Audi A6 Review

Audi A6 prices from £10,995   Finance from £268.68 per month

The rise of the SUV is well documented. New models announced just this year include Mercedes’ new all-electric EQC, Audi’s own Q8, and BMW’s X5.

But if you think saloons are more subtle and superior, the A6 could be right up your street. It faces stiff competition from the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class, Jaguar XF, and the Lexus GS though.

The latest A6 is a tour-de-force of technology. The outside is packed full of sensors, depending on how deep your pockets are. The inside is even more technology laden.

Prices start at £38,640 for the 40TDI in Sport trim, and run to nearly £72,000 for an S-Line trimmed 50TDI with all the bells and whistles.

Pulling the strings of the A6’s technology is Audi’s MMI touch response system. This controls those massive touchscreens that dominate the interior. The top one is either 8.8-inches or 10.1 inches, and the bottom is 8.6-inch. They work in tandem with one another and it’s all very intuitive, for instance, while the top screen is set to navigation, the bottom screen will let you type a destination on a QWERTY keyboard.

The touchscreen itself uses haptic feedback, much like a high end smartphone. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you realise that you need to press the screen until it vibrates, you’ll find it easy enough to use. It’s supposed to mimic a button and Audi reckons it’s safer than regular touchscreens as it gives you feedback to say that it’s recognised your input. This means you don’t have to look at the touchscreen while driving, unlike in some systems.

It also uses Audi’s virtual cockpit, which is a 12.3 inch digital display that replaces the traditional instrument binnacle. It can be programmed to show different information, like navigation instructions or speed, and it works beautifully inside the A6.

The entertainment system also learns phrases, and the voice recognition works well. For instance, it wasn’t phased by, “take me to Bicester”, which would render an American confused. It doesn’t just work with sat nav instructions, but with other functions like turning on the heated seats. An Audi engineer even told us “my bum is cold” will turn on these heated seats.

Elsewhere in the interior, it’s all very well nailed together, and has the latest Apple CarPlay and Android Auto tech. The seats are big and comfortable up front, and in the rear it’s impressive still. The A6 is 21 millimetres longer than the old car and it boasts the largest amount of room in the rear among its competitors.

The boot’s 530-litre capacity is pretty much up there with saloon rivals. The E-Class’ is 10-litres bigger, but it has the same size as the 5 Series and XF.

Below the boot is a set of faux-exhaust pipes. This may not sound important, but it does cheapen a car that can stretch in price to £72,000. As can the radar sensors on the front - they’re ugly pieces of shiny plastic that sit in the grille. While we can’t criticise their performance, they do cheapen the car.

However, what they do is very good. They control the cruise control systems, which will not only monitor cars in front and change speed accordingly, but it will change speeds to the speed limit if you so wish. On our test route we didn’t manage to catch it out, and it slows down and speeds up calmly. Plus, it anticipates corners and slows down for them too.

The most expensive engine, the 50TDI, has a whopping 282hp, and it feels punchy. It never feels as exciting as a 5.5 second 0-62mph time would suggest, but it is a diesel saloon after all. 

The 40TDI is a four-cylinder 2-litre diesel. Driving back to back with the V6 50TDI, it feels less immediate, but never feels slow or strained.

The 50TDI engine comes with an 8-speed automatic, whereas the 40TDI engine uses a 7-speed. Without getting in to the nitty gritty, they mostly act the same, both changing gears with subtlety. The only real criticism of either engines and gearbox combination is that the throttle response is really, really sharp in its dynamic setting. This is the sportiest of the settings offered by the dynamic driving modes, and it does make everything much more racy, but it feels strained and at odds with the rest of the car can’t handle it.

However, even with the Quattro four-wheel-drive and optional passive rear-wheel steering, the A6 can never quite shake off its weight. It has however, clinched Euro NCAP’s top rating of five stars.

The weight also affects the way the car rides. It’s a brilliant way to crush motorway miles, even at motorway + speeds, but on the potholed and uneven a and b roads of Britain it never quite feels settled. The air suspension, in its softest and most compliant setting, does help out, but it’s still not quite perfect.

If you cherish interior quality over everything else, and you find the current trends of SUVs/crossovers/coupes a bit blingy, or even passe, the A6 is a much more subtle way of travelling.

 

Key facts

Warranty	Three years/60,000 miles
Boot size	530 litres
Width	1,886mm
Length	4,939mm
Height	1,457mm
Tax (min to max)	£205-515 in the first year, £140-£450 thereafter

Best Audi A6 for...

Best for Economy – Audi A6 50TDI

It might surprise some to find out that the bigger diesel is actually the more economical. Put that down to being less stressed during acceleration.

Best for Families – Audi A6 40TDI

Although the 50TDI is more economical, it’s also more expensive and hard to recommend over the smaller 40TDI for families.

Best for Performance – Audi A6 50TDI

The most powerful variant is a 3.0-litre diesel V6 which will propel itself from 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds, plus, it has four-wheel-drive to keep you on the straight and narrow

History

Understanding Audi A6 names

50TDI Engine

From the launch there are only two engines available, both diesels. The 2.0-litre diesel 40TDI and the 3.0-litre 50TDI.

S-Line Trim

Audi is offering two trim levels at the moment, Sport and S-Line.

Tiptronic Gearbox

There are two gearbox options, both automatics. One is a seven-speed, the other an eight.

Audi A6 Engines

Audi A6 Trims

Audi A6 Reliability and warranty

Used Audi A6

Other Editions