Audi A6 Avant Review: A Confused and Overpriced Estate Car

Strategic Insights -

The latest Audi A6 Avant is a jumbled mix of design and substance, struggling to compete with its larger and more luxurious rivals from BMW and Mercedes. Despite its smooth and quiet performance on motorways, the car falls short in its handling and ride quality, making it difficult to recommend, especially with its high BIK costs for the PHEV model.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Audi A6 Avant has a small boot capacity, with only 466 litres of space in the diesel model, and 503 litres in the petrol version, compared to 570 litres in the BMW 5-Series Touring.
  • The car's interior design prioritizes style over substance, with a large screen-dominated dashboard and limited physical controls, requiring drivers to look away from the road for longer periods.
  • The A6 Avant's ride quality is jiggly and unforgiving over urban Tarmac, with the 21-inch wheels and air suspension tested in the review causing significant bumps and thumps to be transmitted to the body.
  • The PHEV model's battery under the boot floor reduces luggage space to just 404 litres, making it less practical than a Honda Civic hatchback.
  • The car's engine choice is limited, with only three options: a 2.0-litre petrol turbo, a 2.0-litre diesel mild hybrid, and a PHEV option with a 25.9kWh battery and electric-only range of 63 miles.
  • The Audi A6 Avant is priced starting at £53,285, with the test car costing £68,555, making it a pricey option in the estate car market.

Statistics:

  • Boot capacity: 466 litres (diesel), 503 litres (petrol)
  • Luggage space behind the rear seats: 1,902 litres (petrol), 1,853 litres (diesel), 1,800 litres (PHEV)
  • Electric-only range: 63 miles (PHEV)
  • 0-62mph time: 7.0 seconds
  • Top speed: 147mph
  • Fuel economy: up to 50.7mpg (WLTP Combined)
  • CO2 emissions: 150g/km (WLTP Combined)
  • VED tax: £540 (first year), £620 (next five years), £195 (third to seventh year)

Sources:

  • "Audi A6 Avant review" by Alex Robbins, The Telegraph, (no date mentioned in the original text)
  • Model specifications and features cited from the Audi A6 Avant brochure, Audi website (no date mentioned)
  • Review of the Honda Civic hatchback, (no specific source mentioned)