Compare the2025 Audi A6 e-tronVS 2025 Tesla Model S

The A6 e-tron’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Model S doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi A6 e-tron are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Tesla Model S doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 e-tron are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The Model S doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The A6 e-tron has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Model S doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The A6 e-tron has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Model S doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

The A6 e-tron offers an optional Top View Cameras to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model S only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Audi A6 e-tron offers an optional Top View Cameras and it also offers an optional rear camera washer to make backing always safe, regardless of road dirt or grime, while the Tesla Model S doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

The A6 e-tron has standard Audi Connect Care, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model S doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the A6 e-tron and the Model S have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

There are over 48 percent more Audi dealers than there are Tesla dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the A6 e-tron’s warranty.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 10 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

On the EPA test cycle the A6 e-tron gets better mileage than the Model S:

The A6 e-tron can travel longer on a full charge than the Model S on a full charge:

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the A6 e-tron can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Model S doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The A6 e-tron Prestige handles at .88 G’s, while the Model S pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The A6 e-tron is 3.7 inches shorter than the Model S, making the A6 e-tron easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The A6 e-tron has 4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Model S (98 vs. 94).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the A6 e-tron’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model S doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

A Service Interval Display is standard on the A6 e-tron to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model S.

The A6 e-tron’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Model S has a small, single button on the steering wheel spoke that can be hard to find quickly in an emergency.

The A6 e-tron Premium Plus/Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Model S doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A6 e-tron Premium Plus/Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Model S doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The A6 e-tron’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model S doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the A6 e-tron has standard extendable sun visors. The Model S doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The A6 e-tron is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The Model S doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.