The new Audi RS6 Avant is an interesting rival to the BMW M5 Competition because it uses a very similar formula but with a twist. Both cars uses 4.0-ish liter twin-turbo V8s with 600-ish horsepower, eight-speed ZF automatics and all-wheel drive. However, the BMW M5 is a sedan and the Audi RS6 is a wagon. They both have their strengths and weaknesses but which one is actually better? In this video from Joe Achilles, we find out.

Achilles recently spent a week in a BMW M5 Competition and then spent a week in the Audi RS6 Avant, without too much time in between. So he was able to draw an accurate comparison between the two cars and judge them properly. In his review, he’s only driving the RS6 but drawing comparisons between it and the M5 throughout, trying to determine which car is better.

In terms of outright speed, both cars are astonishingly quick but the M5 is quicker. His RaceBox-recorded time for the Audi RS6 Avant was 3.31 seconds, which is three seconds faster than Audi’s claimed time. While his recorded time for the BMW M5 Competition was 2.99 seconds. So the Bimmer is considerably faster. However, he does note that it feels that Audi has trouble accelerating hard within the first five meters or so. After that initial delay, though, he claimed that it seems to pull every bit as hard as the M5.

The BMW M5 is also the sharper car but only by a bit. Through some twisties, the Audi RS6 Avant is a great handling, genuinely exciting car to drive and one that defies physics. However, the M5 is just a bit more precise on the road and certainly more so on track.

Where the Audi RS6 Avant does get an on-road advantage, it’s in its ride comfort. The RS6 is one of the best riding sports cars in the world and quite a bit better than the BMW. Not only is it more comfortable than the M5 but it’s also no slouch in the corners. So it’s nicer to drive on a regular basis but it’s also nicer to drive quickly, as the more supple suspension keeps it planted through choppier pavement.

In the end, though, Achilles chose the BMW M5 Competition as the car he’d rather have. It’s a close contest and there’s a lot to like about the Audi RS6 but it’s the M5 Comp that he feels is best for him.