The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Underrated V-8
- Well-appointed interior
- Sharp 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
- Nimble attitude
Dislikes
- Overshadowed by S7
- Steering is too light, too quick?
- Exterior is too conservative
- More than two tons, and feels it too
The 2018 Audi S6 stands with an impressive hand: quality interior, great performance, functional shape. It's possible to find better examples from other cars, but they all cost significantly more.
MSRP: From $72,875
Horsepower: 450 hp
MPG: Up to 18 mpg city/27 highway
Dimensions: 195” L x 64” W x 57” H
Curb Weight: 4,398 lbs
The 2018 Audi S6 fills the white space between comfortable mid-size luxury sedan and manned spacecraft.
The performance four-door hauler can carry a payload of five humans up to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. The S6 is based on the 2018 Audi A6, which we cover separately, but is the only way to get a fire-breathing V-8 planted into the sedan.
The S6 earns a 7.0 out of 10 overall score from us, which reflects our opinion of its remarkable speed and handling, and its usefulness as an everyday sedan. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
This year the 2018 Audi S6 is identical to last year’s model, right down to the lugnuts. It last received a rebuff in 2016 when Audi gifted to the S6 new bumpers, a new grille, and quad-tipped exhausts.
Don’t mess with success, we say. The S6 gets a power-dense twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 that makes 450 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. It’s shifted through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic and all-wheel drive, which Audi calls Quattro. A sport rear differential is available on the S6, which helps the 4,400-pound sedan carve a tidier line through a corner.
The S6 is handsomely equipped with a standard rearview camera, an 8.0-inch driver information display, Bluetooth connectivity, premium Bose audio, navigation, leather upholstery, and Audi’s infotainment system, dubbed MMI.
That kind of standard equipment is impressive, but the S6 faces an existential problem. It’s bookended by stunning S5 and S7 Sportback models that deliver thrilling performance with more expressive exteriors.
Put another way: The S6’s plainclothes approach to speed may not be enough for some shoppers—some people just need attention.
