Audi A3 vs Audi A6

For just a little more money, you can trade the 2025 Audi A3 sedan’s superior performance, nimbler handling, and better fuel economy for the Audi Q3 crossover SUV’s additional interior room, cargo space, and ride height. It’s a deal most people make; Audi sells over three times the number of Q3s that it does A3s. Perhaps changes to the refreshed 2025 A3, including the newly standard Quattro all-wheel-drive (AWD) system and additional standard features, will sway more Audi customers toward the sedan.

Verdict: Small, speedy cars like the 2025 Audi A3 are a lot fun. While you can upgrade performance with the Audi S3 or RS 3 models, the standard A3 equipped with the Black Optic Package is a delightful companion on any twisty road. Quality materials, modern tech, and practical packaging make it even better.

The redesigned 2026 Audi A6 marks the ninth generation of midsize luxury sedans from Ingolstadt, Germany. While it shares a name and some tech features with the Audi A6 e-tron introduced for the 2025 model year, the gasoline A6 is an otherwise different vehicle based on the same Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) as the A5 sedan and Q5 crossover. A redesign was certainly needed as most other midsize luxury sedans—specifically the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class—were renewed more recently, and we haven’t had a genuinely new A6 since the 2020 model year.

Verdict: On paper, the A6 looks like more of a premium product than before. But it doesn’t feel that way from behind the wheel, and the tech is a work in progress.