The Audi RS6 Avant used to be the forbidden fruit that American car-buyers couldn’t have. This is largely because station wagons don’t sell well in the U.S. market. Regardless, Audi decided to bring the RS6 to the U.S. for the 2021 model year. As you might expect, there is a serious amount of enthusiasm surrounding this brand-new model. As a result, The Drive reports that dealerships are asking ridiculous sums for the already expensive station wagon.

Why are dealers marking up the Audi RS6 Avant?

This Audi RS6 Avant story surrounds the simple concept of supply and demand. While it would be easy to think that a six-figure station wagon wouldn’t sell quickly, buyers are lining up in surprising numbers. This is because the RS6 is no ordinary wagon. Under the hood lives a twin-turbo V8 developing 591 hp. Power is sent to all four wheels, allowing the wagon to reach 60 mpg in 3.1 seconds and continue to a top speed of 190 mpg.

Given the relatively small production numbers, finding an RS6 Avant is a tough task. As a result, The Drive reports that dealerships across the U.S. have decided to take advantage of this unfortunate situation. The markups for the Audi RS6 Avant are surprisingly apparent. This is because dealers call this phenomenon the “market adjustment.” This essentially allows them to inflate the value to what they think it’s worth, not what the sticker price dictates. The Drive reports markups ranging from $15,000 all the way to $50,000.

What can Audi buyers do about it?

If you are interested in purchasing an Audi RS6 Avant, you don’t have many choices available. The main thing you should do is shop around at various dealerships. Unfortunately, you won’t find any deals to be had. The Drive reports a case involving Audi Queens, where a salesman offered a potential buyer an RS6 with a $15,000 market adjustment. In an ultimate slap in the face to the buyer, the Audi Queens salesman reportedly said that other dealers are charging $20,000 over, implying this buyer is getting a good deal.

However, The Drive reports a separate situation involving a window sticker submitted by a viewer. The vehicle in question is located at Audi of Burlington and shows a market adjustment of $50,000. This takes the $132,720 base price all the way to $186,710 once you factor in all of the associated options.

The worst Audi RS6 Avant offense involves the highly limited Nogaro Blue Tribute Edition. According to The Drive, a buyer recently enquired about this limited edition and found a dealership selling it for close to $200,000. Keep in mind this is despite having a $136,800 base price.

This may hurt the carmaker in the long run

While these hopeful Audi RS6 Avant buyers are the losers in the short term, the carmaker could ultimately suffer. Throughout this fiasco, we’ve seen various dealerships exposed for engaging in these greedy practices. As a result, this could discourage future buyers from a model that desperately needs them. Additionally, it may steer buyers to potential options such as the E63 S Wagon from Mercedes-AMG. For now, buyers should hold on to their cash and wait for this initial excitement to die down.