2018 Audi S6 Review

　　

zzdcar' Expert Review

byCalvin KimVehicle Test Engineer

　　Calvin Kim is an automotive journalist at zzdcar.

　　

What’s new

　　The 2018 Audi S6 is unchanged.

　　

Vehicle overview

　　The 2018 Audi S6 is a car that pampers as well as it performs. On the inside, this midsize luxury sport sedan boasts a richly trimmed cabin fitted with front seats that can keep you perfectly comfortable for hours at a time. Or hit the gas and the S6's 450-horsepower turbocharged V8 will rocket this Audi to 60 mph in just 4 seconds flat.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2018 Audi S6 Premium Plus quattro 4dr Sedan AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo 7AM) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$241/mo  for S6 Premium Plus quattro

　　S6 Premium Plus quattro

　　Premium Plus quattro 4dr Sedan AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo 7AM) (Most Popular) - $71,900 MSRPPrestige quattro 4dr Sedan AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo 7AM) - $74,400 MSRP

　　vs

　　$164/mo

　　Avg. Midsize Car

　　If it's sophisticated entertainment and technology you're after, the S6's got you covered, too. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration lets you make the most of the S6's large and clear multimedia interface, and a bevy of optional features are available to crank up the luxury quotient ever further. Although the S6's handling abilities are a little underwhelming, the overall luxury sport sedan package is pretty compelling.

　　

zzdcar' Expert Rating

7.5 / 10

　　Normally, sleek lines and a powerful turbocharged V8 would be the calling cards for a sport coupe. But with the 2018 Audi S6, you get that plus four doors, standard all-wheel drive, a top-notch interior and the latest in driver safety features. It's a compelling pick for a luxury sport sedan.

　　

Trim tested

　　Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the 2016 Audi S6 Premium Plus Quattro (turbo 4.0L V8 | 7-speed dual-clutch automatic | AWD).

　　NOTE: Since this test was conducted, the current S6 has received only minor revisions. Our findings remain broadly applicable to this year's model.

　　

Scorecard

Overall	7.5 / 10
Driving	7.0
Interior	8.0
Utility	8.0
Technology	9.0

　　

Driving

7.0

　　This is a car that's more about refinement and daily driving than driving engagement. Rapid and undramatic acceleration, but frustrating steering and handling qualities when you get even modestly enthusiastic with it. Very smooth transmission. Great engine; mediocre chassis and tires.

　　

Acceleration

8.5

　　There's ample power available from the twin-turbo V8. Fast, undramatic power delivery. Mat the gas and the sprint to 60 mph comes in an incredibly quick 4 seconds. Shifts from the seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic are very smooth.

　　

Braking

6.0

　　Soft at initial jump-in during routine driving, which makes this car feel more unwieldy than it actually is. Noisy brakes on our test car. The car moves around during panic braking more than expected. Our measured 60-to-zero-mph stop in 113 feet is about average for the class.

　　

Steering

5.5

　　Steering is very quick around center. At low speeds, it is very light, too quick and feels very synthetic. At moderate speeds, the steering still feels nonlinear after turn-in and requires more input to achieve an equal amount of turning.

　　

Handling

5.5

　　Not an impressive-handling car even in moderately hard driving. The sport differential requires use of the throttle to counter this behavior, demanding a clunky driving style. Front-end grip relents easily. The tires howl at low cornering forces.

　　

Drivability

8.0

　　Very easy to live with in routine driving situations. The engine stop-start function could be better; restarts take a beat before thrust can be delivered. Very nicely rev-matched downshifts.

　　

Interior

8.0

　　The beautifully trimmed cabin has ample space for passengers. It's also easy to get in and out. There's enough adjustment that just about any driver should feel perfectly in control.

　　

Ease of use

8.0

　　Controls fall into reach easily and intuitively. It has knobs for temperature adjustment, buttons for fan speed. The multimedia system works well and stows in-dash, which is a nice touch. The flat-bottomed steering wheel looks neat but can feel odd in your hands.

　　

Getting in/getting out

7.5

　　The S6 is easy to get in and out of. It has a long enough wheelbase that rear access is unimpeded, more so than with its similarly priced competition. Doors open wide.

　　

Driving position

　　With the driver seat offering 12-way adjustment and four-way lumbar adjustment, and a power steering wheel adjustments, finding a comfortable driving position is straightforward.

　　

Roominess

7.5

　　Good headroom in the front, even for 6-footers. The back seat is especially roomy with plenty of headroom, good shoulder room and knee clearance.

　　

Visibility

6.0

　　Good view forward and out the side glass. The view over the shoulder or out the back is more challenging, but it's no better or worse than in the competition. The backup camera is effective.

　　

Quality

9.0

　　Premium materials abound, including simulated suede, stitched leather, carbon fiber, diamond-patterned seats and brushed aluminum. Fit and finish is excellent. A finely executed sense of luxury that's cool and restrained.

　　

Utility

8.0

　　With a large trunk, ample small-item storage and, of course, large rear seat room, the S6 begs to be loaded up and taken on a long road trip.

　　

Small-item storage

　　The cabin has a good amount of storage, with a two-tiered bin in the center console, a shallow bin in front of the shifter and average-size door pockets.

　　

Cargo space

6.5

　　The trunk has a low liftover height, soft opening and concealed hinges. The trunk is very deep but of average width and height. If you want a power trunklid, you'll have to get the Prestige trim.

　　

Child safety seat accommodation

　　There are three upper latch points on the parcel shelf and four lower latch anchors. Access to all anchors is clear and easy. The ample rear door size means installation of the seat, and your child, is not murderous on your back. The front seats do not have to move for most applications.

　　

Technology

9.0

　　Audi's MMI infotainment system is excellent. We like the crisp graphics and simple menus as well as easy-to-learn controls. You'll be hard-pressed to find a more user-friendly interface or such a high-quality stereo.

　　

Audio & navigation

9.0

　　The quiet interior of the S6 offers a good soundstage for the Bose sound system. Navigation is a simple, guided structure of commands that eventually leads you to a crisp, easy-to-understand map with instructions doubled inside the instrument panel.

　　

Smartphone integration

9.0

　　Bluetooth connects easily, and Audi's Connect system is easy to learn. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard, but Audi's systems are so logically designed that we used them most of the time instead. It's one of the best systems in the class.

　　

Driver aids

9.0

　　Standard equipment includes a rear camera, parking sensors, forward collision warning and automatic braking. Optional features include a crisp surround-view system, lane departure intervention and adaptive cruise. The S6's aids work well without intrusive interference during daily driving.

　　

Voice control

　　Voice controls take clear, well-enunciated commands, but they don't like much outside their parameters. Learning or reading the commands you need to know is relatively easy, though, and the learning curve for new owners should be very gradual — especially buyers coming from other German makes.

　　

Which S6 does zzdcar recommend?

　　Our choice would be the S6 in Premium Plus trim with the Sport package, which adds a dynamic steering map, sport differential, red brake calipers and black-tipped sport exhaust. If we had some extra dollars, we'd also opt for the Arras Red Valcona leather. Even if it's technically the base model, the Premium Plus has all the features you really need.

　　

2018 Audi S6 models

　　The 2018 Audi S6 is offered in two trims: Premium Plus and Prestige. Both share the same powertrain, body and interior, and differ mainly in the details.

　　Standard exterior features for the Premium Plus trim include 20-inch wheels with summer tires, S-specific styling elements, xenon headlights, LED running lights and taillights, a sport-tuned adaptive air suspension, a sunroof, auto-dimming and power-folding side mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, a blind-spot warning system, and keyless ignition and entry.

　　Inside, you'll find diamond-stitched leather upholstery, selectable drive modes, eight-way power-adjustable front sport seats (with four-way driver power lumbar and heating), a power-adjustable steering wheel, driver-seat memory settings, four-zone automatic climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and 60/40-split folding rear seatbacks.

　　Electronics highlights start with the MMI infotainment system, which includes a console-mounted control knob with a touchpad that can read your fingertip scribbles, a central 8-inch display, a navigation system with Google Earth maps, voice controls and Audi Connect (including enhanced web-based information services, 4G LTE data connectivity and mobile Wi-Fi capability). Also standard are a rearview camera, Bluetooth and a 14-speaker Bose surround-sound audio system.

　　The Prestige trim adds LED headlights, a power trunklid, a head-up display, LED interior lighting and rear sunshades (manual for the side windows; power for the rear window).

　　From this point, most S6 additional features are organized into optional packages. The Driver Assistance package adds adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and intervention, a top-down parking camera system, a forward collision mitigation system with automatic braking, and automatic high beams.

　　The Comfort Seating package features upgraded front seats with ventilation and massage functions, front passenger memory settings, and upgraded leather upholstery (sans diamond stitching).

　　The S6 Sport package provides dynamic steering, a torque-vectoring rear differential and a sport exhaust. The Cold Weather package adds heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel. The Black Optic package tacks on exclusive 20-inch wheels, body-color exterior mirrors (instead of the standard silver ones) and gloss-black exterior trim.

　　Notable stand-alone options include different 20-inch wheels, rear side airbags and, for the Prestige only, a night-vision system and a 15-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

　　

2018 S6 Highlights

Trim: Premium Plus quattroPrestige quattroPremium Plus quattro

　　

Base MSRP	$71,900
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	18 MPG
Cost to Drive	$241/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	14.1 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles