Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2017 Audi A6 VS 2017 Infiniti Q70 Near Scottsdale, AZ

Both the A6 and Q70 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A6 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Q70’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The A6 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 Q70 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.

The Audi A6 has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous. The Q70 doesn’t offer Daytime Running Lights.

An active infrared night vision system optional on the A6 Prestige helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera and near-infrared lights to detect heat, the system then projects the image on the windshield, near the driver’s line of sight. The Q70 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Compared to metal, the A6’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Infiniti Q70 has a metal gas tank.

Both the A6 and the Q70 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi A6 is safer than the Infiniti Q70:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi A6 is safer than the Infiniti Q70:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The A6’s corrosion warranty is 5 years longer than the Q70’s (12 vs. 7 years).

There are over 39 percent more Audi dealers than there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the A6’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the A6 has a standard 180-amp alternator. The Q70’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

The battery on the A6 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the A6’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Q70’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without their vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports predicts that the Audi A6’s reliability will be 14% better than the Q70 and the Audi A6 2.0T will be 47% better than the Q70.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2016 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Audi 11th in reliability, above the industry average. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 13th.

As tested in Motor Trend the A6 3.0T 3.0 supercharged V6 is faster than the Infiniti Q70:

On the EPA test cycle the A6 gets better fuel mileage than the Q70:

Regardless of its engine, the A6’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) Infiniti only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Q70 Hybrid.

The A6 has 2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Q70 Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (19.8 vs. 17.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the A6’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Q70:

The A6 stops much shorter than the Q70:

For better traction, the A6’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q70 (255/40R19 vs. 245/40R20).

The A6’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q70’s standard 50 series tires. The A6’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Q70’s optional 40 series tires.

The A6 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Q70’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the A6 is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Q70.

The A6 3.0T Quattro handles at .93 G’s, while the Q70 3.7 pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The A6 3.0T Quattro executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the Q70 Hybrid (25.1 seconds @ .74 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .68 average G’s).

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the A6 3.0T Quattro is quieter than the Q70 3.7:

The A6 has .1 inches more rear headroom and 1.2 inches more rear legroom than the Q70.

The A6’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Q70 doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults or children, the A6 Prestige has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just holding your hand near the emblem on the trunk, completely leaving your hands free. The Q70 doesn’t offer a power trunk.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Q70, the A6 Prestige offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster), outside mirror angle and climate settings and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The A6 Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Q70 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the A6 and the Q70 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the A6 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Q70 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the A6 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Q70 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors available for the A6 detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Q70 doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

Optional Audi Connect for the A6 allows the driver and passengers access to select programs on their smartphones, including finding fuel prices at nearby service stations, searching the internet and other connected activities without taking their eyes off the road or their hands from the wheel. The Q70 doesn’t offer factory integrated smartphone program access.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the A6 is less expensive to operate than the Q70 because typical repairs cost much less on the A6 than the Q70, including $185 less for a water pump, $17 less for front brake pads, $298 less for front struts, $674 less for a timing belt/chain and $1484 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi A6 will be $6915 to $11549 less than for the Infiniti Q70.

The Audi A6 has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

Consumer Reports performed a comparison test in its January 2012 issue and they ranked the Audi A6 3.0T Quattro first. They ranked the Infiniti Q70 Hybrid third.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the A6 first among midsize premium cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Q70 isn’t in the top three.

The A6 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 5 of the last 17 years. The Q70 has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

The Audi A6/S6 outsold the Infiniti Q70 by almost three to one during the 2016 model year.