From late `2014`, the facelifted `RS6 Avant C7` became the version many buyers want first: sharper styling, a more up-to-date cabin and, later on, the `Performance` derivative with up to `605 hp`. Against a BMW 5 Series Touring or a very powerful Mercedes-Benz E-Class estate, it keeps a rare balance between daily usability and mechanical violence. Used, that desirability works against the buyer: the best cars are expensive and the apparent bargains are often tired or modified.
You still get the `4.0 TFSI V8` with `8-speed tiptronic`, `quattro` and, depending on specification, either `DRC` or air suspension, with a clear image boost on `Performance` cars. The real question is not whether it feels fast, but whether servicing matched the load it carries: frequent oil changes, healthy ignition and cooling, strong brakes, large tyres, sound suspension and no software tinkering. The more power and image a car projects, the more decisive the maintenance detail becomes.