 vs 0.95g), the RS6 put down a 23.6 second lap compared to 23.8 seconds. Old M5? 23.3 seconds. We keep mentioning the older M5 to make the point that the new one isn’t exactly the retrograde performer some are making it out to be.
Real World Findings
Moving away from our test track, we went to play on some of the finest canyon roads Southern California has to offer. There, things came more sharply into focus. One immediate difference between the BMW and the Audi is that the RS6 feels sportier from behind the wheel. The seats hold you tighter and are slightly more bolstered, the steering wheel is wrapped in Alcantara just like a Lamborghini’s, and not in leather like a … Lincoln’s. And the steering feels heavier, which some will interpret as more sporting.
The M5’s cabin errs much more on the side of luxury, and we like its modern spin on typical BMW style. Its V-8 sounds deeper and better than the RS6’s, although most of that is produced by the audio system. Still, if no one told you, you would never know. The Audi’s turbos seem to muffle its V-8 more than do the BMW’s. Even dropping down to second gear for no good reason other than to increase rpm doesn’t result in much noise.
The Audi’s ride quality is quite choppy, whereas the BMW’s ride is much smoother and more refined. The RS6’s transmission is good, but it’s not programmed for particularly quick shifting. The BMW bangs off quicker shifts, and the RS6’s brake pedal doesn’t feel as reassuring as the M5’s. We’re just talking feel here, not effectiveness, although we know that the Audi stops a bit better from our test data. The more time spent in the Audi the more you realize that while its seats look great, they are no match compared to the M5’s thrones. Your back starts whining, and as the miles pile up the Audi just doesn’t feel special the way the M5 does.
