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Mercedes-Benz S-Class vs Audi A6

What's the difference?

VS
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Mercedes-Benz S-Class

$169,800 - $189,800

2021 price

Audi A6
Audi A6

$53,990 - $80,000

2020 price

Summary

2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
2020 Audi A6
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Twin Turbo V6, 3.0L

Diesel Turbo 6, 3.0L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

Diesel
Fuel Efficiency
8.4L/100km (combined)

6.6L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Price of entry prohibitive for most
  • 3D instrumentation can make you woozy
  • A tad conservative in design

  • Warranty starting to look short by competitor standards
  • Newer engine tech reserved for other markets
  • Pricey
2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Summary

It's only in the running for the title of world's best luxury car. No biggie here, then.

Like Rolex and Concorde, S-Class has become a byword for ultimate, and deserved or not, the Mercedes-Benz defines its segment despite the best efforts of the BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Lexus LS and (sadly now-defunct) Jaguar XJ, as well as pointing the way forward with new technologies that eventually trickle down to more proletarian models.

Replacing the half-million selling W222 unveiled in 2013, the W223 is the latest in a long line since the first W187 Ponton debuted in 1951, and includes the famous ‘Finnies' and Stroke-8 models that followed immediately afterwards, but it is the 1972 W116 that really set the template.

Now, seven generations in, the 2021 S-Class is all-new again, with progressive safety and interior features that should help keep it Australia's bestselling full-sized upper-luxury sedan.

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2020 Audi A6 Summary

The Subaru Outback has a lot to answer for. Way back in 1994 the Japanese brand created the high-riding wagon scene - and while the idea never really took off with most mainstream makers, European luxury brands seemingly loved the idea of a rugged estate. It’s another niche to fill, after all.

This led to the Volvo V70 Cross Country in 1997, and Audi followed suit with the A6-based Allroad quattro back in 1999. 

Other luxury brands have entered the fray since then, and obviously the market has proliferated with SUVs… but they’re not the same as a high-riding station wagon.

There has been evolution in the Audi Allroad line-up over time: in 2015 the company added the smaller A4 Allroad, while the original larger A6-based Allroad wagon continues to cop the rough-and-tumble treatment, as it has for decades now.

So, since the all-new Audi A6 Allroad has just arrived in Australia, we thought we’d see what it’s like. And perhaps more pertinently, maybe we’ll be able to answer the question that many of you probably have: Should you buy a high-riding wagon? Or is it smarter to just buy an SUV?

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2020 Audi A6

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