Compare the2026 Audi A6VS 2026 Lexus LS

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

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 LS doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

Both the A6 and the LS 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, all wheel drive, 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 A6’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the LS’ (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 LS (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.

On the EPA test cycle the A6 gets better fuel mileage than the LS 500 AWD (20 city/29 hwy vs. 17 city/27 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the A6’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The LS doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi A6 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The LS requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

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 LS 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 LS doesn’t offer launch control.

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

For better traction, the A6’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the LS (255/40R20 vs. 245/45R20).

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

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the A6 offers optional 21-inch wheels. The LS’ largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The A6 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the LS; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

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 LS doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Audi A6 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 pounds less than the Lexus LS.

The A6 is 9.3 inches shorter than the LS, making the A6 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The A6 has 3.2 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom and 1.4 inches more rear headroom than the LS.

The A6’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The LS doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

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 LS’ automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

The Audi A6/S6/RS 6 outsold the Lexus LS by almost four to one during 2024.