AudiRS 6

　　

2024 Audi RS 6 Review

byChase BierenkovenContributor

　　Chase Bierenkoven has been writing about cars in his head since he was a child. Now, he does it for real, covering automotive news and producing reviews for outlets like zzdcar, Forbes Wheels and CarBuzz. Chase's career as an automotive journalist began in 2020, and he has already written scores of road tests. Some favorites of Chase's include the Dodge Challenger 392, Mazda Miata, Kia EV6 and Bentley Bentayga. Outside his work with cars, Chase is often found justifying his latest broken German sports car to anyone that will listen or enjoying the outdoor spaces of his native Colorado.

　　, rating written byChase BierenkovenVehicle Test Editor

　　Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at zzdcar in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

　　Audi introduced the RS 6 Avant wagon for 2020 to compete with the Mercedes-AMG E 63 wagon and Porsche Panamera Turbo S Sport Turismo, though the Porsche is the only one of the two now left standing. The RS 6's appeal is easy to see: This is a high-performance all-wheel-drive wagon that you can use to haul all your stuff, plus five occupants, or that you can let rip and get from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds. The updated 2024 RS 6 does all of the luxury things right, too, offering a quiet, refined interior with great tech and driver aids. With the market dwindling, buying an RS 6 has never been a better idea. Be sure to check out our Expert Rating below to see if it's right for you.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2024 Audi RS 6 performance 4dr Wagon AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8A) 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

　　$268/mo  for RS 6 performance

　　RS 6 performance

　　performance 4dr Wagon AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8A) (Most Popular) - $125,800 MSRP

　　vs

　　$198/mo

　　Avg. Large Car

　　

zzdcar spotlight: The RS 6's new Performance trim

For 2024, Audi offers just one trim, the Performance. No one asked Audi to give the RS 6 more power, but here we are anyway. The RS 6 Performance's turbocharged V8 makes 30 more horsepower this year, which is now cranking out 621 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque. Audi also revised the car's center differential, resulting in a more lively all-wheel driving experience, and retuned the transmission for quicker shifts. The RS 6 gets a little lighter thanks to less sound-deadening material that has the added effect of making that V8 engine more vocal. New tires improve grip and can be paired with newly optional lightweight wheels.

　　

Competitors to consider

Competition for the RS 6 Avant is rather scarce. Mercedes' E 63 wagon appears done and gone, and that leaves the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo, though finding an exact match for the Audi is tough — the 4S E-Hybrid is closest in specs and price, but the GTS model is much more in the RS 6's lane despite a higher price point and less power. Of course, if a wagon isn't your thing, Audi offers the RS Q8, which is an SUV that shares some common bones with the wagon — but not that great silhouette.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Please note that this rating is based on a prior year and may change slightly once we test the updated RS 6 Avant.

　　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.

　　Great

　　8.6

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

9.0/10

　　How does the RS 6 drive? Few cars will make you giggle quite as much as the RS 6. For starters, it sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds. That's quicker than most dedicated sports cars we test and roughly on par with rivals such as the Mercedes-AMG E 63 wagon. Braking and handling performance are equally impressive. Few cars on the road feel as athletic and sure-footed as the RS 6, which is somewhat shocking given this Audi's nearly 2.5-ton curb weight. We wish there was a bit more steering feedback, but there's enough there to feel confident at any speed.

　　More broadly, the RS 6 is a peach to drive around town. The 4.0-liter V8 is smooth and powerful and pairs well with the smooth-shifting transmission that always picks the right gear. The brakes are strong and easy to control for smooth stops. In our emergency braking test, our RS 6 test vehicle stopped from 60 mph in just 109 feet. The RS 6 is stunning in its all-around competence.

　　

Comfort

9.0/10

　　How comfortable is the RS 6? The engineers at Audi Sport have worked some real magic here. Despite our test car's optional 22-inch wheels, the ride was smooth and relaxed, with most road imperfections smoothed out or at least well muted. Put the RS 6 into Dynamic mode and the air suspension and adaptive dampers stiffen up, but even then it's not backbreaking. Helping comfort are the RS 6's supportive but comfortable seats. We'd like a bit more adjustment, but we found both the front and rear seats to be pretty excellent. 

　　The RS 6 is surprisingly quiet too, making it far more inconspicuous than you might expect. The interior is whisper-quiet even on the highway. Even noise from the twin-turbo V8 is toned down compared to what you might expect. We liked the standard four-zone automatic climate control system too.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below