Compare the2025 Audi A6VS 2025 Lexus ES

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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.

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 and rear 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 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 Audi A6 is safer than the Lexus ES:

	A6	ES
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	292/435 lbs.	524/628 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.8 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	263/331 lbs.	473/518 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 Audi A6 is safer than the Lexus ES:

	A6	ES
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	262 lbs.	264 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	135	300
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	43 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
Hip Force	514 lbs.	570 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the A6, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 1.6% less likely to roll over than the ES, which received a four-star rating.

Warranty

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

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.

Engine

The A6 has more powerful engines than the ES:

	Horsepower	Torque
A6 45 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid	261 HP	273 lbs.-ft.
A6 55 TFSI 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid	335 HP	369 lbs.-ft.
ES 250 Luxury AWD 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	203 HP	184 lbs.-ft.
ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid	215 HP
ES 350 3.5 DOHC V6	302 HP	267 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the A6 55 TFSI 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid is faster than the ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid:

	A6	ES
Zero to 60 MPH	5 sec	7.8 sec
Quarter Mile	13.5 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	102.7 MPH	90.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Regardless of its engine, the A6’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the ES Hybrid, and doesn’t offer a disable button.

The A6 has 6.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (19.3 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The A6 has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES’ standard fuel tank (19.3 vs. 15.9 gallons).

Transmission

The A6 offers an available 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.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	A6	ES
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.1 inches

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.

The A6 stops much shorter than the ES:

	A6	ES
60 to 0 MPH	107 feet	140 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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 55 TFSI’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 55 TFSI’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the ES F Sport.

Suspension and Handling

The A6 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The ES’ suspension doesn’t offer rear gas-charged shocks.

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 1.5 inches wider in the front and .5 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the ES.

The A6’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55% to 45%) than the ES’ (57.4% to 42.6%). This gives the A6 more stable handling and braking.

The A6 Prestige handles at .93 G’s, while the ES 300h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The A6 Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.5 seconds quicker than the ES 300h (24.9 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The A6 has .5 inches more front headroom, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom and 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the ES.

Cargo Capacity

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.

Towing

The A6 has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The ES has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

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.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the ES, the A6 Prestige has a 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 standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the ES.

The A6’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The ES does not have an oil pressure gauge.

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.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the A6 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The ES doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A6 Premium Plus/Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The ES doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The ES’ optional cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The A6 Prestige’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 has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the ES.

The A6 Prestige’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. 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.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the A6 is less expensive to operate than the ES because typical repairs cost much less on the A6 than the ES, including $32 less for front struts, $877 less for a timing belt/chain and $824 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi A6 and the Lexus ES, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its January 2019 issue and they ranked the Audi A6 Prestige higher than the Lexus ES 300h.