It’s no secret that BMW and Audi follow each other’s progress. Both try not to miss any new development of each other. The new modification from the Bavarians (a few years ago) was long-awaited, and it is not only about the design. It has received a factory index of the body F10. One gets the impression that the sedan has received areas on the body of the car, characterized by a large difference in the surface profile.
Audi competitors tried not to yield to the Bavarians, transforming the front of the A6 generation VII. The massive radiator grille was already there. It was decided to play with it additionally by installing new optics with undulating bottom edges. The flattened hood completes the picture. Due to such a solution for the hood, an impression of impetuosity is created.
Having looked into the interior… What will please the BMW 5-Series in the interior? Calm as always. Paddles on a steering wheel for manual choice of gears and keys of switching of transmission modes stand out against a background of the general picture. The steering wheel has turned out much more volumetric than Audi has. The other details look in the interior as it is flush: luxurious and thorough. The entire cabin is furnished according to preferences of a driver, but not passengers. Different materials were used for finishing of the interior of the “Five”. There are not too attractive and new. We are talking about soft-touch, which was used several types. In the upper part they used soft plastic, which blends in with the whole interior. It kind of complements the wooden and aluminum inserts and the leather trim. Leather, by the way, was used not only for the driver and passenger seats but also for the center tunnel and doors.
The main indicators of the “Five” are, as one would expect, placed on the panel. The central console pleases with its widescreen monitor. Its diagonal is 10,2″. Again the Audi A6 loses, as the manufacturer installed a monitor with a diagonal of only 8″. Its disadvantages are not only in its small size but also in its ill-conceived work. So everyone will get tired of its flickering. Why? Because it crawls out as soon as the driver turns the key in the ignition.
Driving the BMW 535i xDrive, the driver now doesn’t need a driver’s prompter. Why not? Because all his wishes and instructions are displayed on the windshield by means of projection. The driver will see the speed figure and information about road signs. At first, such a function was a privilege, gradually it was incorporated in all BMW cars. Audi A6 also boasts projection information on the windshield, but unfortunately, it is not as rich. Both models are able to connect to the Internet via Bluetooth. In this case, the preference will be given to Google services. The employees of Audi’s concern stood out with the installation of adaptive cruise control radar. It is built into the rearview mirror bracket. With this installation, the car manufacturer achieved a long life for the radar.
Is there a significant difference between the BMW and Audi all-wheel-drive systems? Is it only in the name (BMW – xDrive, Audi A6 – Quattro)? To begin with, it is necessary to stop in detail the system from Audi. The employees of this automobile concern have provided for the system an inter-axle differential which has been improved by the function of the directed distribution of the torque. By means of such technical aspect, they have achieved that the traction is distributed as it is required by the situation. Normal mode assumes the work of the car on the rear wheels (traction up to 85%). If there will be a necessity in it, then 70 % of traction can be moved to front wheels. Thus, the automobile will go as the situation on a freeway demands. Now about the system xDrive. There is a system of a full drive, capable to direct on one of the axles up to 100 % of traction. The steering settings of the “Five” are much stiffer than the Audi A6. The second automaker makes them more pliable, and thus gives a feeling of easiness while driving to the driver. By the way, the A6 will really become a little bit lighter. It has become 80 kg less weight due to the appearance of aluminum details in a body. BMW has made elastic, unyielding. The compensation of gravity of a steering wheel is made by a smooth-shifting of 8-speed automatic transmission. Audi has overdone it; the gear shifting turns out jerky and nervous, but still, it bypasses the competitor, accelerating up to the first “hundred” 0,4 seconds faster.
So how do the “Five” and the Audi A6 work on an icy road? The suspensions of both cars work accurately. Regulation of shock absorber rigidity is entrusted to the Dynamic Damper Control system, which analyzes the work of built-in valves by means of signals from sensors. There are a lot of settings, and every motorist will find what will suit him 100%. But super sporty driving will not give special pleasure: the body will vibrate too much. Audi’s competitors did a little bit differently, providing air suspension Adaptive Air Suspension, which allows you to change the height of the car by 20 mm. The changes will be influenced by the speed of the car, and also by the driving style of the motorist. Both BMW 535i xDrive and Audi A6 are worthy representatives of the business class. Both will allow not only with pleasure to twist a steering wheel, but also to relax, settling down on a back seat.