Compare the2026 Audi A6VS 2025 Lexus ES

The A6’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The ES doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the A6 and ES have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A6 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The ES’ child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the A6. But it costs extra on the ES.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The A6 has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The ES doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the A6 has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist with Automatic Brake Activation, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Rear Cross-Traffic Braking costs extra on the ES.

Both the A6 and the ES have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Audi A6 weighs 573 to 620 pounds more than the Lexus ES. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The A6’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the ES’ (12 vs. 6 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the A6 for 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the ES (3/30,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 25 percent more Audi dealers than there are Lexus dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the A6’s warranty.

The A6’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 159 more horsepower (362 vs. 203) and 222 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 184) than the ES 250 Luxury AWD’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The A6’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 147 more horsepower (362 vs. 215) than the ES 300h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The A6’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 60 more horsepower (362 vs. 302) and 139 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 267) than the ES 350’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6.

Both the A6 and the ES Hybrid have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All A6s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The A6 has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (16.1 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The A6 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The ES doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The A6’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The ES doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the A6’s brake rotors are larger than those on the ES:

The A6’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the ES are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the A6 has larger standard tires than the ES (245/45R19 vs. 215/55R17). The A6’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ES (255/40R20 vs. 235/45R18).

The A6’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ES’ standard 55 series tires. The A6’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the ES F Sport’s 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the A6 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the ES. The A6’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the ES F Sport.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the A6 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The ES doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The A6 has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The A6’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The ES doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the A6’s wheelbase is 2.1 inches longer than on the ES (115.1 inches vs. 113 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the A6 is 1.3 inches wider in the front and .2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the ES.

The A6 has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the ES.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the A6’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the ES’ useful trunk space.

The A6’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The ES doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

The engine in the A6 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the ES. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the ES, the A6 has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The A6’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The ES’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The ES’ optional cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The A6’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The Audi A6 has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors costs extra on the ES.

The A6 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the ES. The A6 Premium Plus/Prestige also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the ES.

The A6 Prestige offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the ES.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi A6 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the ES.

The A6’s optional Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Optional Remote Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The ES doesn’t offer an automated parking system.