Compare the2026 Audi A6 AllroadVS 2026 BMW X3

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi A6 Allroad 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 BMW X3 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the A6 Allroad and X3 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A6 Allroad 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 X3’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.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the A6 Allroad Prestige helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The X3 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the Audi A6 Allroad’s backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system is only offered on some models of the BMW X3.

Both the A6 Allroad and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi A6 Allroad is safer than the BMW X3:

	A6 Allroad	X3
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	30%	32.2%
Leg Forces (l/r)	292/435 lbs.	546/448 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.8 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	263/331 lbs.	495/536 lbs.

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 Allroad is safer than the BMW X3:

	A6 Allroad	X3
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	716 lbs.	866 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the A6 Allroad, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 8% less likely to roll over than the X3, which received a four-star rating.

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 1 place higher in reliability than BMW.

Engine

The A6 Allroad’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 80 more horsepower (335 vs. 255) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 295) than the X3 30 xDrive’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi A6 Allroad is faster than the X3 30 xDrive 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid:

	A6 Allroad	X3
Zero to 60 MPH	5.2 sec	6.2 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	13.3 sec	16.3 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.8 sec	6.8 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3 sec	3.6 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	3.9 sec	4.4 sec
Quarter Mile	13.8 sec	14.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	102 MPH	95 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The A6 Allroad has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 (19.3 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The A6 Allroad offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The X3 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the A6 Allroad’s brake rotors are larger than those on the X3:

	A6 Allroad	X3 30 xDrive	X3 M50 xDrive
Front Rotors	14.7 inches	13 inches	13.7 inches

Tires and Wheels

The A6 Allroad’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the X3’s standard 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the A6 Allroad has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the X3.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the A6 Allroad uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the X3, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The A6 Allroad has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The A6 Allroad’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The X3 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the A6 Allroad’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the X3 (115.2 inches vs. 112.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the A6 Allroad is 1.1 inches wider in the front than the average track on the X3.

Passenger Space

The A6 Allroad has 1.1 inches more front legroom, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the X3.

Cargo Capacity

The A6 Allroad has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X3 with its rear seat folded (69.5 vs. 67.1 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the X3, the A6 Allroad Prestige has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle and climate settings and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The A6 Allroad’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The X3 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 Allroad has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X3 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the A6 Allroad has standard extendable sun visors. The X3 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The A6 Allroad has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the X3.

The A6 Allroad Prestige has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the X3.

The A6 Allroad has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the X3.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi A6 Allroad and the BMW X3, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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