Audi RS6 Avant review

With an ever-increasing demand for sports SUVs, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the concept of a fast but practical estate car was very much on its last legs. Well, think again folks, because, as this fourth-generation Audi RS6 Avant shows, they're still coming thick and ever so fast.

Never before have we had such a talented selection of large high-performance estates at our disposal. The shortlist includes, but is not limited to the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo, a wagon that manages to combine high-class luxury with continent-crushing performance, and the Alpina B5 Touring, a 200mph BMW 5 Series with enough firepower to smear your dog liberally over the rear window. And then there's our favourite high-end performance car, the Mercedes-AMG E63 S Estate. Think of that as the automotive equivalent of a reverse mullet: squeakily sensible at the back but downright absurd up front, thanks to its ludicrous 603bhp twin-turbo V8 engine. And if you're not bothered about the estate bit, there's also the BMW M5 Competition saloon to throw into the mix. 

Is the RS6 the best of the lot? It certainly looks up for the fight, doesn’t it? Only the roof, front doors and rear hatch are carried over from the regular A6 Avant; every other panel has been stretched and flared to accommodate larger wheels, wider tracks (that's the width between the left wheels and right) and beefier exhaust pipes, so it’s certainly no shrinking violet to look at. 

Read on to find out what the RS6 is like to drive, how practical it is and how it compares with its rivals. And don’t forget, we can save you a good few quid on your next new car if you check out our New Car Buying pages.