Technically, the Audi A6’s the company’s midsize mainstay, but over the years both the A6 and its traditional competitors, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series, and Lexus ES, have all grown into the full-size territory. Like its fellow Germans, the A6 offers an extensive lineup of regular and high-performance sedans as well as wagons, the A6 Allroad, and track-read RS6 Avant. All offer a sharp driving experience, plenty of available power, and a plush, tech-forward cabin.

The A6 is muscular and sleek like other Audis, but visually restrained like the big A8 flagship, but it isn’t Audi’s only car in the class. The A6 has a sister, the sleek A7, a hatchback attention-seeker that contrasts with the A6’s conservative sedan. Both were totally redesigned in 2019 and ride the same platform.

The A6 is a handsome, muscular-looking machine, but where some of Audi’s other models play up their low-slung, angular looks, the A6 flies under the radar with a more subtle treatment.  Audi

For 2021, Audi has added a handful of improvements, primarily expanded technology and active-safety features, but also some new cosmetic packages and a bump in horsepower for the base model.

Regular A6’s come in three trim levels: Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige. The first two are available with either four-cylinder or V6 power, while the Prestige is V6 only. A6 Allroads and S6s come only with V6s (the S6’s is yet more powerful) but offer Premium Plus and Prestige trims. The 591-horsepower RS6 Avant is a stand-alone model.

The base model A6 Premium 45TFSI ($55,945 including a $1,045 destination fee) starts off with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a 12-volt mild-hybrid system that produces 261 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Early 2021 models made 249 horsepower, but Audi updated the car at the end of 2020. 
The 55TFSI models, across all regular A6 and Allroad trims, use a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that produces 335 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel-drive (AWD). Fuel economy for either engine is strictly average for the class.

 Inside the cabin, the Audi A6 uses almost as many glass panels as a Boeing 787. Although the systems aren’t too hard to learn, not every driver will like having no physical controls.  Audi

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the turbo-four that comes standard with the A6, but the turbocharged V6, a $4,900 upgrade on the lower trims, spices up the package considerably. Its 0-60 mph time of around five seconds is just shy of comparable 5 Series and E-class models, but still plenty exciting. Around town, the A6 feels docile but responsive, and the seven-speed automatic transmission, common to all regular A6s, shifts smoothly and doesn’t fumble for gears.

The Audi’s standard AWD and well-tuned suspension do a good job at keeping the car planted in the corners, but overall, the A6 is much happier cruising than it is ripping down a mountain road. Its suspension does an admirable job at absorbing rough roads and broken pavement, while steering is predictable and sharp.

The performance-oriented S6 gets a 2.9-liter V6 with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system with a prodigious 444 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, enough to motivate the car to 60 mph in the mid-4-second range. The S6 is fast, but not necessarily as athletic as the BMW M5 or Mercedes-AMG E53. The basic cruising personality of the standard A6 also shows through in the S6.

The A6 is fractionally shorter overall than the 5 Series or E-Class sedans, but has an inch or two more rear legroom than either of those alternatives.  Audi

The RS6 Avant, which borrows the A6 Allroad’s wagon shape and adds muscular fender flares and a heady 591-horsepower 4.0-liter V8. It’s a true standout for speed and style, but it also costs $110,045. For wagon buyers, we’ve broken out some details about both the A6 Allroad and RS6 Avant in our Best Staton Wagons for 2021 story.

The base A6 Premium comes with 19-inch wheels, full LED headlights, leather upholstery, a power panoramic sunroof, tri-zone climate controls, heated front seats, natural brown wood inlays, navigation, a 7-inch digital instrument display, and a pair of center-stack touchscreens. An 8.8-inch unit sits over a smaller 8.6-inch one, with the top controlling most infotainment and navigation systems and the lower one HVAC and other controls. They look beautiful, but not everyone will like the lack of physical controls.

The Premium Plus model ($55,945 in 45TFSI form, $60,845 with the V6) adds a Bang & Olufsen 3D premium stereo, wireless charging, a surround-view camera, and Audi’s virtual cockpit instrument panel. It also replaces the 8.8-inch screen for a 10.1-inch unit and comes with more active safety gear. 

The Audi S6 comes with even more power and modest performance-oriented tweaks, but visually it’s hard to distinguish from the regular A6.  Audi

Forward automatic emergency braking and lane departure warnings come standard on all A6s, but to get adaptive cruise control with traffic jam and lane assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, and LED headlights, you’ve to go upgrade to the Premium Plus. Safety is one of the A6’s best attributes, and the car gets a Top Safety Pick + designation from IIHS and five stars from NHTSA.

V6-only Prestige models (starting at $70,545) come only with the V6 and a head-up display, ventilated front seats, HD matrix LED headlights, four-zone climate controls and a power trunk lid.

The A6’s interior is attractive and clean, but all the screens can make it feel quite busy until you get used to it. There is a learning curve to so many digital controls, but it does get easier after a few days behind the wheel. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.

Sliding behind the wheel, the front buckets are nicely appointed and remain comfortable after hours in the seat. The car’s door armrests and center console padding are positioned well to be comfortable for drivers of all sizes, and visibility is solid, thanks to slim pillars all around. 

The handsome A6 Allroad provides crossover-like versatility and an extra 1.8 inches of ground clearance for light off-road adventuring, all in a strikingly handsome package. A non-Allroad wagon is not offered in the U.S. Audi

In the back, passengers get 38.1 inches of headroom, which is more than those up front by a tenth of an inch, and 37.4 inches of legroom. That’s plenty and is enough to keep even adults happy for longer trips. With kids in tow, that space and the car’s large rear door openings both make for an easy time with car seats and gear. There isn’t much cabin storage, however, and the 13.7 cubic-foot trunk, though it compares well to BMW and Mercedes, is smallish for such a large car.

The A6 Allroad’s wagon shape is a bit more distinctive than the sedans’ thanks to its butch body-cladding, a trait shared with other wagons like the Volvo V90 Cross Country and Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain. It adds a useful cargo area as well as 1.8 inches of ground clearance, but it isn’t quite as capacious as those other wagons.

The A6 is a solid cruiser and fast in V6 or S6 form. If we had to recommend one, it’d be the V6 Premium Plus ($60,845) or the Premium Plus Allroad ($66,945). Both offer a good combination of features, satisfying driving experience and overall value.