Audi RS 6 Avant review

Is the Audi RS 6 Avant a good car?

Where the appeal of the Audi RS 6 Avant lies in how it combines blistering pace, superb refinement, confidence-inspiring handling, and bundles of the latest tech, while having enough space for the whole family and its luggage to travel in relaxing comfort. It’s a hugely desirable package and provides an old-school antidote to the latest, fashionable performance SUVs. 

Audi clearly decided against a quantum leap in power from the previous generation RS 6, but it has introduced a mild-hybrid system to work alongside the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 unit. The RS 6 is not the sharpest performance car, but if you’re seeking something to cover many bases, it’s difficult to look past Audi’s fastest load-lugger.

How much does the Audi RS 6 Avant cost?

The Audi RS 6 is now in its fourth generation and starts from a not inconsiderable £116,000 in Performance guise. There’s a bit of a jump to get into the Performance Carbon Black trim for £125,000, while the top-of-the-range Performance Carbon Vorsprung comes in at £133,500. For a short period of time there was the GT for almost £177,000, although all versions of this limited run version have been allocated.

The phrase ‘all the car you’ll ever need’ is often used in relation to fast estate cars like the Audi RS 6, and with good reason. Audi has real pedigree in this area; most notably with the Audi RS 2 (developed with assistance from Porsche in 1994), the 2005 4.2-litre V8-engined B7 Audi RS 4 Avant and, who could forget, the RS 6 from 2008 which represented a huge power leap over its predecessor with its 572bhp twin-turbo 5.0-litre V10 unit that helped it complete the 0-62 sprint in just 3.6 seconds - not bad for a two-tonne wagon. Now the latest RS 6 continues the bloodline, while the recipe is broadly unchanged, much more technology has gone into this super estate. 

That includes a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to assist the 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine and help improve efficiency. The car is based on the conventional A6 Avant (no RS 6 saloon will be offered this time), so it sits on the same MLB evo platform with upgraded materials that add more strength and rigidity to the car. 

Audi has gone with a multi-link suspension setup front and rear, with adaptive air suspension as standard. The top-of-the-range Vorsprung models come with RS plus sports suspension (available as an option on less pricey models) that features Dynamic Ride Control, helping to reduce body roll and pitch in the sportier driving modes.

There are four versions of the RS 6, starting with the standard Performance version, followed by the Performance Carbon Black, which mostly adds cosmetic changes. For those looking for an extra focus on gadgets will need the Performance Carbon Vorsprung, which includes our preferred RS Sports Suspension Plus with Dynamic Ride Control (available as a £1,300 option on lesser versions). Finally, there’s the already sold-out GT, which features unique alloys and carbon front wings and bonnet, a coilover suspension set-up that requires a spanner to make adjustments, and a higher top speed of 190mph compared with the standard car’s 174mph limiter.

Engage launch control in the Audi RS 6 and you’ll experience instant power delivery as 621bhp is sent to the tarmac via Audi’s quattro four-wheel drive system. The engine and transmission are so incredibly proficient that this remarkable estate will provide supercar-baiting performance if required, but can also behave in an effortless way when not in maximum attack mode, allowing the car to move down the road in a relaxed fashion that could almost make you forget about the extreme performance that’s on offer.

What is the Audi RS 6 Avant like to drive?

In town

The RS 6 Avant features all-wheel steering, making the car more manoeuvrable at low speed because the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the fronts. This helps to reduce the car’s turning circle and make parking manoeuvres just that little bit easier. 

Remarkably given the huge 22-inch wheels that come as standard, the ride isn’t jarring over bumps and potholes. We would suggest you keep the drive mode in its comfort setting when trundling around town, because the sportier drivetrain settings might make the accelerator response a bit too snappy at times when exiting a junction or merging on to a roundabout for some.

On A- and B-roads

At higher speeds, the four-wheel steering system makes the rear wheels follow the movement of the front wheels, improving agility so that the car feels more precise, although the steering detracts from this a little by feeling artificially weighty if you select dynamic mode.

Traction is superb, while the huge torque gives plenty of flexibility. However, those who like to seek-out the occasional fast, twisty road may find the big estate lacking a little in feel, and the automatic gearbox can take a moment when left to its own devices before it decides to change down. 

There is a choice in suspension set-up in the RS 6, with either standard air suspension or the Vorsprung model’s steel springs with adaptive dampers. The latter offers a more settled ride at all speeds and body control is noticeably improved. Any car weighing nearly 2,100kg is going to experience some roll, but the Dynamic Dide Control system helps keep it more in check.

On the motorway

The Audi RS 6 feels suitably settled at motorway speeds, especially when fitted with Dynamic Ride Control and steel springs. It avoids feeling floaty and has a precision that makes the car seem rock solid on the road. It’s more than capable of remaining that way should you find yourself on a derestricted Autobahn where you can test out its top speed.

Despite losing some 8kg of sound insulation to allow for more engine and exhaust noise to enter the interior, road noise in the RS 6 isn’t too bad. This is despite the steamroller-sized wheels the RS 6 has. Wind noise is nicely subdued at speed, too.

Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed

With 621bhp and 850Nm of torque, this remarkable estate will crack 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds and go on to a maximum of 174mph. The small weight reduction of the GT version yields a marginally quicker 3.3-second acceleration sprint, while a higher speed limit will allow you to reach 190mph.

There are the ‘RS1’ and ‘RS2’ modes, which are offered in addition to the standard driving profiles and allow the driver to customise the car’s set-up to suit their individual preferences. Once this is stored, the profile can then be engaged at any time by pressing the RS Mode button on the steering wheel.

Despite the ferocious power at hand, there has been some attention paid to efficiency. The twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 comes with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, to help improve response and efficiency. The hybrid function enables gliding with the engine switched off, fast restart and an intelligent drive management system that uses the navigation map to decide whether coasting is more fuel-efficient.

You don’t buy an Audi RS 6 expecting a great return on a tank of fuel, but at least Audi has offered, by way of mitigation, 48-volt mild-hybrid tech to help ever-so-slightly alleviate the pinch at the pumps. 

The hybrid technology includes a system that shuts-off the engine on the move between 34 and 99mph to save fuel. On top of this, there’s also cylinder-on-demand (CoD) deactivation tech that shuts down half the V8 under light throttle loads.

The official combined cycle economy for the RS 6 is 22.4mpg in Performance form, or 23.2mpg in marginally lighter GT trim. We saw nearly 20mpg from the regular Performance version during a drive along some B roads and a short motorway blast, so we expect you could get closer to those figures if you went on a longer run and drove with a little more care than we did. However, utilise this car’s maximum potential on track and those figures will plummet.

Tax

Your first year’s road tax bill is going to be painful given that the CO2 emissions for the RS 6 range from 277-286g/km. That also means a company car driver (although we doubt any scheme would offer such a car) will be clobbered because the RS 6 is in the highest 37 per cent tax band. 

The BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E53 might be a marginally better fit considering their plug-in hybrid powertrains, but the reality is that all these fast estate choices will be very expensive to run. Especially since all cost well over the £40,000 threshold that subjects them to an additional luxury car tax charge, which applies from the second year a vehicle is taxed up for five years until the vehicle is six years old.

Insurance groups

As you might expect with such a premium car, all models are in the top bracket for insurance, at group 50, which is on par with its rivals.

Depreciation

The RS 6 is expected to maintain between 39 to 48 per cent of its original value after three years or 36,000 miles, according to our expert data. The GT is predicted to lose the most, while the regular Performance version should maintain the most value.

To put that into context, the BMW M5 Touring should maintain between 46 to 47 per cent, while the Mercedes-AMG E53 hangs on to between 41 to 43 per cent over the same period.

To get an accurate valuation of a specific model, check out our free car valuation tool…

Based on the regular A6, the brawny Audi RS 6 brings a stealthy, understated quality that Audi does really rather well. From the power-bulge bonnet to the wider arches filled with satisfyingly large alloys, it offers a high level of sophistication to go with the huge power on offer.

What is the Audi RS 6 like inside?

The interior of the Audi RS 6 follows that of the regular A6 and is filled with various screens. A central touchscreen predominantly controls the sat-nav and audio settings, while the screen below looks after the climate control. We’d prefer physical controls to make it easier to adjust simple things such as the temperature while driving, but the screen does at least offer haptic feedback to give you some idea you’ve actually made an adjustment.

Heated RS sport seats trimmed in Valcona leather are standard, along with matt-brushed aluminium inlays around the cabin and four-way climate control.

The Performance Carbon Black edition adds carbon-fibre exterior styling, black interior trim and 22-inch wheels, while the Performance Carbon Vorsprung model brings gloss-black exterior accents, a panoramic roof, a 360-degree camera, a head-up display and a B&O premium sound system.

What is the interior quality like?

The regular Audi RS 6 Avant is well-equipped and comes with the usual quality touches you’d expect from an Audi. All the surfaces you come into contact with regularly are of excellent quality - just as well, considering that the RS 6 starts at well over £100,000 these days.

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Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Twin touchscreens give access to the sat-nav system and other menus. Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are all built-in. The equipment list continues with Audi’s virtual cockpit featuring a special design, specific to RS models, for its 12.3-inch instrument display, while there's also a premium 10-speaker stereo, wireless phone charging and Audi Connect music service with 3-year subscription as standard.

Building on the regular Audi A6 Avant, the Audi RS 6 has a great starting point from which to deliver on load space and passenger comfort. The RS 6 will likely be an everyday car, so it needs to offer practicality to go with its pace.

At almost five-metres long, it’s a sizeable vehicle and could prove awkward to manoeuvre, but all-wheel steering gives a surprisingly tight turning circle - very handy given the extended wheel arches adding 40mm to each side of the car. The 360-degree camera should assist when parking and moving around at low speed, although this is only available as standard on the Performance Carbon Vorsprung model.

Dimensions and size

The RS 6 is certainly a big, imposing car, at 4,995mm long, 1,487mm in height and 2,110mm wide. Although, it is shorter than its closest rivals, the BMW M5 Touring (5,096mm in length) and Porsche Panamera 4S Sport Turismo (5,049mm). The RS 6 is slightly narrower than its two competitors in terms of width, at 2,110mm. The M5 Touring is 2,156mm wide, but the Panamera is a significant 2,165mm across. And while the Porsche has a low, sleek stance at 1,428mm high, the RS 6 offers an elevated, more practical roof line at 1,487mm. The M5 Touring is 1,516mm in height.

How practical is the Audi RS 6?

Seats & space in the front

There shouldn’t be any complaints from people in the front of the Audi RS 6. Even those who are six feet in height should have plenty of head, leg, and shoulder room in which to stretch out. Every version comes with electric front seat adjustment with driver’s side memory settings, and there’s even electrically adjustable lumbar support and steering column adjustment, so finding a comfortable driving position should be very easy.

We would like to see more storage in the RS 6, because the door pockets aren’t that big, and the cubby under the central armrest isn’t particularly generous.

Seats & space in the back

The RS 6 offers generous legroom in the rear despite those chunky sports seats, with its square roofline also providing a good amount of headroom. Those over six-foot shouldn’t have any issues settling into the RS 6 for a pleasant, relaxing journey.

If you happen to need to transport children in car seats, then you’ll find a pair of ISOFIX points on the outer positions of the rear bench behind some easily removable plastic covers. If you need greater flexibility, then there’s another point mounted on the front passenger seat - but do check that the front passenger airbag is disabled when you do this.

Boot space

With a 565-litre boot (548 litres in GT form), the Audi RS 6 trumps the Porsche Panamera 4S Sport Turismo (520 litres) for load carrying ability. With the rear seats folded, the advantage increases, with the Audi providing 1,680 litres (1,658 litres in GT form) and the Porsche just 1,390 litres. 

The plug-in hybrid BMW M5 Touring and Mercedes-AMG E53 have compromised boot areas because the battery pack in each of those rivals takes up some space in the load area. The E53 is most affected, having just 460 litres of space, while the M5 Touring has 500 litres of capacity.

Although the RS 6 hasn’t been crash tested, Audi achieved a full five-star Euro NCAP rating for the Audi A6 in 2018. Adult occupant safety was given 93 percent, child occupant safety at 85 percent, and pedestrian safety was rated at 81 percent.

Safety equipment on the standard RS 6 includes lane departure warning, camera-based road sign recognition, Audi pre-sense front system and cruise control with a speed limiter. The performance Carbon Vorsprung model adds Tour and City Assist packs with additional safety kit, such as Adaptive Cruise Assist, camera-based traffic-sign recognition, high-beam assist, pre-sense rear function and cross traffic assist front.

The Audi RS 6 is a little too specialised to appear in the most recent 2024 Driver Power survey. However, the Audi brand finished a disappointing 27th out of 32 manufacturers, which is well below BMW in 14th place, and a little behind Mercedes in 25th.

Warranty

Audi offers a three-year/60,000 mile warranty on all its cars, which is on par with most manufacturers, although BMW and Mercedes offer slightly more generous three-year, unlimited mileage policies.

You can extend the Audi warranty up to four years or 75,000 miles, of five years or 90,000 miles for an additional fee.

Servicing

The RS 6 Avant has different servicing schedules that are mileage dependent. If you drive less than 10,000 miles with lots of city driving and short journeys, you’ll need annual oil changes and inspections every other year. High-mileage drivers will have variable oil change schedules up to a maximum of 19,000 miles/two years, and they’ll still need inspections every two years.

Audi RS 6 Avant alternatives

The Audi RS 6’s key rivals in the battle for fast estate supremacy come in the form of the BMW M5 Touring and Mercedes-AMG E53 Estate. While the M5 Touring offers a colossal 717bhp, its plug-in hybrid powertrain might not be to everyone’s taste for a hot performance car and the E53 uses similar technology.

If you just have to go for high-riding SUV style, you could still stick with Audi and opt for the Audi RS Q8. Equipped with the same engine as the RS 6, it’s not as good to drive, but is just as practical, so it really comes down to personal choice.