Used Audi A6 cars for sale

Used Audi A6 pros and cons

Is a second hand Audi A6 a good car?

The Audi A6 is a big, posh saloon that’s actually easy to confuse with the mighty A8 limo from a distance. It’s a bit like Father Ted’s cows; one is smaller, one is further away…

Actually, once you’ve sat in an A6 you might not feel the need to trade up to an A8, given that the cabin is beautifully made and there’s plenty of space, not to mention more than a few high-tech features. 

The A6 is seriously handsome on the outside, with very clean, smooth lines. Go for an S-Line models — which lots of new A6 buyers did — if you want one that looks ever so slightly menacing. The clean-cut lines and slightly boxy wheelarches (a throwback to the original Quattro rally car) make the A6 stand out a bit compared to the likes of a BMW 5 Series or a Mercedes E-Class. 

That cabin works really well, with exceptionally high levels of quality and comfort in the front. The combo of polished black and aluminium surfaces make it look like an executive boardroom — it only lacks the flip-chart and the little bottles of water. It might be well made, but it can look and feel a bit cold and hard-edged, unless you find one with optional pale leather trim. 

The touchscreens — there are two, stacked one on top of the other — divide air conditioning and infotainment functions, and look very cool but they’re a bit fiddly to use, with the haptic ‘click’ under your fingertip often making you think you’ve pushed an on-screen button when in fact you missed it by a couple of millimetres. 

There’s plenty of comfort though, with great front seats and loads of room up front. The multi-adjustable steering wheel means anyone should be able to find a good driving position, but there’s a slight lack of up-front storage space. 

Rear seat passengers get more room than they will in a BMW or Mercedes, and the saloon’s boot holds up to 530 litres of luggage — plenty enough for suitcases or golf clubs, and if you need more room or more versatility there’s always the handsome Avant estate, which would always be our pick of the A6 lineup. 

Even on the optional stiffer S-Line sports suspension, the A6 is a comfy thing, loping along most roads without much complaint. For the ultimate in comfort, there was optional air suspension too, which turns the A6 into possibly the ultimate motorway cruiser. It’s good on twisty roads too, but never as much fun as a BMW 5 Series nor Jaguar XF. 

Most A6s were sold with the 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine in ’35’ or ’40’ forms with either 163hp or 204hp. Either is a great choice, as they’re both plenty powerful enough and hugely frugal — track down an A6 TDI ‘Ultra’ model and it’ll crack 60mpg. The 40 version could also be had with quattro four-wheel drive, which came as standard on the 45 and 50 V6 diesel models, as well as the fantastic 349hp S6 with its twin-turbo V6 diesel. 

Petrol models are good too — the 45 TFSI with 245hp and optional quattro four-wheel drive is a particularly good choice — and there’s the option of a plug-in hybrid version from 2019 onwards, with either 299hp or 367hp and an electric range of around 40 miles. 

The Allroad —a slightly taller, off-road-y version of the A6 with adjustable air suspension and quattro four-wheel drive, is an excellent choice if you need to regularly deal with unmade roads but don’t want the bulk and weight of a big SUV. 

One issue is that no matter which engine you picked, quite a lot of the A6’s more high-tech features remained on an expensive options list — including adaptive cruise control, and rear-wheel steering. 

Still if you can track down one with the spec you want, then the Audi A6 remains a superbly classy and comfortable big saloon (or estate) that’s pleasant to drive and still looks modern. 

What to look for when buying a used Audi A6

The A6 seems to be a very solidly-built car, and major reliability issues are rare. If it’s a model with air suspension, most likely an Allroad model, that can develop faults but it’t not a hugely common issues. Check for any issues with diesel particulate filters, especially on a low-mileage example, while the infotainment system is a frequent culprit when it comes to small, niggling issues. 

The Audi A6 didn’t feature in the most recent Driver Power Top 50 Cars To Own list (although the distantly related Audi A5 did, finishing in 38th place, with a solid rating for reliability). Audi finished in a surprisingly low 27th place out of 32 brands in the overall Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, with 21% of owners reporting faults. 

Audi A6 FAQs