We love sports cars here at Hypebeast. There's personality and charm in them, since they are so purpose built and meant to achieve one thing above all else – a good time.
With that being said, we understand the world we live in requires a bit of practicality and we're not all race car drivers, even though we aspire for that lifestyle. We look for cars that make sense in our lives, filled with people, stuff, equipment, groceries, anything that helps make our day-to-day easier. So cars like the Audi RS6 Avant makes a ton of sense, and when we got the chance to drive one for the long July 4 weekend we couldn't help ourselves to test drive it to the max, via a road trip.
On our 450+ mile drive from Orange County to Los Angeles, up to Monterey, through San Jose and ending in San Francisco, we got a lot of seat time in the ultra-fast long body RS6 Avant (see: Audi speak for wagon or estate car) and contemplated just how amazing a car like this really is. It's beyond capable, well-rounded, accomplished and, best of all, fun to drive.
Here are our five key takeaways from our 4-day trip.
It's Incredibly Spacious
For starters, let's talk about the capacity inside the doors, rather than under the hood.
Whatever you want to call it – an Avant, an estate, or a touring edition – the fact of the matter is that station wagons are huge. Audi states the maximum capacity of the rear cargo hatch is 30 cubic feet, which was large enough for two check-in luggages stacked on top of each other, a duffle on the side, and a backpack squeezed in. Naturally a long weekend drive, even with an abundance of snacks, drinks, and shopping bags, was not a problem at all.
With the seats folded down, your station wagon is now a comparable studio apartment – with just a driver and passenger up front, the rear cargo capacity explodes to nearly 6.5 feet in length. The split folding rear seats meant that even if we did have a third occupant in the car, that 6.5' could potentially store a third suitcase, should you happen to have rally up a friend from the airport which we gladly did not have to do. The RS6 Avant also includes both a (automatically deployable) rear cargo cover as well as a passenger dividing cargo net, the latter of which is convenient for either dogs or keeping your luggage from sliding into the back seats if you stacked them high enough.
In summary, even for a weekend road trip, the space inside the RS6 Avant is overkill.
It's Crazy Quick, Especially in (Your) RS Mode
What's an RS without a huge engine, and what's a fun road trip without something fast and fun? And we quickly realized how quick the RS6 Avant was once we hit the road and the GPS told us to "continue for 165 miles."
Let's go over the stats: 4.0L V8 engine, twin-turbocharged to produce 621 horsepower and a colossal 627 lb-ft of torque. Note that while tuning is slightly different, this is the same exact engine found in the Lamborghini Urus; more on that later. 0-60 is done in 3.2 seconds, but unscientifically we found it closer to 3.7 seconds, perhaps due to our luggage and passenger weight. Nevertheless, the RS6 Avant is fast and it if we're being real, it feels even faster because of its giant size and long wheel base – like a missile being shot out of a silo, metaphorically.
One thing we did play around with a lot is the "RS" button, easily found on the steering wheel. The car comes with three drive modes to choose from: Comfort, Auto, and Dynamic. The latter which was widely recognized across Audi models as the Sport mode which gave the suspension, steering, throttle sensitivity and (synthetic) engine sound an aggressive approach. The RS button allowed for two customizable settings for these factors, as well as control over the car's ESC or stability control.
With one of the RS modes selected, it felt like these attributes were essentially copied over from Dynamic mode, but almost with a "secret menu" setup that went above the "Sport" options. For example, when we were in Dynamic, we felt no wheel hop and the car shifted a few hundred revs under redline, while RS mode easily chirped the tires and redlined consistently. Needless to say, we largely stayed in RS modes; RS1 with everything in Sport except the steering (for straight line comfort), and RS2 with everything "to 11." We can't say which mode we liked better, just that we liked both.
It Makes for an Awesome Long Distance GT Car
When Audi offered us a fully kitted out RS6 Avant for a week, we knew we had to take a road trip.
Our journey was one that was new to us, but tried and true to petrolheads: Los Angeles to San Francisco, up the coast of Big Sur. After a quick load up of water and snacks in Orange County, we began our trip at 7:00am local time and drove largely without interruption to Monterey, where we'd be staying for the night.
Besides an inherent thirst you'd come to expect from a 4.0L twin-turbo V8 (22 mpg combined in case you were wondering), the RS6 Avant performed without a hiccup. Grand Tourers are made to accomplish one thing exceptionally well – long distance travels in a fast, sleek car that's loaded with creature comforts. We already covered how quick the RS6 Avant is, and without divulging exactly how fast, let's say we arrived a bit earlier than expected.
Sleekness is thanks to the long roof and widebody fender arches, as well as the optioned Black Optic Package that deletes all chrome or contrast badging from the already-menacing Mythos Black Metallic paint.
And creature comforts-wise, we enjoyed the incredibly comfortable yet sporty seats, $5,000 USD Bang & Olufsen sound system, radar-guided cruise control and excellent technology packed in the Driver Assistance Package, which essentially drove (and parked) the car itself.
If we were to gripe however, one feature that would've made the trip just a bit closer to perfection was massaging seats, but we steadily reminded ourselves that this was an Audi for performance-oriented drivers with families, not an over-the-top luxury cruiser for millionaires. Alas, we had to make do with "just" heated and ventilated seats.
It's Pretty Low Key
British Racing Green Aston Martin DB12, Papaya Orange McLaren GTS, red Ferrari anything – sure they look great, but what if you don't want to stand out? Enter the RS6 Avant.
Ironically, we came to the conclusion that even a standard RS6 non-wagon would probably be more noticeable than the Avant, simply because it's a station wagon. How does that work? Well, to the untrained eye or non car-person, this is just an Audi wagon, meant to be practical, safe, and perfect for family daily use. To enthusiasts however of course it's a supercar-killing estate that's rare and coveted, but to most – especially in black – it's fairly low key.
We'll start with the Lamborghini Urus comparisons now in fact – the growling, viscerally loud "Super SUV" is something we can all spot a mile away these days, largely for its looks and oversized presence. With the RS6 Avant, you're getting essentially the same engine, in a shell that's even more spacious, and a body style that's even better looking. And if the whole point of your weekend getaway is to "get away," why not fly under the radar?
It's Amazing Value for Money
And lastly, let's go over cost.
Our 2024 Audi RS6 Avant, equipped with the B&O stereo, Black Optics Package, Driver Assistance Package and the optional Mythos Black Metallic paint came in at just over $142,000 USD after taxes and destination. Base price starts at $125,800 USD.
A 2024 Lamborghini Urus S – its lowest trim level – starts at $245,000 USD, more than $100,000 USD more than the optioned Avant. Same engine. Same occupancy number. Even more cargo space. Subjectively sleeker and sexier design. If it were our money, we'd go for the RS6 Avant any day of the week, any trip of the year.
Sure the wagon build isn't a car that will fulfill sports car dreams, and it's no two-seater roadster that's meant to blast through windy roads, but the RS6 Avant's charm comes in its well-rounded capabilities, a car you'll consistently be surprised to drive anywhere, while putting a smile on your face. If you have the means, your two-car solution would definitely include this, while perhaps a V10 R8 parks next to it. If you don't have the means, who would expect the RS6 Avant to grab the kids, hit up Costco, camp at Idyllwild and warp speed down the interstate on the way back, all on the same weekend? We certainly didn't.
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