Compare the2027 Audi A6 e-tronVS 2026 Lexus ES

The A6 e-tron’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 e-tron and ES have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A6 e-tron 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.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the A6 e-tron are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The ES doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Audi A6 e-tron achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Lexus ES has not been tested.

The A6 e-tron has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The ES doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The A6 e-tron 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 or other vehicles.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the A6 e-tron 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 e-tron 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Audi A6 e-tron has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and a “Good” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The ES has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2026.

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

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the A6 e-tron 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 e-tron’s warranty.

The A6 e-tron has more powerful engines than the ES:

On the EPA test cycle the A6 e-tron gets better mileage than the ES running on electricity:

The A6 e-tron can travel longer on a full charge than the ES on electricity, only, on a full charge:

The A6 e-tron’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 e-tron’s brake rotors are larger than those on the ES:

For better traction and acceleration, the A6 e-tron has larger standard rear tires than the ES (245/50R19 vs. 235/55R19). The A6 e-tron’s rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the ES (265/40R20 vs. 235/55R19).

The A6 e-tron’s standard 245/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ES’ standard 55 series tires. The A6 e-tron’s 265/40R20 rear tires have a lower 40 series profile than the ES’ optional 45 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the A6 e-tron 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 e-tron offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The ES’ suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The A6 e-tron Prestige has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The A6 e-tron’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.

The A6 e-tron’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (47% to 53%) than the ES’ (54.8% to 45.2%). This gives the A6 e-tron more stable handling and braking.

The A6 e-tron is 8.3 inches shorter than the ES, making the A6 e-tron easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Audi A6 e-tron amounts to more than styling. The A6 e-tron has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .23 Cd. That is lower than the ES (.25 to .28) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the A6 e-tron get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the A6 e-tron uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The ES doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The A6 e-tron has .3 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front shoulder room and 3.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the ES.

The ES Luxury’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The A6 e-tron’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.