Station wagons do not sell well in the USA, let alone ones with a starting price over $125,000. Yet, Audi has decided to bless us with one of the all-time greats for fast-car enthusiasts with fat wallets. For 2024, the RS6 Avant is only available in Performance guise, meaning that rather than the twin-turbo V8 making 591 horsepower, it now makes an almost comical 621 hp. If that’s not a big enough upgrade, the 2024 Audi RS6 is also lighter than before, while still seating five people in a cocoon of luxury materials and surrounding them with the latest in Audi technology. Then, there’s still plenty of cargo space for a long weekend away or a large dog to be excited about an upcoming long walk.
The Audi RS6 Avant’s only real competitor in the go-faster wagon space is the Porsche Panamera in Turbo E-Hybrid guise, since the Sport Turismo version is not available in the US since the 2023 model year. Despite competing on specs and utility, the Avant is the more stylish and aggressive-looking car – the automotive equivalent of a high-level athlete in a suit. And we spent a week with it to find out if it’s actually a good idea to make a practical car this potent.
Exterior: An Aggressive Suit
To go with its muscular haunches and blacked-out grille, the RS6 arrives with 21-inch wheels as standard and is cloaked with wide Continental Sport Contact 7 tires for maximum grip. The upgrade is to 22-inch wheels that shave an extra eleven pounds of weight, and you can see them on our tester in the photos as part of the Black Optic Package. The package also includes black exterior mirror housings, black exterior trim, black Audi rings and a dark model badge. Also fitted to our tester is the $1,000 RS exhaust system.
Look closely at the front grille: (ignore the inevitable bug splatter from carving through California’s canyons) You can see all the pre-sense sensors, parking sensors and cameras, which are part of the standard technology and safety features. Also on our tester are the sensors for the Driver Assistance Package, which is a $2,000 option which includes:
- Active lane guidance
- Adaptive cruise assist with lane guidance
- Intersection assist
- Camera distance sensor
- Audi side assist with exit warning and rear cross-traffic assist
- Audi pre-sense rear
Interior: Peak Audi
Inside the RS6, everything looks premium and feels premium, and it’s there for a reason. It has that sports car feel but with all the comfort, functionality, and tech you expect in a luxury spec Audi. That includes heated and ventilated front seats, four-zone climate control, and a panoramic sunroof. Optional features include a head-up display, massaging front seats, an even more upscale leather, and a motion-activated tailgate to get to the 30 cubic feet of cargo space.
That cargo space doesn’t interfere with the legroom in the second row of seating. With enough legroom in the back for people six feet and over, we found it almost as comfortable to sit as the front passenger seat. In fact, it’s refreshing to sit in a car that offers the space and comfort of an SUV without the height and weight that affects performance. You may get more headroom on a Q7 or Q8, but we don’t notice it.
Infotainment: Suits You, Sir
Sitting in an RS6, you expect something on the flashy side, when it comes to infotainment. Yes, the 10.1-inch main display is bright, crisp, and responsive, and the icons are big and bold, but they lack color variation and flair. There’s a little style and color, but it’s mostly functional.
That would be criticism for other cars, but it actually suits the RS6, which is comfortable and stylish, bordering on luxurious, but not looking to cosset you to the extent that you forget what you’re driving – or that you’re driving at all. Everything you need is there, like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there’s also some you likely don’t need but do get – like onboard navigation. The RS6 comes with a nicely tuned base sound system, but the rich-sounding Bang & Olufsen optional setup is the winner. As usual, Audi’s premium sound game is on point.
The 8.6-inch lower screen is for the environmental controls, and still not a great solution, although better than most that want to avoid tactile buttons. It’s distracting to get your settings right while on the move, and that’s frustrating when you just want to turn the temperature up or down a notch.
Under The Hood: The Party Piece
The Audi RS6 Avant is a well-endowed beast of a car with its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 generating a supercar-level 621 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque, underpinned by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Around town, the power is well restrained but always there and smoothly delivered through an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Let it off the hook, though, and the RS6 Avant borders on the brutal as its power delivery meets the sheer wealth of grip generated by the quattro all-wheel-drive system and the performance tires. Unleash it from a stop, and the front lifts, suggesting the drivetrain is barely able to control the power, but that’s an illusion. 60 mph comes up in less time than it took to type that, (Audi says 3.3 seconds, but we suspect that’s consistently, not on midday California roads) and it takes care from the driver to not open up and find yourself in jail-time territory.
On The Road: A Superhero In Its Regular Clothes
While the RS6 Avant has all the trappings of a performance car with its huge wheels, thin tires, low stance, and big air inlets, it is still a wagon. And it’s easy to forget that fact when driving it without a couple of passengers. With or without those passengers, it’s a consummate cruiser that smooths out the road while carrying as much pace as you need or want. We didn’t push it there, but we’ll bet it’s as comfortable cruising at 150 mph as it is at 60 mph with a full load of people and luggage. Around town and during commute time, it’s relaxed and easy to drive, but drop it into Dynamic Mode, and everything tightens up like muscles in a lycra shirt.
Push it down a tighter road, and despite its bulk over a supercar, it’s supremely agile. Mix that with the excess of power always on tap, and the RS6 Avant demands focus. That focus is helped by the engine’s soundtrack which is sonorous, not obnoxious, giving you as much feedback as the steering wheel and feel of the chassis through the seat. The RS6 loves to carve corners with the all-wheel-drive system keeping everything locked tight, but chuck it unceremoniously into a tight road, and it’s fantastic for any car, let alone one you can load up with kids and a dog for a picnic.
Conclusions: A Cross-Country Road Trip Rocket
To go cross-country on a modern grand tour, we would take the RS6 Avant over just about any GT car on the market. It has the power, the handling, the civility, and then the sheer practicality. You won’t have to make anywhere near as many decisions as you would in a 2+2 sports car about what you need to bring and want to leave behind. It’s one of the greatest all-rounders we’ve experienced. Want to go cross country in style, comfort, and at a great pace in places? No problem. Want to load up the kids for a long weekend away? Sure thing. Need to do an airport run with luggage and carry-on? Easy. Want to go have some fun on a track day? Get ready to be impressed and look like a hero, no matter your ability.
The cost of this excellence is at least $125,800 – that’s before options and destination. Pricing for 2025 has been released already, putting this beautiful bruiser at $126,600, although there aren’t any major changes to take into account, although the next-gen version will likely go electric. Getting your hands on this car in its current form is almost a must – and there’s even the limited-run RS6 Avant GT to consider, if you’re a true fan.
In essence, the RS6 Avant is an awesome three-car garage car wrapped up in one. Just remember the gas mileage figures of 14/22/17 mpg city/highway/combined only apply if you’re driving it like a normal wagon. You will spend a large portion of your time not driving it like a normal wagon. And that’s superb.