E60 M5 vs C6 S6 (not a race)

[jordon]

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Hello guys... Haven't posted here in a while... After the demise of my B5 S4, I moved over to a BMW 540i (I know I know...)
Anyway, to the point, I am planning an upgrade in the coming spring/summer, and at the moment, the two main contenders are the E60 M5 and the C6 S6. I already know the M5 is faster. Much faster. And I can get either of the two cars for a similar price, however, the S6 is far more beautiful inside and out, and the MMI system is (apparently) far superior to iDrive. I am sure some of you have made choices between these two V10's already, and am curious as to the deciding factors. Is iDrive really so annoying as to choose a car with a 70 horsepower disadvantage? Or was the clunky smg the decision maker? As much as much as I love Quattro, I am sure there must be more to it.

[HyperM3]

I think quattro has a lot to do with picking the S6 over the M5. Its just more user friendly year round. Plus a lot more rare of a car.

[KAL]

Nothing wrong with a 540.. specially M package. I was very close to buying one before my C6. Beautiful cars and preform very well. Quattro is more user friendly, and would still have some edge to it if it was a 40/60 split. but aren't the earlier models a 50/50 for quattro?

And I agree that the S6 is more of a looker. Depends on what your going for.

[ferrariyellow44]

Sorry but the E55 is the best car in this category. You seriously need to drive it even if you're against the Mercedes stigma...It may not be a V10 but a supercharged 5.5 liter V8 is pretty nasty and theres a ton of power adders available

[Street Nasty]

the s6 is a way better dd. The auto transmission can be aggressive sometimes from 1-2 but the SMG on the m5 is a bitch if you don't flog it. It can't make up it's kind. Quattro is a plus if you have rain and snow. You lose on hp and speed but the torque is more and at a practical rev range. Just make sure you get all options on that car.

[Street Nasty]

Sorry but the E55 is the best car in this category. You seriously need to drive it even if you're against the Mercedes stigma...It may not be a V10 but a supercharged 5.5 liter V8 is pretty nasty and theres a ton of power adders available

Power wise it is awesome but IMO it is ugly as hell.

[4Chio]

the M5 get pretty bad MPG

[A4A4A4]

Sorry but the E55 is the best car in this category. You seriously need to drive it even if you're against the Mercedes stigma...It may not be a V10 but a supercharged 5.5 liter V8 is pretty nasty and theres a ton of power adders available

I think you're wanted in this thread... http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...CLK550-or-335i

[ferrariyellow44]

Yeah I decided to just ignore it. They obviously have zero respect for me and wont believe anything I tell them. I was considering a 335i simply because its the best car in that category, even though they have that BMW stigma attached to them.

I think you're wanted in this thread... http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...CLK550-or-335i

[HyperM3]

I think you're wanted in this thread... http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...CLK550-or-335i

Where the hell is the damn like button...

[M_weinerich]

IMO, I would have the manual transmission E60 M5, as previously mentioned the SMG is really jerky 1-2 shifts and in general around town.

BUT, have you considered a B8 S4 or a 3.0T C6?

I mean for about the same coin you could get a really nice low mile C6 that you can chip to around 400awhp with less maintenance costs than any S/M flagship.

[sciblades]

drive both, buy the one you like......

[A4A4A4]

Yeah I decided to just ignore it. They obviously have zero respect for me and wont believe anything I tell them. I was considering a 335i simply because its the best car in that category, even though they have that BMW stigma attached to them.

You kind of did the same thing in this thread that they're giving you shit for over there. You blatantly put down BMW and Audi (oddly enough) and promote MB when it really has no business in the thread. Why not go in there and tell your "real" story and just take whatever they have to say?

The E55 is clearly inferior to the C6 S6 and E60 M5, it's a generation back for starters. I think I saw comparo's in the early 2000's when it even lost to the C5 S6 and E39 M5. Suggesting the W211 E63 would have been a better idea but even then, that interior looks pretty dreadful.



OP, in this price range, unless you really need the space, I think I might start looking at the older E90 M3, C63, B8 S4, B7 RS4, Gen 2 CTS-V, type of crowd. A little more bang for your buck IMO.

If it's just down to the S6 and M5, I'd probably opt for the S6. I-drive was at its height of terrible in the E60 and the transmissions are both pretty frustrating.

EDIT: Seeing your location in Sask, I think you'd be wise to take a long hard look at the Audi offerings.

[MainlandMig]

ok for what its worth..

i like me my german cars
im not an Audi fan boi but of the 3 i prefer audi
i like the m5 looks and ride but c6 is better looking for me
some things that come to mind quick about what bmw does well ... wheels, tires, ride height, stance, power. handling, performance
some things that just bother me.. i like my knees not bleeding so i hate the cup holders
i hate how 50% of m5s i see the seats are reclined way past the b pillar
the interior is more dated looking then audi
audi has superior rear seat usability ..fold down seats.. trunk size... i know ..minor to some but not if DD
but the biggest deal breaker
iDrive
i honestly could not figure out or use iDrive
i was in park and took minutes to do simple tasks
i felt like the elderly with their remotes
i dont think i could use it while driving.. while i can navigate my MMI without looking down
if u have mastered iDrive it then i say cool ok go BMW..
if not i would steer everyone away

my .02

[The_Transporter]

I'm sorry, but I owned a BMW M6... It is a nightmare of a car. The engine is an absolute work of art, but it ends there!
Fit & finish is atrocious. Leather was sub-par, the idrive is about 10x's worse than Audi MMI (which is saying A LOT)

The clutches you will replace for the SMG are costly & do not always hold up to spirited driving. It is also horribly jarring for other passengers.
I am an enthusiast, so I don't mind rough suspension or hard shifts, but I can tell you, the SMG runs it course quite quickly.
Go for an S6. That beautiful gallardo exhaust-note & fine-tuned chassis will be just fine as an everyday driver. Comfortable, powerful & useful. A proper sports saloon.
Also, the M5 & M6 will get about 11-13mpg
Keep in mind BOTH cars will be expensive to upkeep for various reasons. Why not get an A6 3.0T??? I'll be outrunning C6 S6's soon :)
If the 3.0T S4's can run low 12's, there's no reason the A6 3.0T can't get near that as well (same engine, a little more weight)

[jrwebb01]

I have never been in the fortunate position to be considering either one of these cars, but from other posts I have read in the past, they all seemed to recommend that the car be a CPO. I don't know if it is because the up-keep is so high on these cars, but I do remember reading several times that people really suggested making sure the car was a CPO. Good luck with the decision and make sure to post pics and video. They are always appreciated.

[Bdubs]

Get the C6 S6 and add a milltek non resonated exhaust. I miss my 2007 daily...twas a great car to drive...

[eKKoMan]

My 2 cents :

I'd say get the C6 S6 but only if it has the facelift : this includes the LED taillights, different rear valence, MMI 3G Plus with 3d Maps etc., numerous other cool interior features, it will come with new model Audi rims on 19'' or 20''. BMW launched their facelift earlier in 2008 (i think) so a facelifted M5 looks more futuristic than a non-facelift S6.

If i were to choose between a non-facelift C6 S6 and a facelift C6 A6 3.0T, i will go for the 3.0T in a heartbeat.

[jordon]

Thanks for the input, guys. I had actually not considered the C6 3.0T, but I am now.
my current 540i m-sport with 6 speed manual is a strong car, and I was not really prepared to drop a lot of coin on a car that performs only marginally better. If the S6 had another 50+ hp, I would not even ask lol!
Now, after checking out APR's stage II+ package for the 3.0T, I am curious... How well does this package perform? I always take APR's numbers with a grain of salt, but do any of you have this upgrade? Also, has anyone installed meth with this setup? If so, how did it respond?

[ENV²]

You should consider the E60 550i if you can find it in a 6MT. It is one of the best cars I ever drove and also has wheels I consider nicer than the ones on the E60M5. Better gas mileage, great power (an even HP/Torque ratio) and perfect for DD usability. I searched high and low for one before the S4.

[The_Transporter]

Thanks for the input, guys. I had actually not considered the C6 3.0T, but I am now.
my current 540i m-sport with 6 speed manual is a strong car, and I was not really prepared to drop a lot of coin on a car that performs only marginally better. If the S6 had another 50+ hp, I would not even ask lol!
Now, after checking out APR's stage II+ package for the 3.0T, I am curious... How well does this package perform? I always take APR's numbers with a grain of salt, but do any of you have this upgrade? Also, has anyone installed meth with this setup? If so, how did it respond?

If you want to know how well the A6 3.0T is going to perform, just look at the numbers the S4 3.0T is making. (YouTube is a good source)
They are running low 12's & high 11's on meth. No reason an A6 3.0T couldn't run close to that! Mainly a weight difference which I have remedied with lighter wheels, lighter brakes, gutted trunk & lightweight battery.

[zcd2.7t]

If you want to know how well the A6 3.0T is going to perform, just look at the numbers the S4 3.0T is making. ...No reason an A6 3.0T couldn't run close to that!...

Actually, there IS a reason a C6 3.0T won't likely run with a B8 S4, and that's the lack of the 7 speed DSG ("S-tronic" dual clutch) transmission. The 6 speed torque-converter automatic in the A6 isn't a bad trans, but it's nowhere near as efficient or performance-oriented as the DSG.

That said, 0-60 in the high 4s and 1/4 mile in the high 12s/low 13s shouldn't be hard to achieve with an ECU tune, which would allow it to outrun the C6 S6.... Gas mileage would be close to double, too.

[Bdubs]

I got 15-16mpg city in my c6 s6, low 20s on the highway and was nowhere near a sub 5 sec 0-60 time but nothing compares to the sound of the v10 and the instant torque at your disposal and for that I would give up a second and a few mpg.

@ the OP, have you driven the c6 s6 yet. If not, do so before you decide on what to buy...

[OmaHahn]

Actually, there IS a reason a C6 3.0T won't likely run with a B8 S4, and that's the lack of the 7 speed DSG ("S-tronic" dual clutch) transmission. The 6 speed torque-converter automatic in the A6 isn't a bad trans, but it's nowhere near as efficient or performance-oriented as the DSG.

That said, 0-60 in the high 4s and 1/4 mile in the high 12s/low 13s shouldn't be hard to achieve with an ECU tune, which would allow it to outrun the C6 S6.... Gas mileage would be close to double, too.

Actually, there's a member on here named, "Ynnekdude," and his A6 is already in the mid 4's with just the minor stuff he's done. He posted videos of his times and it's very impressive. With a little more tweaking his A6 could be very lethal!

[haloguy628]

Factor in the carbon problem on the FSI engines. The V10 is great but it needs de-carbon maintenance every 15 - 20K miles. The S6 is also more luxurious and better looking than the M5. Just make sure that the S6 has the Technology Package.

[KAL]

Just saw a white C6 S6 and I must say it is somthing to look at. The rims are so flush with the body, nice wide tires and the stance was perfect, 0 gap. Then the rumble of that V10. I'd do the S6 in a heartbeat after seeing it last night (in my area its a lot more exclusive too, more M5s around which like a little toyish). So yes find an S6...white one.