Audi A5 Sedan vs Mercedes E 220 d W214: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the E 220 d hits 100 km/h in 7.59 s versus 7.72 s for the A5 Sedan. At this point, the E 220 d leads by 0.13 s and sits roughly 13 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the E 220 d is doing 118 km/h against 122 km/h for the A5 Sedan. The gap is 0.37 s. The gap widens compared to the 0-100.

At 400 metres standing start, the E 220 d crosses the line in 15.51 s versus 15.71 s. The 0.20 s gap represents roughly 8 m of track - barely a car length.

Past 400 metres, the situation changes. The E 220 d maxes out at 236 km/h while the A5 Sedan keeps accelerating towards 247 km/h. At 600 metres, the gap has dropped to 0.06 s.

Around 710 metres, both vehicles are level. This is the inversion point: the A5 Sedan overcomes its launch deficit thanks to a 11 km/h higher top speed.

At 1,000 metres, the A5 Sedan finishes in 27.99 s versus 28.12 s. The 0.13 s delta shows an extremely tight race.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the A5 Sedan is capped at 248 km/h, the E 220 d at 236 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (8.31 kg/hp vs 9.49 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Unknown).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 12.11 seconds. The 0.13 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.