Almost New Buying Guide: Audi A6 Avant Car News

The Audi A6 Avant is a spacious, beautiful and premium station wagon with enormous smoothness and more than decent handling.

Under its elegantly elongated hood you’ll find a wide range of engines, including a 201 hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel (40 TDI badge) and a 282 hp 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel (50 TDI). The gasolines are 2.0-liter as 40 TFSI of 201 hp or more powerful 261 hp 45 TFSI and 3.0-liter 335 hp (55 TFSI) for good thrust. There’s also a 344bhp diesel-powered S6 super sporty version if you want to scare the dog.

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The sport-type A6 Avant comes with most of the luxuries you’d probably want, including heated front seats, partial leather upholstery, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The upgrade to the S line trim brings 19-inch alloys, a sportier look, and leather and Alcantara seats. Black Edition increases the size of the wheels to 20 inches and gives you plenty of black trim on the exterior, while the Vorsprung models have the kitchen sink thrown at them in terms of kit, including 21 inch wheels, a additional security technology and an improved stereo system.

On the road, the 40 TDI version is the most logical choice because it is a good compromise between power and economy. The 50 TDI is a real flywheel and, like the less powerful engine, remarkably quiet.

There were different suspension options when the car was new: the sport trim uses conventional steel springs and shocks, the S-line models are stiffened and lowered, and the Vorsprung versions have adaptive suspension with switchable shocks that can be softened or stiffened depending on your mood.

As you approach a turn, the Avant feels lighter and more agile than its size suggests. Some cars even come with four-wheel steering, which makes things even sharper. There’s plenty of traction, whether it’s front-wheel drive or quattro four-wheel drive.

Inside there is a dashboard with impeccable logic and good quality materials. Find one where the tech pack has been added and the analog dials are replaced with digital dials on a 12.3-inch display.

Audi’s latest generation of infotainment system replaces a rotary controller with a touchscreen with haptic feedback, which is a bit of a retrograde step in our opinion. The screen is crisp and 8.8 inches diagonally as standard, but if you add the tech pack upgrades include a 10.1 inch display.