Audi vs. BMW: Battle of the Brands' 2016 Lineups

Which Is The Better German Luxury Brand?

Both BMW and Audi are German luxury car brands with several powerful vehicles in their respective lineups. With so much luxury on the line, it’s no wonder the two companies have been engaged in a spirited battle of one-upsmanship that has even spilled into a public advertising feud.

Both automakers offer several choices of luxury small cars, a luxury midsize car, a luxury large car, a luxury subcompact SUV, a luxury compact SUV, a luxury midsize SUV, a luxury sports car, and a super luxury car.

Both brands also have a unique vehicle in their lineup. Audi is the only company between the two to offer a wagon, the Audi Allroad. Meanwhile, BMW is the only company of the two that offers an all-electric vehicle, the BMW i3.

So which automaker is the better German luxury brand? And which boasts better scores for performance, interior quality, reliability, safety, and more, based on U.S. News & World Report's luxury car rankings? Let's find out.

• Find 2016 Audi TT For Sale
• Read the 2016 Audi TT Full Review
• See 2016 Audi TT Photos
• See Luxury Sports Cars Rankings

Reliability

Winner: BMW

BMW wins the battle for reliability with the most vehicles demonstrating an About Average or Better Than Most reliability grade according to J.D. Power’s ratings. BMW’s most reliable vehicles are luxury small cars, luxury midsize cars, and luxury midsize SUVs.

Five BMW vehicles, the 2 Series, 4 Series, 5 Series, X5, and X6, get better than most reliability according to J.D. Power’s ratings. Only two Audi vehicles, the A3 and the A7, can boast better than most reliability reputations.

Among luxury midsize cars, BMW’s 5 Series is slightly more reliable than the Audi A6. Audi’s luxury large car, the A7, demonstrates slightly more reliability than its rival, the BMW 6 Series.

In terms of subcompact SUVs, the BMW X3 has a slightly higher reliability rating than the Audi Q5. Reliability scores for another BMW luxury compact SUV, the X4, are not yet available.

Both brands are tied for reliability among super luxury cars and luxury sports cars. Also, reliability scores are currently unavailable for several vehicles.

• Find 2016 BMW 2-Series For Sale
• Read the 2016 BMW 2-Series Full Review
• See 2016 BMW 2-Series Photos
• See Luxury Small Cars Rankings

Safety

Winner: Audi

Audi beats BMW in terms of safety with several vehicles earning perfect scores. The Audi A4, A6, Q3, and Q7 all earned a 10 out of 10 for safety. Only the BMW 2 Series earned a perfect score in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings.

Audi can also brag about five of its vehicles earning Top Safety Pick+ awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) compared to two for BMW.

• Find 2016 Audi A4 For Sale
• Read the 2016 Audi A4 Full Review
• See 2016 Audi A4 Photos
• See Luxury Small Cars Rankings

Performance

Winner: Audi

Although BMW offers a few more models than Audi, the majority of Audi’s vehicles upstaged their BMW counterparts in the performance category. The only exceptions were among luxury small cars and luxury compact SUVs.

In terms of luxury small cars, four BMW vehicles, the 2 Series, 3 Series, 4 Series, and the i3, outperformed the Audi A4 and A5. Meanwhile, two BMW luxury compact SUVs, the X3 and X4, offer much higher scores of 9.0 and 8.8, respectively, than the Audi Q3, which gets a score of 7.7.

• Find 2016 Audi A5 For Sale
• Read the 2016 Audi A5 Full Review
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• See Luxury Small Cars Rankings

Interiors

Winner:  Audi

Audi outshines BMW in the interior category among luxury small cars, luxury midsize cars, super luxury cars, luxury compact SUVs, luxury midsize SUVs, and luxury sports cars. The Audi A4 has the highest-rated interior among all vehicles with a score of 9.1.

But BMW tops Audi among luxury large cars and subcompact SUVs. The BMW 6 Series gets an interior score of 8.4 compared to the Audi A7, which scored 8.1. Among subcompact SUVs, the X1 earned a score of 8.3 while the Audi Q3 earned a score of 7.6.

• Find 2017 Audi A4 For Sale
• Read the 2017 Audi A4 Full Review
• See 2017 Audi A4 Photos
• See Luxury Small Cars Rankings

Price

Winner: Audi

The bulk of Audi’s lineup has starting prices well below BMW models. Among luxury small cars, the Audi A3 starts at around $31,000, which is about $2,000 cheaper than the BMW 2 Series. Higher trims in BMW’s luxury small car lineup can cost thousands more than Audis.

Only a few BMW vehicles have prices below Audi’s, but not by much. For example, BMW’s super luxury car, the 7 Series, is only $200 lower than the starting price of the A8. At higher trims, the A8 can reach six figures.

• Find 2016 Audi A3 For Sale
• Read the 2016 Audi A3 Full Review
• See 2016 Audi A3 Photos
• See Luxury Small Cars Rankings

Luxury Small Cars

Winner: Audi

BMW has four luxury small cars in its lineup while Audi has three. On average, Audi’s luxury small car selection gets a slightly higher overall score than BMW does.

The Audi A4 is the top-rated luxury small car in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings, while the BMW 4 Series ranks No. 2. The 2 Series ranks No. 3 while the A3 places at No. 4, followed by the 3 Series and i3 which tie for No. 5. The A5 ranks at No. 9.

• Find 2016 Audi A4 For Sale
• Read the 2016 Audi A4 Full Review
• See 2016 Audi A4 Photos
• See Luxury Small Cars Rankings

Luxury Midsize Cars

Winner: Audi

Audi easily outperforms BMW among luxury midsize cars. The Audi A6 is the top-rated luxury midsize car in our rankings with an overall score of 9.0. Meanwhile, the BMW 5 Series comes in at No. 7.

• Find 2016 Audi A6 For Sale
• Read the 2016 Audi A6 Full Review
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• See Luxury Midsize Cars Rankings

Luxury Large Cars

Winner: Audi

Among luxury large cars  Audi once again trounces BMW. The Audi A7 ranks at No. 2 in our rankings and was named one of the Best Cars for Families. The 6 Series ranks at No. 5.

• Find 2016 Audi A7 For Sale
• Read the 2016 Audi A7 Full Review
• See 2016 Audi A7 Photos
• See Luxury Large Cars Rankings

Super Luxury Cars

Winner: BMW

The recently redesigned BMW 7 Series places at No. 3 in our rankings while Audi’s A8 ranks at No. 4.

• Find 2016 BMW 7-Series For Sale
• Read the 2016 BMW 7-Series Full Review
• See 2016 BMW 7-Series Photos
• See Super Luxury Cars Rankings

Luxury Subcompact SUVs

Winner: BMW

The BMW X1 ranks No. 1 among our luxury subcompact SUVs and handily outperforms the Audi Q3, which ranks at No. 5.

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• Read the 2016 BMW X1 Full Review
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• See Luxury Subcompact SUVs Rankings

Luxury Compact SUVs

Winner: BMW

The BMW X3 is comes in at No. 3 in our rankings of luxury compact SUVs. The Audi Q5 comes ranks at No. 4. Another BMW luxury compact SUV, the X4, takes the No. 12 spot.

• Find 2016 BMW X3 For Sale
• Read the 2016 BMW X3 Full Review
• See 2016 BMW X3 Photos
• See Luxury Compact SUVs Rankings

Luxury Midsize SUVs

Winner: Audi

The Audi Q7 is the No. 2 luxury midsize SUV in our rankings and is far ahead of the BMW X5 which ranks at No. 5.

Luxury Sports Cars

Winner: Audi

Both brands offer luxury sports cars that rank in the lower half of U.S. News & World Report’s rankings. The Audi TT ranks at No. 9 among our luxury sports car rankings. Right behind it is the BMW Z4 at No. 10.

• Find 2016 Audi TT For Sale
• Read the 2016 Audi TT Full Review
• See 2016 Audi TT Photos
• See Luxury Sports Cars Rankings

The Winner Is …

Audi

Audi beats BMW in this pairing with a strong safety record, higher interior scores, more affordable pricing, and better performance. Audi especially shines among luxury small cars, luxury midsize cars, luxury large cars, and luxury midsize SUVs.

Meanwhile, BMW can boast a better reputation for reliability and the availability of several strong SUVs, including the top-rated luxury subcompact SUV the BMW X1. 

More Tools From U.S. News & World Report

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