Audi A6 Sportback e-tron vs BMW i5

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The verdict

Base against base, the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron leads the BMW i5 on price, range, acceleration and charging time. The two start $400 apart ($66,700 against $67,100 before destination), and the rear-drive A6 is rated at 348 miles on its standard 20-inch wheels, or 395 with the ultra package, against 280 to 328 for the i5 eDrive40. Each A6 powertrain outranges its i5 counterpart, and Audi quotes a 21-minute 10-80% charge on its 800-volt system against 30 minutes for the i5 in our table. Each A6 powertrain also costs less than its i5 counterpart (quattro against xDrive40, S6 against M60) and is as quick or quicker. The i5's edge is its port: the 2027 i5, and 2026 i5s built from about March 2026, have a native NACS port, while the A6 uses CCS1 and Audi's NACS DC adapter at Superchargers. Buy the A6 for range and charging speed; buy the i5 if adapter-free Supercharging matters more to you, or you prefer the BMW.

Price and lineup

Audi sells the 2027 A6 Sportback e-tron in the US only as a Sportback, with three powertrains: the rear-drive A6 ($66,700), the A6 quattro ($68,700) and the S6 ($79,600, from the Premium Plus trim, with 543 hp using launch control), plus a $1,395 destination charge; Audi skipped the 2026 model year here. BMW's i5 comes as the 335-hp eDrive40 ($67,100), the 389-hp xDrive40 ($70,100) and the 593-hp M60 xDrive ($84,100). Those are 2027 i5 prices, unchanged from 2026; BMW now builds only the 2027 i5. Powertrain for powertrain, the Audi is cheaper: by $400, $1,400 and $4,500. None of our resale, warranty or insurance data covers either car yet.

Range and charging

This is where the A6 pulls ahead. EPA rates the rear-drive A6 at 348 miles on its standard 20-inch wheels and 395 with the ultra package, which fits 19-inch wheels with all-season tires; the quattro at 327 to 360; and the S6 at 311 to 326. The 2027 i5 is rated 280 to 328 miles as the eDrive40, 262 to 283 as the xDrive40 and 259 to 277 as the M60, so each A6 powertrain outranges its i5 counterpart, though the best i5 eDrive40 figure edges the shortest-range S6 and quattro. Audi's 800-volt system charges from 10 to 80% in 21 minutes at up to 270 kW; our table lists 30 minutes for every i5, with a 205 kW peak in our NACS data. On efficiency the i5 now edges the base A6: EPA rates the 2027 i5 eDrive40 at 29 kWh/100 mi against 30 for the A6 in its standard configuration.

Supercharger access and safety

The A6 has a CCS1 port on the driver's side and a separate J1772 AC port on the passenger side. At Superchargers it uses Audi's NACS DC adapter, which works only for DC fast charging; Audi sold 2025 cars with the adapter port-installed but hasn't said whether 2027 cars include it. BMW switched the 2026 i5 to a native NACS port for cars built from about March 2026, with CCS1 and J1772 adapters in the box, and the 2027 i5 keeps it; the earliest 2026 cars have CCS1 ports, so check a leftover car before you buy. On crash safety, IIHS names the 2027 A6 Sportback e-tron a 2026 Top Safety Pick+ (its rating page doesn't mention the S6). For the i5, IIHS has rated only the headlights, so there's no crash-test comparison to make.

Frequently asked questions

Which has more range, the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron or BMW i5?
The Audi A6 Sportback e-tron, powertrain for powertrain. EPA rates the rear-drive A6 at 348 miles on standard 20-inch wheels and 395 with the ultra package, against 280 to 328 miles for the 2027 i5 eDrive40; the A6 quattro (327 to 360) and S6 (311 to 326) also outrange the i5 xDrive40 (262 to 283) and M60 (259 to 277).
Is the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron or BMW i5 cheaper?
The Audi, narrowly. The A6 Sportback e-tron starts at $66,700 before destination, $400 less than the $67,100 i5 eDrive40. The A6 quattro ($68,700) undercuts the i5 xDrive40 ($70,100) by $1,400, and the S6 ($79,600) undercuts the i5 M60 xDrive ($84,100) by $4,500.
Which is faster, the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron or BMW i5?
The Audi at the entry level and in the middle: 5.2 seconds to 60 mph for the rear-drive A6 against 5.4 for the i5 eDrive40, and 4.3 for the A6 quattro against 4.9 for the i5 xDrive40 (Audi's figures are estimates). At the top it's a tie: the S6 and the i5 M60 xDrive both list 3.7 seconds.
Which charges faster, the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron or BMW i5?
The A6. Audi quotes 10-80% in 21 minutes at up to 270 kW on its 800-volt system; our table lists 30 minutes for the i5. At Superchargers, the A6 uses a CCS1 port and Audi's NACS DC adapter, while the 2027 i5, and 2026 i5s built from about March 2026, have a native NACS port.
Is the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron safer than the BMW i5?
We can't compare them directly. IIHS names the 2027 A6 Sportback e-tron a 2026 Top Safety Pick+. Its crash-test and crash-prevention ratings apply to 2025 to 2027 models, but the 2026 award is filed under the 2027 model year only; the 2025 model's page shows its own, earlier-cycle award (IIHS's page doesn't mention the S6). For the i5, IIHS has published only a headlight rating, not crash-test ratings.

Audi A6 Sportback e-tron vs BMW i5: Which EV Should You Buy?

Choosing between the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron and BMW i5? Use the interactive comparison above to see how they stack up on range, price, performance, and charging speed. Whether you searched "Audi A6 Sportback e-tron vs BMW i5" or "BMW i5 vs Audi A6 Sportback e-tron" — same comparison, picked apart trim-by-trim. Select different trims to compare specific configurations.

Quick reference: this page covers the head-to-head between the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron and the BMW i5 (the reverse "BMW i5 vs Audi A6 Sportback e-tron" matchup is the same comparison from the opposite vehicle's perspective). Both directions land here.

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