Audi A6 - TopCarNews

Audi A6 (2018 – present) | Expert Rating [hide]

Summary

The Audi A6 is a large executive vehicle available in saloon and estate (called Avant) model. The current model is the fifth generation in the A6 line, and was launched in 2018. It’s undergone some updates since, with notably plug-in hybrid models joining the range in 2019.

In usual Audi fashion, top-spec performance versions of the A6 saloon and estate are called the S6. There is also the A6 allroad model, which has a beefed-up estate body and improved ground clearance for off-road driving, at which it is most capable and better than many luxury SUVs.

There is also the extreme, 600hp RS 6 Avant, which has extensive alterations from the regular A6 family and is not included here. We are building a separate page for that model, so check back again soon.

All A6 models have mild hybrid engines as standard. This means that a small electrical motor can power many of the car’s systems but can’t drive the vehicle itself.

The Audi A6 has received consistently good to very good scores from the UK media since its launch, with particular praise for its interior space, comfort and refinement.

Generally testers rate it higher for its comfort than its driving characteristics – “it cossets occupants rather than thrills its driver,” says Auto Express, while Autocar says, “Not quite the dynamic prowess of a 5 Series, but still a decent thing to sit in and waft along.” Top Gear adds that the A6 is not particularly fun behind the wheel, but is “safe, solid, quiet and dependable”.

Audi always impresses with the build quality of its cabins and the technology available for its cars, though the twin-touchscreen centre console display of the A6 is not universally popular. “Not everyone is going to like the lack of buttons or physical controls,” says Auto Trader.

As of January 2022, the Audi A6 has an Expert Rating of 74%, based on 54 reviews. That’s several points behind the class-leading BMW 5 Series and also the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, but tied with the Jaguar XF.

In a 2021 reliability survey, What Car? ranked the Audi A6 21st in its list of the most unreliable cars up to five years old.

Audi A6 highlights

Comfortable and refined
Extensive technology taken from A8 flagship
Plenty of rear-seat room
Choice of petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid
Top-notch interior quality

Audi A6 lowlights

Driving dynamics not as good as a BMW 5 Series
Plug-in hybrid not as sophisticated as some rivals
Can be expensive, especially with options
A6 Allroad is pricey
Touchscreen controls not as effective as regular buttons

Key specifications

Body style: Large saloon and estateEngines: petrol, diesel
Price: From £39,175 on-road

Launched: Summer 2018Last updated: –
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Audi A6 allroad quattro

Audi S6 saloon

Audi S6 Avant

Audi A6 saloon

Audi A6 Avant

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert

Model reviewed: A6 Avant“Audi’s latest A6 Avant is a dependable, comfortable and refined long-distance load-lugger – just as it always has been, historically.”
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Model reviewed: A6 saloon 3.0-litre diesel automatic S Line“The A6 has all the hallmarks of a new class leader in the executive saloon segment. It offers a potent range of engines, bags of technology and a comfortable experience wrapped in a handsome body.”
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Auto Express

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid 50 TFSIe S lineScore: 9 / 10“S line trim makes the Audi A6 look and feel that little bit sportier and the appeal isn’t hard to see.”
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Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 9 / 10“The Audi A6 offers a masterclass in the art of the executive saloon. Its elegant, sophisticated styling carries just the right amount of gravitas without being austere, while impeccable motorway manners will ensure even those covering serious miles can do so in the utmost comfort.”
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid 50 TFSIe saloon SportScore: 6 / 10“The tax savings are hugely appealing on the Audi A6 50 TFSI e, but they’re similarly appealing on rivals that offer better value, a better drive and fewer compromises. Things are moving so fast on the electrification front, this new A6 already feels like it’s been left behind a bit.”
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Model reviewed: Allroad range reviewScore: 8 / 10“Just as in the previous generation, the new Audi A6 Allroad is a car with two personalities.”
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Model reviewed: S6 AvantScore: 8 / 10“The new Audi S6 Avant is an incredible all-rounder that almost perfectly fulfils its brief as a fast, fun family wagon.”
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Model reviewed: 40 TDI AvantScore: 9 / 10“We’ve loved the big Audi’s spacious boot, upmarket interior and relaxed and efficient motorway manners.”
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Model reviewed: A6 AvantScore: 8 / 10“The new Audi A6 Avant is proof that an SUV needn’t be the default choice for family buyers.”
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Model reviewed: A6 saloonScore: 9 / 10“The Audi A6 blends sleek styling with cutting-edge tech and unimpeachable build quality.”
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Auto Trader

Model reviewed: Saloon rangeScore: 8 / 10“The Audi A6 is a real contender in the fiercely fought executive saloon market. It shows its rivals the way for quality and technology, and it’s as good as anything else in the class for practicality, desirability and running costs.”
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Model reviewed: A6 Avant estate rangeScore: 8 / 10“What sets the Audi A6 Avant apart is its high levels of refinement when driving and the suite of advanced technology available, much of which has trickled down from more expensive models. If you’re looking to buy an executive estate that’s future-proofed, the A6 Avant has to be on your shortlist.”
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Autocar

Model reviewed: 50 TFSIe 2021Score: 7 / 10“The Audi A6 50 TFSIe does not have quite the dynamic prowess of a 5 Series, but still a decent thing to sit in and waft along.”
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Model reviewed: S6 Avant TDIScore: 9 / 10“If you travel regularly over significant distances, but want a surplus of bang for your 60,000 bucks, the S6 could be your answer.”
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Model reviewed: S6Score: 8 / 10“The hybrid power is directed through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox to a permanent four-wheel-drive system, which at extra cost can be specified with a sport central differential to sharpen the car’s agility in corners.”
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Model reviewed: A6 saloon 2.0-litre dieselScore: 8 / 10“Overall, the A6 is a convincing effort. The 2.0 TDI will be the mainstay, and there’s an argument for specifying it with as little optional hardware as possible.”
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Model reviewed: A6 AvantScore: 8 / 10“This fifth-generation Audi A6 seems to represent an interesting shift in thinking. A deliberate decision, perhaps, to put the handbrake on its attempts to play ‘anything you can do’ with BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and to head back towards the approach that made its cars so revered, in their way, a quarter-century ago.”
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Business Car

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid 50 TFSIe saloon S lineScore: 8 / 10“The 50 TFSI plug-in hybrid is a genuine player in this sector and will put the A6 back on the map for senior executives who want something with status that will also reduce their BIK tax bills.”
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Car

Model reviewed: Allroad Quattro 50 TDI SportScore: 8 / 10“It’s calm, comfortable, grown-up and roomy front and rear, with a good boot space.”
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Model reviewed: S6Score: 10 / 10“It’s refined, luxurious and long-legged at a cruise, but rich mid-range torque and a rear-biased if secure chassis make it highly engaging point-to-point.”
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Model reviewed: A6 saloonScore: 8 / 10“The A6 is a great place to spend time. It’s quiet, comfortable, well-appointed inside, has a tech list just this side of the USS Enterprise and is very spacious – all you need if you’re a middle management type.”
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Car Keys

Model reviewed: A6 Avant estate rangeScore: 9 / 10“We would recommend going for a car with quattro to help put the power down in a more reliable fashion – especially with our country’s famously changeable weather. Overall, though, the Audi A6 Avant remains one of the best estate options around.”
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Model reviewed: Saloon rangeScore: 9 / 10“The A6 has all the right qualities and equipment to be the best premium saloon around. With a smart-looking body, comfortable interior and technological additions, the A6 is crammed with nice features to get those in the market for a long-range cruiser interested.”
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Score: 9 / 10“The A6 has all the right qualities and equipment to be the best premium saloon around.”
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Carbuyer

Model reviewed: S6Score: 7.4 / 10“The Audi S6 is an iron fist in a velvet glove: it’s powerful and fast, but also pretty subtle and quiet.”
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Model reviewed: (range review)Score: 8.6 / 10“Does the Audi A6 finally have an edge over the 5 Series and E-Class? We reckon it does. The BMW is still the sharper drive and the Mercedes still the most opulent. But the A6 is the most sophisticated executive car you can buy.”
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Carwow

Model reviewed: S6 Avant estateScore: 7 / 10“The Audi S6 Avant is a fast estate car that’s comfortable, well-equipped and even relatively economical on motorways but alternatives are more fun to drive and sound more exciting.”
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Model reviewed: S6 saloonScore: 7 / 10“The Audi S6 is a comfortable, sporty saloon that makes a great long-distance cruiser, but alternatives are more fun to drive on a twisty road and have nicer-sounding petrol engines.”
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Model reviewed: A6 Avant estate rangeScore: 9 / 10“The Audi A6 Avant is a very practical, very high-tech estate car that comes with a futuristic cabin and hybrid engines as standard, but most alternatives are more enjoyable to drive.”
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Model reviewed: A6 allroad“The Audi A6 Allroad is a posh and practical four-wheel-drive estate that’s a convincing alternative to the current crop of SUVs, but it’s pricier than an A6 Avant and only comes with two engine options.”
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Model reviewed: A6 saloon rangeScore: 9 / 10“The Audi A6 is a large, comfortable saloon with a range of high-tech hybrid engines, but it isn’t as much fun to drive as some alternatives and too many desirable features cost extra.”
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Company Car Today

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid 50 TFSI e Sport“Simply the A6 that makes the most sense for fleets, and takes the brand up against its PHEV rivals, although the Audi is priced a touch higher than its executive contemporaries.”
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Model reviewed: 3.0-litre diesel automatic 45 TDI allroad“New Audi A6 Allroad is still the best at what it does, in a very niche pool, and is possibly the most appealing car in the A6 line-up. It’s just a shame that it doesn’t stand out compared with the regular Avant as much as it used to.”
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Model reviewed: Avant rangeScore: 8.1 / 10“The Audi A6 Avant is a great business tool. It has no major weakness and is a car that will become more loved the longer it spends doing its job with quiet efficiency.”
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Evo

Model reviewed: (range review)Score: 7 / 10“It’s available in saloon and estate body styles, is powered by four- or six-cylinder powertrains, and in this latest generation is predominantly all-wheel drive.”
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Model reviewed: S6Score: 8 / 10“S6’s transition to diesel power is a success – it’s a real mile-muncher and not bad in the corners either.”
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Model reviewed: A6 saloonScore: 8 / 10“New A6 improves on its predecessor and beats rivals for quality, but others are more fun.”
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Fleetworld

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid 50 TFSI e SportScore: 8 / 10“Quick, roomy, comfortable, and stylish – just like the standard Audi A6 saloon. The plug-in hybrid drivetrain adds welcome running cost savings and usable extra performance, although it’s more expensive than rivals.”
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Green Car Guide

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel automatic 40 TDI S LineScore: 7 / 10“The new Audi A6 40 TDI Saloon is comfortable, refined and economical on the motorway, it’s spacious and features a high-tech dashboard, and it even has a mild hybrid diesel powertrain.”
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Heycar

Model reviewed: A6 saloon rangeScore: 8 / 10“The latest Audi A6 is a thoroughly modern take on the large executive saloon. It’s stuffed with technology, from its touchscreen-laden interior to its mild-hybrid engines, but has all the traditional qualities required of cars in this class.”
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Model reviewed: Estate rangeScore: 8 / 10“Launched in 2018, this A6 Avant is the latest instalment in a long-running line of big Audi estates. For many buyers, it’s a more authentic take on the A6 model line than the regular four-door saloon. This latest one draws proudly from the Audi history books with its striking and classy design.”
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Honest John

Model reviewed: A6 saloonScore: 8 / 10“The 2.0-litre diesel will make more sense for the majority of people. Resist paying more for the V6 diesel, though – not only is it expensive, the gearbox is frustrating and the car feels noticeably heavier than the four-cylinder diesel.”
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Motoring Research

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 9 / 10“The A6 might be the sweet-spot of the Audi range. It’s not as nice to drive as a BMW 5 Series, but build quality and cabin are top-notch.”
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Motors.co.uk

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Audi A6 is a comfortable cruiser with well-refined engines and similarly refined ride, although rivals can be more exciting to drive. It’s competitively priced with reasonable running costs, but the options list is both extensive and expensive.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: saloon rangeScore: 9.6 / 10“Tech-heavy saloon with an over-large grille and restrained interior styling.”
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Model reviewed: Avant rangeScore: 8 / 10“Handsome estate car is good to drive and tech-heavy”
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Score: 8.6 / 10“We think Audi’s onto a winner here. The new A6 Saloon impressed with its drive, its build quality and technology.”
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The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: A6 SaloonScore: 8 / 10“This is the most luxurious car of its type, and so good that you almost wonder why Audi — or you, for that matter — need bother with the A8.”
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The Telegraph

Model reviewed: 3.0-litre V6 diesel automatic 50 quattroScore: 6 / 10“Good looking and ultra high-tech, but strangely bloodless executive saloon. The cabin is beautifully presented but the technology tricky to master via touchscreens. Stay away from the gormless calibration of the V6 diesel and buy the new four-cylinder diesel with front drive and little of the headline technology and you’ll have a fine car.”
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid 50 TFSIe S line saloon“Efficient, clever and, like all A6s, a lovely item. A PHEV that doesn’t bamboozle you with loads of different modes. But it’s not as comfortable as a big German luxury saloon ought to be, the drivetrain has some odd traits and the brakes take some getting used to. Not cheap, either.”
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Model reviewed: 3.0-litre diesel automatic allroad quattroScore: 6 / 10“Dignified, versatile and quite cool. Pity the gearbox and ride let the side down.”
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Model reviewed: Avant rangeScore: 8 / 10“Another crushingly good effort from Audi. The new A6 Avant is a one-stop shop for family life.”
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Model reviewed: Saloon rangeScore: 8 / 10“A brilliantly-designed item. Every inch the mini-A8, but not as good to drive as a BMW 5 Series.”
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Model reviewed: 3.0-litre diesel automatic S6 AvantScore: 7 / 10“The steering is positive, the brakes strong, and if you option up the four-wheel steer and sports diff, you get a car capable of disguising its mass like a funhouse mirror.”
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What Car?

Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 6 / 10“The Audi S6 is positioned very much towards the luxury end of the performance car spectrum.”
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Model reviewed: saloon rangeScore: 8 / 10“The A6 is quiet, comfortable, spacious and an impressive luxury car all round, even if it isn’t quite as thrilling to drive as the class best.”
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Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall rating: 5 stars
Date tested: September 2018

93%

ADULT OCCUPANT

85%

CHILD OCCUPANT

81%

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

76%

SAFETY ASSIST

Read full Euro NCAP review

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

The Audi A6 has not yet been lab tested by Green NCAP. This is a new initiative, launched in 2018 as a sister organisation to Euro NCAP. As yet, very few new cars have been tested for environmental impact by Green NCAP, and the testing programme was halted in early 2020 by the coronavirus pandemic.

If the A6 is put through the Green NCAP lab testing programme, we will publish the results here.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Audi A6 has received

2018

carwow Car of the Year Awards – Car of the Year + Best Luxury Car

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Audi A6, you might also be interested in these alternatives

The Audi A6 faces a tough selection of rivals and none more so than the BMW 5 Series, which for many years has dominated the larger executive saloon sector. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has long been another major rival, while the Jaguar XF and Volvo S90/V90 twins are also strong contenders.

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