Should you buy an Audi A6 Avant?

The Audi A6 Avant continues a long tradition of being among the best estate cars for a wide variety of buyers. The swoopier design of this latest version underlines the firm’s focus on aesthetics and style over outright load-lugging, but in the real world the Audi still has a huge boot with lots of clever estate features. It works very well on UK roads, too.

We’d encourage you to poke around that boot – and the interior, with its swathes of shiny piano black trim – before you make a buying decision, though. In a nutshell, it’s less focused to drive than the BMW 5 Series Touring and not as commodious as a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate.

Even so, if you value refinement, comfort and clean design, the A6 Avant hits a sweet spot. Add in the fact that it’s better equipped than ever, and it remains one of the best premium wagons out there.

What is it?

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The Audi A6 Avant continues the marque’s long tradition of large estate cars, resisting the tide of executive SUVs. In a segment where rivals are thinning out, it’s refreshing to see Audi stick with this body style. Not just that, but actively lean into it. The A6 Avant’s clean, aerodynamic lines and restrained detailing offer an elegant counterpoint to the chunkier shapes elsewhere.

It’s offered with a pair of four-cylinder engines for now: a petrol and a diesel, both with 204hp and mild hybrid assistance. More powerful versions, plug-in hybrids and fire-breathing S and RS variants will follow, but for launch, the focus is on efficiency and refinement.

At nearly five metres long, the A6 Avant has a big footprint and it uses that well. There’s room for five, decent rear seat space and a long loadbay, although rivals like the E-Class Estate and 5 Series Touring are more generous with outright boot capacity. As well as being big, it feels big on the road – so if you’re intimidated by larger cars, do take it for an extended run before committing to buying one.

Inside, the A6 gets a twin-screen layout as standard, including Audi’s crisp Virtual Cockpit digital dash and a huge central touchscreen. Material quality is mostly excellent, although the piano black plastics might not stand up well to family use.

The line-up starts with Sport trim, which includes plenty of essentials like 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, leather upholstery, a heat-insulating windscreen and Audi’s crisp 14.5-inch MMI touchscreen with sat-nav and smartphone mirroring. You also get a rear-view camera, adaptive cruise control and a 10-speaker sound system – so even entry-level buyers aren’t short-changed.

S Line builds on that with sportier design cues and a more dynamic stance. It gains 19-inch alloys, a bespoke body kit, privacy glass and a three-spoke sports steering wheel. Suspension is lowered by 20mm for a more planted feel, though it may firm up the ride slightly on rougher roads. Topping the range (for now) is the Edition 1, which adds big 20-inch graphite-finish wheels, gloss black styling details, red brake callipers and Audi’s Dynamica microfibre-and-leather interior trim.

We’ve driven the A6 Avant extensively and built up solid experience with both petrol and diesel versions, and are also running one for six months to see what they’re like to live with. Keep reading for our comprehensive six-page review where we’ll break down its practicality, comfort, running costs and driving experience. If you’re curious to learn more about how we reached the star ratings on the next page, check out how we test cars.