Audi RS6 Avant review

There's a belief among petrolheads that if you want something with pace and space, you buy an Audi RS6. But we’re going to let you in on a secret: Audi’s halo car may be comfortable and ballistically fast, but it’s never been that involving as a driver’s car.

The current, fourth-generation RS6 should have the tools to change all that though –especially now the regular model has been replaced by a Performance edition. The headline change is an extra 29bhp courtesy of two larger turbochargers, and with power now at 621bhp, the RS6 Performance Avant is the most powerful Audi estate yet.

Power doesn’t necessarily equate to more fun of course, hence the decision to fit all models with four-wheel steering and a torque-vectoring differential. Combined with optional lightweight forged alloy wheels, the RS6 – which is now only available as an estate car – should feel lighter on its toes.

Audi didn't stop there. A run-out limited edition GT model adds carbon-ceramic brakes, adjustable coilover suspension, a carbon-fibre bonnet and more aggressive styling.

With very accomplished rivals ranging from the BMW M3 Touring and BMW M5 Touring to the estate version of the BMW Alpina B5, the Audi RS6 Avant faces fierce competition. Is it up there with the best performance cars? Read on to find out...

If you're looking for a serious turn of speed from a car that's comfy and not overtly challenging to drive, the Audi RS6 Avant fits the bill. The trade-off is that it remains less fun than a BMW M3 Touring.

Indeed, right up until the moment you squeeze the accelerator you could be forgiven for thinking you’re driving a regular Audi A6 Avant.

Under the RS6's bonnet lurks a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine delivering a mighty 621bhp and 627lb ft of shove. That power goes to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The results are punchy: 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 174mph.

The limited-run Audi RS6 Avant GT produces the same power, but thanks in part to stickier tyres and a 25kg weight reduction, it has a slightly quicker 0-62mph time of 3.3 seconds. The top speed also rises to 190mph.

The phrase "accelerates like a freight train" is rather clichéd, but there’s no better way to describe the way the RS6 launches towards the horizon. It has a truly vicious turn of speed, enhanced by a suitably aggressive soundtrack in its sportiest Dynamic drive mode.

As part of the mid-life update, Audi ripped out some of the sound-deadening to let more of the V8’s guttural exhaust note make its way to the interior. And it works – without it being so loud that it compromises refinement.

The RS6 is extremely surefooted, grips well and steers confidently. In fact, with its standard four-wheel steering, which is designed to help tighten its turning circle at town speeds as well as increase its response on faster roads, it's as easy to drive in tight car parks as it is effortless to drive quickly on flowing country roads.

It’s not quite a harmonious set-up though. Quick direction changes result in a relatively high amount of body lean, so the RS6 doesn’t feel quite as precise or composed as its rivals.

More positively, the limited-run RS6 GT, with its stiffer coilover suspension, eradicates body lean and feels more tied down, resulting in a much sweeter drive.

Even so, the smaller BMW M3 Touring steers more naturally and feels more agile. If you really want to up the ante on a track, you can also turn off the four-wheel-drive system and unleash the power to the rear wheels alone.

It’s much harder to do that in the RS6 without deliberately trying to upset the balance on the way into a corner. Of course, that won’t make the blindest bit of difference for day-to-day use, but it's a clear pointer to the differences in philosophies between the RS6 and other performance-focused estate cars.

It’s also why the RS6's gearbox isn’t quite as snappy as the M3 Touring's, with slightly slower gear changes that are less perceptible and increase comfort. 

Regardless of whether the RS6 Performance comes with the standard-fit air suspension or the Audi RS Sport adaptive suspension (standard on Vorsprung trim and optional on others), it remains supple and compliant.

Even the RS6 GT – with its adjustable coilover suspension – manages to isolate occupants from the road surface effectively. Indeed, this depends on how it’s been set-up, but our test car had the best ride and handling balance of the range.

Despite the huge 22in alloy wheels, the RS6 Avant is more comfortable, particularly on bumpy town roads, than a BMW M3 Touring. At motorway speeds refinement is superb, with a calm ride and a low level of wind and road noise.

Like in the M3, there are two specific drive modes (RS1 and RS2 in the RS6's case) to add a feeling of purposeful intent when you want a bit more engagement. You can set them with your desired options for the aggressiveness of the steering weight, the suspension stiffness, the gearshift speed, the level of stability control intervention and the accelerator response.

“I initially feared the RS6 GT and its coilover suspension set-up would result in something unforgiving that thumped its way over bumps but that’s far from the case.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

In traditional RS fashion, the Audi RS6 Avant takes the already impressive configuration of a standard Audi A6 Avant and dials up the sportiness a notch. There’s a flat-bottomed steering wheel, swathes of carbon fibre, plenty of Alcantara wrapping and heavily bolstered, diamond-stitched leather sport seats.

The front sports seats are genuinely superb. They’re supportive and remain supremely comfortable over long distances, thanks to multiple electrical adjustments, including for four-way lumbar support.

The seats are set so the driver sits low behind the highly adjustable steering wheel. The RS6 GT goes one step further, with bucket seats that trade the electric adjustment for extra side bolstering to hold you tighter in place.

Our only complaint about the driving position is that your left leg is pushed over to the right due to the encroaching footwell wall. Granted, it's a problem you quickly get used to, but it doesn’t exist at all in the BMW M3 Touring.

The digital driver's display is similar to those in a standard Audi A6 but there are some RS-specific displays, such as a retro "hockey stick' rev counter that mimics the dials of a 1980s Audi Quattro.

The screen can relay all sorts of other information, from sat-nav instructions and media tracks to track-day data, including lap times, G-forces and the temperatures of your engine oil, coolant, tyres and even the car's electronic limited-slip differential.

There are two touchscreens. The lower screen is mainly for the climate controls, while the upper one covers most of the rest of the infotainment system features: media, navigation, car settings and so on.

The software is responsive, and on the whole the menus are simple to follow, but with so few physical buttons, you do find yourself looking away from the road a lot to make adjustments. The Porsche Panamera is no better here, but the rotary controller in the BMW M3 is easier and safer to operate while driving.

The RS6's build quality is right up with the best performance cars including the Panamera, and visibility is good. It's easier to see out of than a Panamera and comes with front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, adaptive matrix LED dipped headlight beams and laser-light main beams.

“Not only do you have to glance down on the centre console to find the haptic drive mode controls, but the highly reflective gloss finish means it’s also difficult to see.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

This is where the Audi RS6 Avant wins major points in the "only car you’ll ever need" stakes. Despite having enough performance to embarrass some supercars, it's practical enough to transport you, your family and your luggage from anywhere in the UK to the south of France without breaking a sweat.

It's big enough in the front that you're unlikely to find even two sizeable adults complaining that they feel hemmed in. Plus, the interior feels more open and airy than the more enveloping BMW M3 Touring and Porsche Panamera.

In the back, a couple of six-footers will comfortably be able to sit behind similar-sized adults, without their knees pressing into the back of the front seats or their heads touching the roof lining.

There's a bit of a hump running down the floor for a third rear passenger to straddle, but otherwise, there's enough space available for them to be comfortable. The Panamera has just two back seats.

The RS6 Avant's boot space is class-leading in size and usefully square, making it a doddle to load up with luggage. At 565 litres, it eclipses the BMW M3 Touring by quite a margin, and is fractionally bigger than the boot of the estate car version of the BMW Alpina B5.

The RS6 boot held an impressive nine carry-on suitcases below its parcel cover, compared with seven in the M3 Touring. The rear seats fold in a useful 40/20/40 split to give you a bigger load bay or the option of carrying several pairs of skis between two rear passengers.

If you don't need all that luggage space, you might be interested in the four-door coupé equivalent – to read about that see our Audi RS7 review.

“In terms of space and rear-seat comfort, the RS6 is hard to beat. The rear backrest is more reclined in here than in an M3 so I feel more relaxed over a long journey.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

The Audi RS6 Avant is priced above the smaller BMW M3 Touring but below the Touring version of the BMW Alpina B5. However, there are quite a few holes in the standard spec list.

As standard, you get 22in alloy wheels, ambient interior lighting, an electric tailgate, power-folding door mirrors, metallic paint, leather seats, four-zone climate control, privacy glass, RS Sport seats (with heating and cooling in the front) and keyless ignition.

The Carbon Black trim brings forged 22in wheels (saving 5kg per corner), grippier tyres and black exterior highlights and a black roof lining inside.

Range-topping Vorsprung trim essentially ticks every option box, with adaptive suspension, heated rear seats, a panoramic glass sunroof, a night vision camera system and carbon interior trim with striking-looking coloured twill inlays.

If you’re in the market for the ultimate super estate car, we suspect you'll want the GT, which is the best-driving version of the RS6 Avant. However, even if you are willing to fork out the huge premium above a Vorsprung, you’ll struggle to find one anyway, with just a limited run of 60 cars coming to the UK.

Unsurprisingly, running costs are likely to be steep, but the RS6 should be no worse than rival performance cars. Unlike the M3 and the B5, the RS6 uses engine cylinder deactivation and a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to maximise fuel economy. We managed 22mpg on a mix of roads.

In terms of reliability, Audi did quite badly in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, finishing in 24th place out of 31 car makers. That’s below BMW (eighth), Skoda (13th), VW (18th) and Mercedes (22nd).

The RS6 hasn’t been crash-tested by Euro NCAP but the Audi A6 Avant was awarded the top five-star rating. It has plenty of active safety systems as standard, including lane-departure warning, traffic-sign recognition and automatic emergency braking (AEB).

We'd advise buyers choosing an RS6 Avant in a lower trim level to add the reasonably priced Tour Pack, which includes adaptive cruise control.

“You can liven up the RS6's interior with colour coding on the seats and centre console with the Exclusive RS Interior Design Package, but it costs more than £8,000.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

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