All-New 2024 BMW 5 Series vs Audi A6 and Mercedes E-Class, Plus a Neat American Competitor

Over time, we have come to expect the premium German triumvirate Audi-BMW-Mercedes to deliver the same level of greatness – every time, everywhere, and no matter what. Well, taking them for granted has resulted in a cushion of self-comfort that was thrown down the highest slide possible by the recent developments of the W214 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and G60 BMW 5 Series plus their first-ever i5 electric executive sedan. Right now, frankly, the bland and seemingly uninteresting Audi A6 probably feels like an oasis of tranquility.

As such, no wonder we needed to bring them together for a little bit of one-on-one comparison ahead of the actual 'battles' set in front of the dealerships when BMW and Mercedes finally kick off deliveries of their latest and (arguably) greatest executive cars. As far as the G60 is concerned, BMW has done it again – their 5 Series, at least the i5 eDrive40 and i5 M60 xDrive we see in the pictures embedded in the gallery, are going to represent the focus of controversy for BMW enthusiasts for a good while from now on.

Still, the Bavarian automaker thinks the other attributes will be even more critical – the 5 Series is considered to be "more dynamic than ever" while brimming with innovative tech (Highway Assistant, Active Lane Change with eye activation, etc.) and for the first time also offered with fully electric powertrains. There are two of them for the North American market at the moment, the i5 eDrive40 with 335 hp and an estimated range of 295 miles (475 km), available at a starting MSRP of $66,800 (plus $995 destination and handling).

And then there is also the 590-hp i5 M60 xDrive from $84,100 with a zero to 60 mph (96 kph) sprint time of 3.7 seconds and a 256-mile range, which translates to 412 km. Meanwhile, the internal combustion engines share a wide array of common traits, and BMW has downsized to a new four-pot mill – aka the next-gen 2.0-liter inline-four offered in the BMW 530i with or without xDrive from $57,900 and $60,200, respectively. The pony count is mostly laughable, as it was only raised by seven hp, but the torque figure is worthy of the improvement – an additional 38 lb-ft (52 Nm) for total outputs of 255 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm). As such, the 530i hits 60 mph (96 kph) in 5.9 seconds, while the xDrive models are even faster (5.8s).

With production starting in November this year, the BMW 540i xDrive takes over as the current ICE-powered flagship, and the pricing still falls below the base i5. $64,900 + $995 destination and handling is not a bad deal compared to the electric versions. Its 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine not only has BMW TwinPower Turbo technology and 375 hp (+40 hp compared to its predecessor) but also gains a 48-volt mild hybrid system for additional boost – up to 398 lb-ft (540 Nm). Naturally, the sprint to 60 mph takes just 4.5 seconds now.

Oh well, let us see how everything compares to both natural and uncommon enemies. First, the discrete Audi A6 kicks off at $56,900 in a 45 TFSI guise, which is just $1k less than a 2024 BMW 530i. Alas, the Ingolstadt-based company offers quattro all-wheel drive free of charge in conjunction with the 2.0-liter inline-four cylinder that churns out 261 hp and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) for performance figures of 5.8 seconds and 130 mph (limited, 209 kph).

That means the base Audi A6 is much cheaper than a 530i xDrive, a little more powerful (261 vs. 255 hp), and has a bit less torque (295 vs. 273 lb-ft). Moving on, the 55 TFSI model ($60,800) keeps the quattro and seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic but also gets a 3.0-liter V6 with 335 hp and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) for performance figures of 5.1s and 130 mph. Again, that is cheaper than a 540i xDrive but also much less powerful and slower. So, we can easily consider the 2024 BMW 5 Series versus Audi A6 a tie.

Next comes the equally all-new 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which also features just a couple of powertrain options in America. They all look like siblings, frankly – a 2.0-liter four-pot mild hybrid E 350 4Matic with AWD and 255 horsepower plus a six-cylinder E 450 4Matic cranking out 375 ponies and a bit less torque - 369 lb-ft (500 Nm). There are no prices for the E-Class just yet, though – but as a reference, the 2023 model year of the predecessor starts at $56,750 or $59,250 with 4Matic, and the E 450 4Matic goes for no less than $65,550.

Last but not least, let us also consider a true American rival. Naturally, the most appropriate option is one of the few luxury sedans still being produced by one of the Big Detroit Three. There is no need to guess, as the 'culprit' is none other than Cadillac's CT5 mid-size luxury sedan that was first introduced for the 2020 model year as the successor to the Cadillac CTS and XTS models. Believe it or not, Caddy's CT5 is almost half the price of the Audi A6 – BMW 5 Series – Mercedes-Benz E-Class triumvirate, as the base MSRP kicks off at just $38,195 – excluding the "destination freight charge, tax, title, license, dealer fees, and optional equipment," of course.

The standard 2.0-liter RWD model has 237 hp and 258 lb-ft when paired to a ten-speed automatic transmission, and you can always switch to the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with AWD and 335 hp plus 405 lb-ft (549 Nm) if that is not enough. Things are more balanced here, though, as this version goes to your driveway from $50,680 (with destination included, this time). Alas, it's still significantly cheaper than the A6 55 TFSI, 540i, or E 450! Frankly, that is not something to take lightly these days.