Audi A6 vs Volkswagen Arteon: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Audi A6 burns about $2,650 of fuel annually against $2,700 for the Volkswagen Arteon. That $50 yearly gap compounds to roughly $250 over five years and $400 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Volkswagen Arteon is the stronger commuter at 25 mpg city, while the Audi A6 pulls ahead on the interstate at 38 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Audi A6 is recorded with 3 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, SIDI; Mild Hybrid, 3.0), the Volkswagen Arteon with 1 (SIDI). Across 36 recorded Audi A6 configurations and 11 for the Volkswagen Arteon, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Audi A6 is offered with All-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, the Volkswagen Arteon with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Midsize Cars and Large Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Audi A6 emits 311 g/mile of CO2 versus 318 g/mile for the Volkswagen Arteon. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.