Audi A4 vs Audi A6

Audi A4

Audi’s compact executive saloon.

Audi A6

Audi’s executive saloon.

First car

Second car

Pick this one if…

Audi A4

Pick the A4 for quattro, the frugal 2.0 TDI and the 480-litre boot.

Best engine: The mid-range 2.0 TDI diesel for the best balance of economy and torque — or the 2.0 TFSI petrol.

Read the full guide

Pick this one if…

Audi A6

Pick the A6 for quattro, the 530-litre boot and the frugal 2.0 TDI — but the climate controls are touchscreen-only.

Best engine: The mid-range 2.0 TDI diesel for the best balance of economy and torque — or the 2.0 TFSI petrol.

Read the full guide

Performance

EA888 40 TFSI · Petrol vs EA888 45 TFSI · Petrol

	Audi A4	Audi A6
Power	190 hp	245 hp Winner
Torque	320 Nm	370 Nm Winner
0–100 km/h	7,3 s	6,0 s Winner
Top speed	240 km/h	250 km/h Winner
Power-to-weight	129,3 hp/t	148,5 hp/t Winner
CO₂ emissions (WLTP)	137 g/km Winner	160 g/km
Consumption (WLTP)	6,0 L/100km Winner	7,1 L/100km

Dimensions & space

	Audi A4	Audi A6
Boot	480 L	530 L Winner
Boot (seats folded)	—	—
Wheelbase	2,82 m	2,92 m Winner
Length	4,73 m	4,94 m
Width	1,84 m	1,89 m
Height	1,43 m	1,46 m
Seats	5	5

Powertrain & tech

	Audi A4	Audi A6
Platform	MLB Evo (longitudinal)	MLB Evo (longitudinal)
Drive	Front-wheel drive · All-wheel drive	Front-wheel drive · All-wheel drive
Engine family	EA888 petrol · EA288 diesel · plug-in hybrid	EA888 petrol · EA288 diesel · plug-in hybrid
Fuel	Petrol · Diesel · Plug-in hybrid	Petrol · Diesel · Plug-in hybrid
Transmission	7-speed S tronic (DSG)	7-speed S tronic (DSG)
Euro standard	Euro 6 (early) · Euro 6d-TEMP (later)	Euro 6d-TEMP (early) · Euro 6d (later)
LEZ access	Euro 6 diesel allowed in the LEZ (Brussels/Antwerp/Ghent)	Euro 6 diesel allowed in the LEZ (Brussels/Antwerp/Ghent)

Reliability & watch-outs

Known issues

Audi A4

S tronic (DSG) mechatronics are the best-known weak point, especially on diesels
EA288 diesels: AdBlue/SCR needs attention with mainly short trips
Direct-injection TFSI petrols: carbon buildup with lots of short trips

Audi A6

S tronic (DSG) mechatronics are the best-known weak point, especially on diesels
EA288 diesels: AdBlue/SCR needs attention with mainly short trips
Direct-injection TFSI petrols: carbon buildup with lots of short trips

Pros

Audi A4

quattro optional on the 2.0-litre engines
2.0 TDI (40) returns ~4.3 l/100 km
480-litre boot

Audi A6

quattro optional — standard on the 3.0-litre engines
530-litre boot
48V mild-hybrid standard on most engines

Cons

Audi A4

Automatic only on later models — early pre-facelift versions have rare manual options
S line suspension rides firmly on large wheels

Audi A6

Touchscreen-only climate controls (no physical buttons)
S tronic/tiptronic only — no manual gearbox

Driving experience

Audi A4

As a model line, the A4 steers accurately with light, consistent weighting and stays quiet at motorway speeds. Front-drive versions feel light and easy; quattro adds strong traction out of corners on the 2.0-litre engines. The 2.0 TDI is strong and frugal, the 2.0 TFSI is smooth, and the 40 TFSI e plug-in hybrid runs on electric for short trips. The S tronic shifts quickly. It leans toward comfort over sharp handling.

Audi A6

As a model line, the A6 steers accurately with light, consistent weighting and stays quiet at motorway speeds. Front-drive versions feel light and easy; quattro adds strong traction out of corners (standard on 3.0-litre engines, optional on 2.0-litre models). The 2.0 TDI is strong and frugal, the 45 TFSI is smooth, and the 3.0 TFSI is genuinely quick. The S tronic shifts quickly. It is tuned for comfort over sharp handling.