Audi A5 Avant vs Audi A6 Avant: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the A6 Avant hits 100 km/h in 7.00 s versus 7.72 s for the A5 Avant. At this point, the A6 Avant leads by 0.72 s and sits roughly 28 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the A6 Avant is doing 117 km/h against 122 km/h for the A5 Avant. The gap is 0.92 s. The gap widens compared to the 0-100.

At 400 metres standing start, the A6 Avant crosses the line in 15.02 s versus 15.70 s. The 0.68 s gap represents roughly 29 m of track — two to three car lengths.

Past 400 metres, the situation changes. The A6 Avant maxes out at 238 km/h while the A5 Avant keeps accelerating towards 245 km/h. At 600 metres, the gap has dropped to 0.40 s.

Around 958 metres, both vehicles are level. This is the inversion point: the A5 Avant overcomes its launch deficit thanks to a 7 km/h higher top speed.

At 1,000 metres, the A5 Avant finishes in 27.94 s versus 27.98 s. The 0.04 s delta shows an extremely tight race.

The A6 Avant features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the A5 Avant’s FWD. At low speeds (0-30, 0-50, 0-80 km/h), AWD doubles the driven contact area: all four wheels transmit torque to the road, virtually eliminating wheelspin at launch. This traction advantage is decisive in the range where the motor delivers peak torque, before power and aerodynamics take over.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the A5 Avant is capped at 245 km/h, the A6 Avant at 238 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit — it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (8.38 kg/hp vs 9.80 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 11.76 seconds. The 0.72 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.