New Audi S6 Provides S7-Like Goodness for Less Money

Looks or Money?

At the surface, both the Audi S6 and S7 are somewhat similar vehicles. They're mechanically identical, for starters, but the S7 is clearly the swoopier, sleeker, and downright better-looking car, though looks are obviously subjective. Problem is, the S6 is also substantially cheaper - roughly $10k less, in fact. And that makes the S6 a much smarter buy in our book, so long as you don't care as much about looking as good as possible.

Photos: Audi

Filling the Gap

Both the S6 and S7 come powered by Audi's 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged and supercharged V6. It produces a healthy 444 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque with a pretty quick throttle response thanks to the addition of a 48-volt electric supercharger that fills in the torque gap while the turbos are spooling up.

Photos: Audi

>>Join the conversation about the S6 right here in Audiworld.com.

Power Distribution

The boosted V6 is backed up by Audi's version of the excellent ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, which is used in all sorts of models from a variety of manufacturers. It sends power to all four wheels, and a few interesting options like four-wheel steering and a torque-vectoring rear differential help it do a better job of that.

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>>Join the conversation about the S6 right here in Audiworld.com.

Quicker and Cheaper

Adding insult to injury, Audi claims that S6 will do 0-60 in 4.4 seconds, which is a click faster than the 4.3 seconds it takes the heavier S7 to get there. However, several testers have found that the car actually achieves that speed in the very low four-second range, which is indeed quite impressive.

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>>Join the conversation about the S6 right here in Audiworld.com.

More of Everything

The S6 and S7 are also quite similar on the inside, save for a few differences in finishes and surfaces. Otherwise, the three-screen digital interface and overall dash shape are identical. But the S6 offers up an additional inch of headroom in the front and rear, a half-inch more rear legroom, and more shoulder space than the S7.

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>>Join the conversation about the S6 right here in Audiworld.com.

One Advantage

There is one area where the S7 beats out the S6, however, and that's cargo space. It offers up 11 additional cubic feet thanks to the hatchback design, which could sway some buyers in that direction if they really need the extra room. On top of that, the S7 comes with standard LED taillights, while they're optional on the S6.

Photos: Audi

>>Join the conversation about the S6 right here in Audiworld.com.

Smart Buy

Regardless, the S6 starts out at $74,895 while the S7's base price is $84,895. A full $10k is a lot of money to pay for more cargo space and standard LED taillights, along with arguably nicer styling. But that also makes the S6 a bit of a bargain by comparison and the one that we'd personally buy out of the two.

Photos: Audi

>>Join the conversation about the S6 right here in Audiworld.com.

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