Audi A6 review

Overview

The facelift C7 A6 offers another route into older-premium ownership, with understated styling rather than an overtly sporting presentation. This review selects the 2015–2016 190 PS 2.0 TDI ultra SE saloon with seven-speed S tronic and front-wheel drive. Earlier diesel outputs, Multitronic, quattro, Avant and the later C8 are kept separate. Audi's February 2015 UK guide supplies the derivative facts; Auto Express and Carwow's archived material provide generation context. RoadMatch regards it as an option for regular longer journeys when a premium cabin matters. It should not win a shortlist solely because depreciation makes its original market position available for a mainstream-car purchase budget.

Exterior and interior

Carwow's archived review and Honest John's public generation preview give context about the A6's appealing cabin and restrained layout. They do not establish the condition or option list of the vehicle you are considering. Operate the pop-up display, controller, switches and climate system, then examine seat bolsters, door pulls and luggage trim. A later SE Executive in the illustrative UK photograph is not proof that an early SE has identical equipment. Check the build record and invoices instead of inferring specification from leather seats or large wheels. Quiet, expensive-looking presentation can be attractive, but unexplained warning messages and missing maintenance records should remain visible in your decision.

Practicality

Audi's saloon technical table lists 530 litres with the rear seats upright. The Avant's different body and load opening are not merged into that figure. Try your regular luggage through the saloon aperture and check the actual seat-folding arrangement rather than relying on an estate review's description. Rear passengers should assess the centre position, foot space and headroom with the front seats set normally. Fit the child restraints you own and check buckle access. A large executive body does not automatically solve three-across family requirements. Measure the car against your parking space as well as your luggage: a spacious interior can be less useful when everyday access is awkward.

Driving experience

RoadMatch has not conducted a road test. The selected A6 is considered for a restrained, long-distance premium use case, and your own route should test whether its comfort and visibility suit you. Include rough streets, warm cruising, reversing on a slope and low-speed traffic. This is front-wheel drive, not quattro, so badges, photographs and seller descriptions need checking carefully. Look for vibration, inconsistent tracking, suspension knocks and brake pulsing. Try the S tronic both from cold and once thoroughly warm, noting hesitation or shudder rather than treating every response as a harmless dual-clutch characteristic. Wheel size, tyres and alignment can change your impression substantially on an older car.

Performance

Audi's February 2015 saloon table gives the 190 PS ultra seven-speed S tronic an 8.2-second 0–62 mph time. The six-speed manual has a separate 8.4-second figure; neither should be replaced with performance from a lighter model using a similarly named engine. Output is approximately 187 bhp, not 190 imperial horsepower. That is useful ordinary performance for an executive saloon rather than a sporting S6 proposition. Confirm the gearbox and front-wheel-drive identity before applying the numbers. Test smooth acceleration after warm-up and investigate warnings, unusual smoke or persistent hesitation. Unverified engine tuning creates questions about insurance and compliance rather than supplying a dependable upgrade in value.

Fuel economy

The relevant 17-inch-wheel S tronic column in Audi's February 2015 UK table lists 67.3 mpg combined NEDC. Bigger wheel configurations have different figures, and the manual's economy is not substituted. This is an historical laboratory value, not WLTP or a guaranteed owner average. RoadMatch uses 50 mpg as an explicit budgeting assumption in the cost illustration. Regular longer trips can make the diesel worth comparing; repeated cold short journeys weaken that case. Check the exact car's emissions classification and any relevant local access rules separately. An ultra badge describes a derivative family, not a promise that fuel, tax, diagnosis and every repair will be inexpensive for an ageing used example.

Reliability

The principal buying question is whether a complex older diesel automatic has evidence of appropriate care. Ask Audi or a qualified specialist to confirm the VIN-specific engine, gearbox and emissions-system requirements, then request the corresponding invoices. Do not transplant a service schedule from a different transmission carrying an Audi badge. Check cold and warm engagement, diagnostic warnings, coolant leaks and emissions repair history. RoadMatch's moderate-confidence 3.4/5 is an ownership judgement, not a measured failure rate. Owner anecdotes can guide questions without proving that every car develops the same fault. An independent inspection and diagnostic assessment are sensible when a substantial repair would undermine the ownership budget.

Safety

The linked Euro NCAP material is the 2011 A6 generation assessment, not the C8's later result or a newly tested facelift. Readers can inspect tested configuration and applicability at the source; protected ratings and graphics are not reproduced. Build records should establish which optional assistance systems the particular car has, and relevant repairs should prompt questions about calibration. Check airbag lamps, belts, child-restraint fit, tyres and brakes. A camera-shaped housing or a premium trim description does not prove adaptive cruise or a functioning collision-avoidance system. Registration-specific recall checks are useful but cannot establish maintenance quality, structural repair quality or the roadworthiness of an individual used A6.

Technology and features

Audi's period SE equipment documents SD-card navigation, but it is not a substitute for confirming the actual comfort and assistance options. RoadMatch keeps sensors, heating, cruise and camera functions conditional until the fitted specification is established. Factory Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not promised for this early derivative; a later interface or aftermarket installation requires its own evidence and phone demonstration. Test the pop-up display, controller, Bluetooth calls, climate controls and all parking equipment. Ordinary cruise must not be described as adaptive cruise simply because buttons appear on the steering column. Connected services and old maps should be evaluated for present usefulness rather than assumed available from a brochure written when new.

Running costs

RoadMatch's illustrative £8,500–£15,000 shopping band is dated September 2026 and is not a live-market valuation. At 8,000 miles, 50 mpg budgeted and diesel assumed at £1.55 per litre, annual fuel is approximately £1,127. A £200 tax placeholder plus £700–£1,250 for routine service, MOT and wear gives roughly £2,050–£2,600. Substitute actual local prices and the registration's tax. Insurance, finance, depreciation and major repairs are excluded; a separate four-figure repair reserve remains sensible. Audi's technical table quotes the highest engine-family insurance group, not a verified exact SE rating, so the matcher leaves that field unknown rather than inventing a range or a personal premium.

Advantages and disadvantages