2026 Audi A6 First Drive Review: S6 Power, But Is That Enough?

• The gas-powered Audi A6 returns with standard turbo V6 power.
• Pricing starts at $65,395 including destination, or about the same as a four-cylinder BMW 5 Series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
• The A6 is easy to drive and has all the multimedia and driver assistance tech you could ever need.

What's this about a turbo V6?

It's an interesting strategy. Where competitors like the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class use four-cylinder engines in their base trims, Audi makes a V6 standard from the get-go — and for roughly the same price as the four-cylinder competition. 

A 2026 Audi A6 starts at $65,395 including destination, compared to $64,250 for a BMW 530i xDrive or $67,750 for a Mercedes-Benz E 350 4Matic. If you want six-cylinder power in the BMW or Audi, you'll be paying $69,150 or $73,650, respectively. Of course, if fuel economy is a priority, the four-cylinder BMW and Merc have the Audi beat by several miles per gallon.

Audi's turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 makes 362 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, increases of 27 hp and 37 lb-ft compared to the outgoing six-cylinder A6. A seven-speed automatic transmission sends power to all four wheels — Audi's Quattro is one of the world's best all-wheel-drive systems — and the company estimates the new A6 can hit 60 mph from a dead stop in 4.5 seconds.

Here's where things get interesting: That 4.5-second 0-to-60 time is a skosh quicker than the last S6 we tested, despite the older model having 444 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque from a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6. Of course, the new A6 is estimated to be about 200 pounds lighter than the old S6, which certainly helps.

S6 power, A6 vibes

To get from Palm Springs to Borrego Springs, California, you can either blast through the flat parts of the Coachella Valley (yes, that Coachella) and cruise past the stinky-swampy Salton Sea, or you can head up and over the mountains on beautiful stretches of two-lane highway. In the A6, I recommend the latter.

Climbing up the mountains, the V6's power is appreciated. Strong low-end torque is seemingly always available and the seven-speed transmission doesn't hunt for gears or require you to pull one of the paddle shifters to coax it to kick down. The A6 just goes. Quickly.

Audi offers the 2026 A6 with three different suspension setups. There are base and sport tunes for cars riding on static steel springs, or a nifty adaptive air suspension, which is my favorite — I'll explain more in a minute. For the jaunt south to Borrego Springs, I'm in a car with the sport suspension, which keeps the A6 relatively flat through the tight (and blind) hairpin corners on Highway 74 heading out of Palm Springs. The steering could be heavier and offer a bit more communication. The brake pedal could stand to be a bit firmer for more confident stopping as well.

What makes the air suspension better? It keeps the A6 just as composed on mountain roads while providing an overall more comfortable ride. Real talk: Your average Audi A6 customer is going to spend maybe 0.0001% of their life attacking engaging backroads; this car is first and foremost a commuter. The air springs deliver a buttery smooth ride you'll appreciate everywhere, compared to the sport chassis, which really only shines when you push the A6 hard.

Feel like taking the boring Salton Sea route instead of a trip over the mountains? Go for it. An A6 with the air suspension will be perfect for this job. And if you do want a little S6-level spicy sauce, you can equip the A6 with a sport differential that moves power between the rear wheels for added grip and stability. Optional rear-axle steering gives this not-small Audi sharper cornering manners too.

Hope you like screens

Audi calls it the "digital stage." I call it "digital overload." The A6 comes with an 11.9-inch gauge cluster and driver information display, 14.5-inch central multimedia interface and — if you pay a little extra — a 10.9-inch passenger screen. The wide, upright three-across display arrangement isn't an unusual thing to find in a modern luxury car, but for some reason, in the A6, it's all just overwhelming.

At least Audi's MMI infotainment tech works well, with easy-to-understand menu structures and super quick responses to inputs. There's a fixed row of digital climate controls along the bottom of the central screen, and flush-mounted buttons on the steering wheel let you switch through different menus in the driver's display.

Pro tip for prospective A6 buyers: Wait a few months before you get one. Audi says a small update is coming midway through the 2026 model year that'll bring some updates to the multimedia system's design. But it'll also bring an important bit of functionality: real scroll wheels on the steering wheel for audio volume and menu selection rather than the current flat, touch-sensitive sliders. A boon for usability indeed.

The rest of the A6's interior is mostly nice, though Audi's reliance on shiny piano black trim and hard plastic for the center console is a bummer. Cubbies in the doors will hold average-sized water bottles and the trunk is big enough for a couple of large suitcases. Sport seats are available on cars equipped with the aptly named Sport Plus package, and they're nicely supportive. The standard chairs are just fine, too — honestly, I don't notice a huge difference between the two seating options. And hooray, the A6 gets a variable light control glass roof that turns opaque enough to properly block out the sun on a hot/bright day. This is mega appreciated in Palm Springs, by the way.

A good car battling great cars

The Audi A6 is a fine car, and the extra S-ness really adds to its appeal. I suppose my only real complaint is that the A6 isn't much of a looker. Sure, the reconfigurable LED daytime running lights are cool, but the front end is a little blob-tastic, and the split taillights are just ... yeesh. Both the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class look better to my eyes. But maybe you see the A6 in a different light. Maybe seeing it in one of its more interesting Madeira Brown or Midnight Green hues would help too.

At the moment, the E-Class and 5 Series are Edmunds' top picks for midsize luxury sedans. And good as the new A6 is, I'm not sure I see that changing. The E-Class is more luxurious and attractive inside, and the 5 Series has the edge when it comes to road manners. The A6 offers V6 power at a four-cylinder price. But it doesn't do much else to really one-up its fiercest foes.