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Audi RS6 Reviews

You'll find all our Audi RS6 reviews right here. Audi RS6 prices range from $252,600 for the RS6 Avant 40 Tfsi Quattro Mhev to $399,000 for the RS6 Avant Gt.

Our reviews offer detailed analysis of the 's features, design, practicality, fuel consumption, engine and transmission, safety, ownership and what it's like to drive.

The most recent reviews sit up the top of the page, but if you're looking for an older model year or shopping for a used car, scroll down to find Audi dating back as far as 2003.

Or, if you just want to read the latest news about the Audi RS6, you'll find it all here.

Audi RS6 2024 review: Performance
By Tom White · 23 Nov 2023
The RS6 is an endangered species: A performance-oriented station wagon equipped with a V8 engine.
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Audi RS 6 2020 review
By Laura Berry · 24 Jul 2020
Whisper 'Audi RS 6 Avant' in a room full of car enthusiasts and the room will go silent. That's the type of attention this iconic car draws. Now the new-gen model is here and there's big expectations for this superwagon
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Audi RS6 2018 review: Avant Performance
By James Cleary · 18 May 2018
If you looking for a vehicle that can transport five people and lots of cargo quickly, like... really quickly, look no further.
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Audi RS6 Avant 2016 review
By Derek Ogden · 05 Jul 2016
Derek Ogden road tests and reviews the Audi RS6 Avant with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. Thoughts of a muscle car conjure up a redhot coupe or sedan - certainly not a station wagon - with power to burn. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Take the Audi RS 6 Avant, for example. The hot German wagon has
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Audi RS6 2013 review
By Peter Barnwell · 29 Oct 2013
We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars and answer the questions, including the biggest --  would you buy one?What is it?This is one of Audi's most potent cars and it's a wagon, hardly a "family" wagon but yes, it shares a carry-all body with more mundane A6 wagons - but little else. This one's a replacement for the previous tech-overkill V10 RS6 Avant and is a much better vehicle.How much?Deep breath, deep pocket, $225,000 much of which is straight to the government(s) in taxes.What are competitors?None that we can think of unless BMW brings out a hotrod 5-Series M5 wagon, or Benz brings out an E63 AMG wagon. The nearest thing would be an HSV Clubbie Sportwagon -  about a million miles away.What's under the bonnet?Prodigious power comes from a 4.0-litre, V8 petrol engine with two, twin-scroll turbos nestling in the vee between each engine bank. The engine has cylinder deactivation which cuts four pots on cruise and plenty of other efficiency technology designed to boost performance and cut fuel use and emissions. Variable valve timing, friction reduction, on- demand ancillaries, direct injection, heat management, you name it. The donk is good for 412kW/700Nm output. Egad!How does it go?Like you wouldn't believe. Cuts a 3.9 second 0-100kmh sprint and has enough kick at any speed to make you light headed under full throttle. It's Ferrari performance in a family wagon and is extremely handy through the twist bits too despite tipping the scales at 2010kg..Is it economical?Pretty good considering with 9.8-litres/100km within reach - using 98 of course..Is it green?Greenish achieving a Euro5 rating for the engine.Is it safe?Five stars with plenty of additional driver assist features... and option packs with more.Is it comfortable?Covers most bases thanks to drive select with about five choices ranging from comfort through to race modes - soft to hard and everything in between for most dynamic functions.What's it like to drive?Emits a pyrotechnic bang at every gear change in sport mode - got to love that and oh, yes, eye wateringly quick and composed as well. Ticks all the boxes. Eight speed auto and quattro all wheel drive. Looks awesome riding on 21-inch alloys crouched low on its adaptive air suspension. The interior is premium luxury with all that brings including leather sports seats and Bose audio, digital TV, high end satnav, full connectivity.Is it value for money?Measured against what? Huge money for the average punter but against vehicles with similar performance that are nowhere near as practical, it's good value..Would we buy one?Sell the kids, not a problem.... Price: from $225,000Warranty: 3 years/unlimited, roadside assistCapped servicing: NoService interval: 12mths/15,000kmSafety: 10 airbags, ABS, ESC, EBD, TCEngine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol, 412kW/700NmTransmission: 8-spd auto; constant AWDThirst: 9.8L/100km; 98RON; 229g/km CO2Dimensions: 5.0m (L), 1.9m (W), 1.5m (H)Weight: 2010kgSpare: spacesaver 
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Audi RS6 Avant 2013 Review
By Malcolm Flynn · 30 Jul 2013
Let’s get the numbers out of the way first: 412kW, 700Nm, 3.9 seconds and -- if you tick the right options box -- 305km/h. Those are the big stats on the RS6 that, when it arrives locally in October, will be the most powerful Audi in the line-up.And that’s with a brick-like wagon body – the only choice we get in the new RS6 – so you can shift furniture with it too. Moving house has never been so much fun.VALUEAt $225,000, it’s nearly triple the price of the entry $81,800 A6 2.0 TFSI Avant, but you’d need to spend $366,900 on the 386kW/530Nm R8 V10 Coupe to better the RS6’s acceleration with a 3.6 second 0-100km/h figure.The RS6’s closest rival is the $265,145 430kW/800Nm Mercedes CLS 63 AMG S Shooting Brake, but you might also glance at the sedan-only $311,500 423kW/680Nm BMW M6 Gran Coupe with the new Competition Package and its $229,900 M5 mechanical twin.And the RS6 all-wheel drivetrain trounces that group for acceleration, hitting 100km in that 3.9 seconds against the Merc’s 4.2 and the Beemers’ 4.1 and 4.2.  And against their prices, it’s a value buy, if you’re at that end of the market.It’s lavishly equipped with everything you could want under a powered panoramic glass roof, but in true Audi fashion there are plenty of chances to spend more. The standard Bose audio not enough? Splash $12,000 on some Bang & Olufsen kit. Fancy stronger anchors? Grab the options pack with carbon ceramic brakes, coil springs with adaptive shocks, variable ratio steering and that 305km/h speed limiter extension for $25,840 – or about the price of a VW Polo GTI.DESIGNIn RS tradition, the wheel arches are pumped – and house 21-inch monsters -- the twin exhausts are firehose-sized and the gaping front maw looks ready to munch on any supercar pretenders that appear in the angry glare of full-LED headlights.The cabin carries five in the menacing luxury of honeycomb-quilted black leather, set off by hardcore carbon fibre and aluminium fittings. But it will also freight a hefty 1680 litres of cargo with the back seats folded, and tow 2100kg -- mocking the triviality of conventional supercars.ENGINE AND TRANSMISSIONThe newcomer has lost 14kW but gained 50Nm over the last RS6 we saw here three years ago with a twin-turbo 5.0 litre V10. But the return brings a similarly twin-boosted 4.0-litre V8 that shaves 0.7 secs off the 100km/h sprint, and 30 per cent off the fuel burn. It claims 9.8L/100km – helped by a 100kg drop in weight, stop-start and cylinder deactivation (with active engine mounts to counter the sleeping cylinders).So yes, it may be less powerful, but it’s lighter, quicker and far more fuel-efficient -- and without an electric motor or high-tech diesel in sight. The twin-turbos nestle within the engine’s ‘V’ (like the Beemer M5/M6) for responsiveness and thermal efficiency, which also gets a leg-up from nine individual radiators and six separate coolant pumps. Direct injection meticulously blends boosted air and fuel to the point where the RS6’s 700Nm torque peak is available all the way across a battle-ready 1750-5500rpm.Unlike most current performance Audis, the transmission is not a dual-clutch S-tronic unit, but rather a version of the ZF eight-speed torque converter unit used elsewhere by Audi, and a litany of other manufacturers to great effect. In RS6 guise, it’s paired with the same array of shift modes, manual selection and paddle shifters we’ve come to expect from modern performance autos. The quattro all-wheel drive system splits drive 40/60 front-rear under normal conditions, but can send up to 70 per cent to either end when needed, thanks to the standard sports differential.SAFETYThe RS6 backs up its performance potential with a long list of safety features, including dual front airbags, side airbags front and rear, and full-length curtain airbags. There’s also ABS, traction and stability control, with the $10,375 packaged option of pedestrian-detecting night vision, active lane and side assist, active cruise control and driver alert, and a self-parking system.DRIVINGOur Northern Territory test route had the lure of the current highest legal speed in the land: 130km/h -- barely half the RS6’s top speed capability in standard guise, but it was the closest thing to a German autobahn on offer. Therefore, the usually annoying stops for driver swaps, photography and bladder draining gave us several chances to legally storm from 0-130km/h, revelling in the ease in which the RS6 picks up its skirts and gets going.Even from idle, the engine ignites as though it were triple its capacity and dumps its outputs into the 285 section rubber on each corner. Stomp and steer performance in the extreme. We went out of our way to give the 390mm six-piston standard brakes a good guernsey from 130km/h too, and they were well up to the task of stopping the 2010kg RS6 from those speeds. Australian-spec RS6s come standard with the sports exhaust that’s still optional in Europe. Tootling about at carpark speeds produces a guttural purr, warning of its presence. Accelerate, and it erupts into a solid V8 blast, then settles to a subdued rumble at cruising speeds. On overrun, the exhaust cackle is satisfyingly naughty.At a steady 130km/h, the engine trickles along in the dash-indicated four cylinder mode, and reawakens the other four cylinders with no perceptible delay. With the Audi Drive Select system set on full comfort, our test car’s standard adaptive air suspension disguised that we were riding on the 30 profile rubber on some very remote outback roads, despite the reminder of regular cattle grids.  As aggressive and Lambo-like as the seats may appear, they’re still broad and gentle enough to cosset real humans over long distances. Flicking the Drive Select over to Dynamic tightens up the steering assistance and throttle response, stiffens the suspension, and incites more aggressive shift behaviour. This shifts the RS6’s personality to proper aggro, but it was pointless on our relatively straight and flat journey across the outback. The dynamic settings would no doubt be a real hoot over a mountain pass, when you could dip into the RS6’s potential for personality change.VERDICTIf there’s one word to describe the RS6, its 'easy.' It’s very easy on the eye, easy to extract its monstrous performance potential, and easy to drive every day, over long distances. For Audi’s fastest RS so far to cloak its brutality in such smooth civility is a double-edged indulgence, and a sharp one at that. But with our nanny speed limits, you’re missing out on the true edge of the RS6’s engineering. AUDI RS6 AVANTPrice: $225,000Warranty: 3 years/unlimited, roadside assistCapped servicing: NoService interval: 12mths/15,000kmSafety: 10 airbags, ABS, ESC, EBD, TCCrash rating: TBCEngine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol, 412kW/700NmTransmission: 8-spd auto; constant AWDThirst: 9.8L/100km; 98RON; 229g/km CO2Dimensions: 5.0m (L), 1.9m (W), 1.5m (H)Weight: 2010kgSpare: spacesaver
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Audi RS6 Avant 2013 review
By Neil Dowling · 11 Apr 2013
The quickest way to the shopping centre has arrived. This is the shopper's supercar wagon that gobbles up Gallardos, noshes on 911s and feasts on Ferrari FFs for breakfast.Little prepares you for the voracious appetite and dining manners of Audi's RS6 Avant - certainly not the almost benign wagon shape. But with a 412kW/700Nm twin-turbocharged 4-litre V8, the Avant - incidentally the only RS6 body on offer from Audi - is blistering fast and hunts down the 100km/h mark in only 3.9 seconds.As a term of reference, the Gallardo does it in 4.0sec, and the Mercedes SLS AMG  and Ferrari FF in 3.7 secs. Audi Australia says it will cost about $230,000 when it gets here in November. That's more than $30,000 cheaper than the 2008-2010 era of the V10-engined predecessor that was also available as a sedan."There is no need for a sedan in the RS6,'' says Audi Australia's Anna Burgdorf. "We see buyers who want that performance in a four-door body will look at the RS7 - which goes on the market in Australia in the first quarter of next year.''"The buyer will have a similar profile to an R8 owner, but with the need for more practicality.'' Ms Burgdorf expects the RS6 Avant to sell at the rate of one to two a month and rival cars including the BMW M5 and Mercedes C63 AMG.The RS6 Avant will come highly-specified in terms of equipment and offer only a few options. These will include the Dynamic Ride Control, 21-inch alloys (20-inches is standard) and the ceramic disc brakes (add $11,000) but also the ability to ramp the top speed up from 250km/h to 305km/h."There'll be some buyers who will specify the increased top speed,'' Ms Burgdorf says. "It's only offered in conjunction with the ceramic disc brake package - that's a standard for all global markets.''VALUEThe fact it's $30,000 cheaper than the previous RS6 makes it sound like a bargain. At $230,000 it's a good buy for those chasing an exotic sports-car 0-100km/h time but there's no denying it's an expensive way to get there. Where the Audi lifts its head is in its comfort and features, brilliant build quality, docile street manners and distinctive low-volume sale rate. It's on sale in November and already hands are up.Audi promotes personalisation of its cars and the RS6 is no different. But for those who simply want to drive away, standard kit includes Bose audio with sat-nav and digital TV, a 360-degree camera, 20-inch alloys, adaptive air suspension and carbon-inlay dash.DESIGNTo say it's an A6 wagon (sorry, Avant) with extra specs is to belittle the car. There's a lot of difference, notably the flared guards, huge wheels, subtle spoilers - including Gallardo-inspired twin brake inlets, lower ride height, fat grille and blackened LED tail lights. The cabin has intricately veneered timber and aluminium inserts, an all-black ambience dominated by wide-eyed gauges and a plethora of switches.The sports-seats are deeply bolstered and though the "comfort'' option includes seating for three along the back seat, many buyers may opt for a two-seat rear. The electric tailgate opens to a wide and deep - though shallow - boot area. But it's the wheels that give the game away and even parked by the sidewalk, the RS6 looks mean.TECHNOLOGYAudi engineer Stephan Reil says the 4-litre V8 twin-turbo is from a comparitively new engine family on which he started work in 2006. The RS6's engine is the same as in the S6, S7, S8 and A8 - but not the RS4 - with the big difference being that only the RS6 whacks out 412kW/700Nm. The others are either 309kW/550Nm or in the S8's case, 382kW/650Nm. The RS6 engine has cylinder deactivation and stop-start to reduce fuel use to a claimed 9.8 L/100km.Can Audi take it further? Reil won't say. He also says  it's unlikely Audi will drop the V8 for a V6 in near-future models because "too many buyers love the V8''. The RS6 also gets standard air suspension and wave-shaped disc brakes that shave 3kg off the car's weight - while there's electric-assist steering, four-mode "drive select'', new safety equipment (see below) and a part aluminium body that's about 100kg lighter than before.SAFETYThe RS6 Avant will pick up the A6 Avant's five-star crash rating. It also has 10 airbags, full electronic stability and traction control, full-view camera, all-wheel drive, heated side mirrors, blind-spot assist, lane-change monitor, adaptive cruise control, heads-up display, night vision and so on - but no spare wheel.DRIVINGThe bass-beat thrum-thrum of the V8 engine is pure music. It's aural tune is all natural - not enhanced by sound boxes under the bonnet - and is as impressive in settling the car's character as the power of the engine. The wagon starts with a roar, settles to an angry hum and proceeds to strike multiple notes on its way up and down the eight-speed automatic's ratios. The "drive select" is angrier in the "dynamic'' mode though the steering is a bit firm and it exposes more of the electric-assistance's artificial feel.But the steering can't be dismissed for its positive feel once the big wagon is pointed into a corner. The "auto'' mode, where the steering ratio changes slightly with the result of a lighter feel, is the best overall. The ESC can be switched off and ev en with that safety net thrown from the carriage, the wagon has tremendous grip thanks to its all-wheel drive. But constantly this car is about that engine.Rather than having a linear fluidity - like the RS4 - the RS6's turbos dominate power delivery with less of a kick immediately off the mark but then a rush as the boost starts. The engine will run, with all the noises of an orchestra, to 6600rpm before upchanging. And though the drivetrain dominates, the car is surprisingly comfortable and when cruising, the engine settles into a muted burble.VERDICTPerformance with sensibility. A wagon for all men and women and children and dogs. Only quicker. But is the R8 (from $271,000), for example, a better buy when it comes to oneupmanship?AUDI RS6 AVANTPrice: est. $230,000Warranty: 3 years/unlimited, roadside assistCapped servicing: NoService interval: 12mths/15,000kmResale: 48%Safety: 10 airbags, ABS, ESC, EBD, TCCrash rating: 5-starEngine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol, 412kW/700NmTransmission: 8-spd auto; constant AWDThirst: 9.8L/100km; 98RON; 229g/km CO2Dimensions: 5.0m (L), 1.9m (W), 1.5m (H)Weight: 1935kgSpare: None
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Audi RS6 2008 review
By Neil McDonald · 30 Oct 2008
BMW might like to disagree, given its V10 M5, but it's hard to disagree with Audi when you look at the spec sheet that includes a twin-turbo V10 engine, quattro all-wheel drive and Audi's dynamic ride control suspension.The RS6's 5.0-litre V10 engine also packs a considerable punch, with 426kW and 650Nm.Like all Audi RS models, the Avant _ Audi speak for station wagon _ was developed by quattro GmbH.It will cost $270,946 when it hits local showrooms next month.An RS6 sedan will follow early next year.The newest RS6 Avant comes with a long heritage attached to it.The very first Audi RS2, launched in 1993, was built exclusively as a wagon.With 1660 litres of luggage space, not only is the newest Avant versatile but it will challenge its fellow German rivals for power and performance.The 5.0-litre V10, sourced from Lamborghini but reworked by Audi, bundles together FSI direct fuel injection, dry-sump lubrication and twin turbochargers.With up to 1.6 bar of boost, these technologies provide a smooth delivery of power and performance.Peak torque of 650Nm comes in from 1500 to 6250 revs while peak power of 426kW is generated between 6250 and 6700 revs.The V10 catapults the car to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and has an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h.Power flows through the new-generation quick shifting six-speed tiptronic transmission with paddle shifters.The dynamic ride control has three damper settings, sport, dynamic and comfort and also reduces pitch and roll using purely mechanical means via hydraulic lines and valves that connect diagonally to opposing pairs of shock absorbers.When cornering, the flow of fluid to the damper of the compressing outside front wheel increases, providing firmer support and reducing roll.The electronic stability control has a higher activation threshold and in Sport mode it can also be deactivated entirely.The Avant gets 20-inch alloys shod with 275/35 tyres.Up front, six-piston fixed aluminium calipers, painted black and decorated with RS badges, clamp down on 390mm brakes front and 356mm rear.The rear axle features single-piston floating brake calipers.The brakes have large cooling ducts and axial perforations for enhanced performance and less weight.Visually the Avant sports several distinctive RS features.There is the single-frame grille, large air intakes, Xenon-plus headlights, adaptive light and LED daytime running lights, flared mudguards and deep side skirts, rear diffuser, a spoiler integrated into the rear hatch and the twin exhausts.Standard equipment includes a colour monitor and TV reception, advanced key entry, electric glass sunroof, satellite navigation, dual-zone deluxe automatic air conditioning plus, front and rear parking sensors, three-spoke, multi-function leather sports steering wheel with flat-bottomed rim and a Bose surround sound system.A boost pressure indicator for the two turbochargers in the driver information system rounds out the instrumentation.
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Audi RS6 Avant 2008 review
By Staff Writers · 26 Jul 2008
Station wagons by tradition come fairly low down in the desirability pecking order. Lacking appeal, they're conservatively styled, utilitarian and boring, right? That's unless you get a station wagon with a Lamborghini engine in it. This is the RS6 Avant — a high-performance luxury wagon from Audi's Quattro GmbH go-faster division, which despite its road hauling ability thinks it's a sports car.It goes on sale in Australia in September. The price? Well, let's leave that for now.The Ingolstadt flyer is a veritable wolf in sheep's clothing. Audi promotes it as the most powerful and probably the quickest production station wagon in the world. It's blindingly fast.On paper at least, the new Audi has more power and torque than both German rivals.It's marginally quicker than BMW's M5 off the line but the larger capacity Benz E63 AMG can match it in acceleration. Audi's rivals do win some bragging rights, however. Both the M5 and AMG have seven-speed gearboxes, while Audi's makes do with a fast-shifting six-speed tiptronic auto.Audi has developed a seven speeder, but whether it makes it to the RS6 only time will tell.However, there's no doubting the outrageous RS6, from all angles, packs some very serious hardware. For a start there's the thumping direct-injection bi-turbo 5-litre V10 under the bonnet, which is supplied by Lamborghini and tweaked by Audi to deliver 426kW of grunt and a staggering 650Nm of flat-line torque at low revs.Top speed is about 280km/h but electronically governed for most world markets to a more modest 250km/h. Sprint times are just as breathtaking: 0-100km/h in a claimed 4.6 seconds that's nudging supercar times, while 200km/h flashes by in 14.9 seconds.All that from a less-than-humble station wagon weighing in at a hefty 2030kg and using the latest version of Audi's all-wheel drive Quattro system.There are a couple of sore points in this equation of excessiveness, though: the Australian price has been set at $259,000 (or $271,000 if the lift in luxury car tax passes into legislation). That's almost lineball with Audi's R8 supercar. If that's a bit rich, a sedan version of the RS6 is also coming our way in January. It will be slightly cheaper at between $250,000 and $260,000.Then there's the fuel consumption. OK, if you can afford quarter of a million, you can't really grumble about the cost of fuel. The RS6, for a large capacity V10 (think of it as two normal-sized family-sized engines bolted together), is reasonable but probably socially unacceptable in the petrol stakes, slurping a claimed 13.9 litres every 100km. Realistically, typical premium fuel consumption levels are going to be closer to the 16-18 litres per 100km range in real-world driving and something we achieved in road testing.What you do get is a wagon with massive 20-inch alloys shod with 275/35 high-performance rubber and heart-stopping 19-inch brakes, although you can option it with ceramic discs for a premium price of $13,700. Ouch.Audi expects to sell 50 RS6 Avants and sedans a year and has already found 25 buyers.A high-speed highway is the perfect place to stretch the legs of Audi's latest and greatest.It's easy to forget the brutal RS6 is a wagon. There's much to admire but it is not perfect.You would expect it to behave very much likea high-powered sports saloon, thanks to its mammoth power, quick steering and all-wheel drive. Yes it has plenty of grip, but plenty of understeer in the corners as well and there's no hiding that this is a two-tonne car with an engine slung between, and in front of, the front wheels.No question the V10 is a gem of a powerplant but perhaps it sounds just a little too tame and needs a more sonorous exhaust note.The wagon has reassuring high levels of grip. It has excellent wheel control thanks to the clever suspension system, which diagonally links the shock absorbers by pipes filled with oil. Loads generated under cornering create changes in oil pressure, which counters body movement.What instantly grabs your attention driving the RS6, aside from the body-hugging seats with their high side bolsters, is just how much torque is instantly available. Squirt the accelerator and the rush is there almost instantaneously. Manual shifting is done using stubby paddles behind the steering wheel or you can leave it in auto.For a wagon almost as long as a Q7, the load area is above average, even more with the rear seats folded, but is limited by the sloping roofline. Crikey, I nearly forgot, this is a wagon, after all.
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