Audi A6 Review & Prices

Audi seems to have found its stride in exterior design again, because while the last generation of cars were borderline dull to look at, the new A6 is a properly good-looking thing. It’s comfortable and has acres of space inside, but what the A6 has gained in style it’s lost in interior quality - which is a shame.

But what has stayed the same - thankfully, is the A6’s wide range of engine options. You can opt for a petrol, a plug-in hybrid or even a diesel, something that’s becoming rarer by the minute, it seems.

Think of the A6 as that parent that keeps a full pantry, stocked with all of your favourite snacks from your childhood - not just the fat-free, sugarless stuff that’s all the rage these days. Mercedes has kept a diesel option available for the E-Class, but you can only opt for a petrol, hybrid or electric version of the new 5 Series. Boo.

The A6 looks super sleek, with a softened version of the classic six-sided grille, slender headlights with intricate LED patterns, pumped up wheel arches and a tail end that incorporates elements of the RS e-tron and the old A6 of the late 1990s.

Our Edition 1 test car received many compliments from passers-by, but Sport models have a more subtle body kit if you prefer to fly under the radar.

Inside the A6 is a dashboard layout very similar to the rest of Audi’s current range, with the infotainment and driver’s display in one swish-looking panel, while top-spec cars get a third display for your passenger. It’s an unnecessary addition, and controls nothing that can’t be adjusted from the central display - while looking a bit naff, too.

The A6 does wear the new interior better than most of Audi’s other cars, because while the triple-screen layout feels too big for most other models, the big saloon car is so spacious inside that everything feels less crammed in.

There’s plenty of room up front, but the hump in the floor means the middle passenger in the back has to sit straddled. Legroom at the back is good, but the boot is smaller than the E-Class or 5 Series too.

The upper surfaces of the interior are pleasant to the touch on upper trim levels, and there are fewer scratchy plastics lower down than in other models. Build quality feels less solid than the previous generation A6, with cheap-feeling touch-sensitive panels in place of real buttons - which are also more annoying to use.

It’s a very pleasant car to drive. Around town you definitely feel its size on tight roads, but the optional four-wheel steering is worth having as it makes the A6 feel much more agile when parking or navigating city centres. It’s very comfortable, but you’re best off avoiding the 21-inch wheels as they clatter through potholes a bit too harshly.

You’re cosseted by the A6 on the motorway, as it’s even more comfortable at high speeds with minimal wind and road noise. The diesel engine is a little gruff when accelerating, but it’s all but silent at a cruise and very economical.

The A6 isn’t much fun on a country lane, but it feels stable and secure with little body lean. You’re better off in a BMW 5 Series if you enjoy carving through corners, though.

For a posh, stylish and hugely comfortable saloon car, check out the latest Audi A6 deals on Carwow, or Audi A6 lease deals instead. There are used A6s for sale through our network of tested dealers, as well as other used Audi models. We can even help you sell your car when the time comes.

The A6 starts from a hair over £52,000, almost identical to the BMW 5 Series but over £4,000 less than the Mercedes E-Class. It’s well-equipped, offering similar features to the BMW - so your choice really boils down to the styling and whether you prefer a more comfort- or sport-oriented driving experience.

Even entry-level A6s come fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED matrix headlights, four-zone climate control and heated seats in the front, while stepping up to S Line trim gets you sports suspension, more aggressive bumpers and more supportive seats inside. Edition 1 trim builds on S Line spec with blacked-out trim details, the passenger display and the option of massive 21-inch wheels, but it also costs £7,000 more than the entry-level car.

Comfort is the name of the game in the A6, but it never feels sporty when you’re pushing on

In town the A6’s enormous length and width - almost the same size as an Audi A8 was 20 years ago - means it can be tricky to place around town, especially if you like to sit with the seat in a low-slung position. Visibility is good all round, even if it’s not that easy to work out where the car’s extremities are.

You’re better off using the mirrors when parking the A6, because Audi’s parking cameras are very slow to show you what’s happening around you. That slight lag is unsettling when parallel parking, especially when combined with the parking sensors which seem to let you know when you’re ‘fine, close-ish, closer…STOP!’

On the move, the A6 does an excellent job of ironing out rough and bumpy roads, though the 21-inch optional alloys do spoil the experience somewhat as they thud through potholes. The rear-wheel steering is well worth purchasing; when equipped, the A6 feels far more agile than a five-metre long car should.

The eHybrid model has a quoted range of 60 miles, and it’s the best option if you have access to cheap charging and you predominantly commute in the city. The diesel model sounds a bit gruff when pulling away from the lights, but it’s hugely economical around town.

On the motorway

The A6 belongs on the motorway, where it’s a serene driving experience. While it’s a shame there’s no 3.0-litre diesel engine option as with the old A6, the 2.0-litre unit settles down into near-silence once you reach cruising speed, and there’s almost no wind or road noise in the cabin.

Ruts, dips and bumps are all but ironed-out in the A6. Even S Line models glide over bad sections of road, and the A6 feels very stable when changing lanes. It’s a shame that the active, lane-keeping cruise control never quite feels confident in itself, often correcting the line the A6 is taking with aggressive steering inputs.

Over the shoulder visibility is good meaning the A6 has usefully small blind spots for such a large car, but the blind-spot monitoring system is a bit ham-fisted and aggressively pulls you back into your lane when the car thinks you’re a bit too close to traffic - even if you’re not.

On a twisty road

While it’s clear that the A6 is comfort-oriented, rather than sporty, it holds its own when you’re making your way down a fast, twisty lane. Again, the four-wheel steering models feel extra agile around low-speed bends, while also feeling very stable on high-speed stretches.

Even with two-wheel steering, the A6 feels secure when changing directions at speed, and its thin-rimmed steering wheel is a joy to turn when compared to the every-chunkier wheels of its alternatives.

Yet it never quite feels sporty, and you’re better off in a BMW 5 Series if you want a big saloon car that’s genuinely fun to carve through corners in.

There’s enough room for four adults to sit comfortably, though a fifth is a bit of a squeeze

You’ll have no complaints for space and comfort up front in the Audi A6. The seats are wide, well-cushioned and hugely adjustable, making it easy to get comfortable no matter your driving position. The steering wheel has a lot of reach and height adjustment, too.

The A6 could do with more storage for bits and pieces, though. The door bins are large, as is the glovebox, but you only get a small bit of hidden storage between the seats, while the phone charging pad and cupholders are exposed in the centre console - not part of a larger storage area as in the Mercedes E-Class. There’s a small cubby under the driver’s side dashboard, too.

Space in the back seats

There’s plenty of space for two adults to get comfortable in the back of the A6. For extra headroom you’ll want the A6 Avant estate version, but you won’t feel snug up against the roof in the saloon, either.

Three-abreast seating is a bit tight, not for shoulder space, but because the wide transmission tunnel means there’s a sizable hump in the floor. You’ll wind up playing footsie with your neighbours if you’re sat in the middle.

The doors open wide so it’s easy to load in child seats, while the ISOFIX points are easy to access thanks to flip-up covers. There’s a flip-down centre armrest with a pair of cup-holders down the middle of it, as well as the large door bins.

Boot space

While the 492-litre boot is plenty big for most families, it's notably smaller than the 540-litre boot of the Mercedes E-Class and the BMW 5 Series’ 520-litre capacity. It’s a handy rectangular shape without any bumps or intrusions, but there’s no under-floor storage.

The rear seats fold almost flat in a 40:20:40 configuration, meaning you can easily load in wide, flat objects or skis through the middle.

The interior looks good and the infotainment is crisp, but it doesn’t feel as solid as it should

While most current Audi models share the same basic interior layout and design, the A6 does a far more convincing job of it than the rest of the range. You get a pair of 14.5-inch screens for the infotainment and driver instruments, as well as the somewhat ungainly 10.1-inch passenger display tacked on to the side if you opt for a high-spec model.

Yet the A6’s wide cabin and wraparound dashboard/door card combo not only look nicer than the rest of the range, but on upper trim levels feel better too, trimmed in soft-touch materials. The centre console still looks cheap in gloss black, straddled by hollow-feeling plastics, and the lower dash and door cards are scratchy.

While we’ve grown used to the odd flat-top-and-bottom steering wheel, the touch-sensitive steering wheel control pads and light switches on the door are jarringly easy to hit by accident. Not only can you jump-scare yourself with the audio volume as a result, but they’re a detective’s best friend in the way they show finger prints.

The touchscreen climate controls are a faff to use, too, and while there are shortcut buttons on the bottom edge of the display they’re still unintuitive to use on the move - especially the ‘off’ button, which is hidden by the steering wheel.

While it’s all easy on the eye - minus the passenger display, or the shameful block of plastic in its place if you haven’t splashed the extra cash - the A6 has lost the carved-from-stone feel of the previous-generation model. Boo.

The PHEV model offers up to 68 miles of electric range, which is handy and means you’ll hardly ever go to a petrol station if you have easy access to a charger. Even if you run out of battery, Audi claims you’ll achieve around 42mpg on petrol-power alone, while the Mercedes E300e only offers 32mpg once it’s exhausted its battery.

It’s also the pick of the bunch for company car drivers, slotting nicely into one of the lowest bands for benefit-in-kind payments - notably cheaper than the petrol and diesel versions. It costs just under £10,000 more than petrol model though, so if you’re paying in cash it might not be worth the extra outlay.

Petrol models achieve a claimed 40mpg and emit around 160g/km of CO2, while the diesel model offers a claimed mpg of around 54.5 - though we achieved an average 48mpg in our testing. You’ll pay a premium for the A6 as all models are subject to the luxury car tax between years two to six, while first year tax is spicy, too.

The Audi A6 achieved an excellent five-star rating in its 2024 Euro NCAP crash test, scoring particularly well in the adult and child occupant testing categories. It comes as standard with automatic emergency braking for pedestrians, cars and motorcycles as well as lane-keep assist, a driver attention monitoring system and speed limit warning.

There are a trio of ISOFIX points - two in the rear and one in the front, to anchor in child seats, which makes the A6 a very family-friendly saloon car.

Audi came 19th out of 31 manufacturers in the 2025 Driver Power survey for owner satisfaction, which isn’t a terribly impressive result. Combine that with Audi’s expensive servicing and repair costs and it might not fill you with much confidence.

You get a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty which isn’t as comprehensive as BMW or Mercedes (up to 100,000 and unlimited miles, respectively, in the same time period), but you can pay to extend the warranty for extra peace of mind.