Compare the2022 Toyota HighlanderVS 2022 Audi A6 Allroad

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Highlander are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Highlander has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Highlander Limited/Platinum has standard Automated Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Highlander’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Highlander and the A6 Allroad have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Audi A6 Allroad:

	Highlander	A6 Allroad
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	328	354
Neck Injury Risk	28.4%	41%
Neck Stress	179 lbs.	228 lbs.
Neck Compression	90 lbs.	98 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Audi A6 Allroad:

	Highlander	A6 Allroad
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	55	135
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	79 G’s	174 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	114	135
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	152 lbs.	716 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	366	395

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Highlander 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the A6 Allroad. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the A6 Allroad ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the A6 Allroad.

There are over 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Highlander’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Highlander’s reliability 27 points higher than the A6 Allroad.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Highlander third among upper midsize suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The A6 Allroad isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 83 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 32nd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Audi is ranked 14th.

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Highlander uses regular unleaded gasoline. The A6 Allroad requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Toyota Highlander, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the A6 Allroad.

Brakes and Stopping

The Highlander stops shorter than the A6 Allroad:

	Highlander	A6 Allroad
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	119 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Highlander is .5 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than on the A6 Allroad.

For greater off-road capability the Highlander has a 1.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the A6 Allroad Premium Plus (8 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Highlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Highlander’s minimum ground clearance is .7 inch higher than on the A6 Allroad Prestige (8 vs. 7.3 inches).

Chassis

The Toyota Highlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 50 to 350 pounds less than the Audi A6 Allroad.

Passenger Space

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the A6 Allroad can only carry 5.

The Highlander has 40.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A6 Allroad (141.3 vs. 101).

The Highlander has 2.9 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 3.6 inches more rear legroom and 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the A6 Allroad.

Cargo Capacity

The Highlander’s cargo area provides more volume than the A6 Allroad.

	Highlander	A6 Allroad
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	30 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84.3 cubic feet	63.8 cubic feet

Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Highlander uses the Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Highlander LE/XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Highlander’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The A6 Allroad’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Highlander has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the A6 Allroad only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Highlander Platinum has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Highlander Limited/Platinum has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The Highlander is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Highlander and the Audi A6 Allroad, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Audi A6/S6/RS 6 by over 25 to one during the 2021 model year.