2026 Audi A6 vs 2025 Volkswagen Jetta

The 2025 Volkswagen Jetta underwent a significant transformation, addressing previous design criticisms with new front and rear styling, revised wheel designs, and fresh paint colors like Monterey Blue Pearl. These changes enhanced the car's visual appeal, giving it a more premium appearance by emphasizing its width and lowering its stance. Inside, the Jetta received an upgrade with improved materials and a redesigned dashboard, featuring an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and dual-zone automatic climate control. Despite some frustrating touch-sensitive controls, the Jetta offered a range of trim levels, from S to SEL, with prices starting at $21,995. The SEL trim, tested at $30,225, boasted leather upholstery, ambient lighting, and upgraded digital instrumentation, making it a more comfortable and stylish choice.

In contrast, the 2026 Audi A6 presented a handsome yet understated design, with a lower "singleframe" grille and fender flares inspired by the Quattro rally car. The A6's lighting features included pixelated LED headlights with programmable signatures and taillights that could display different icons. Available in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trims, the A6 offered a sportier appearance with the S Line Black Optic Package, featuring dark chrome 20-inch wheels. However, the interior materials, even in the top-spec Prestige models, felt disappointingly bland and cheap. Despite these shortcomings, the A6's design and lighting features added a touch of sophistication to its overall appearance.

The 2025 Volkswagen Jetta retained its turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque at a low 1,750 rpm. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the Jetta delivered power to the front wheels, achieving an EPA fuel economy rating of 33 mpg in combined driving. During testing, it averaged 31.8 mpg, even in Sport mode, which mitigated turbo lag issues present in Normal mode. The sport-tuned suspension, standard on all but the base Jetta S, provided a more engaging driving experience, especially on winding roads. Despite its firmer settings, the Jetta remained a comfortable commuter, achieving up to 38 mpg on the highway.

The 2026 Audi A6, on the other hand, featured a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, producing 362 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and standard quattro all-wheel drive, allowed the A6 to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. While the transmission exhibited hesitation under heavy throttle, the A6's handling was enhanced by brake-based torque vectoring and an optional sport rear differential. The Sport Plus Package further improved handling with a lower ride height and rear-axle steering, although it compromised ride quality. Overall, the A6 offered a stable and composed driving experience, better suited for highway cruising than aggressive cornering.

The 2025 Volkswagen Jetta offered a surprisingly roomy interior for a compact sedan, with comfortable front and rear seats and a 14.1 cubic-foot trunk. The SEL trim added leather seats with power adjustment, heating, and ventilation, along with a heated steering wheel and rear seats. However, the touch-sensitive climate control panel proved distracting and difficult to use, detracting from the otherwise practical and comfortable daily driving experience.

The 2026 Audi A6, while 2.4 inches longer than its predecessor, did not significantly improve passenger space. The panoramic glass roof increased front-seat headroom, but rear-seat headroom and legroom remained similar. The A6 offered comparable space to a BMW 5 Series, with heated and ventilated front seats and optional massaging sport seats. The conventional trunk, with 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, provided 13.5 cubic feet of cargo space, more than a Cadillac CT5 or Mercedes E-Class but less than a 5 Series.

The 2025 Volkswagen Jetta came equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and an 8-inch digital instrumentation panel, with the SEL trim offering a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro display. While the infotainment system promised simplicity, its proximity-sensing menu and changing knob functions proved frustrating. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were available, but connectivity issues arose during testing, complicating the user experience.

The 2026 Audi A6 featured the Digital Stage setup, with an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch touchscreen. Despite the larger screens, the MMI infotainment system's oversimplified layouts and small text made it difficult to use. Audi's improved voice recognition and standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto helped, but the interface was set to be updated mid-year. The optional Bang & Olufsen 3D audio system offered headrest speakers for navigation directions, adding a unique touch to the audio experience.

The 2025 Volkswagen Jetta was equipped with IQ.Drive, a suite of driver assistance systems, including blind-spot monitoring with active collision avoidance and Emergency Assist. These features worked with precision, although Lane Assist occasionally issued unnecessary warnings. The Jetta received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, but the IIHS rated it "Acceptable" in the updated side crash test.

The 2026 Audi A6 came standard with a comprehensive array of driver-assist features, including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, and blind-spot monitors. However, the lane-centering feature allowed the A6 to wobble within its lane. Crash-test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of writing, as is typical for a new model year.