Audi A6 Avant (2018-2024) Review

This generation of A6 Avant marked a clear shift in character for Audi’s large estate. Earlier A6s were handsome, conservative and impeccably built, but this version leaned much harder into a bolder, more digital and more obviously premium feel. It looked sharper on the outside, felt more theatrical inside and pushed the whole car closer to a junior A8 than a simple executive load-lugger.

That change gave the A6 Avant a very clear identity. It was no longer just the practical version of the A6 saloon. It felt more like a statement car in its own right, with enough road presence and cabin drama to make it feel genuinely special even in a class packed with talented rivals.

It also balanced that drama with the things buyers in this sector actually care about. The A6 Avant is quiet, comfortable and easy to cover long distances in, while the estate body gives it enough flexibility to justify itself properly as a family car. It's not the biggest load carrier in the class, but it's a very usable one.

Despite the arrival of the all-new A6 Avant, the previous generation car is still a great buy because it allows buyers to focus on what it still does so well: premium feel, refined road manners and a very broad spread of abilities.

For most used buyers, the sweet spot is the 40 TDI in Sport or S line trim. It offers the best balance of performance, economy and ease, and it suits the A6 Avant’s long-legged character very well.

If your mileage is lower, the 45 TFSI is the petrol to look at. It has enough performance to make the A6 feel properly effortless, and it's smoother and quieter around town than the diesel.

Trim matters here as well. Sport is the sensible place to start, while S line adds the visual attitude many buyers will want. Black Edition and Vorsprung cars can look especially tempting, but they also bring bigger wheels and extra cost.

Used Audi A6 Avant prices now start from around £22,000 for earlier 40 TDI Sport models, with higher-spec versions, stronger engines and the plug-in hybrid all sitting significantly above that.

That means there's still a wide spread in the used market, so it's worth being selective. Specification, wheel size and engine choice all make a meaningful difference to how convincing the car feels.

For many buyers, the best value sits in the middle of the range with a well-specced four-cylinder diesel rather than at either extreme.

The BMW 5 Series Touring is the obvious alternative if you want a more driver-focused large premium estate, while the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate is the one to look at if outright boot space and long-distance comfort matter most.

The Volvo V90 is another strong option if design and calm road manners are high on your list, while the Jaguar XF Sportbrake remains a left-field rival with a more engaging edge from behind the wheel.

The A6 Avant’s strength is that it feels like the most overtly high-tech and contemporary choice of the lot, while still delivering the refinement buyers in this class expect.

The A6 Avant is a very useful estate, even if it's not the outright class leader for boot volume. Up front there's loads of room, a commanding sense of space and the kind of seating comfort that suits long journeys perfectly.

Rear-seat space is excellent too. Adults have ample legroom and headroom, and the A6 Avant feels more generous in the back than many rivals, which helps it live up to its executive-estate brief.

The boot itself is neatly designed and easy to use. At 565 litres, it's not as cavernous as the best in class, but the shape is loading-friendly, the boot lid operates electrically and the standard 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats add real flexibility.

That means the A6 Avant is a car that feels genuinely family-capable rather than merely premium. It may not match an E-Class Estate or a Superb Estate for pure carrying ability, but it still does the job well enough for most buyers.

The Audi A6 Avant measures 4939mm long, 2110mm wide and 1470mm high. That makes it a large estate by any normal standard.

It feels substantial on the road, but its excellent visibility, accurate steering and general polish stop it becoming intimidating to drive.

The A6 Avant’s tech is central to its appeal. The dual-screen dashboard gave the cabin a very contemporary look when new, and it still feels striking now.

The upper display handles infotainment and navigation, while the lower screen deals with climate and convenience functions. The system is sharp, slick and modern-looking, though it does ask more of the user than the simpler setups Audi once fitted.

Cars with the larger driver display and Technology Pack feel especially rich inside, and if you value digital polish and a strong sense of occasion the A6 Avant remains a compelling place to sit.

Material quality is strong, even if the design relies more on glass and glossy surfaces than older Audis did. The cabin still feels solid, expensive and very carefully put together.

There are one or two areas lower down that do not feel quite as over-engineered as old-school Audis once did, but the overall impression remains of a premium interior that has been designed to impress.

The number of engines available in the latest Audi A6 Avant is surprisingly limited. This is most un-Audi: in years gone by, it was happy to offer endless variations of the same engine, and almost a dozen different types of power plant overall. Those days are gone. So too is any sort of obvious engine identifier in the model branding.

So the range opens with the 40 TDI, which is a 2.0-litre turbodiesel producing 204PS. Like all Audi A6 Avants, it’s fitted with an automatic gearbox, in this case the seven-speed S tronic. It did drive the front wheels only in earlier models, but the 40 TDI now only comes with Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive. The other diesel option is the 50 TDI Quattro, which you'll now have to find on the used market, uses a 3.0-litre V6 producing 286PS. This is the only A6 Avant to have an eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox.

If you prefer petrol, the entry-point petrol is the 40 TFSI with the same 204PS as its diesel counterpart. It also uses the same seven-speed auto transmission, but this model sticks with front-wheel drive.

The 45 TFSI Quattro has a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder putting out 265PS - up from earlier 245PS, while the 55 TFSI Quattro is a 3.0-litre V6 with 340PS.

The plug-in hybrid is called 50 TFSI e and has a more powerful electric motor coupled with the 2.0-litre petrol engine, for total system power of 299PS. It will do around 34 miles as a pure EV and offers preferential company car tax rates for fleet drivers.

The A6 Avant feels stable, composed and very grown up on the road. Around town it's easy enough to place for such a large car, and the controls are light enough that it never feels like hard work.

On a motorway or flowing A-road, the Audi really comes into its own. It settles into a cruise beautifully, road and wind noise are very well suppressed and the whole car gives off a distinctly expensive feel.

Ride comfort depends quite heavily on wheel and suspension choice. Cars on standard suspension are decent enough, while adaptive damping and especially air suspension are the setups to look for if comfort is a major priority. S line and Black Edition cars on bigger wheels can feel noticeably firmer.

Handling is tidy and accurate rather than enjoyable for its own sake. The steering is precise, grip is strong and quattro cars feel especially reassuring in poor conditions, but the A6 Avant is better understood as a calming long-distance machine than a sports estate.

The A6 Avant scored a maximum five stars in an assessment from independent safety organisation Euro NCAP and offers a strong core safety package for the time, with autonomous emergency braking and a broad spread of active and passive safety systems.

Higher-spec cars and those fitted with the optional assistance packs add more of the clever semi-autonomous features that were a big part of the A6’s appeal when new. As always, check the exact specification of the used example you are considering.

Fuel economy is respectable across most of the range, especially if you stick to the four-cylinder diesels, which should be able to return MPG figures in the high 40s. The 40 TDI is the sweet spot for long-distance efficiency, while the plug-in hybrid 50 TFSI e can look extremely attractive on paper if you charge regularly and has an electric-only range of up to 41 miles.

As ever, bigger engines, quattro four-wheel-drive and wheel choice all have a real-world effect, so the official figures only tell part of the story.

Any remaining manufacturer warranty will depend on the age of the car, but Audi Approved Used examples remain the most reassuring place to start.

Audi Approved Used currently includes a minimum of 1 year Audi Warranty, 1 year Roadside Assistance and a 30 day exchange plan, which adds useful reassurance on a used premium estate.

Audi servicing is generally straightforward, but on used examples it's still worth checking the history carefully, particularly on plug-in hybrid cars and on models with the more complex optional chassis systems.

Insurance varies significantly across the range, but even the more affordable versions sit firmly in large-premium-car territory.

The 40 TDI Sport is the sensible place to start, while higher-powered petrols, plug-in hybrids and richer trims climb quickly. As always, it's worth checking quotes before you buy.

The standard annual Vehicle Excise Duty for all Audi A6 Avants is £200, or £17.50 a month by Direct Debit.

If the car’s original list price was over £40,000, it also pays the Expensive Car Supplement for five years from the second licence. That takes the annual bill to £640, or £56 a month by Direct Debit. That's especially relevant here because most A6 Avants crossed that threshold when new.