Road Tested: 2016 Audi A6 2.0T quattro

By Kris Hansen - April 30, 2016

Ordinarily we wouldn’t be terribly enthusiastic about Audi dropping a small engine in a big car. As enthusiasts, we tend to prefer small engines in small cars, big engines in big cars. We were genuinely surprised how much we enjoyed the A6 with the 2.0T engine. Of course, it helps that Audi installed an all new version of the tried and true 2 liter 4 cylinder direct injected and turbocharged engine that has been kicking around since the mid 2000s, which completely changes the game for us.

As we discovered during our first drive of the A6 2.0t, with 252hp and 273 lb/ft , the car has more than enough oomph to get moving. Audi lists the 0-60 time at 5.8 seconds, which feels about right to us, if perhaps a bit conservative. It’s not really fair to compare this engine to the larger 3.0 TFSI, for the obvious reasons, but our experience with that engine is that it feels softer at the very bottom than the 2.0TFSI, but quite a bit stronger up top. In day to day driving, unless you are the kind of person who likes to keep the revs up, the 2.0T might be enough for you.

The best thing about the little turbo engine is without question the absolutely effortless power delivery. There is no reason to wind it out unless you really want to. That big fat torque curve is very satisfying. With the 8 speed tiptronic transmission, you’re in the meat of the torque at all legal speeds, so passing and hills are no problem. The top speed is limited to 130 as usual, and being that we weren’t near a track, we didn’t have the chance to see how quickly it got there.

Driving dynamics of the A6 2.0TFSI are excellent. The A6 with the 2.0TFSI engine is almost 300 lbs lighter than the same car with the V6, and the weight loss is noticeable. The steering feels more playful than the V6 version, even with the substantial 255/40 tires. Most of our driving was more casual than performance oriented, and the A6 absolutely excels at this. The suspension tuning is perfect at all highway speeds, and in the tight twisty canyon and mountain pass roads, the A6 was a joy. As with all Audis and “standard” suspension, they reward smooth cornering technique, letting it take a set in the turn, and powering out.

We have loved the current A6 since the first time we saw it. The exterior design is supremely elegant without being ostentatious. The optional S-line exterior is surely more aggressive, but we liked the new face of the standard body just as much. We acknowledge that not everyone wants to advertise a sporty appearance, and we understand why.

We have an equal affection for the A6 interior. With some of the most comfortable seats in the business, impeccable build quality and attention to detail, the A6 brings top notch luxury to the midsize market. There have been a few subtle changes over the years, notably a new gear selector knob, and continual updates behind the scenes to the MMI system. One of the coolest features is adding the nav system’s maps to the instrument cluster when navigation is active, to reduce the need to look at the center screen.

Our time with the A6 2.0T consisted of a week of touring around Southern California. We encountered conditions ranging from LA traffic, beach communities, canyon roads and lots of desert highways and finally a long slog on the famous California freeway network. The cavernous trunk easily swallowed everything we brought and then some. We actually managed to fit 2 complete mountain bikes in the trunk with the back seats lowered. Pro tip, remove front tires, seats and pedals.

On our longer stretches of driving, we were all supremely comfortable. The A6 actually manages to rejuvenate you as you travel, allowing you to enjoy your destination as soon as you arrive. Even with 2 6 footers in the front seats, our back seat passengers never complained about space, and they enjoyed the Warm Weather package’s sun screens, and the 4 zone climate control.

Our Ibis White over Nougat Brown test car had a base price of 48,400.00, and was optioned with the Premium Plus, Warm weather and 19” wheel packages, bringing the total to 54,725.00 (with the destination charge). To us that’s a good value, considering how great the base A6 is.

We’ve sampled every variant of the A6 available in the USA at this point, and we love each for different reasons. The 2.0T version fits a spot for someone who wants the luxury, technology and safety of the A6, but doesn’t want or need maximum top end power. Oh, and it’s about 10 grand less expensive too. Seems like a great deal to us.

Standard Features –

Safety | Security

Driver and front passenger dual-stage airbags, front thorax side airbags, knee airbags and Sideguard® head curtain airbags ¹
Front passenger occupant detection — for airbags ¹
Power central locking system with safety unlock feature if airbags deploy
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and brake assist
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with secondary collision brake assist and traction control (ASR)
Anti-theft alarm system with immobilizer
Tire-pressure monitoring system
Safety belt reminder for driver and front passenger
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) in rear seats
Electromechanical parking brake

Exterior

Singleframe® grille
Xenon plus headlights with LED daytime running lights
Automatic headlights
LED taillights and rear fog lights
Power-adjustable, auto-dimming heated exterior side mirrors with memory
Integrated twin-trapezoidal exhaust outlets
Aluminum trim around exterior windows
LED turn-indicator lights integrated into the exterior side mirrors
Heated windshield washer nozzles

Interior

Three-zone automatic climate control
Three-spoke multifunction steering wheel with shift paddles
Tilt and telescopic manually adjustable steering column
Folding front center armrest with height adjustment
Power windows with one-touch up/down operation and pinch protection
Dark Brown Walnut Wood decorative inlays ²
Sunroof
Dual front sun visors with lighted vanity mirrors
Three 12-volt power outlets
Four beverage holders
Auto-dimming interior rear view mirror
Illuminated locking glove compartment
Aluminum door sill inlays
Front and rear floor mats
Aluminum-optic interior trim elements
Leather-wrapped gear selector

Seating

Leather seating surfaces
Eight-way power front seats and four-way power lumbar adjustment for driver
Split folding 60/40 rear seatbacks
Heated front seats
Driver seat memory

Infotainment | Technology

MMI® radio plus with ten speakers and single CD player with MP3 playback capability
5″ driver information system
SiriusXM® Satellite Radio with 90-day trial subscription ³
SD card slot with 64GB operating capacity (dual slots)
Cruise control with coast, resume and accelerate features
Audi music interface with Lightning adapter cable
BLUETOOTH® wireless technology preparation for mobile phone ⁴
Garage door opener (HomeLink®)
Audi pre sense® basic ⁵
Audi drive select
Rain/light sensor for automatic windshield wipers and headlights

Engineering | Performance

Engine type Four-cylinder
Displacement (cc)/Bore and stroke (mm) 1,984/82.5 x 92.8
Horsepower (@ rpm) 252 @ 5,000 – 6,000
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) 273 @ 1,600 – 4,500
Engine block Cast-iron
Cylinder head Aluminum-alloy
Valvetrain 16-valve DOHC with valvelift system
Induction/fuel injection Turbocharged/TFSI®
Acceleration (0 – 60 mph) 5.8 sec.
Top track speed 130 mph 6

Transmission | Drivetrain

Transmission Eight-speed Tiptronic® automatic transmission with quattro® all-wheel drive
Gear ratios: 1st 4.714
Gear ratios: 2nd 3.143
Gear ratios: 3rd 2.106
Gear ratios: 4th 1.667
Gear ratios: 5th 1.285
Gear ratios: 6th 1.000
Gear ratios: 7th 0.839
Gear ratios: 8th 0.667
Gear ratios: Reverse 3.317
Gear ratios: Final Drive 3.076

Steering

Type Electromechanical power steering system
Ratio 16.1:1
Turning diameter (curb-to-curb) (ft) 39.0

Suspension

Front Five-link front suspension
Rear Trapezoidal-link rear suspension

Brakes

Front (in) 13.6 (ventilated disc)
Rear (in) 13.0 (ventilated disc)

Body

Material ultra® lightweight technology – aluminum exterior body panels and a steel chassis

Warranty | Maintenance

Warranty 4-year/50,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty
Maintenance 12-month/5,000-mile (whichever occurs first) NO CHARGE first scheduled maintenance

Exterior Measurements