Premium comparison: New Audi A6 vs. BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E Class

The new premium limousine from Ingolstadt is ready and calls for battle the 5 Series and the Mercedes E class.

With the release of the new Audi A6 on the begging of 2011, the German premium trio of upper middle class is now complete - we are talking here about the sedans because the Avant Audi A6 will have to wait until the Frankfurt Motor Show in autumn 2011.

Mercedes E-class chief of cargo space? Yes

When it comes to the big show, the new Audi A6 is already a step ahead. With a total length of 4.92 meters the new A6 dominates both the E-class (4.87 meters) and the BMW 5 Series (4.90 meters). Even with the width of the A6 lies in front with 1.87 to 1.85 and 1.86 meters. When it comes to the height - well here is a similarity - all of them are around 1.46 meters.  When it comes to the wheelbase the 5 series is the king - with it’s 2.97 meter, the 5 series has the largest wheelbase - Audi (2.91 meters) and Mercedes (2.87 meters).

All of them are five-setters, with aprox. similar luggage space. The Audi A6 comes with 530 liters to the race; the BMW 5 Series holds 520 liters. The Mercedes E-class scores here; 540 liters. A folding rear bench offers additional cargo space in all three limousines.

Mercedes wide driving range

The new Audi A6 will hit the dealers in spring 2011, first with two petrol and three diesel engines. Another engines might come later - and we are sure they will come - we are talking here about the Rs6, the S6 - course V8 and V10 engines. The basic A6 comes equipped with the 177hp 2.0 TDI with front-wheel drive.  The 204-hp 2.8-liter gasoline engine can be combined with front-wheel and four-wheel drive. The 300-hp 3.0 TFSI comes exclusively as Quattro. The basic 3.0-liter TDI develops liter 204 hp and comes with front wheel drive, while the top diesel engine puts out 245 hp and comes with all-wheel drive.

When it comes to Mercedes, the engine range starts with 4 cylinders and 136Hp. The E Class is offered six diesels and six petrol engines.
The four-cylinder diesel engine develops 136, 170 and 204 hp while the six cylinders are 211, 231, or 265 hp.
The four-cylinder turbo gasoline engine makes 183 and 204 hp, the six-cylinder pulls out 272 and 292 hp, while the eight cylinders are used to provide 388 and 525 hp in the AMG models. Four-wheel drive is for the six-cylinder diesels and six-cylinder petrol’s engines.

Course the 4matic all wheel drive is available with the V8 engine also. For the moment Mercedes will not provide the E Class hybrid. However, Mercedes plans to introduce the E Class Hybrid at the end of 2011. Hybrid E Class will be powered by a combination of a 2.2 four-cylinder diesel engine and a 15 Kw electric motor.

The BMW comes with four diesels and four petrol engines; 4 to 8 cylinders - The V8 M5 will come however somewhere in 2012. The M5 with a twin-turbo V8 will make about 550 hp. The basic 5 series comes with 184 hp, power that is provided from the 2.0 liter 4 cylinders diesel engine.

The six-cylinder gasoline engines output 258 and 306 hp, while the diesel unit with six “pots” delivers 204, 245 and 300 hp.

In the circuit we found a six-speed manual gearbox and an automatic eight-speed steps. Only the V8 works exclusively with the automatic. A hybrid for the 5 series is not official yet, but the Bavarians were shown in Geneva in 2010 already a hybrid study with a six-cylinder petrol engine and a 40 kW electric motor.

Audi with favorable base price

When it comes to prices the Audi has the lowest price on the market; 38,500 Euros. Mercedes E Class is available from € 39 270 while the 5 Series will make you to pull out 40 350 €

• Audi A6 Hybrid – first official details
• Audi A6 Hybrid hitting US dealers in 2014
• 2012 Audi A6 First Look
• The new Audi A6 puts the driver first
• Production milestone: 500,000 units of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class
• Photo Comparison: New 2012 Audi A6 vs. old 2010 Audi A6
• Next-gen Audi A3 going on sale early 2012

• Audi A6 Hybrid – first official details
• Audi A6 Hybrid hitting US dealers in 2014
• 2012 Audi A6 First Look
• The new Audi A6 puts the driver first
• Production milestone: 500,000 units of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class
• Photo Comparison: New 2012 Audi A6 vs. old 2010 Audi A6
• Next-gen Audi A3 going on sale early 2012