Vehicles just like the BMW M5 Touring and Audi RS6 Avant can do just about all the things. Effectively, besides go off-road. Except you propose on venturing off the crushed path, these household haulers ought to tick just about all the opposite packing containers. Each are quick, highly effective, spacious, snug, luxurious, and brimming with expertise.
Edmunds needed to search out out which of the 2 giant wagons is faster in a straight line. Slightly than organizing a traditional drag race, the M5 and RS6 confronted a barely completely different problem. The primary order of enterprise was to finish a quarter-mile run, then flip 180 levels and return to the place to begin. It’s a extra elaborate check, because it elements in a automobile’s dealing with and braking capabilities as a substitute of focusing solely on straight-line acceleration.
Predictably, the M wagon was slower off the road as the additional weight reared its ugly head. The moment response of the electrical motor couldn’t offset the almost 600 kilos (272 kilograms) separating the 2 automobiles. Nonetheless, the BMW steadily caught up and took the lead in each runs.
Though the M5 and RS6 each wanted 11.5 seconds to finish the quarter mile, the BMW was touring considerably sooner on the traps. The Touring was clocked at 127.2 mph versus simply 123 mph for the Audi. Munich’s electrified machine elevated its benefit within the second half of the check, ending in 32.8 seconds, or 0.8 seconds forward of its opponent from Ingolstadt.
As the 2 automobiles crossed the end line, the M5 Touring was as soon as once more considerably faster, posting 140.4 mph in comparison with 134.4 mph for the RS6. Though the “G99” got here out on high, it was nonetheless a tenth of a second slower than one other BMW, the M3 CS Sedan. The US missed out on each the M3 CS Touring and the common “G81.” Equally, Audi selected to not promote the previous-generation RS4 Avant within the U.S.
It’s protected to say individuals aren’t shopping for M5 and RS6 wagons to race them off the road. Different elements come into play, together with worth. Greater than $20,000 separated the 2 automobiles examined by Edmunds. The BMW carried a $145,775 sticker with choices, whereas the Audi was significantly pricier at $167,140.
For the 2026 mannequin 12 months, nonetheless, the 2 automobiles are nearly identically priced as base fashions. Earlier than ticking any possibility packing containers, the M5 Touring begins at $129,350, whereas the RS6 Avant is available in at $131,995. Audi is already cooking up a next-generation mannequin, whereas BMW is making ready a faceliftnevertheless it received’t arrive till 2028.
Video: Edmunds / YouTube

