- audi has released prices for its 2021 rs6 avant and rs7, both of which start above $100,000.
- unexpectedly, the rs6 avant, a wagon, costs $5000 less than its mechanically identical sibling, the rs7 sportback.
- both cars are set to go on sale this spring as 2021 models.
the only thing that dampens our excitement for the upcoming 2021 audi rs6 avant and audi rs7 is their six-figure prices, but there's a silver lining: the rs6 avant wagon is $5000 cheaper than its mechanically identical rs7 sibling. audi has announced that for 2021, the rs6 avant starts at $109,995 and the rs7 starts at $114,995.
both cars come equipped with a beefy twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter v-8 that makes 591 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. all of those german ponies are sent to all four wheels via audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system. the rs6 and rs7 get standard 21-inch wheels and an air suspension, although both can be swapped out for 22-inchers and steel springs. the cars can also be had with rear-wheel steering and carbon-ceramic brakes. opting for the carbon-ceramics bumps up the top speed from 155 to 190 mph.
wagons, of course, generally have a price premium over sedans. take for instance the audis' direct competitors from mercedes. the mercedes-amg e63s sedan starts at $108,345 while the e63s wagon starts at $112,745, which is $4400 higher than the sedan. so audi's rs6 avant costs $2750 less than the e63s wagon, while the rs7 costs $6650 more than the e63s sedan. the mercedes-amgs are mechanically identical to each other and are both powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter v-8 making 603 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque.
if you throw the bmw m5 into the mix with its $104,695 starting price, you’ll see that the bavarian supersedan is the cheapest of the bunch. it undercuts the e63s sedan's price by $3650. the m6 has a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter v-8 making 600 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, with a competition version that boosts output to 617 horsepower while the torque number stays the same. bmw, much to our chagrin, doesn’t make an m5 wagon, so the comparisons end there.
so anyone seeking a top-tier german sedan or wagon has the luxury of choice: the audis, like the bmw and the mercedes-amgs, are all powered by twin-turbocharged v-8s, have all-wheel drive, and produce power in the 600-hp range. what a time to be alive.