2023 Audi S6 First Test: The Stealthy Sports Sedan Hangs in There

If there were an endangered species list for the auto market, the gasoline-powered sport sedan segment would be classified in the critical category, just after proper two-door coupes. With total electrification looming combined with the buying public's thirst for SUVs, traditional, conventionally powered four-doors like the Audi S6 have become an increasingly rare sight.

Still, legacy automakers like Audi have gotten close to perfecting the formula for their conventional sport sedans. The S6 boasts a powerful and refined drivetrain, sophisticated air suspension, and a beautifully crafted interior. So what if you must visit a gas pump every once in a while—what's not to like? That's what we set out to explore when we hopped behind the wheel of this 2023 Audi S6.

S Is for Style and Substance

Our 2023 Audi S6 test car arrived painted an oh-so-bougie shade of Aviator Gray, which is right on the money for the neutrals Los Angeles-area car aficionados have come to love so much. Its 21-inch wheels sport a slick directional design, as well, invoking a sense of motion even when the S6 is sitting in a parking lot. The mostly black interior makes use of high-quality metal accents and some beautiful pieces of unfinished carbon-fiber weave trimming the doors and dash. Red stitching on the steering wheel, seat belts, and quilted leather seat backs hint at the S6's sportiness.

Standard adaptive air suspension makes the S6 as comfortable as a living-room sofa around town. It glides over most road surfaces, even rough pavement, quietly and smoothly. In the Comfort or Auto drive modes, there's plenty of body roll, but these modes make coddling  occupants its top priority. As we luxuriated in our test car's cabin, we soaked up sounds from the premium Bang & Olufsen audio system, which came equipped as part of the S6's available Prestige package.

See All 34 Photos34

The Audi S6 also packs some serious performance hardware. In addition to its sizzling 2.9-liter twin-turbo and e-supercharged V-6 engine, slick-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission, and standard all-wheel-drive system, our test car came equipped with the S Sport package. This suite adds all-wheel steering, a sport exhaust with real exhaust tips(!), a sport rear differential, and red brake calipers.

On the road, the result is thrilling acceleration. The all-wheel-drive system has no problem putting down 444 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque, amounting to an as-tested 0-60-mph time of 4.5 seconds. As the S6 surges forward, the exhaust snaps and cracks with the fury of a supercar, especially when the drive mode is configured to Dynamic. Instantaneous shifts ensure steady power delivery, and dropping down a gear results in burbly overrun.

Strong brakes and rear steering make the S6 a match for a curvy canyon road. The adaptive air suspension erases body roll as soon as you begin chucking the car around. Audis have been criticized for vague steering in the past, but a surprisingly direct and immediate tiller here lends itself to remarkable driver confidence. The S6's handling chops take on an even more theatrical air as the engine sings and the exhaust rumbles. There are sharper and more aggressive sport sedans on sale but few that can capture the aural thrills of the S6.

See All 34 Photos34

Tech and Safety

Nearly as impressive as the S6's overall driving panache is its suite of infotainment and active safety technology. Audi has stuck with its dual display center stack layout, with the top screen serving as the traditional infotainment unit and the bottom screen as the climate controller. Normally, we'd gripe about the absence of buttons and hard touch controls, but Audi's UI makes use of a distinctive haptic click that serves as audio feedback when an on-screen button is pressed. The software is easy to navigate, and we seldom made mistakes while cruising through the S6's various pages that adjust temperature or sound system settings. Audi has paid attention to which hard controls are absolutely necessary; there's a volume knob on the radio unit and a scroll wheel on the steering wheel for absolute accuracy and ease of use. We'd be remiss to not praise the digital instrument cluster, as well, which is easy to read and offers plenty of configurations depending on the driver's individual taste.

We have to call out Audi's choice to exclude some of the most popular driver assistance technology from the list of standard features, which is a bit of disappointment given its base price of $75,390. The automaker does include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, automatic emergency braking, and automatic high-beams on all models, however, you have to get the Prestige package to get everything else. This suite adds a premium of $8,800 to the S6's sticker, and includes goodies like Audi's signature HD Matrix-design LED headlights, power soft-closing doors, and a head-up display. It also adds all of the missing active safety tech: blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, side cross-traffic alert, and traffic sign recognition. This grade also equips the S6 with a 360-degree camera view, which is displayed on the center screen with crisp graphics. In short, our Prestige-package-equipped S6 test car didn't leave us wanting for much in the technology department.

See All 34 Photos34

Which Is Better: S6 or S7?

When we reviewed the slick-looking 2023 Audi S7, we praised it for most of the same positive qualities as the Audi S6. We even went as far as calling it a bargain, especially when its performance is comparable to other sporty luxury cars like the Porsche Panamera, the Tesla Model S, and the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe.

Still, one of our few criticisms of the S7 was that it commands a hefty premium over its conventionally shaped S6 stablemate despite similarities in performance and equipment. After putting the S6 through its paces, we've verified that buyers aren't missing out on much if they don't spring for the S7. With an as-tested time of just 4.1 seconds to 60 mph, the S7 is a somewhat surprisingly 0.4 second quicker than the S6. Cargo access is easier in the S6's big brother thanks to the S7's hatchback decklid.

Still, we'd recommend shoppers stick to the S6, as it's a steal relative to the S7. Audi asks $75,390 for a 2023 S6, while the 2023 S7 starts at $85,190. Our heavily equipped S6 test car rang up at $91,665 even though it was outfitted with the Prestige package, S Sport package, Design edition package, and the incredibly high-resolution S-branded Audi Beam puddle lights. Where the S7 was a bargain with a caveat, the S6 is simply a good buy.

See All 34 Photos34

Closing Thoughts

The best thing about an all-arounder like the S6 is that it's the right choice for nearly every job. A dual personality of canyon-carving savvy and around-town comfort make the 2023 Audi S6 enjoyable in nearly every driving situation. Some shoppers will still be drawn to the allure of sporty EVs, but those who crave the excitement of a well-tuned internal combustion engine and a crackling performance exhaust will be completely satisfied with what the S6 has to offer.