2007 Audi RS 4 vs. 2007 BMW M5 Comparison Test Video

By Edmunds Video Productions | Published October 13, 2009

4:4 min

2007 German Performance Sedan Comparison Test - 2007 BMW M5 vs. 2007 Audi RS 42/11/07 If you�re shoppingLooking for a high-performance German sedan?, Well there are plenty of those. there�s no shortage of choices. But when you specify a manual transmission, however, for your Teutonic road warrior, and your choices in the field narrows considerably. In fact, Iit narrows down to just two. One of them the newly available six speed BMW M5, the other , to be exact. When BMW decided to offer a six-speed manual transmission in its 2007 M5, we could only find one real competitor to put it up against -- the cheaper, lighter 2007 Audi RS 4. Though its closer into the size ofto the smaller BMW M3, the RS 4's 420hp V8 puts it right up there with the M5 in terms of performance. is similar to the M5 in that it has a high-revving, normally aspirated powerplants arranged in a 90-degree vee. Some might assume that the M5 would wipe the floor with the RS 4, but the results of our comparison prove otherwise. Though the M5 put upshowed off some notable performance numbers, the car�s self-imposed limitations put a major dent in its fun factor. It was all smiles when we first test drove the M5 on some of our favorite mountain roads. Body roll was practically nil, the shifter had the longish throws typical of BMW manuals, and the clutch effort was surprisingly light. But the smiles were wiped right off our faces when we pushed the M5 to the limit, as its Dynamic Stability Control, or DSC, smoothly yet sternly took a stranglehold on the rear slip angles and wheelspin. Much of the fun suddenly evaporated. What we learned the hard way is that all manual-transmission equipped M5�s have non-defeatable DSC. This means no powerslides, burnouts, or any throttle inputs that would influence the M5's cornering attitude. So when it came to performance testing, with no legitimate means to defeat DSC, we reluctantly settled for the M Dynamic Mode. The M5 manual's skid pad and slalom performances of 0.83g and 68.4 mph are only 0.1g and 0.8 mph short of the SMG-equipped M5 we tested last year. These numbers don�t sound quite as good when you learn that the RS 4 posts 0.88g lateral acceleration and 69.0 mph through the cones. In a straight line, the M5 wins handily. The 3903-lb RS 4 makes an impressive 4.5-second run to 60 mph and does a 13.0-second quarter mile at 107.3 mph. But the 4,122-lb M5 tore to 60 in 4.4 seconds and covered the quarter mile in 12.7 seconds at 113.6 mph. And the manual M5 is even quicker than the SMG-equipped M5 we tested last year. Neither of these powerful machines skimp in the brakes department either. The M5 reaches a standstill from 60 mph in just 114 feet, with the RS 4 stopping in 116 feet. Out in the real-world, the 420-hp RS 4 had little trouble keeping up with the 500-hp M5. More grip and confidence in the Audi's chassis is part of the reason, and the other is the combination of all wheel-drive and fully defeatable stability control. Hear that BMW? Audi's short-throw close-ratio gearbox delivers blazingly fast shifts and is a perfect match for the heroic engine. Like a Mitsubishi Evo, the Audi's communicative handling goads the driver into pushing it to the limit. The RS 4 is enormous fun, and a much more engaging drive than the M5. After driving the RS 4, the M5 feels clinical and strangely detached. Fast, but aloof. The RS 4 isn�t perfect. A V8 hung entirely over the front axle hurts weight distribution, upsets ride quality, and makes the steering heavier. Moreover, the RS 4's back seat is cramped, and it doesn't offer nearly the array of equipment that the M5 does. But none of that matters. Audi has managed to out-fun one of the world's most respected drivers' cars. And it does it with a price tag tens of thousands dollars cheaper than the M5.