2021 Audi A6

Powered by two engine options with a mild-hybrid set-up, the A6 is one of the most powerful cars in the competition. And not only that, a set of 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, and a lot of added safety features that come equipped with the 2021 model year make it look bold among the competition. The 2021 Audi A6 Sedan competes with the other powerful sedans existing side-by-side like the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the 2021 BMW 5-Series, and the 2021 Volvo S90.

The 2021 A6 Sedan is available in three trims similar to last year- Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige. The base Premium trim starts at $54,900 and it goes all the way to $69,500 for the Prestige trim. All the trims come with two powertrain options- 45 TFSI 2.0-liter inline 4 and 55 TFSI 3.0-liter turbocharged V6. There are a lot of additional packages offered by Audi to make a good feel out of the A6 including executive package, sport package, luxury package, convenience package, etc., and also comes with a few stand-alone features like the rear passenger side airbags, trim inlays, etc.

Which trim should you buy?

All three trims of the A6 are superior in terms of interior quality and features. But as the base trim, Premium misses out on a few important features and opulence that the Premium Plus holds. So, we would like to recommend the Premium Plus trim with the V6 engine and that would cost you $63,700 but that brings a lot of features like the Bang & Olufsen premium sound system, heated steering wheels, bigger infotainment display, etc. 

The 2021 Audi A6 is powered by two options - a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline 4 engine with a 12-volt mild-hybrid system, together putting out a healthy 261 horsepower and a max torque of 273 pound-feet. The other engine is a more powerful 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 coupled with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system putting out 335 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of max torque. Both the engines are mated to a 7-speed S Tronic dual-clutch transmission and the only drivetrain option is the Quattro all-wheel-drive system. 

Both the engines are smooth to drive and have enough punch throughout the rev band. The A6 with the base 2.0-liter turbocharged engine does 0-60 miles per hour in under 5.8 seconds which is as impressive as it can get in the competition. The more powerful 3.0-liter V6 engine does the 0-60 miles per hour in just under 5.1 seconds which makes it one of the most powerful sedans in the competition.

The 2021 Volvo S90 is the most powerful sedan in the competition in terms of raw power output. Also, the Volvo S90’s 0-60 mph time is just 5.6 seconds which is again competition-leading. That being said, the A6 is not far behind and takes second place but ties up with the 5-Series in the 0-60 acceleration, at 5.8 seconds and leaving the E-Class at the bottom with its acceleration time of 6 seconds.

How well does the 2021 Audi A6 Sedan handle?

With perfectly tuned suspensions, all-season tires, and great handling dynamics, the 2021 A6 breezes through both straight lines and corners. The steering feels light and accurate with perfect gear ratios which allow every driver to be engaging and also thanks to the Quattro AWD system which never makes the A6 feel lacking. 

Braking Performance

The 2021 Audi A6 comes with 13.3-inch brake rotors at the front and 13-inch brake rotors at the rear. The stopping time from 60 miles per hour to a standstill is not available at the moment but as per the outgoing model year, it should be pretty much similar. And as the A6 is a heavy car, the braking performance is affected. 

The data on the stopping distance taken by the Audi is not available. The E-class and the 5-Series lock horns with a stopping distance of 110 feet. The S90 takes the most at 114 feet. The S90 has the biggest front brake at 13.6 inches, whereas the A6 has the biggest rear brake.

When it comes to fuel consumption, the 2021 Audi A6 Sedan does a good job as the base 2.0-liter inline 4 engine is tuned and refined for more relaxing power delivery and that pushes the fuel economy with 23 MPG on the city, 31 MPG on the highway, and 26 MPG for both the city and highway combined. Audi has made sure to pack a big 19.3-gallon fuel tank which can give a combined range of 501 miles.

All four cars in the competition offer decent fuel economy with the BMW at the top. The BMW offers a 27 mpg combined mileage but has less range than the A6 thanks to its smaller tank. The A6 offers the most range at 501 miles combined, and the BMW is slightly behind with its 486 miles combined range. The BMW and the Volvo offer a better highway mileage over the Audi but the latter offers a better city mileage. The S90 offers the least range at 397 miles combined. The Merc manages a combined range of 435 miles.

The Germans are well known for their interior versatility and opulence in the automobile industry and it certainly hits the sweet spot with the 2021 A6 as you enter the cabin. The cabin is adequately spacious for the class with a seating capacity of up to 5 people. The front boasts a beautifully designed dashboard with silver accents around it, making it look like a flagship. The dashboard holds both the infotainment screens with the climate control knobs at the center and the left has the fully digital instrument cluster which is a treat to look at and offers superb visibility. 

The steering wheel is leather-wrapped and offers extreme comfort and has all the important function buttons on the sides. The seats are all leather-covered and come with superb cushioning even at the rear. The front seats come with loads of features like adjustability, heating functionalities, etc. The rear seats offer great comfort, and talking about the comfort, both the front and rear rows get decent headroom and legroom. As the A6 is a sedan, practicality has not been a strong choice for the car as it offers 13.7 cubic feet of cargo capacity which is lower but is common for the class.

All four cars offer similar interior dimensions with a few exceptions. The Volvo and the BMW offer a little more spacious fronts. The Audi and the Merc have similar proportions in the front, and are comfortable. They offer similar room even at the rear but the Audi wins in the rear legroom. The Volvo on the other hand has compact dimensions with massive legroom at both the rows and a class-leading cargo capacity. The S90’s cargo space stands at 15.4 cu-ft, whereas the BMW offers a 14 cu-ft space. The Audi and the Merc offer a space of 13.7 cu-ft and 13.1 cu-ft respectively. Standout interior features:

• Voice-activated three-zone climate control.
• Leather seats with 8-way power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats with 4-way power driver lumbar support.
• Leather steering wheel with heating functionalities.
• Panoramic sunroof.
• Ambient LED lighting. 

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The infotainment system on the 2021 A6 is super attractive, is very responsive, and can be operated via voice commands. The Premium trim gets two touchscreen displays, an 8.8-inch display with Audi’s MMI system which allows customizations to the menus and allows seamless connection with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The other display is an 8.6-inch touchscreen that displays various information related to climate control and other important things. 

The base trim gets Bluetooth connectivity, SiriusXM, a 10-speaker sound system, and a few other features as standard. Replacing the 8.6-inch display, the Premium Plus and the Prestige get a 10-inch main infotainment screen which offers a more superior visual with great colors. 

Highlighted infotainment features:

• Dual infotainment screens- 8.8-inch & 8.6-inch display (Standard), 10.1-inch & 8.6-inch display (Premium Plus and Prestige).
• Audi’s MMI system with voice control and navigation. 
• Audi Virtual Cockpit.
• SiriusXM for 3 months.
• 10-speaker sound system. (Standard)
• 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium 3D sound system. (Optional on Premium, standard on Premium Plus and Prestige) 

The 2021 A6 looks similar to the outgoing model year and it follows the traditional sedan styling with a long bonnet, patterned sides, and a swift roofline merging with the rear end. The front looks aggressive with sharp, full LED headlights and DRLs. However, depending on the engine size, the 2.0-liter engine gets a smaller intake grille and the bigger V6 engine gets a big intake grille which, in comparison, looks more aggressive. 

The intake grille gets chrome treatments with the Audi logo at the top. The rear gets sharp LED tail lamps with dual exhaust outlets on both ends. The 2021 A6 is equipped with 19-inch alloy wheels and all-season tires which enhances the overall driveability in all weather conditions. 

As per the table, it is very much clear that the German cars have similar dimensions except for the curb weight and ground clearance. The Volvo on the other hand is a bigger option in the competition with added length and wheelbase. The Audi gets a class-leading 6.5-inch ground clearance which makes it more accessible for everyday use. Some standout exterior features are:

• LED headlights and taillights. 
• 19-inch alloy wheels. (Standard)
• Chrome intake grille.
• Headlights with high beam assist.
• Heated mirrors.
• Power-operated tailgate.

The 2021 A6 has an impressive safety quotient with the NHTSA giving a 5 out of stars in the overall safety ratings and the IIHS rating the A6 ‘Good’ in almost every category and presenting it with the Top Safety Pick+ for the sedan category.

Standout safety features:

• Lane departure warning
• Audi Pre Sense Front
• Automatic emergency braking
• Lane-keeping assist
• Adaptive cruise control
• Post-collision safety system

2021 Audi A6 Sedan vs 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

No doubt on the styling elements on the E-Class both on the exterior and interior but it fails considerably in front of the A6. 2021 A6 is superior in performance, fuel economy, and cabin practicality including the cargo capacity which makes it more accessible with a price lower than the Mercedes.

2021 Audi A6 Sedan vs 2021 BMW 5-Series.

Both cars have their own advantages like the Audi having a lower price, more range, and a tad better interior volume and the BMW being steady with the fuel economy, bigger cargo capacity. It holds up with the Audi in terms of acceleration while coming with a slightly underpowered engine. The price can be the big thing to play here because the BMW is a bit more expensive than the Audi. 

2021 Audi A6 Sedan vs 2021 Volvo S90.

The Volvo wins over the Audi with a lot cheaper price tag, much better performance, great interior space including cargo capacity. The only thing that the Audi takes over is the fuel economy where Volvo suffers considerably because of its powerful performance. 

At the starting price of $54,900, the 2021 Audi A6 is a great car with two engine options and a lot of external packages to quench your luxurious desires. Not only that, the car offers great fuel economy for the price and the range is class-leading. It holds all the classy design elements and offers a more practical solution, unlike the competition. We think that the 2021 A6 Sedan is worth buying. It is cheaper than the other German cars in the competition but proves to be a reliable, all-rounder option.