Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2014 Audi S5 VS 2014 BMW 4 Near Phoenix, AZ

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi S5 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW 4 Series Coupe doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The S5 has a standard Audi Backguard System, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Audi Backguard System moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The 4 Series Coupe doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S5. But it costs extra on the 4 Series Coupe.

Both the S5 and the 4 Series Coupe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2013 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Audi vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Audi 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 18th, below the industry average.

The S5’s 3.0 supercharged V6 produces 92 more horsepower (333 vs. 241) and 67 lbs.-ft. more torque (325 vs. 258) than the 428i Coupe’s standard 2.0 turbo 4 cyl. The S5’s 3.0 supercharged V6 produces 33 more horsepower (333 vs. 300) and 25 lbs.-ft. more torque (325 vs. 300) than the 435i Coupe’s standard 3.0 turbo 6 cyl.

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi S5 is faster than the 435i Coupe (manual transmissions tested):

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi S5 is faster than the 428i Coupe (automatics tested):

For better stopping power the S5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the 4 Series Coupe:

The S5 stops much shorter than the 4 Series Coupe:

For better traction, the S5 has larger standard tires than the 4 Series Coupe (245/40R18 vs. 225/50R17). The S5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 4 Series Coupe (255/35R19 vs. 225/40R19).

The S5’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 4 Series Coupe’s standard 50 series tires. The S5’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the 435i Coupe’s optional 40 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S5 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the 4 Series Coupe.

The S5 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the 4 Series Coupe, it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the S5 is 1.7 inches wider in the front than on the 4 Series Coupe.

The S5 Coupe handles at .95 G’s, while the 428i Coupe pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the S5 Coupe is quieter than the 435i Coupe (40 vs. 42 dB).

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the S5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 4 Series Coupe doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the S5 has standard extendable sun visors. The 4 Series Coupe doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Consumer Reports® chose the Audi S5 as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its April 2014 issue and the Audi S5 Coupe won out over the BMW 435i Coupe.