The Lemon Index
Head to head
Each car's headline trim of its newest generation. Green check = the better of the two on that line (more power, quicker, lighter, cheaper, fewer recalls).
BMW M3
G80 M3 Competition · 2021–2025
G80 M3 Competition · 2021–2025
Audi RS 5
B9 RS 5 Competition · 2018–2025
B9 RS 5 Competition · 2018–2025
Horsepower
503
444
Torque
lb-ft
lb-ft
479
442
0–60 mph
seconds; magazine test, else maker
seconds; magazine test, else maker
3.5
3.7
Top speed
155 mph
180 mph
Weight
3,890 lb
—
Price new
base, when new
base, when new
$72,800
$16,100
Engine
BMW S58
3.0-liter inline-6, twin-turbo
3.0-liter inline-6, twin-turbo
Audi 2.9 TFSI V6
2.9-liter V-6, twin-turbo
2.9-liter V-6, twin-turbo
YouTube owner tone
out of 100, these years
out of 100, these years
60
58
Owner complaints
NHTSA, raw count, these years
NHTSA, raw count, these years
7
6
Recalls
these years
these years
4
9
Owner complaints are raw counts from NHTSA, not per car sold: performance cars sell too few for a fair per-car score, and the busier seller usually draws more. YouTube owner tone = how positively the most-watched videos about those model years talk about the car (100 = all praise).
Pick other generations or add a car
Every generation
BMW M3
| Generation | Trim | hp | 0–60 | Engine | YouTube tone | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G80 · 2021–2025 | M3 Competition | 503 | 3.5 | BMW S58 | 60 | 7 | 4 |
| F80 · 2015–2018 | M3 | 425 | 3.8 | BMW S55 | 55 | 21 | 4 |
| E9x · 2008–2013 | M3 | 414 | 4.3 | BMW S65 | 53 | 202 | 5 |
| E46 · 2001–2006 | M3 | 333 | 4.5 | BMW S54 | 53 | 165 | 9 |
Audi RS 5
| Generation | Trim | hp | 0–60 | Engine | YouTube tone | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B9 · 2018–2025 | RS 5 Competition | 444 | 3.7 | Audi 2.9 TFSI V6 | 58 | 6 | 9 |
| B8 · 2013–2015 | RS 5 Coupe | 450 | 4.4 | Audi 4.2 FSI V8 | 58 | 14 | 0 |
Everything on the BMW M3 · Everything on the Audi RS 5 · Specs and their sources are on each car's page.