Audi A6 - Reliability and safety

Given the sheer number of active and passive safety systems fitted to the Audi A6, it’s fair to say it should be one of the safer cars on the road. The company has a history of achieving five-star ratings from independent safety experts at Euro NCAP, and the A6 kept that trend going when it was assessed in 2018. It also earned a 93 per cent score for adult occupant protection, an 85 per cent score for child protection, 81 per cent for pedestrian safety and 76 per cent for its advanced safety tech.

Driver assists such as blind spot monitoring are optional, but Autonomous Emergency Braking and active lane-keeping assist are fitted as standard to the A6 – and that’s in addition to the usual plethora of airbags and electronic aids.

The A6 didn’t appear in our most recent Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, but Audi’s 30th-place finish out of 32 brands in our best manufacturer rankings doesn’t do much to inspire confidence. This was well below all of its rivals, such as BMW, Mercedes, Alfa Romeo and Jaguar.

Warranty 

The news here is fine, but nothing more. Audi’s three-year, 60,000-mile warranty was once average for the industry, but it is now looking slightly ungenerous. BMW and Mercedes offer no mileage cap with their three-year policies, for example. You can always opt to extend your warranty to a four-year/75,000 mile, or five-year/90,000 mile policy, at an additional cost.

Servicing

Audi offers the choice of either a fixed or flexible service plan. Which one is best for you will depend on your predicted annual mileage. The fixed plan involves a service every 18,600 miles or two years, while the flexible plan involves an oil change every 9,300 miles or one year, and a full service every 18,600 miles or two years.