The
A6 is now in its fourth year of production, yet it still looks like it just rolled
off a show stand. Audi's trademark arcing roofline sweeps back elegantly into
the rear deck area, almost suggesting a fastback appearance. Tasteful chrome accents
highlight the design without being overly decorous. In short, it's beautiful. Fortunately,
it's also a terrific luxury sedan, too. Being an Audi, the A6 has a decidedly
Germanic flavor (go figure), so if you're expecting cushy seats of the Buick Park
Avenue variety, you will be disappointed. No, the Audi's leather buckets are firm
and wonderfully supportive in all the right places. The no-nonsense dashboard
has clear, legible gauges and is assembled with uncanny build quality and gorgeous
materials, but the center stack has a bad case of buttonitis that makes adjusting
the climate and stereo controls a hunt-and-peck affair. Power
comes from a choice of engines, including a 220-hp 3.0-liter V-6, a 250-hp 2.7-liter
turbocharged V-6 and a 300-hp 4.2-liter V-8. There is also a high-performance
model called the S6, which features a turbocharged version of the 4.2-liter V-8
and produces a whopping 340 horsepower. The 2.7T is available with a 6-speed manual
transmission, and all are available with self-shifters of the continuously variable
(3.0-liter-only) or a five-speed Tiptronic automatic varieties.
|