2021 Audi A6 allroad Review

　　

2021 Audi A6 Allroad Review

byCameron RogersManager, News

　　Cameron Rogers has worked in the automotive industry since 2013. He has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Today, he leads the news team in developing cutting-edge news articles, opinion pieces and sneak peeks at upcoming vehicles. Favorite cars that he's driven during his tenure at zzdcar include the 991-era Porsche 911 Turbo S, Rolls-Royce Ghost and several generations of Honda Odyssey (really).

　　Luxury station wagons are an endangered breed in what you could call the era of the SUV. But if wagons are still your jam, check out the 2021 Audi A6 Allroad. Introduced just last year, this wagon version of the midsize A6 luxury sedan has received Audi's Allroad treatment. What's that? It's mostly cosmetic stuff to make this wagon look more rugged and SUV-like, but an extra inch or so of ground clearance does give it a modicum of off-road capability.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Audi A6 allroad Premium Plus 4dr Wagon AWD w/55 TFSI (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 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

　　$208/mo  for A6 allroad Premium Plus

　　A6 allroad Premium Plus

　　Premium Plus 4dr Wagon AWD w/55 TFSI (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 7AM) (Most Popular) - $65,900 MSRPPrestige 4dr Wagon AWD w/55 TFSI (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 7AM) - $71,400 MSRP

　　vs

　　$164/mo

　　Avg. Midsize Car

　　The A6 Allroad does have more room for junk in the trunk. The cargo area more than doubles, from 13.7 cubic feet of trunk space in the A6 sedan to an even 30 cubes in the Allroad. Overall, we find the A6 Allroad to be a decent pick in the luxury wagon class, but its ho-hum driving experience and high price put it at a disadvantage compared to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain and Volvo V90 Cross Country. Check out our Expert Rating below for all of the details.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Average

　　7.6

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

7.0/10

　　How does the A6 allroad drive? The A6 Allroad is only available with one engine — Audi's 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 — and it's the party piece of this big wagon. At our test track, the A6 Allroad zipped from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds, a very quick time for the class. Its seven-speed automatic transmission shifts quickly and smoothly. Unfortunately, it falls behind in other areas of the driving experience.

　　The Allroad's brakes feel spongy in daily driving, the steering is vague, and handling is compromised by the higher-than-average ride height and off-road-oriented tires. Off-road capability is better than average for the segment, with an adjustable suspension that gives the Allroad more ground clearance, but the long front and rear overhangs limit capability overall.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the A6 allroad? An ultra-quiet interior, comfortable seats and smooth highway ride make for an excellent combination in the Allroad. The optional Contour Seating package provides supportive and well-padded front seats, while the rear seats are just as well suited to long drives. The standard air suspension and big tire sidewalls combine to absorb almost all bumps, big and small.

　　Thanks to the optional dual-pane acoustic glass, the Allroad's interior is whisper quiet. The climate control cools things down quickly inside the large cabin, but there is a pretty steep learning curve for the touchscreen controls. Heated and ventilated seats work well too, so achieving the perfect temperature inside is easy.

　　

Interior

8.0/10

　　How’s the interior? The Allroad's cabin is spacious, with plenty of room for adults in all four main seating positions. There's lots of headroom, legroom and shoulder room — it's at the head of the class in this regard. The driving position gives you a commanding view of the road thanks to the Allroad's higher-than-standard ride height. That higher ride height also makes it easier to get in and out of.

　　Outward visibility is good, though the large front pillars impede the view somewhat. But the side and rearview windows are large, and the Allroad comes standard with an excellent 360-degree camera for fitting into tight spaces. It take a bit of time, but after a few days in the A6, all the controls feel relatively intuitive to use and are easily within reach.

　　

Technology

9.0/10

　　How’s the tech? The dual-screen infotainment and climate system can seem daunting, but tech-savvy users willing to adjust to the lack of physical buttons will get the hang of it after a few days and it becomes very easy to use. Driver aids such as adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring work well too.

　　The Virtual Cockpit configurable instrument cluster is genuinely useful in putting maps as well as vehicle and engine speed data right where they're needed. It's augmented by an extremely crisp full-color head-up display and a powerful standard audio system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and connect quickly, but if you don't want to connect, the A6's native voice command system is easy to use and it understands natural language.

　　

Storage

7.0/10

　　How’s the storage? Compared to a standard A6, the Allroad wagon has impressive trunk space and 1.4 inches of additional rear headroom. But compared to other luxury wagon rivals, the Allroad is merely average. Its trunk offers 30 cubic feet of storage space, but wagons from Mercedes and Volvo offer more space.

　　Small-item storage is average too, with a few cupholders, an adequate-size center console and slender door pockets. The rear seat has enough space to fit most child seats, with easy-to-locate anchor and tether points in the outboard seating positions.

　　

Fuel Economy

7.5/10

　　How’s the fuel economy? The EPA estimates that the A6 Allroad will return 22 mpg combined (20 city/26 highway). That's a little bit below average for luxury wagons with upgraded powertrains, but during our test, the A6 was relatively efficient. On our 115-mile mixed-driving evaluation route, it achieved 25.8 mpg.

　　

Value

7.5/10

　　Is the A6 allroad a good value? The A6 Allroad, like its sedan brother, offers an extremely well-built cabin with attractive materials that are pleasant to see and to touch. Even against rivals from BMW and Mercedes, the Audi feels top-notch. Fuel economy estimates are average for the segment, as is the Audi's four-year/50,000-mile warranty.

　　Our test vehicle was the top trim, Prestige. It comes with several desirable safety features, as well as a long list of creature comforts. However, Audi's asking price is a lot more than what you'd have to pay to get a similar Volvo V90 Cross Country.

　　

Wildcard

7.0/10

　　You might have fun tossing the Allroad around on a dirt trail, but when it comes to truly difficult off-road terrain, you'll want something with a bit more ground clearance. And because of all the off-road oriented equipment, the Allroad is significantly less fun to drive on a curvy back road than the standard A6. Powerful turbocharged V6 acceleration is always there to make it exciting on the highway, and its understated, classy looks always make it feel upscale, but the A6 Allroad isn't as exciting or as practical as we'd like.

　　

Which A6 allroad does zzdcar recommend?

There's really nothing wrong with choosing the base Premium Plus trim. But, for a modest price bump, the Prestige comes with the Premium Plus' desirable Executive package and other goodies. It also opens the door to the Luxury package, should you decide to upgrade even further.

　　

2021 Audi A6 allroad models

The 2021 Audi A6 Allroad comes in two trims: Premium Plus and Prestige. Both are powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine good for 335 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive system are standard.

　　Premium Plus

　　Standard feature highlights include:

　　20-inch wheels Panoramic sunroof Roof rails Hands-free tailgate Adaptive air suspension (can adjust to enhance ride quality as well as raise or lower the ride height of the vehicle) Auto-dimming mirrors Digital instrument panel Heated steering wheel Three-zone automatic climate control Driver-seat memory functions Heated front seats Leather upholsteryOn the tech front, you get:

　　16-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system Dual-screen infotainment system with 8.8-inch upper screen and 8.6-inch lower screen Navigation system Apple CarPlay (with wireless connectivity) and Android Auto smartphone integration Satellite radio Wireless charging padThe A6 Allroad also comes with:

　　Frontal collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios) Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane) Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking) 360-degree camera system (gives you a top-down view of the A6 Allroad and its surroundings for tight parking situations)The A6 Allroad is available with a number of packages and stand-alone options. These include:

　　Executive package Four-zone automatic climate control Ambient interior lighting Ventilated front seats Heated rear seats Rear window sunshades Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while in reverse) Lane departure mitigation (warns if the vehicle drifts when a turn signal isn't used and can automatically steer to maintain lane position) Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Audi and the car in front) Black Optic package Black-painted exterior accents Black roof rails Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert Painted wheel archesPrestige

　　Takes the Premium Plus' standard features and adds:

　　Executive package Upgraded headlights Power soft-closing doors Sound-reducing glass Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line onto the windshield)Unless already included, options for the Premium Plus are available for the Prestige. You can also opt for:

　　Luxury package Extra leather on the dashboard, armrests and center console Massaging front seats Passenger seat memory functions Upgraded leather upholstery Night-vision camera (displays an infrared image of the area in front of the vehicle to assist while driving at night) 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium audio system

　　

2021 A6 allroad Highlights

Trim: Premium PlusPrestigePremium Plus

　　

Base MSRP	$65,900
Engine Type	Mild hybrid
Combined MPG	22 MPG
Cost to Drive	$208/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	30.0 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles