Audi A6 2.0 TDI vs BMW 520d
* New exec on sale next month * Interior from A7 * More kit, small price rise from current car...
Audi freely admits the majority of executive car buyers are company car tax buyers; only one in five buys an Audi A6 for solely private use.
To this end, Audi and its other rivals have received something of a drubbing of late from the ultra-frugal BMW 5 Series.
No longer. Or at least no longer when comparing prospective best-sellers. For so long the benchmark for emissions and performance, the BMW 520d emits 129g/km of CO2 and averages 57.6mpg while producing 181bhp, and 280lb ft of pulling power.
However, the new Audi A6 2.0 TDI, will match its emissions, economy and torque, while giving away a meagre 4bhp in power output. The net result is that the Audi is as clean as its rival and just 0.4sec slower to 62mph.
What's more, while the list price of the Audi is expected to be around 1500 more than that of the BMW, it will have sat-nav, split-folding rear seats and Audi's Drive Select system, which allows you to alter driving settings between Comfort, Normal and Sport, as standard.
>All of those items are extras on the BMW and, if selected, company drivers will be taxed on them at a rate of 18% on the list price.
Furthermore, the Audi's long standard kit list has been developed in co-operation with residual values experts Glasses and CAP, in order to ensure the car's resale prices remain strong.
While the BMW's three-year value of 49% will be hard to beat, the Audi A6 is well placed to match or even shade it in the official predictions.
