2026 Audi A6 vs 2025 Kia K4

Kia’s new compact sedan replaces the oft-overlooked Kia Forte, an option that traded on value more than merit. Although the Forte provided practical packaging and decent performance (particularly in GT trim), shoppers driving home in a Forte were usually doing so because it was cheaper, rather than better, than the competition. With a revamped design and an impressive suite of standard tech, the new 2025 Kia K5 doubles down on the Forte’s fortes — particularly cargo space — while adding attractive features, retaining fuel efficiency, and keeping its affordable price tag.

Verdict: The 2025 Kia K4 is better than the outgoing Kia Forte. It offers more impressive tech, more standard safety features, more passenger space, and more cargo space. It’s still not quite as satisfying to drive as the segment leader, but with a starting price hovering around $24,000 Canadian before fees, it’s a far sight less expensive, too.

The redesigned 2026 Audi A6 marks the ninth generation of midsize luxury sedans from Ingolstadt, Germany. While it shares a name and some tech features with the Audi A6 e-tron introduced for the 2025 model year, the gasoline A6 is an otherwise different vehicle based on the same Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) as the A5 sedan and Q5 crossover. A redesign was certainly needed as most other midsize luxury sedans—specifically the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class—were renewed more recently, and we haven’t had a genuinely new A6 since the 2020 model year.

Verdict: On paper, the A6 looks like more of a premium product than before, but it doesn’t feel that way from behind the wheel, and the tech is a work in progress.