Why Did You Choose the RS6

[Corgiman30]

Got a survey from Audi that had a lot of questions but one of the hardest was why I chose the RS6. I came down to beautiful, powerful, flexible and unique. I would be interested in hearing others’ opinions.

[monugs]

Like many enthusiasts, I have always seen the fast wagons as the perfect nexus of performance and practicality. In many ways, they are the ideal one-car garage. They have power and acceleration of a sports car in a fairly normal looking body, and they have the practicality of an SUV without the handling sacrifices that come with a high-riding vehicle.

The RS6, in particular, was always the forbidden fruit for North America, having never been offered here until now. The MB E63 was always an option, but they didn't do enough to set the body styling apart from its more pedestrian models, and the ride was always (until recently) race car stiff. Unlike MB, Audi made the RS6 styling more aggressive than a standard A6 Avant and gave the vehicle a supple ride conducive for daily driving. So when Audi announced the RS6 would come to the USA, I just knew I had to get my hands on one.

[RoadRage]

cuz it's a wagon

[Corgiman30]

cuz it's a wagon

Why not a Volvo?

[Corgiman30]

Like many enthusiasts, I have always seen the fast wagons as the perfect nexus of performance and practicality. In many ways, they are the ideal one-car garage. They have power and acceleration of a sports car in a fairly normal looking body, and they have the practicality of an SUV without the handling sacrifices that come with a high-riding vehicle.

The RS6, in particular, was always the forbidden fruit for North America, having never been offered here until now. The MB E63 was always an option, but they didn't do enough to set the body styling apart from its more pedestrian models, and the ride was always (until recently) race car stiff. Unlike MB, Audi made the RS6 styling more aggressive than a standard A6 Avant and gave the vehicle a supple ride conducive for daily driving. So when Audi announced the RS6 would come to the USA, I just knew I had to get my hands on one.

Exactly. And I should mention I was getting down to a one car home and need a “do everything” car.

[Stankia]

Why not a Volvo?

No TTV8

[YashaR8]

I've reflected on this as I'm waiting for the arrival of mine, so what I'm writing are more expectations behind my decision rather than actual experiences- hoping they will be proven true next month. I'm expecting my RS6 to be a perfect do-everything-well car; swallows double strollers, and multiple car seats on family trips and date nights in luxury while looking the business and putting down more brute power than most cars on the road when I'm commuting solo. Having always preferred sedans driving dynamics to SUVs/trucks a wagon was a no-brainer, and this was likely my first and last chance at a V8 ICE car.

I cross-shopped with the E63s, volvo, and the Panamera sport turismo. The e63 had the power and dynamics/character in spades but still seemed to harsh for a DD on ravaged northeast roads. The Avant also had a clear advantages in my eyes on exterior styling (aggressive and not as hearse-y) and I preferred the sleek, modern minimalism of the cabin over the casino-slot-machine-floor vibe of the E63s. I will say the E63 had a clear advantage in the sound department too ( although the facelift dulled the difference). The panamera sport turismo was very desirable with an interior on par or even better slightly than the RS6, but from an exterior standpoint I've always preferred the RS design language over Porsche. The Panamera was also tens of thousands more expensive if you wanted a V8, especially when you option it comparably to a moderate RS6 build while having far less usable trunk space vs the RS6, which didn't fit the mission of my purchase. Meanwhile the taycan cross turismo was too lifted and had too much unappealing body cladding for my taste. In my eye, Volvo wagons are equally as attractive as the RS6, inside and out,but currently don't offer anything approaching the power of the RS6 ( perhaps a Polestar will one day?).

[FBAnder]

An RS Avant has been on my bucket list since I was a teenager. Was hoping for the RS4 Avant but, beggars can't be choosers. I have also preferred wagons and hatchbacks and never been a fan of SUVs. I drove a Ford Explorer the other year on vacation and I disliked it passionately. Everything about it was meh. I am also a fat fuck and crawling up into an SUV is going to more quickly accelerate the destruction of certain joints.

[Vampster]

Like many enthusiasts, I have always seen the fast wagons as the perfect nexus of performance and practicality. In many ways, they are the ideal one-car garage. They have power and acceleration of a sports car in a fairly normal looking body, and they have the practicality of an SUV without the handling sacrifices that come with a high-riding vehicle.

The RS6, in particular, was always the forbidden fruit for North America, having never been offered here until now. The MB E63 was always an option, but they didn't do enough to set the body styling apart from its more pedestrian models, and the ride was always (until recently) race car stiff. Unlike MB, Audi made the RS6 styling more aggressive than a standard A6 Avant and gave the vehicle a supple ride conducive for daily driving. So when Audi announced the RS6 would come to the USA, I just knew I had to get my hands on one.

Feel the exact same way. I’ve always been a fan of the RS2, so when the RS6 was announced, I called a ton of dealerships to get on the list.


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[dent2003]

I had an E63S wagon on order when they cancelled it. Called my buddy and was lucky to get one that someone bailed on. Was down to the two cars, I honestly liked the sleeper looks of the E63s better, and the interior as well. Not sure how the RS would age.... so my choice was made for me. Just got it the other week and very excited... thinking this may be one of those things happen for a reason moments. 🤔

[jimrd]

I have always wanted an RS6 Avant. I was lucky enough to have the sedan in 2003, but it was not quite the same. I gave up waiting on the RS6 when the E63s wagon came out with 4Matic in 2014 and had one of the first delivered in the states. The car was fast and otherwise amazing to drive, but did not really do it for me when it came to looks and styling. The C7 RS6 was far better looking and offered similar performance, but was not available in the states. I ended up selling the E63s after only a year or two - it just never had the "wow" factor. I feel that for a car in that genre and price range, if you don't look back at it 2 or 3 times while walking into the grocery store, then you might have bought the wrong car. I never really felt like looking back at the E63s. With my C8 RS6, I practically walk backwards into places - can't keep my eyes off it. Add to that the performance, comfort and technology, and I couldn't be more satisfied.

Jim

[hiroshikato1]

I always wanted an avant and traded in my 2017 S6 with 24K miles in December towards my 2022 RS6.
It is big, heavy and just eats up pavement in a way that the car really should not be able to do.
Is it perfect? No.
How good it it? Good enough for me to let go of my 2019 GT3 Touring, although I am keeping my 1990 C2.
Honestly, the fact that you can go as fast as a modern Porsche(a fast modern day Porsche) yet have the wife and a child in the car while driving in the SNOW. Well, that is just truly hard to believe.
My biggest problem with the car is the auto stop/start. My friend and I tried installing the "plug and play" unit but although it works perfectly in the 2021 RS6's it does not work in the 2022's. I was instructed to pull certain pins in the CANBUS but I am just a little nervous to mess with these modern electronics. If I could remove the need to push the button like my 2017 S6... I also need to do a resonator delete because the car is really way too quiet from the factory.
Hiro

[MTV10]

An RS Avant has been on my bucket list since I was a teenager. Was hoping for the RS4 Avant but, beggars can't be choosers. I have also preferred wagons and hatchbacks and never been a fan of SUVs. I drove a Ford Explorer the other year on vacation and I disliked it passionately. Everything about it was meh. I am also a fat fuck and crawling up into an SUV is going to more quickly accelerate the destruction of certain joints.

You can also decelerate that with a proper diet/lifestyle mate

[FBAnder]

You can also decelerate that with a proper diet/lifestyle mate

Lol I am well aware.

[pwdrskr]

TL:DR: skip to the bottom...

I have a '22 RS6 on order, allocated and due to arrive early June. My reasons for an RS6 echo many of what other have said. I've been a long roof guy since the early 2000s when I bought my first Audi, the first iteration of the Allroad to hit the US shores. I ended up owning two of that version of the Allroad. Then after a hiatus into Beemer land (335xi sedan, X3 35xi), I picked up and drove a '13 B8.5 Allroad for nearly 8 years, by far the longest I've owned any vehicle. The B8.5 Allroad was (is) essentially just an A4 with a crappy suspension and some visual cues to differentiate it from the A4. It was very underpowered with a 211 HP turbo four banger and a floaty and an uninspiring suspension thanks the afforementioned raised suspension that made it a "crossover". I poured money into the car over the time I owned it to make it into the performance wagon I've always wanted, doing just about everything short of meth injection. New car models came along over the years, but nothing that really able to pull me away from that Allroad, including updated versions (B9/9.5) with an improved 2.0T. I even considered hunting down a used S4 Avant with the 340 HP V8 (a very rare bird!).

Then, amazingly, amidst the push towards the inevitable move to electric (its coming, if not already here, or so my Tesla loving best friend says), Audi decided to bring not one, but TWO new avants to the North American continent: the A6 Allroad and the one to rule them all, the RS6. The B8.5 was aging, ticking into the 6 digit mileage realm, and things started to go ($2k+ for a new water pump) last summer. The stars were aligning and it was time for a new car. We elected to go for the Allroad though. Not quite the cost of course. Still, a step up in just about every way. In luxury, certainly, if not in stock power with the V6 single turbo. With two German Shepherds, the extra space would be nice. The poor girls were quite cramped jammed into the B8.5 back seat and a full load of bags! Added an ABT AEC to bump power and torque up to ~400 each, a CETE to put ride height where is "should" be and I thought I'd be happy. After all, we had an APR tuned '19 B9 RS5 Coupe for the days the urge (need) to experience real performance hit. Yes I know there are better options for pure sports cars out there, but I'm an Audi guy through and through. Not to mention I'm very brand loyal, just look no further than the 8 pairs of Volkl skis, all current models, in our garage (yes, I use them all depending on conditions, albeit, its a bit harder since we've moved to So. Cal).

I should've been all set at this point, right? An RS5 for the adrenaline needs, and a quite nicely appointed A6 Allroad for relative practical needs. Ah, but the siren song of the super wagon kept worming into way into my brain. These forum pages didn't help either. I started scheming (rationalizing) ways to trade up to what I really wanted, not the least of which being this will likely be the last of its kind. Yet, I couldn't see doing it, not the least being the financial reasons having just last summer buying the Allroad. Then the winds of fate brought us a bit of a financial windfall and the decision was made! Into the Audi dealership I went to chat with my friendly neighborhood sales guy to see what could be done. Thanks to the messed up global supply chain, I'd be looking at ~12 months lead time for an order to get here. Nonetheless, I placed an order. Could I have scoured the web for a car sitting on a lot somewhere? Sure, but the chances of finding one that met my design wishlist was very slim. Order place, I resigned myself to the long wait.

A week or so later, I get a call from the sales manager. Who, long story short, "corrected" a couple choices I'd made on options. He also said he was working on getting me an allocation that would bring the car to us sooner...this summer. Production as moved up believe it or not, and now there is a early June delivery date. So here I sit, ~2 months out from finally sitting in my dream car.

...oh crap! I suddenly realize that I've just written a post that doesn't really answer the OP's original question. Why an RS6? Well, I just wrote it. The RS6 is my dream car. As we'd say in the Alpine skiing world, its a quiver killer. A single car that covers nearly every need. Performance? Check! Handling? Check! Space for our stuff and dogs? Check! Luxury? Most definitely! I've already informed my wife that she can "have" the RS5 as I'm going to be driving the RS6 every chance I get.

Audi wagons are aesthetically the best available to my eyes. The proportions are right. Add some aftermarket wheels and a CETE lowering module and the stance (I hate that word for some reason) are the right balance of mean/aggressive and functional. About the only thing that would make the RS6 better is a fully electric drivetrain. And yet, even as I write this, I wonder if that statement is correct. Conversion to a fully electric drivetrain would result is a different driving experience, faster acceleration and maybe (likely) better handling thanks to the lower center of gravity. Certainly, environmentally better than the ICE version we have now. However, range will take a hit, something that is a real issue for us as we take multiple trips each year to Mammoth, CA. Audi's current battery platforms would not get us there without a stop to recharge somewhere along the way. Not the end of the world, to be sure. But, it would extend what is already a long (6-7 hours!) haul. Another negative, there is a visceral experience driving a car with a multi gear transmission that is just not present with an electric. Something about the sensations (both physical and auditory) felt in a performance car as it powers through the gears. The surges as the gears engage, the burbles and pops from the exhaust. The feeling of downshifts and engine braking connect the driver in a way I don't think an electric does (no tries to). Electrics are fast, without a doubt. My buddy's Model X is downright scary with how fast it will accelerate. I can hardly imagine what a Plaid edition Model S must be like. But, the experience seemed to be bland (granted I was a passenger, not a driver).

Here I'll pause and mention Tesla vehicle history of quality issues. The aforementioned Model X, while a few years old now, looks like crap. Body panels don't fit / line up properly. The paint on the exterior trim pieces have faded and/or are pealing. One door handle was broken....and so on. Not to mention, the interior looks uninspiring to me, bland, meh, snore. As Musk has said, mass production of cars is hard. I can't see spending well over six digits on a car with those kinds of issues. Lastly, with Tesla, I have major issues with how they are developing self driving. Not with the concept, rather with how...but that is a different topic for another time.

So, to wrap up this meandering post...and answer the OP's question:

• Aesthetics of the Audi avant exterior and interior design
• Twin turbo V8 - this could almost be enough alone
• A truly utilitarian vehicle without the danger of an elevated center of gravity - plenty of cargo space
• Super car level performance
• The ultimate in "hidden" performance
• Luxury: HUD, ventilated seats, powered steering wheel
• The visceral experience
• Likely the last of it's kind, may even become a collector's car as a result
• Did I mention performance?

YIKES, that was a long post.

[ygfamily21]

i wanted a high performance family 4 door car that can carry lots of stuff but didnt want SUV or sedan. so that leaves me 3 options. Porsche panamera, e63 amg wagon and RS6. didint like amg cause didnt like the look. i didnt like panamera cause i see them everywhere. so i got RS6