Used 2020 Audi A6

#3 in Best Midsize Luxury Cars of 2020

Redesigned for 2019, the 2020 Audi A6 is a luxurious-midsize car boasting the latest powertrains and driver-assistance and safety technologies. The standard A6 sedan offers turbocharged mild-hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) 4-cylinder and V6 engines, while the performance-oriented S6 sedan features a twin-turbocharged MHEV 2.9-liter V6 engine. Audi also returns two station wagon variants to the U.S. market in 2020: the A6 Allroad with a raised suspension and SUV styling cues, and the high-performance RS 6 Avant (reviewed separately).

This expansion of the 2020 Audi A6 lineup makes the car mighty compelling. Timeless design, a high-tech interior, impressive performance, and the return of wagon models make the Audi A6 especially appealing. Competitors in this class abound, but the A6’s main rivals are its fellow Germans, the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Based on our test-drive of the Audi A6 55 with the turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine and Quattro all-wheel drive (AWD), the company’s latest midsizer is sportier than ever. Credit is due to its well-snubbed suspension, naturally weighted variable-ratio steering, and 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission (DCT), which shifts exactly when you want it to. The shifts are almost unnoticeable in easy around-town driving, but they’re more decisive when the A6 is driven aggressively.

The A6’s interior is handsome, quiet and comfortable, and four adults fit with ease inside the luxurious cabin. In everyday driving, this Audi sedan has an enviable level of civility, and the available 360-degree camera takes the challenge out of tight city parking lots. This is a sophisticated German sedan equally at home in the city or on the highway, where the quiet and smooth nature of the car masks its speed, making 70 mph feel like about 50 mph.

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In this wood-trimmed environment with configurable ambient lighting and lots of contrast-stitched leather, Audi’s all-new Multi-Media Interface (MMI) Touch Response system presents all primary controls through haptic-feedback, touch-sensing display screens. There’s an 8.8-inch touch screen at the top of the center stack, plus an 8.1-inch screen directly below it to operate the climate control and serve as the pad onto which text inputs are drawn with a finger.

They work in much the same way as your smartphone. For example, via voice controls, if a driver says she’s cold, the MMI will ask what temperature she’d like the cabin to be. While the technology works fine, and the handwriting-recognition pad deciphers sloppy printing amazingly well, the previous Audi MMI rotary dial controller was much easier to use than the haptic screens. In our experience, the new approach creates more distraction and requires more glances away from the road.

On a positive note, we appreciate the A6’s super-cool 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit instrumentation complete with a navigation display powered by Google Maps.

Audi says the A6 looks high-tech and sophisticated. We’d agree. From the front, the low and wide grille lends the car a sense of presence and athleticism, while distinct character lines running down the sides of the car serve to reduce the visual height of this attractive German sedan. Pronounced wheel arches emphasize the A6’s quattro powertrain, while a short trunk with a nicely curved edge aids vehicle aerodynamics.

TOP-VIEW CAMERA WITH VIRTUAL 360 VIEW
The A6 is available with four wide-angle cameras that create a 360-degree view of the car, allowing the driver to toggle around the vehicle (and zoom in or out) to help maneuver this midsize Audi sedan in tight city parking lots.

NIGHT-VISION ASSISTANT
Using a long-range infrared camera, the A6’s optional Night Vision Assistant reacts to thermal energy radiating from objects. This helps a driver to spot animals, pedestrians and cyclists on the road ahead. A black-and-white image depicting the obstacle shows on the Audi Virtual Cockpit display.

The 2020 Audi A6 is a well-equipped automobile, even in standard Premium 45 trim. Exterior details include 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, LED front and rear lighting, and a panoramic sunroof. A turbocharged MHEV 4-cylinder engine is standard, as is Quattro AWD.

Inside, leather seats, triple-zone climate control, heated 8-way power-adjustable front seats, and a 3-spoke power-adjustable steering wheel with shift paddles are standard. Walnut inlays and ambient interior lighting give the A6 a properly luxurious atmosphere.

Pre Sense Front is also standard, applying the brakes if it detects vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists in the A6’s path. Additionally, lane-departure warning, front and rear parking sensors, and rain-sensing wipers are included on every A6.

Audi A6 buyers can upgrade to Premium Plus or Prestige trim, and from the 45 model to the 55 model that equips the car with a more powerful turbocharged MHEV 3.0-liter V6 engine. The performance-tuned Audi S6 includes a twin-turbocharged MHEV 2.9-liter V6, performance enhancements, and Premium Plus or Prestige trim.

One of our favorite options on the Audi A6 is Adaptive Cruise Assist, which helps the driver with acceleration and braking to maintain a correct speed and following distance during highway driving.

Other notable driver-assistance features include the top-view camera system with Virtual 360 view, which provides a 360-degree view around the A6, plus Intersection Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Audi Pre Sense Rear, Vehicle Exit Warning, and Rear Cross Traffic Assist. Those last two items are both part of Audi Side Assist.

You can also get a sport suspension, which lowers the car 20 millimeters and is part of a 20-inch wheel package. The top A6, the Prestige, is available with adaptive suspension damping, all-wheel steering, and a 1,820-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system with 19 speakers.

Three different engines are available in the 2020 A6 and S6, and they all employ mild-hybrid electric-vehicle (MHEV) technology to improve performance and efficiency.

The A6 45 has a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder that Audi introduced during the summer of 2019, complete with a 12-volt MHEV system. The engine makes 248 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, and accelerates the A6 45 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. Quattro Ultra AWD is standard, primarily powering the front wheels through a 7-speed S tronic DCT. When surface and driving conditions require it, more power flows to the A6’s rear wheels.

If the A6 45 isn’t quick enough, get the A6 55. It has the same turbocharged V6 with which the current-generation A6 launched for 2019, equipped with a 48-volt MHEV system and producing 335 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. It also has Quattro Ultra and a 7-speed DCT. This version of the car is one second quicker to 60 mph, getting to that speed in 5.1 seconds.

For maximum performance, choose the new 2020 Audi S6. Its twin-turbo V6 cranks out 444 horsepower and 443 lb-ft, zooming the S6 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. It uses the same 48-volt MHEV system as the A6 55 TFSI (turbo fuel stratified injection), but uses an 8-speed automatic transmission, a rear-biased version of Quattro, and an electric compressor that eliminates turbo lag. A sport rear differential is an option, helping drivers to sling the S6 through S-curves.

The Audi A6’s MHEV technology uses a trunk-mounted lithium-ion battery powering a belt-driven starter/generator that provides silky-smooth automatic restarts. The only time the A6’s conventional starter is employed is at initial start-up. The battery recharges through recuperation during normal driving.

2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder (A6 45)
248 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
273 lb-ft of torque @ 3,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/32 mpg

3.0-liter turbocharged V6 (A6 55)
335 horsepower @ 5,000-6,400 rpm
369 lb-ft of torque @ 1,370-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/29 mpg

2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 (S6)
444 horsepower @ 5,900 rpm
443 lb-ft of torque @ 2,700 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/28 mpg