Audi A6 (2011 – 2018) Review

Audi A6 (2011 – 2018) At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
One of the best executive saloons of its time, the Audi A6 that arrived in 2011 looks good, goes well and delivers all of the comfort and quality you would expect of a car in this class.

+Impressive cabin with a straightforward layout. Very quiet and refined on the move. Navigation and leather seats in all models. Efficient 2.0 TDI provides good performance.

-Not quite on a par with a BMW 5 Series for driver involvement.

Insurance Groups are between 27–44
On average it achieves 74% of the official MPG figure

Audi knocked it out of the park when it launched the Audi A6 in 2011. It mixed much of the style and ability of the larger Audi A8 with a more wieldy, better to drive and more compact body. There was still a huge amount of cabin space, and it was far better to drive than previous generations, even if it wasn’t quite as sharp in its responses as the BMW 5 Series. Read on for our full Audi A6 review.

The new Audi A6 saloon of 2011 was completely revamped to present an up to the minute alternative to other premium saloons such as the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class and Britain’s own Jaguar XF.

It certainly looks good and has a far sleeker and sharper design than before. It doesn’t break too many boundaries, but then most people who buy these posh saloons don’t necessarily want to be noticed. Discreet but stylish is where it’s at.

There’s a hint of Audi A8 in the styling and this continues inside, where the layout has a modern and minimalist design with great attention to detail and a quality feel throughout. It’s a car that you could happily spend many an hour in.

It’s just as impressive on the road with superb refinement, ride comfort and very little noise. And then there’s economy.

The 2.0 TDI model can average more than 64mpg in some versions. That’s according to the claimed figures of course, but in real life you’ll probably see 50mpg, which isn’t at all bad for a big saloon.

It doesn’t hang around either, and has plenty of torque giving a great turn of pace.

It’s so good, it’s right up there alongside the contemporary BMW 5 Series, and while it may not quite match the BMW on some fronts, it trumps it on specification thanks to a very high level of standard equipment that includes leather upholstery, cruise control, Bluetooth and navigation.

Ask Honest John

Does the Audi A6 Saloon have a Thatcham Category 1 alarm and immobiliser?

"We’re looking to buy a late 2011 registered Audi A6 Saloon and currently obtaining quotes for insurance. Do you know if Thatcham Category 1 immobilisers were fitted as standard to these models? "
The Thatcham Category 1 alarm and immobiliser has been fitted as standard to the Audi A6 since January 2005.
Answered by Dan Powell

I was sold a car that was previously damaged - am I owed compensation?

"I’m having a nightmare with my local Audi dealer. They sold me a six month old Audi A6 with 7000 miles on the clock. After owning the vehicle for just over six months, paint has started to come off the rear nearside arch and rust is now showing. Audi deny any knowledge of repairs to the vehicle, despite being the only previous owner. As I was not able to make an informed decision at the point of sale as to whether I wanted to spend £31,000 on a damaged vehicle, I’ve asked for a full refund, which they won’t accept. They also won't accept any kind of reimbursement. They are suggesting it’s something I’ve done to the vehicle. But upon pushing my complaint to the head of business, they've agreed to further repair the car and nothing more. I know from a second opinion that my the car has had the rear quarter panel and rear door resprayed, as well as part of the rear quarter panel replaced. At the very least, in addition to a full Audi repair, I should be given some money back to reflect the original damage undisclosed, as the resale value of my car in a few years time is going to be affected. I’m interested in your views and whether I should pursue a claim for compensation or just settle for the full fix?"
Use Small Claims to sue them for a full repaint at a cost of up to £10,000. If the dealer that sold you the car is the only previous keeper then he is lying about not being aware of the damage and that is actually an offence. The Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002, is derived from EU Directive 1999/44/EU which became Clauses 48A to 48F inclusive of the Sale of Goods act in April 2003. This reverses the burden of proof so that if goods go faulty within six months after purchase it is deemed they were faulty at the time of purchase and the trader has the onus of proving that the item is not defective due to a manufacturing defect. See: www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2002/20023045.htm This gives more teeth to the judgement in Bowes v J Richardson & Son. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations May 2008 (CPRs) incorporate The Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002 and contain a general prohibition against unfair commercial practices and, in particular prohibitions against misleading actions, misleading omissions and aggressive commercial practices. The Regulations are enforceable through the civil and criminal courts. See These create an offence of misleading omissions which would not previously have been an offence if the consumer had not asked the right questions. So if a salesman knows a car has, for example, been badly damaged and repaired and does not tell the customer, he could later be held liable if the customer subsequently discovered that the car had been damaged and repaired.
Answered by Honest John

An EGR valve replacement for my Audi A6 isn't covered under warranty - is this fair?

"I own a 2013 Audi A6 diesel, which for the past six weeks has sporadically gone into limp home mode with the engine management light flashing. Each time, restarting the car has cleared the fault and it's been fine. I took it into my local Audi dealership who advised the problem was the EGR valve and would cost £1440 to replace. I'd taken out an Audi component level aftermarket warranty, which cost me £75 pcm (approximately double the cost of the monthly motor insurance for the car). However, I was informed that the EGR wasn't covered because it wasn't explicitly listed under the covered items list. After having a bit of a rant I cancelled the policy there and and I'm waiting to hear whether or not Audi UK will help with the replacement cost and labour. The car has a full Audi service history and has only done 56,000 miles in the five years it's been registered."
Outrageous that the warranty the Audi dealer sold you does not cover a known problem. Tell the dealer if he doesn't fix it free of charge then you will take the matter to Small Claims.
Answered by Honest John

I had a courtesy car after an accident - why is the insurer now refusing to cover the hire car costs?

"I had an accident in May and was advised by my local garage to contact an accident management company. They replaced my damaged Audi A6 with a BMW 5 Series courtesy car. I signed documents, but failed to read the small print. I had a car for about 10 days. After that, I collected my car and returned the BMW to the garage. A few days later, I saw the garage owner driving the same BMW. I've now been told that, even though the third party accepted liability, their insurer refuses to pay hire charges of £4600. They named me as a claimant and told me that I will have to sign some statements and the case might go to court. After reading several topics about it, I realised what I got myself into. What would be your advice? I'm sure the garage owner was bumping a bill for hire."
It's up to the credit hire company to manage the hire, not you. You're are not liable for the time you didn't have the car. You should have a collection note from the garage when your car was complete, copy this and send it to the credit hire company advising you accept no responsibility after that date. Advise them that you will send this to the at fault insurer.
Answered by Tim Kelly
More Questions

What does a Audi A6 (2011 – 2018) cost?