Compare the2026 Audi e-tron GTVS 2026 BMW 7 Series

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi e-tron GT are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 7 Series doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the e-tron GT. But it costs extra on the 7 Series.

Both the e-tron GT and the 7 Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 1 place higher in reliability than BMW.

The e-tron GT has more powerful engines than the 7 Series:

As tested in Car and Driver the RS e-tron GT performance is faster than the 760i 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the e-tron GT gets better mileage than the 7 Series running on electricity:

On the EPA test cycle the e-tron GT gets better mileage than the 7 Series running its gasoline engine:

The e-tron GT can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 278 to 300 miles. The 750e has to start its internal combustion engine after only 35 miles.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi e-tron GT higher (10 out of 10) than the BMW 7 Series (4 to 6). This means the e-tron GT produces up to 25 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 7 Series every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the e-tron GT’s brake rotors are larger than those on the 7 Series:

The e-tron GT RS offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The 7 Series doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The e-tron GT stops much shorter than the 7 Series:

For better traction, the e-tron GT’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 7 Series (F:265/35R21 & R:305/30R21 vs. F:255/45R20 & R:285/40R20).

The e-tron GT’s optional 265/35R21 front and 305/30R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 7 Series’ optional 40 series front and 35 series rear tires.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the e-tron GT is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 7 Series.

The RS e-tron GT performance handles at 1.01 G’s, while the 760i xDrive pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The RS e-tron GT performance executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.8 seconds quicker than the 760i xDrive (23.3 seconds @ .93 average G’s vs. 26.1 seconds @ .73 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the e-tron GT’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the 7 Series’ (38.1 feet vs. 39.7 feet). The e-tron GT’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the 7 Series xDrive’s (38.1 feet vs. 40.4 feet).

The RS e-tron GT performance is 1 foot, 3.5 inches shorter than the 7 Series, making the e-tron GT easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The e-tron GT’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The 7 Series doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

Laser headlights, standard on the e-tron GT Prestige/RS, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the 7 Series’ LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.