Used Audi A6 Avant (2011-2018) Review

If you want a sophisticated-looking load-lugger that oozes discerning good taste, the Audi A6 Avant is worth a look. Its shape doesn’t shout ‘estate car’, which will suit those who need the space but don’t necessarily want to drive something boxy.

A high-quality interior is a highlight of any Audi, and the Audi A6 Avant doesn’t let the side down inside. All the materials are top notch, meaning it will remain looking fresh and tight for years to come. The same goes for how it drives. Audi builds its cars to a high standard and they stay feeling robust long after the warranty has expired.

The added bonus is the surprising efficiency of that punchy 2.0 TDI engine. Just make sure there are no outstanding ‘dieselgate’ recall issues with it.

If you want a more rugged version, look at the Audi A6 Allroad while there's the four-door Audi A6 Saloon.

Easily the best-selling Audi A6 Avant is the 2.0 TDI. This is because its CO2 emissions are low, making it tax-friendly for company car drivers, who were by far the biggest customer for the car when new. The advantage here is that there is plenty of choice on the second-hand market – you can afford to take your pick of models, specs and colours when it comes to this version.

We’d recommend trying to find an S tronic automatic. Remarkably, this is slightly faster against the clock in terms of acceleration, and also returns nearly 3mpg more on the official fuel economy test. It’s a smoother, more relaxing car to drive, which suits the Audi A6 Avant’s sophisticated demeanour.

SE trim is good value, and there are lots of them on the market. But we’d be lying if we said we wouldn’t prefer an S Line version. Its extra features really add a dash of style to the Audi A6 Avant, and it’s something you’ll be that bit prouder to have sat on the driveway.

German brands dominate this sector of car. The BMW 5 Series Touring and Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate are two strong rivals to the Audi A6 Avant, and both offer a similarly diverse and wide-ranging choice of engines and trims.

Don’t forget the archetypal Volvo V90 estate, though. It’s very practical and has a great reputation for safety – even if, surprisingly, the E-Class actually has a bigger boot. The Jaguar XF Sportbrake is a British alternative that’s worth a look, too.

Some buyers in the estate car market will inevitably also consider an SUV. So an Audi A6 Avant customer might be swayed by an Audi Q5, or perhaps something larger still, such as a Land Rover Discovery or Volvo XC90.

This is a premium car and it shows. Even out-of-reach plastics feel robust and pleasant to the touch, and the broad, sweeping dashboard itself is trimmed almost to luxury car standards. The precision of the fittings is millimetre-perfect and the range of metal, carbon-effect or wood-style inlays is broad (although we’d happily stick with the standard metal-effect finish).

The pleasures come in the details. The knurled climate control knobs have a satisfying ‘click’. The electric window switches, by contrast, work near-silently. And it looks fantastic at night, with the watch-like instruments crisply lit in white, while the rest of the interior is bathed in a modern red glow.

Even the doors close with a quiet, quality ‘thud’, although you might have to pull them a bit harder than you’re used to. The Audi A6 Avant’s doors are made of lightweight aluminium, and don’t have the mass behind them to shut tightly without a bit of a tug.

All Audi A6 Avants have a comprehensive infotainment system based around a 6.5-inch colour screen in the centre of the dashboard. It is supported by two SD card readers, a single CD player and standard Audi MMI navigation (via SD card). Voice control is also standard, via a button on the steering wheel.

The system isn’t a touchscreen. Instead, it’s controlled by the Audi MMI dial in the centre console, located roughly where the driver’s hand sits when leaning on the arm rest. There are four shortcut buttons on the outside, so it’s easy to use on the move, although you do need a bit of patience to individually ‘dial in’ sat nav directions, letter by letter.

The colour screen in the centre of the dials that repeats the MMI display is optional, although many Audi A6 Avant are fitted with it. The basic system is a monochromatic display.

Audi offered an upgrade from basic MMI to MMI Navigation Plus with MMI Touch. This grew the central screen to 8.0 inches and also added a touchpad alongside the gearlever. Drivers could use their index finger to ‘draw’ instructions, instead of entering them with the MMI wheel. It’s a useful feature, although the right-handed will have to get used to writing with their left hand…

We’ve mentioned the space in the front, which will suit even the very tallest. Where the Audi A6 Avant also delivers is rear-seat space. The back is roomy and comfortable, with lots of shoulder room and ample space for feet. For kids, it will feel like sitting in a limo.

Boot space ranges from 565 litres with the seats up to 1,680 litres with them folded flat. The seats-up space is very competitive for the class, although the seats-down capacity is a few hundred litres behind the massive Mercedes-Benz E-Class, due to the rake of the tailgate. Be careful when slamming it shut if you’re carrying bulky loads!

Owners also find the maximum load width of more than one metre between the rear suspension towers helps carry large objects. The seats-down length of the boot is almost two metres.

The load space is very practical and well equipped. It has luggage lashing eyes, side restraining straps, bag hooks, a hidden load area beneath the cargo floor and a full rail luggage fixing system. Audi sold optional lashing kits that included inertia-reel straps and load dividers for those who really wanted to go to town. The bag itself even turned into a ski carrier, which allowed skis to be safely loaded through the rear centre armrest, without getting the cabin dirty.

The tailgate is automatic, and the electric operation can be started by waving your foot beneath the bumper. Some find this hands-free operation a bit hit-and-miss, but once you’re used to making it work, it’s a useful feature when your hands are full. The boot also opens via remote control, and via a button on the driver’s door.

The Audi A6 Avant dimensions are 4926mm long, 2086mm wide and 1461mm tall.

The core 2.0-litre TDI diesel is a sound choice. It has good pulling power and generally responds crisply to the accelerator. It’s forgiving if you find yourself in the wrong gear when driving a manual model, although the S tronic automatic helps make the most of its power.

Although it is a four-cylinder diesel, the noise it makes isn’t too rattly or intrusive. When you rev it, the motor becomes more audible, but it’s generally kept in the background in daily use – and becomes almost silent at motorway speeds. Later, post-facelift 2.0 TDI engines are even better in this respect.

The 3.0 V6 TDI diesel engines are all impressive. They’re super-smooth and make a creamy noise - the best all-rounder is the 245PS quattro version. As mentioned, the 320PS BiTDI quattro is a delight. If you don’t like diesel, your choice is more limited – and the best all-round petrol engine, the 3.0 TFSI quattro, is hard to find on the second-hand market.

Audi originally offered two different automatic gearboxes as an alternative to the six-speed manual. The Multitronic was a CVT ‘single speed’ transmission. This is good for efficiency, but drivers generally find its ‘slipping clutch’ effect unusual. The S Tronic seven-speed DCT alternative felt more natural and the Multitronic was later phased out. Another option was an eight-speed auto called Tiptronic, offered on the BiTDI.

Following the 2014 facelift, the most efficient engine became the 2.0 TDI 190 Ultra with the S Tronic automatic gearbox. This averaged a barely believable 64.2mpg and emitted just 115g/km of CO2. It also did 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds and could reach 140mph where permitted. Truly, a great all-rounder: spot them by the tiny ‘Ultra’ badge fitted to the bootlid.

Refinement is a real strength of the Audi A6 Avant. It is hushed and peaceful at all speeds, really coming into its own on the motorway, where the world passes by with barely a whisper. More expensive models are even better in this respect, as they have double glazing for the side windows, which takes away the disturbance of passing trucks (or being overtaken yourself).

Models with bigger wheels do generate a bit more tyre roar at speed, but not enough to be annoying or irritating. The Audi A6 Avant came with a range of audio systems to drown out what noise did pass through: our favourite is the rare (and very expensive) Bang & Olufsen setup, although even the cheaper Bose upgrade is impressive.

The Audi A6 Avant, unlike some estate cars, has a beautifully trimmed load compartment, with thick carpet and lots of padding. This means it doesn’t generate much more noise than a regular saloon – and luggage rolling around inside shouldn’t irritate you too much either.

A full suite of airbags and a comprehensive stability control system are fitted to all Audi A6 Avant. Front-wheel drive versions have an electronic limited slip differential that helps minimise steering wheel ‘fight’ on slippery roads. Four-wheel drive versions have torque vectoring, enhancing the planted feel through corners.

Audi also offered modern features such as lane-keep assist and a blind spot warning system. A neat feature was the optional night vision assistant, which used a thermal imaging camera to beam video onto the colour screen between the instruments. It’s a great safety aid for night-time driving. Other convenience features that help cut driver distraction include an optional head-up display.

A spare wheel didn’t come as standard, Audi preferring a tyre inflation kit instead. Owners could choose to add on a space-saver spare wheel, but this cost more than £500, so few did so.

A full five-star Euro NCAP score was earned by the A6 range in 2011, with an excellent 91 percent rating for driver protection and 86 percent for safety assist features. Pedestrian protection was less impressive, though, scoring a lowly 41 percent.

The Audi A6 scored an impressive 9.62 out of 10 for reliability in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Survey, one of the best-rated Audis and ahead of key rivals from Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

As a brand Audi performed less well, placing 21st overall out of 30 manufacturers and behind those same rivals.

Choosing the popular 2.0 TDI Audi A6 Avant helps keep insurance costs in check, as in SE spec it lands in gtoup 26. Performance isn’t too excessive and its popularity when new means repair costs should be affordable, which keeps annual insurance premiums competitive. V6 versions are pricier - group 30 in SE spec - and S Line models have premiums a little higher than SE, because they’re both more desirable with more bespoke features.

Be wary of the RS6 Avant, which is a bit of a magnet for thieves. Insurance bills can painfully reflect this.

Again, the best bet for low VED car tax is the 2.0 TDI, particularly the 2.0 TDI Ultra version, which has (ahem) ultra-low CO2 emissions for supermini-sized road tax bills. Post-facelift Audi A6 Avants were all fitted with Euro 6-compliant engines, meaning they should be exempt from city centre emissions charges for a long time to come.

An entry-level Audi A6 Avant SE comes as standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, cruise control, parking sensors both front and rear, auto lights and wipers, Bluetooth and an SD-based sat nav with a 6.5-inch colour monitor (at the time, Audi was one of the few premium makers to fit sat nav as standard). 

Audi A6 Avant S Line models added bigger 18-inch alloys, a sporty body makeover, lowered sports suspension, Xenon headlights with distinctive LED running lights, smoother Valcona leather upholstery and hip-hugging sports seats. The interior was also sportier-looking, with chrome-effect trim and a black roofliner. 

Audi A6 Avant Black Edition variants had 20-inch alloys with dark titanium finish, black finish for the grille and other body details (including the roof rails), piano black dash inlays and an upgraded Bose premium surround sound system.