aqkhan6us

AUDI A6 : less expensive , some nicer features (Vents on the pillars too, less Blind spot, little bit wider and longer, more hp with similar mpg, intrument panel little curved n oriented towards the driver, MMI-I-drive less complicated, bigger wheels, High Safety ranking, leg rest comfy, can use Octane 87 and so on.....)

But it is not Ultimate Driving Machine, ACC with NO Stop n Go, and some other features U will MISS

jackstraw

I just went through the same decisions you are making. However, I didn't spend too much time looking at Audi. My last car was an Audi and I had too many problems with it too early in it's life. I was tired of constantly fixing things with it. I'm sure people say that about a lot of expensive cars, not just Audi. So I was really ready for a change from Audi and wanted to try something different. After driving the e60, I went over to the MB dealer and drove the E550. I really wanted to like it based on it's specs. But ultimately, it did not drive as well (for my style of driving), the seats were not nearly as comfortable as the BMW premium seats, wasn't impressed with the electronics and frankly, I wasn't crazy about the exterior looks of the car. Another BIG plus for BMW, was the included service for 4yr/50k.

So obviously, I ended up going with the 550i and so far, no regrets!


Good luck!

Russ1974

I had an Audi A4 for 6 months. Fully loaded, literally every single option available. It was "ok". Nothing "wow" or "inspiring" about it. Sold it after 6 months and lost ?10,000.

Everybody says an Audi is "understated" and for the "non poser". Or, in other words, "BORING" !!!!! Audi do make "ok" cars, but I would never put them on a par with my BMW.

mrfva

I've got a couple of extras for both of you

Happy holidays!

info@trinityautosport

if i had a choice, i would probably go with another e60 as some members have done.

lee1224

I test drove a 2007 E550 before ordering my 08 550i, even my 68 year old father-in-law said that the BMW 550i was a more solid car. The Mercedes sales person even said that they are two different cars, "the E550 is a luxury cruiser, the BMW 550 is a sport cruiser". He couldn't have more right, so he lost the sale to BMW>

At the end of the day, its still your personal preference that counts...i just preferred a more sporty family car.

good luck

Heelsonwheels

When you drive away from the MB dealer saying to yourself, "ahh its ok", that says something. I didn't even consider a MB this time around.
I really liked the suspension( very stable at high speed cornering and solid feel), interior and toys(ie backup camera) in the S line A6 4.2. Power was good albeit a tad down from BMW. My wife didn't even like a standard A6.
Its hard to ignore BMW's included maintenance.
At the end of the day I ended up in a 550 BMW with no regrets.
Keep us posted but I think I know where you'll end up.

gabman

I switched out of my 2004 545 for a 2006 E500 4matic a few weeks ago. My lease on my 545 is coming due in a few months and I did not want to go into a 550 in May 2008 when the new revamped 5 series is scheduled for late 2009. So I purchased my brother in laws E500 which is only 17 months old with 17,000 miles on it and imported into Canada. Funny thing is that he bought a 550. I figured that I needed a change for the short term, so the E500 fit the bill, not to mention that I picked it up well below market value.

So I have been driving the E500 for a few weeks now. The car drives better than I expected, I find it more solid than my 545, it has enough power when I need it but the steering is nowhere as responsive as the 545, the same with cornering.
Fuel consumption is greater on the E500, probably the 4 matic at work. I really had no problems driving my 545 in the winter
however after driving the E500 in a recent storm that dumped 16 inches I quickly saw the advantages of AWD, and have to say that I am a convert to AWD. The fact that MB has an 8 Cyl AWD is a bonus because I was having troubles thinking about switching into a 535 AWd after having driven an 8 Cyl for the last few years.

I find the interior of the E500 to be superior to that of my 545, the seats are more comfortable and the trim much more solid. My E500 came equipped with NAV which I did not have in my 545, after having mastered I-Drive, it took me no time to figure everything out in the E500. The fact that MB's Nav sometimes leads me to Germany instead of my intended destination is somewhat of an irritant, but hey, I hear the autobahn is something that needs to be experienced. One thing that I truly miss from my 545 is the heated steering wheel, it is an option in the E500 and my car did not come equipped with it. Storage space in the E500 is way superior to that of the 545. the whole climate control system for both front and back passenger is much better in the MB as well as all the lightingand of course the CUPHOLDERS

The biggest issue that I have with the E500 is the exterior styling, this is really where I miss my 545. The 545 to me is one of the nicest looking cars on the road. With this being said, in the first couple of years of driving my 545, I did not see all that many on the road whereas in the last year or so it was not uncommon for me to stop at a light and be surrounded by 525's and 535's, I guess this is a sign of a good car, but my 545 was starting not to feel that special anymore. I am trying to deal with the E500 exterior styling, I already have an appointment on Monday to have the windows tinted dark ( I am asking myself if I am doing this as to not be seen, lol), just kidding, or am I? In the spring I will see about some nice mags.

Another problem that I had with staying with BMW was their colour selection. I have been driving black cars for so many years that I am finally tired of black and could not find another colour for the E60 that did it for me.

On a last note, for now, the paint finish on the 545 does not come close to that of the MB, I don't know why BMW cannot put a decent paint quality on their cars, my E500 after 18 months still looks like it is in showroom condition and more than that there are no chips on the car at all and trust me I have heard some nice rocks and salt pellets hit my car in the last few weeks, I have to say the paint finish is one of the most noticeable things on this vehicle.

And yes, I do miss my 545 and yes I will probably be back in 2009 unless I can afford the Mclaren which by the way I sat in last week, talk about a sweet car.

And finally, there are no forums around that match the quality of this forum, I think that is what I miss the most, I have been over at Benzworld and it seems to match MB, NO PASSION.

So this is my initial report, I am sure I will have more to add down the road.

P.S. I forgot to mention the auto start function on the E500, now this is really cool and once again sorry to say, much better than BMW, Keys stay in your pocket , doors unlock as soon as you reach for the handle, a button on the top of the gear shift is pressed and instant start, once again I cannot understand BMW's logic of having to insert the key fob in a given place in the dash and then press a button to start, once you have to insert the key fob what is it to turn the fob a quarter turn to start the car, what's up with BMW in having to use the FOB at all?

Rudy

Thanks for the update gabman...I think you've accurately hit on some of the pros and cons that distinguish the two brands.

Be sure to keep us updated on your experiences down the road (pun intended...)

baadaaboo

MB is still under chysler's disaster, you might see some good MB again in a few years. Because MB just get independent 2 months ago. The true MB will take few years to regroup, therefore I would NOT buy any MB for another few years.

Audi v.s. BMW? we all picked BMW here... but if you need some Audi advice? you wouldn't get any positive answers here man.