Where each one leads
Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron
- Fewer Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (2.9% against 4.8%).
BMW 5 Series
Ahead on none of the like-for-like measures.
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron | BMW 5 Series | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 2016–2018 | 1985–2023 |
| New cars registered in Europe | 20,302 (2014–2019) | 1,118,573 (2010–2022) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | — | 199,283 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 6,676 | 64,700 |
| In traffic in Finland | 760 | 34,822 |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron | BMW 5 Series | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | — | 79% |
| … against cars of the same age | — | +10% |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 2.9% | 4.8% |
| US owner complaints | 4 | 427 |
| Most complaints about | Wheels | Air bags |
| Model year with most complaints | 2016 (2) | 2008 (105) |
| US recall campaigns | 3 | 16 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 1,049 | 928 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | — | 8 |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Safety
| Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron | BMW 5 Series | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | — | 5★ (2016) |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron | BMW 5 Series | |
|---|---|---|
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel hybrid | — | 7.0 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol hybrid | — | 8.5 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol | — | 11.8 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel | — | 7.0 l/100 km |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | — | 108 g/km |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | 111 kW (148 hp) | 164 kW (221 hp) |
| Average mass in running order | 1,615 kg | 1,918 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €49,286 | €70,710 |
| Average odometer in Finland | 134,000 km | 256,000 km |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).