2023 Audi S6 Review: Understated And Underrated

Design | Comfort | Tech | Performance | Safety | Fuel Economy | Pricing | FAQs

– Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

The Audi RS6 Avant gets all of the attention, and rightfully so. The 621-horsepower super wagon is a stellar performer and a standout in terms of styling. But it’s still a niche product that most buyers, even Audi buyers, probably won’t be able to get their hands on.

Enter the 2023 Audi S6 sedan. Sure, it isn’t as speedy nor nearly as eye-catching as the Avant, but it also costs $50,000 less than its long-roofed sibling. And with that, the S6 still has solid looks, decent speed, and a twin-turbocharged V6 good for 444 horsepower. Even without a ridiculous roofline, there’s a lot to like about the S6.

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• Exterior Color: Arrow Gray 
• Interior Color: Black w/Red Stitching
• Wheel Size: 21 Inches

The S6 looks sharp and refined. It has a big hexagonal grille with black inserts, flanked on either side by LED headlamps with futuristic-looking daytime lighting details. These 21-inch wheels are exclusive to the Design Edition package; the five spokes split into a V shape at the rim drawing similarities to the RS models. And the red brake calipers are another neat visual cue as part of the Design Edition package. 

Audi faithful should feel right at home hopping into the S6. It has familiar premium materials and an excellent driver-centric cockpit. The Design Edition package, again, makes the already upscale cabin feel a bit more special with red stitching, Dinamica suede at knee level (instead of leather), a neat flat-bottomed steering wheel, and a few darkened chrome trim pieces.

• Seating Capacity: 5
• Seating Configuration: 2 / 3
• Cargo Capacity: 13.7 Cubic Feet

The Audi S6 feels really comfortable when you’re not pedaling it hard in Dynamic mode. It’s never too stiff – even with the big 21-inch wheels – as the adaptive air suspension does an excellent job of smoothing over imperfect pavement. 

The cabin is quiet and the seats are comfy. The front sport buckets have heating, lumbar support, and a memory function to ensure you’re always in the perfect position. Even passengers in the back seat have a heated second row on this Prestige trim.

• Center Display: 10.1-Inch Touchscreen / 8.6-Inch Touchscreen
• Instrument Cluster Display: 12.3 Inches
• Wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto: Yes

Audi’s Virtual Cockpit has been around, but it’s still excellent. Three screens cover the cabin: A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch touchscreen display, and an 8.6-inch touchscreen lower down on the console for climate controls. The center touchscreen has a clean layout which makes it easy to navigate, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard.

The lower touchscreen for climate control functions is more difficult to use; you really have to look down far to access certain functions. And Audi’s signature haptic feedback screens feel cool, but they take an extra second or two to respond compared to traditional touchscreens. A few more buttons for basic controls would still be nice. 

There are a number of advanced features here, though. The Premium trim adds an excellent Bang & Olufsen premium sound system, colored ambient lighting, a head-up display, and a wireless phone charger with a cell signal booster.

• Engine: Twin-Turbocharged 2.9-Liter V6
• Output: 444 Horsepower / 443 Pound-Feet
• Transmission: Eight-Speed Automatic

While not nearly as dynamic or powerful as the RS6 Avant, the S6 is still pretty fun to fling around. The twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 with mild-hybrid assist gives this car gobs of torque and a healthy 444 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. There is a tinge of turbo lag off the jump, but this is a genuinely quick car otherwise; the S6 races to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds and has a limited top speed of 155.

Beyond quickness, the S6 also has excellent balance. The adaptive air suspension keeps body roll contained when cornering hard, the rear-wheel steering helps shrink the size of the S6 in turns, and the Quattro all-wheel-drive system provides consistent grip. The eight-speed automatic is snappy and the steering is also nicely weighted, but there isn’t much feedback from the road to your fingertips. 

• Driver Assistance Level: SAE Level 2 (Hands-On)
• NHTSA Rating: Not Rated
• IIHS Rating: Not Rated 

All the active safety equipment you could possibly want and need come standard on the S6 Prestige model (you will have to pay extra for some of it on the base trim, though). That includes adaptive cruise control with lane centering, side assist, intersection assist, traffic sign recognition, and more. My only complaint is that the lane-centering feature is too aggressive; if even think about getting near the white lane marker it adds steering inputs in an attempt to get you back to center. 

• City: 19 MPG
• Highway: 26 MPG
• Combined: 22 MPG 

• Base Price: $73,700 + $1,095 Destination
• Trim Base Price: $83,595
• As-Tested Price: $91,165

An Audi S6 performance without all the bells and whistles is a pretty screaming deal, relatively speaking. The base Premium model only costs $74,795 with the $1,095 destination fee, whereas the BMW M550i and Mercedes-AMG E53 sedan both start at over $80,000. Of course, those cars are more powerful and better equipped out of the box, and if you want even some of the same premium features on the S6, it requires moving up to the Premium Plus and Prestige Models.

The Prestige model tested here is basically loaded to the brim; it starts at $83,595 and costs $91,165 as tested. The S Sport package is a $4,000 add-on that doesn’t totally feel worth the cost; the sport differential might be the only reason to splurge. And the unless you really love the 21-inch wheels and red-stitched interior, the Design Edition package is another $2,500 option that doesn’t feel substantial.

Regardless, there’s a lot to like about the 2023 Audi S6. It’s a solid and relatively affordable performance sedan that too often falls under the radar against the more powerful BMW and the tech-heavy Mercedes. 

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