BMW 5 Series or Audi A6: which is the better luxury sedan?

It's hard to get a fuel efficiency of more than 7kpl in the petrol luxury sedan segment.

Published on Oct 29, 2022 09:00:00 AM

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I own an Audi Q5, a Volvo S60 and a Mahindra Thar. I want to trade in my S60 for another sedan between Rs 45 lakh-60 lakh. I am fine going in for a used car too, and have shortlisted the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E-Class, Audi A6, Volvo S90, Lexus ES, and the BMW 3, 5 Series and the X4. However, I have a few apprehensions. The Mercs are too common on Indian roads, the Audi has a dismal 7kpl economy figure, the Volvo S90 and Lexus ES are feature rich, but boring, and I’ve also heard that BMWs are expensive to maintain. What should I go for?

Nishant Dua, Delhi

Autocar India says: We can understand your conundrum and that it is difficult to find the perfect luxury car. However, there are some misconceptions we would like to clear up that may make your choice easier.

Whilst you have ruled out cars like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E-Class, the Lexus ES and the Volvo S90 since they don’t match your personal preferences and tastes, your perceptions of the Audi A6 and BMWs may not be reason enough to discard them. Yes, the A6 petrol isn’t fuel efficient at 7kpl, but it’s as fuel efficient – if not more – than other petrol sedans in this same category. So, unless you are getting a diesel or the Lexus hybrid, you won’t get a better fuel economy.

Coming to the BMW’s maintenance costs, they are about as expensive to maintain as other luxury cars. As a bit of insurance, you can pay for a service package, which takes care of all costs for the period you have taken it for.

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