2024 Audi RS6 Avant Performance Tested: More Power Means It’s Quicker—Right?

The 2024 Audi RS6 Avant Performance is a two-car solution that happens to be one car. That was just one of many bold statements to come from road test editor Chris Walton after piloting Audi’s super wagon, and you know what? He ain’t wrong. It’s quick and fun, it seats five, it hauls an impressive 59 cubic feet worth of cargo, and jeez, would you just look at it? Family-friendly transportation shouldn’t look or act like this Audi, which delivers what you’d normally require two separate (and very different) cars to enjoy. We’ve been enamored with the RS6 since it graced our shores four years ago, and now it gets even better for the 2024 model year with a bump in power and a couple tweaks to improve handling.

We’ve long thought the RS6 deserved more than 600 horsepower—it previously slummed it with a mere 591 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque—and our wish finally came true. Larger turbos and an increase in boost elevate the RS6’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 to a heady 621 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque. And like before, that power is routed through an eight-speed automatic and Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive to all four tires.

Given the RS6’s newfound power, Audi claims the trip to 60 mph now takes only 3.3 seconds, 0.2 second quicker than before. Our pre-test guesstimate was even more ambitious at 2.9 seconds, given the less powerful 2021 RS6 we tested years ago ran to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and the quarter mile in 11.5 seconds at 120.2 mph.

That didn’t happen. In fact, the best the 2024 RS6 musters is 3.4 seconds to 60 mph and 11.8 seconds for the quarter mile, with a trap speed of 118.6 mph. Looking back at our test of the 2021 Audi RS6, we found that wagon launched stronger, reaching 30 mph a couple ticks quicker than the 2024 RS6 and maintaining that gap through the entire run. So not only is the 600-hp-plus 2024 RS6 Avant slower than in past years, but it is also even slower than the last Mercedes-AMG E63 S 4Matic+ sport wagon we tested, a 2021 model that ran to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds flat and through the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds. (A new E63 is likely coming soon based on the newest Mercedes-Benz E-Class and could be even more powerful than today’s 603-hp version.) The newest RS6 also trails the 2021 Porsche Panamera Turbo S Sport Turismo (2.7 and 11.0 seconds to 60 mph and the quarter mile). 

This is a bit of a head scratcher because the 2024 RS6 is seemingly on point at the track. Its all-wheel-drive grip and straightforward, easy-to-activate launch control yield nothing but impressive and consistent runs. Its slower performance could come down to many factors, including surface conditions (the cars were tested at different tracks) and tires; the 2021 RS6 was fitted with Pirelli P Zeros, while this 2024 RS6 came fitted with Continental SportContact 7s. And with a curb weight of 4,902 pounds, the 2024 RS6 is heftier by 40 pounds, all of which can be attributed to its standard steel brake rotors versus the 2021 RS6’s optional carbon-ceramic discs, which are 75 pounds lighter—not an insignificant amount when it comes to unsprung weight that also contributes rotational inertia. In an ideal world, our 2024 RS6 test car would’ve also had the carbon brakes, but they’re not available for this model year. According to an Audi rep, the fancy brakes will return for model year 2025 but only as a special-order item.

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That said, the pre-refreshed RS6’s carbon brakes and Pirellis were among our short list of weaknesses (along with its relatively low horsepower). That isn’t the case with the 2024’s standard steel brakes and new Contis. Not only do the brakes feel more predictable, but they also help halt the RS6 from 60 mph in just 101 feet, a whopping 12 feet shorter than before, as well as bettering the Mercedes-AMG E63 (104 feet) and Porsche Panamera Turbo S Sport Turismo (102 feet).

The brakes and new rubber also contribute to an improved experience and lap time on our figure-eight course, which the 2024 RS6 completes in 23.6 seconds with a max lateral acceleration of 0.98 g (0.6 second and 0.03 g better than the 2021 RS6). That’s good enough to tie with the Porsche and outrun the AMG by 0.6 second. In addition to improved braking, the torque-vectoring rear sport differential and rear steering system are both assets, contributing to the Audi’s admirable behavior at both corner entry and exit. Steering feels precise and less numb than before.

Our test car rides on the standard air suspension, which does an admirable job of keeping the ride quality relatively smooth considering it has to tame gigantic 22-inch wheels and tires with short sidewalls. But it’s no miracle worker—especially with the rough and pitted roads in and around Los Angeles. Consider the standard 21-inch wheels for a better ride and no penalty to the RS6’s stunning style.

Although the 2024 Audi RS6 doesn’t run from 0 to 60 mph in under 3 seconds like we had hoped, you won’t find us dwelling on that fact, and neither should you. Audi’s super wagon is still super special, a spectacular standout among the ubiquitous super SUVs favored by many Americans. Do what you can to get one. Even if it means going from a two-car household to a one-car household.

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