Audi A6 Allroad (2012-2018) Review

An all-wheel-drive all-rounder: the Audi A6 allroad combines off-roading and luggage-carrying capabilities

Strengths & weaknesses

  • Flexible, with a big boot and off-road ability
  • Efficient and powerful engines
  • Comfortable and well-equipped
  • More expensive than a standard Audi A6 Avant (estate)
  • Will struggle with tough off-roading
  • Lacks the high-driving position of a crossover

Audi A6 allroad prices from £18,495   Finance from £492.07 per month

The Audi A6 allroad enjoys something of a cult following. The most recent model, sold between 2012 and 2018, caught on with drivers who want a luxury family car that can do almost everything a Range Rover does while discreetly slipping into the crowd.

Little wonder then, that owners have included Prince Charles. But does this go-almost-anywhere estate car get the seal of approval from common or garden motorists?

It certainly cost a king’s ransom when new. In 2012, even the most affordable version cost from £43,150. Stretch to the top-of-the-range edition and you’d have little change from £50,000. But after six years, depreciation has done its bit to make the A6 allroad affordable.

From there, it’s a matter of how much you want to spend. A handful of nearly new A6 allroads remain available with low mileages, but there are no brand new models available. A new version of the car is expected to be launched in 2019.

From a distance, the A6 allroad looks like a normal large estate car but as the name suggests, this model is engineered to venture off the beaten track and tackle all types of terrain.

For that reason, the car has been raised, so there's more space between the road and the bottom of the car; there is cladding to both protect the body panels and give the allroad a more rugged look than the A6 Avant estate it’s based on; and quattro four-wheel drive is fitted as standard. Perhaps the defining feature of this car, however, is its suspension. An adaptive air suspension system, it gives a ride as soft as a feather-filled silk pillow in day-to-day driving,

At motorway speeds, the suspension lowers the car by 15mm, to keep it stable and improve airflow. And a potentially helpful feature is the ability to raise it by a total of 60mm when driving off-road. Even so, it’s best to think of this as a versatile tow car – especially with either of the lusty V6 diesel engines - rather than something for gallivanting across mountainsides; it will get stuck long before a proper sport utility vehicle (SUV) that's designed from scratch to go off road: the Land Rover Discovery, for example.

Yet because it’s an estate car, the A6 allroad is lower, lighter and feels far nimbler than a tall, heavy SUV. There’s also a selectable driving mode, allowing the driver to vary the feel and response of the steering, air suspension, accelerator, the automatic transmission, the automatic air conditioning, the lighting and even the adaptive cruise control.

Some drivers might miss not having a high driving position, but others may feel it’s a worthwhile sacrifice as this car is free from the Chelsea tractor image.

To meet the demands of the sort of discerning drivers that pick the A6 allroad, the interior is swathed in leather and comes with plenty of standard equipment, including heated front seats, four-zone air conditioning, sat-nav and a self-opening and closing boot.

The fit and finish has a distinctly first class feel about it, and five adults can fit comfortably, although whoever sits in the middle back seat will have to place their feet either side of a large hump.

As an estate car, the A6 allroad has a large 564-litre boot that expands to 1,680 litres when the rear seats are lowered. It’s a little larger than a BMW 5 Series (560 litres), but behind the cheaper Skoda Superb, which has a 633-litre boot – although bear in mind that those cars lack any all-terrain ability. Whereas a Land Rover Discovery has an impressive 1,137 litres.

It may not be the best car for a specific situation, but if you need to carry bulky loads off the beaten track, or through all weathers, and don’t want an SUV, the A6 allroad is a likeable alternative.

 

Key facts

Warranty 36 months / 60,000 miles
Boot size 565 litres (seats up) 1,680 litres (seats down)
Width 1,898mm
Length 4,938mm
Height 1,534mm
Tax From £140 to £230 per year

Best Audi A6 Allroad for...

Best for Economy – Audi A6 allroad 3.0 TDI quattro 272PS

The mid-range A6 allroad is the most economical in real-world driving, and it's not slow either.

Best for Families – Audi A6 allroad 3.0 TDI quattro S 272PS

With its greater fuel economy and increased power, which comes in handy when carrying a full load or towing, the mid-range A6 allroad is the best choice for families.

Best for Performance – Audi A6 allroad 3.0 BiTDI quattro 320PS

The addition of an additional turbocharger means this twin-turbo variant has enough muscle to enable a 5.5-second 0-62mph time, which feels pretty swift in a large, luxurious estate car like this.

History

  • July 2012 The first of the current generation of Audi A6 allroad cars arrive in Britain.
  • December 2015 The Sport trim is introduced, with more standard equipment, including brighter LED headlights.
  • Summer 2018 Audi A6 allroad ends production. A replacement car is due in 2019.

Understanding Audi A6 Allroad names

Trim Sport

There are two trim levels, which dictate the amount of standard equipment that you get. The standard version doesn’t have a name. Sport cars are more expensive but have extra features.

Engine 3.0 BiTDI 320PS

The engine size in given in litres (all A6 allroads have a 3-litre engine), and TDI indicates that they are diesel powered. Engines with two turbochargers have more power and are called BiTDI. Finally, the engine’s power is given in horsepower, which can also be written as PS.

Gearbox Tiptronic

Automatic gearboxes are either badged S Tronic, indicating a gearbox with two clutches for smoother shifts, or tiptronic - an automatic gearbox fitted to the most powerful engine.

Audi A6 Allroad Engines

3.0 TDI 218PS, 3.0 TDI 272PS 3.0 BiTDI 320PS

The A6 allroad is available with just one engine option, a 3-litre diesel, but it was offered with three levels of power, so there is some degree of choice for used car buyers.

The base version produces 218 horsepower, which is more than adequate for a family car. It’s smooth, quiet and will accelerate from 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds. The official fuel economy figure of more than 50mpg suggests that it's frugal.

You can upgrade to a 272 horsepower engine, which lowers the 0-62mph time to just 6.2 seconds (faster than a VW Golf GTI’s 6.5 seconds), and real-world fuel economy improves to just over 40mpg, most likely because the engine’s extra power means that it doesn’t need revving as much

The twin-turbo 320PS 3.0 BiTDI is even quicker, turning in a relatively blistering (for anything but a serious sports car) 5.5-second time acceleration time. The exhaust pipe also snarls, so the car sounds as fast as it is. Fuel economy does suffer, but it’s still creditable for an engine that can produce such performance.

The A6 allroad is ony offered with automatic gearboxes, but these include paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, enabling you to select your own gears.

 

Fuel

Official fuel economy*

Real-world fuel economy*

Power

Acceleration (0-62mph)

Top speed

3.0 TDI 218PS

Diesel

51.4mpg

35.3mpg

218hp

7.1sec

143mph

3.0 TDI 272PS

Diesel

50.4mpg

40.3mpg

272hp

6.2sec

155mph

3.0 BiTDI 320PS

Diesel

43.5mpg

33.2mpg

320hp

5.5sec

155mph

*Official fuel economy figures are generated from a laboratory test and rarely reflect real-world driving. We also show figures from the Equa Index, which tests cars on public road to estimate a more realistic mpg figure.

Audi A6 Allroad Trims

A6 allroad, A6 allroad Sport

The A6 allroad was initially sold with just one trim level, but it was lavishly appointed and came with no shortage of gadgets and gizmos.

Whichever used model you look at, it will feature include four-level adaptive air suspension that adjusts the car’s height for optimum performance, 18in alloy wheels, digital radio, sat-nav, a wireless Bluetooth connection, leather upholstery, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, and four-zone air conditioning (meaning it’s possible to set individual temperatures for the four quarters of the cabin space). Adaptive cruise control, which can maintain a set distance from the car in front is also standard.

Buyers opting for Sport models introduced at the end of 2015 also receive LED headlights, which can be constantly set to high beam: the car will automatically dip the lights when traffic approaches. Other Sport features include 19in alloy wheels, tinted glass at the rear and a better quality leather on the seats.

If you’re into music, a worthwhile option to seek on on a used car is the Bang & Olufsen sound system, which somehow crams in 15 speakers to deliver an impressive in-car concert experience.

Audi A6 Allroad Reliability and warranty

The A6 allroad is something of a niche model, so ownership surveys rarely et enough responses to include it in reliability rankings.

The results for Audi in general aren’t as impressive as you might think for a premium manufacturer. Warranty Direct, which insures against vehicle failures, has data on A6 allroads averaging four-years old and 50,000 miles and the reliability is considered poor, with an average repair cost of more than £1500.

it means that an extended warranty is worth considering when buying used. From new, the A6 allroad was backed by Audi’s standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty. Owners will benefit from the remainder of this warranty where it is still valid.

Used Audi A6 Allroad

It used to be that the A6 allroad held its value remarkably well, meaning it would be slow to fall in value and consequently comparatively expensive for anyone buying one as a used car.