A5 vs. A6 - 2026 Model Comparison

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Audi A5 vs. A6 - 2026 Model Comparison

Audi has established itself as a leader in the luxury segment, particularly when it comes to sedans. Precision-crafted sedans deliver an uncompromising blend of performance, prestige, and premium comfort, and Audi has a pair of similar performance sedan choices available to you, making choosing the right one for you seem difficult at first. Fortunately, our team at Audi Cincinnati East has the solution! We've assembled this helpful reference guide that compares these two Audi sedans side-by-side. You'll learn exactly how the Audi A5 and A6 compare against each other.

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A5 vs A6 - Quick Comparison

Performance Compared

There are a couple of important similarities between these two cars that show why Audi sedans are so popular. The first is the standard quattro all-wheel drive, a high-performance AWD system first developed for racing in the dirt and snow. The other standard feature is a 7-speed dual-clutch S tronic® with both automatic and selectable gear modes. That means lightning-fast shifts and the versatility of a transmission that is just as comfortable highway cruising as it is in high-speed corner carving.

The compact A5 comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, enough to get the A5 from 0 to 60 in just 5.6 seconds. The A6 packs a more powerful 3.0-liter V6 engine, which produces 362 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. The A6 is bigger than the A5, but the weight difference only comes in at less than 300 pounds, so that extra power translates into an impressive 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds.

Interior Dimensions Compared

The A5 and A6 offer similar interior space, despite the A5 being a compact and the A6 being a midsize sedan. In fact, front row headroom and legroom are identical. The difference mainly comes down to back seat space, where the A6 offers more headroom and legroom. But the A5 does have one big advantage: cargo space. While the A6 comes with the kind of trunk space that you would expect from a midsize sedan, the A5 far exceeds expectations for any size of sedan.

Premium Features Compared

Choosing an Audi luxury sedan means that you can enjoy industry-leading technology, safety, and comfort features. The Audi A5 and A6 each come standard with the groundbreaking Audi MMI® infotainment system with revolutionary connectivity features including optional connected navigation. Another standard feature on both models is the stunning Audi Virtual Cockpit display featuring customizable readouts and high-definition views of critical drive information. Genuine leather upholstery is also found on both sedans with several upgrades including both heating and cooling functions. When it comes to driver assistance, available Audi pre-sense city and basic provide an additional layer of confidence and peace of mind behind the wheel. Its available driver-assist technology is able to keep you one step ahead of the unexpected and protected from danger at all times.

Other Variants

What we’ve covered so far has been the most popular standard versions of each vehicle, but other, more specialized versions also exist. For the A5, there is a high-performance version known as the S5. This version has the same V6 engine as the A6, but in a smaller and lighter body. The A6 has a few more variants, starting with the A6 Allroad, which features a wagon-style body and lower cladding to make the car better suited to light off-roading. Then there is the RS6 Avant, which also features a non-cladded wagon body and a 621-horsepower biturbo V8 under the hood. There is also the all-electric A6/S6 Sportback e-tron, which is built on an entirely different platform from the A6 we’ve been discussing here, but shares similar dimensions and a name.

In addition to the different body styles, Audi also makes performance versions of all three models. These come in two varieties, the S and the RS. RS models are the most highly-tuned, wringing the most power out of the engine and chassis. They might look a lot like their mainstream counterparts, but the S variants find their home somewhere between the base model and the RS - sacrificing some performance for added practicality, ride quality, and affordability.

The A4 has an S variant, but only for the sedan body, there are no performance allroad® models. The S4 comes with a turbocharged V6 engine that produces 349 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque - enough to get to 60mph in 4.4 seconds. The S5 comes with the same engine as the S4, but is available in all three body types. So there is an S5 Coupe, and S5 Sportback, and an S5 Cabriolet. Finally, the S6 also comes with a V6 engine, but here it makes 444 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque.

RS variants are the most rare, and while there is no RS 4, there are two varieties of RS 5, the RS 5 Coupe and the RS 5 Sportback. These both come with the same 444 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque as the S6, but packaged in a smaller body, that powertrain accelerates the RS 5 models from 0 to 60 in just 3.7 seconds. Last up is the RS 6 Avant. The Avant is more like a traditional wagon, without the raised suspension or body cladding of the allroad® quattro®. This variant is powered by a twin-turbo V8, and produces 621 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque, enough for a truly staggering 3.3-second 0-60 time.

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