Audi Dealer Marks Up RS6 Avant $100,000 Over Sticker Price [Update]
“RennSport” must be German for “out-of-control market adjustments.”
The Audi RS6 Avant is a hot car, and short of buying a wrecked one, you're going to be hard-pressed to find Audi's fastest wagon for under $100,000. That's some serious sticker shock, but it hasn't stopped many dealers from charging even more.
Today, we've found the craziest markup yet. At a dealership in Nevada, an RS6 Avant—not even a fully-loaded one, for the record—has been marked up a full six figures. Yes, this particular wagon is listed for a whopping $240,845 thanks to a $100,000 "Market adjustment." I need an RS6 Avant so I can drive very quickly off this planet.
The dealership, Audi of Henderson, is located just a few miles southeast of Las Vegas. Along with this RS6 Avant, it sells a variety of other new Audis, although none quite as expensive. The RS6 in question is Matte Navarra Blue, and features the Carbon Optic and Driver Assistance packages. It is currently the only RS6 Avant the dealership has on the lot, though four more are in transit to the dealership from the factory according to its website.
We contacted Audi of Henderson to see if they had any comment on why this particular markup is so high, and we were told that this markup was a "moonshot" to try and ride the wave of high car prices, especially for more expensive exotics like the RS6 Avant. The dealership's Certified Pre-Owned Manager told The Drive that the markup is likely to be reduced down to $35,000. However, shortly after this article was published, we received another message from the dealership:
"Thank you for the publicity," an official from Audi Henderson said via email. "We just sold the car. We appreciate it."
Dealer markup for desirable vehicles has always been a thing, but it's hit stratospheric levels in recent years. Some Toyota dealerships have been caught marking up Supras by as much as $40,000, and even vehicles like the RAV4 Prime see "market adjustments" to the tune of $10,000. Some automakers crackdown on these markups as Ford did last week with an overpriced Mach-E, but typically, they get swept under the rug.
With 591 horsepower from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 and Audi's legendary Quattro AWD system in a wagon body finally available to Americans, it's no secret that the RS6 Avant is desirable. When the German automaker announced the vehicle would make it to the United States, there was fanfare: finally, a fast wagon from Audi back on American shores.
Looking back on it, though, we probably should've seen the dealer drama coming.
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: peter@thedrive.com
Updated: Tuesday, March 16th at 2:51 p.m. ET: After contacting the dealership in question, we were told the markup will be reduced to $35,000 instead of the original $100,000. The fourth paragraph has been updated to reflect this.
Update 2: Tuesday, March 16th at 4:54 p.m. ET: See above comment from the dealership.
