Audi A6 Avant running costs and reliability

2018 onwards (change model)

Running costs rating: 4.1 out of 54.1

Written by Keith Adams Published: 13 April 2023 Updated: 17 April 2023

Miles per pound (mpp) ⓘ

Low figures relate to the least economical version; high to the most economical. Based on WLTP combined fuel economy for versions of this car made since September 2017 only, and typical current fuel or electricity costs.

Petrol engines	3.2 - 5.6 mpp
Diesel engines	4.5 - 6.4 mpp
Plug-in hybrid petrol engines *	5.0 - 5.2 mpp

* Fuel economy of the engine when operating without assistance from the electric motor and battery.

What is miles per pound?

Fuel economy ⓘ

Low figures relate to the least economical version; high to the most economical. Based on WLTP combined fuel economy for versions of this car made since September 2017 only.

Petrol engines	22.1 - 38.2 mpg
Diesel engines	34.9 - 50.4 mpg
Plug-in hybrid petrol engines *	34.4 - 35.3 mpg

* Fuel economy of the engine when operating without assistance from the electric motor and battery.

View mpg & specs for any version

Plug-in hybrid most economical on paper
All models have low motorway MPG
Diesel still the best all-rounder

What are the running costs?

If you’re looking for the best fuel economy, the 50 TFSIe plug-in hybrid is the way to go. However, bear in mind that it works best on shorter journeys and with the battery topped up. Used in that way, it’s easy to achieve more than 60mpg. Longer motorway runs will see it drop to 35mpg, while running it in EV mode will get you around 30 miles. As PHEVs go, it’s one of the best.

Opt for the 40 TDI diesel and fuel economy improves in real world driving to between 45-50mpg, especially if you’re one for longer motorway trips. Moving up to the most powerful diesel, the S6, will bring about a penalty in running costs, but fuel consumption is still better than 35mpg in most driving conditions, which is excellent considering its performance.

Finally, the 40 and 45TFSI petrols prove to be surprisingly effective at sipping fuel on motorway runs. The least powerful petrol has a range should return 33-37mpg, while the 45TFSI will achieve about the same, which seems like good value to us.

Servicing and maintenance

You’ll find the Audi’s servicing and maintenance costs are about the same as BMW and Mercedes-Benz – in other words, fairly expensive, but with high levels of customer satisfaction from its dealers.

Audi’s standard warranty, at three years or 60,000 miles is falling behind the more mainstream brands, and smacks a little of complacency. When you consider that BMW’s warranty, which is three years and unlimited mileage, this is disappointing. But you can extend the warranty to four years/75,000 miles or five years/90,000 miles for extra money.

But considering you can buy a Kia or an MG with seven year’s support, and Toyota will cover its cars (when serviced in dealer) for 10, Audi needs to up its game.

Reliability

The A6 Avant is solidly built
But reliability for the model is only average
Lots of technology to go wrong

There’s a huge amount of tech to go wrong here, and for example our testers have experienced issues with the Virtual Cockpit and Matrix LED headlights on other models. Audi’s scores in JD Power customer satisfaction surveys is not great, while Parkers users report many niggling issues in owner reviews.

The A6 has been recalled a couple of times so far, with issues around a towing bracket (where fitted) and the rear window. If you’re looking for a used A6 then a dealer will be able to confirm whether or not the work has been undertaken.