Audi and BMW are two German luxury cars that have dominated the automobile market for years. In 2019, Audi car sales went up by 1.8 percent. Meanwhile, BMW sales grew by 1.2 percent. The two brands also boast various features and technology that appeals to car enthusiasts. So, if you’re in the market for a luxury car and want to choose between Audi and BMW, this post is for you. Here’s a quick answer to the question.
Which brand is preferable – Audi or BMW?
You need to consider a lot of factors before you decide which to choose between Audi and BMW. These include price point, fuel economy, safety, comfort, driving experience, rear wheels, and repair cost. Audi luxury cars are the most budget-friendly for electrical, battery, suspension, and steering repairs. A comparison of both cars’ starting price point shows that Audi is cheaper than BMW cars. But when it comes to reliability and performance, BMW is a wise choice. Also, BMW is faster than Audi cars.
Continue reading to know about both German luxury cars!
An Overview Of Luxury Cars
Luxury cars comprise of the traditional limousine saloons (those with hatchbacks) and SUVs. As the name implies, luxury cars refer to vehicles designed to provide users with an extra layer of comfort than regular cars.
The drivability, performance, interior, and features of luxury cars are better than regular cars. Some luxury cars come designed with in-car technology and provide an impeccable level of entertainment. In other words, they come designed with high tech gadgets and styles that add value and comfort to the machine.
Take a look at the German luxury cars (Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz). German automakers have dominated the automobile market for years with these big three luxury car brands. They are also the highest-selling luxury vehicles in the industry. And sales, as initially reported, keep on increasing year after year.
There are many cheaper cars than these big three German luxury cars (Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz). But they keep dominating the market and have done so for years, despite their price point. The truth is these German manufacturers have perfected the art of producing quality automobiles. Their engineering skills, expertise, and willingness to invest in research to improve their cars’ quality, is the reason they are at the top of the competition.
Why BMW And Audi Luxury Cars?
You don’t need to be a car enthusiast to love BMW and Audi car brands. These luxury cars are built to offer users good value for their money. The competition for the luxury car sales crown keeps driving both automakers (Audi and BMW) to deliver stunning machines. Thus, you can always expect the next releases from both automakers to be an upgrade of the previous ones.
Market-wise, both brands have built solid reputations and have a large customer base worldwide. Let’s take a look at both car brands in detail.
Audi
Audi belongs to the Volkswagen Group, Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche, Volkswagen, and Bugatti. The Audi brand comprises of a broad range of luxury vehicles, ranging from the A1 Supermini to the large and speedy Q7 and Q8 SUVs. Audi is also popular for its beautiful interiors, sleek style, and four-wheel drive technology.
The Saloon, Hatchback, and Coupe models are identifiable with the prefix; ‘A.’ Examples are the A3, A4, and A5. The Audi S series also delivers impressive performance.
Furthermore, SUVs are recognized with the prefix ‘Q’ while Estates, known as ‘Avant’ models, with the most driver-focused high performance start with the letters’ R’ or ‘R.S..’
Audi – Driving Experience
The quiet driving experience is one of the highlighted features of Audi cars. On the contrary, the R.S. supercar has one of the noisiest engines.
Most Audi vehicles offer a great drive, thanks to their active suspension. An example of such is the Audi A8. It features a fully active and electromagnetic suspension, which adapts easily to road conditions. Not all Audi brands have such suspensions. Some models even make driving through potholes uncomfortable and tiring.
Audi’s four-wheel drive
Audi cars with the ‘Quattro’ badge are four-wheel drive. Having this feature translates to a higher price point. Besides the A1, you will find the four-wheel-drive in almost all top-rated Audi cars.
The four-wheel-drive is quite a popular option. However, most drivers may not need the extra grip this feature brings. The four-wheel-drive also dents fuel consumption levels by some mpg.
Some car users believe Audi performs better when fitted with the Quattro system due to the extra cornering ability.
Audi interior
Audi designers are always striving to deliver emotional and luxurious interiors. It shows in all the luxury Audis on the market. So, if you are seeking an automobile brand that uses finely crafted materials to deliver sensuously stylish interiors, Audi fits the bill.
Audi luxury cars also come with ventilated seats, which offer passengers and drivers some sort of climate control. It makes the seats to stay cooler for an extended period and offers you some high level of comfort.
Audi cars – Other things you need to know
In a 2019 customer satisfaction survey, Audi came out 16th out of 30. Its 3-year/60,000 mile warranty is average.
Also, Audi’s diesel engines usually offer an excellent mix of economy and performance. Others are available with a 1.5-liter petrol engine that uses ‘cylinder-on-demand technology. This feature shuts down half of the engine whenever you are cruising gently and let you save on fuel.
BMW’s series and models
Many car buyers intuitively understand that a BMW 3 Series is less expensive and smaller than a BMW 5 Series or a BMW 7 series. Besides that, the name of the various BMW models is somewhat confusing. You will find names like M Sport Line, xDrive, and Gran Coupe for different BMW models, which may be somehow related.
However, BMW’s range of cars is assembled into ten groups. The sedan-style models have odd numbers, e.g., 3, 5, and 7. Even numbers designate the sportier coupe style. Besides these, BMW has four groups of vehicles designated by letters, e.g., Z4 Model, X Models, M Model, and the X Models.
BMW’s 4 x 4
Most premium automakers have their unique versions of the four-wheel drive. BMW’s 4-wheel drive is called xDrive. The company has also made it clear that its xDrive is much lighter than its rival systems, including features such as more degrees of traction splitting.
BMW is also capable of responding to changes in a grip much faster than other all-wheel-drive set-ups.
The xDrive is available on most BMW models. The xDrive’s closest rival is the Audi’s Quattro system. This feature ensures driver power is distributed in a 40:60 ratio, between the front and rear axles, respectively. Whenever the xDrive system of the BMW detects oversteering, it automatically transfers more drive power to the car’s front axle. The reverse happens once it detects understeering.
BMW – Driving experience
BMW luxury cars are a joy to drive. They ride smoothly and handle curves superbly. Driving dynamics are also very engaging. BMW luxury cars also perform well when driven over uneven pavements. And thanks to the adjustable shocks, adaptive suspension, and grippy tires, these luxury cars have robust, responsive handling capabilities.
BMW interior
Luxury cars like BMW boast high-end interiors. Concerning interior, BMW automakers have also made a giant leap in tech and comfort. You will find BMWs equipped with Intelligent Personal Assistant, an IA that listens to a driver’s command and act as commanded.
The ConnectedDrive technology is another highlighted feature BMW luxury cars have. This technology features all the applications and services that let you stay connected to the world around you. You can access popular social media apps like Twitter to connect with people that matter to you.
The BMWs ConnectedDrive technology also offers a complete suite of innovative safety features. These include blind-spot detection, including a visual display that keeps you informed of collision warnings, lane changes, your current driving speed, and others.
BMWs’ night vision tech also leaves you at ease during night travels. It can detect an animal, person, or object in complete darkness from 900 feet away.
The iDrive, an in-car entertainment, and communication technology, add class and function to the BMW. It makes it possible to access a myriad of contents on the car’s dashboard screen. These include journey data, vehicle settings, and various infotainment features like communication, music, and navigation.
Reliability: BMW vs. Audi
So, which of these two brands do you consider the most reliable? Here’s what various sources have to say about the reliability of both luxury cars.
Based on reliability, J.D. Power, US-based data analytics, and consumer intelligence firm, BMW scored 3.73 out of 5 for its car lineup, while Audi had 3.04 out of 5.
Now, based on the U.S. News and World Report, the Audi is considered a better overall brand. It ranks higher than BWM as a more luxury car on the market. Audi’s interior is also a little bit more superior to BMW.
Take a look at the luxury small car segment. Sitting on the number 1 position is the Audi A5. The 2018 BMW 2 Series is ranked number 5 out of seven. However, in the luxury large car category, the 2018 Audi A7 takes the number 2 spot while the 2018 BMW 6 Series takes the 6th position out of 9.
BMW vs. Audi Warranties
Both offer the same types of warranty coverage. An example is a 4-year/50,000-mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty. Also, each of them provides a 12-year limited warranty against corrosion perforation, to keep the car protected from corrosion caused by the elements.
Also, buyers enjoy a 4-year 24hour roadside help on Audi and BMW luxury brands. You will find support for several emergencies, such as towing your car, a jump start, or a flat tire.
BMW and Audi’s roadside assistance programs include other surprising benefits. One of them is an emergency fuel service. That is, you are covered whenever you run out of gas and are far from the gas station.
However, when fuel is supplied in this roadside program, BMW drivers are the ones that will incur the cost. But Audi takes full responsibility for the supply and payment of the fuel.
Safety – BMW vs. Audi
On safety, BMW and Audi have a good rating. Their safety feature has also been enhanced with technology to help combat accidents and other vices.
Up to six Audi vehicles have received the 2018 Top Safety Pick rating from a reputable body, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Only three of BMW’s luxury cars have received such a review since inception.
In Audi and BMW, it is safe to say that tech was fully deployed to enhance drivers’ security and lower road accidents. One of those features is the assistant driver technology. It keeps you an alert whenever you start feeling dizzy.
However, some of the tech shared by both Audi and BMW are Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, and Blind Spot Monitoring.
Audi, to its credit, comes with night vision assistance. This feature makes use of a long-range infrared camera and can quickly react to any thermal energy detected.
As a result, the thermal energy exuded by animals and people alike can be picked up and viewed in the Audi virtual cockpit or the instrument cluster. This feature helps the driver to avoid hitting people and animals. However, BMW has night vision technology, which can detect an animal, object, or person that’s at least 900 feet away.
Conclusion
Audi and BMW are two luxury cars that will remain in competition for a long time. The two German-made luxurious brands of cars boast a range of diverse communication, safety, and performance-boosting features.
When you look at the style of both car brands, Audi tends to be more conservative in its design. But BMW tends to be more edgy and sporty.
Interior-wise, Audi tops the chart. But when you compare both car brands (same model) concerning speed, BMW will claim the number one spot as the fastest.
Furthermore, Audi is also less expensive than maintain than BMW. According to Clark.com, the average cost of maintaining Audi over 10 years is pegged at $12,400. Meanwhile, BMW can cost up to $17,800 to maintain over 10 years.
There are many factors you need to consider before choosing a car or picking between Audi and BMW. However, the final decision is subjective. So, go through the list of features to make an informed decision on the best brand for you and whatever you choose, make sure to have it secured by adding a car tracker for your new car vehicle.
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