[1flossedm3]

I am shopping for a new daily driver currently and I am narrowed it down to these two vehicles I believe. I also made a previous post regarding what I should look for on the A6 3.0t for issues.

Thoughts? Car will see 15,000 miles a year. Will be used in winter. So xdrive and quattro needed. The 550i runs around $35,000 for a well optioned model while the A6 is around 32K for something CPO'd with Prestige options. I've had three BMW's prior and never had a problem with any of them. Seems BMW's reliability is excellent. I had a B6 S4 previously that I didn't love the steering on. The 550i can be tuned to be a monster, as can the 3.0T with an APR tune.

Thoughts?

[Ickdeep]

Personally if I was you, I would go test drive both of them. I had the same question when I bought mine car and I also had Mercedes E class in the picture. I previously had a Mercedes but the power and comfort of the 5 series was an easy winner. Also I've have a few friends that have had Audi's that have had major issues.

I'd recommend when buying the car to get an extended warranty for "just in case".

[lawjai]

Two very different cars in design in my opinion.. way more sporty for the 550. The a6 feel more business to me. Realizability wise a6 is probably better. But again, just way more fun in the 550i.

[Bbb34]

I was cross shopping A6 and 535 and both are in my opinion excellent. I also gave E class a shot, and while I liked looks and fit and finish, performance and handling wise, I felt it wasn't as good.

With 550, you'll of course get lot more power but also additional weight too, which you will definitively feel comparing to both A6 and 535. If massive power is what you're after, it's 550, no contest. Otherwise, feature, price, reliability, looks and fit and finish are all very comparable in my opinion, matter of personal preference. Neither brand is exactly "bulletproof" reliable, both have their share of issues.

I personally don't think you can go wrong with either one.

[Trian]

I had a 2011 3.0T Prestige Audi for 3 years, and now a 2012 535i.

The Audi had smoother pickup and steering was more responsive, IMO, but that is it for my pluses of the Audi over BMW. The 535i looks better, interior is more functional, once you are past that first blast, the 535i pulls better and lastly, the new Audi was in the shop for warranty work 4 times in nearly 3 years, while my BMW has only had a cheap-to-repair oil leak in nearly 4 years (outside of normal maintenance items like oil, brakes and tires).

But, in the end, some people like the Audi significantly more than the BMW. It comes down to individual taste. And if you are really comparing a 550 to the A6 3.0T, the 550 has lots more power. The A6 is more comparable to the 535i.

[spielnicht]

I'll give you the 2 cents of someone who drove a Mercedes and was in the market looking at an A6/S6 and BMW 500i/M5.

So I basically was looking for 3 things in my next car: POWER (all caps on purpose), handling, and interior look-comfort-quality. The first is because I'm a petrol head and wanted something powerful and fast as I enter my 40's next year. A V8 was a must, and anything above 400HP. The second is because I always drove cars that handled well, but not great. The third is because I was sick of Mercedes' bland and dated interior.

I first approached the 2016 A6 because I have connections (Audi corporate) to get deep discounts. It's a nice car, nothing wrong with it, but exterior styling is highly subjective and and interior leaves a lot to be desired. Tech wise, it's great. Has all the toys you need. The engine was "good", not the fastest, but something about the transmission reminded me of the way rental Hyundai shifts.

I then started looking at a 2014 S6. Engine was AWESOME. The torque kicks in at max around 1400 RPM (1400 if you missed that) and goes all way to 5000 (or close to that). So needless to say, the torque range is insane. Transmission was much better at shifting than A6. Handling was very nice (air suspension system does a good job). The interior was OK. Quilted seats are a nice touch, but overall dash design and material feel were meh. You can already tell that in a couple of years, all that pretty black plastic was going to peel (VW/Audi known for). Shifter on the pre-facelift reminded me of the 90's. Last but not least, reliability isn't Audi's strongest selling factor.

In parallel to researching/test driving the S6, I was looking at M5s. Obviously loved everything about it- engine, handling, interior, etc. Three things I didn't like: no AWD, not as comfortable as a daily driver, and price point.

Finally, as I was test driving an M5, the salesmen at the dealer suggested a 550i xDrive if I wanted AWD. Not sure why, but I hadn't considered it before. When I test drove it, it was love at first sight. Engine is very capable and quick. Not as quick as the S6 to get going, but once it goes, it goes. The transmission is the smoothest out of all cars I've driven to date. The interior is simply gorgeous and luxurious and by the best out of all the cars. The ceramic shifter and knobs throughout will spoil you silly. Seats are also by far the most comfortable. What I also love about the 550i is the aftermarket support to take it further than an M5 in terms of engine performance. Not planning anything yet, but once the CPO warranty is up, Dinan here I come. Looks wise, and this is highly subjective, but the exterior styling of the 5 Series for me was what sealed the deal. It gives the car a wider and lower stance on the road. The only thing (and honestly the only thing) the car can improve on is the handling. It's a bit soft, and definitely doesn't have the same spine snap feeling that the A6/S6/M5 have. All in all, the 550i xDrive is a bargain for what you get compared to an M5 or S6.

Hope this helps in any way. Definitely test drive them and see which appeals more to your personality and style.

[Sunny 528i]

My friend just got a 2017 A6. great car but the only issue is its a front wheel drive