Driving Impressions

The Audi A6 is dynamically superb. The A6 quattros deliver a feeling of being on rails, benefits of a rigid chassis, a well-engineered sports suspension, and Audi's superb all-wheel drive. The ride feels firm but is nicely damped for sharp bumps. It's among the best in class in comfort and near or at the top of class in handling. The adaptive air suspension optimizes road holding and comfort. It's a marvelous invention that really helps keep the car securely fastened to the ground. The Servotronic steering allows precise control; the driver simply thinks where he or she wants to go and the car goes there. Grip is excellent. Drive the car to its limit, impossible to do on public roads without being socially irresponsible, and you'll eventually encounter a small amount of understeer. The highly rigid chassis gives the car the feeling of being carved from one block of material. This rigidity allowed the Audi engineers to precisely tune the suspension. The A6 uses Audi's proven four-link front suspension and the self-tracking trapezoidal-link rear suspension adapted from the A8. The flat torque curve of both the V6 and V8 engines gives the A6 a feeling of smooth, sophisticated power and responsiveness at all speeds. The 3.2 V6 delivers strong response from 2000 to 6000 rpm. It offers lots of torque, giving it quick acceleration off the line and responsive performance at all speeds. Audi says the 255-hp 3.2-liter V6 is capable of propelling the A6 from 0 to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds, which is reasonably quick. We were able to easily work through traffic between Milan and Lake Como and felt no need for the more powerful V8. This impression was reaffirmed in a subsequent drive of the A6 Avant 3.2 in Italy's Dolomite Mountains. Not only was the V6 in full compliance with our lead-footed driving habits, if we hadn't occasionally looked in the mirror, we couldn't have told whether we were driving the sedan or the wagon as we raced up and down the twisting alpine roads. The V6 gets an EPA-rated 19/26 mpg City/Highway. The 4.2 V8 features direct injection and produces 350 horsepower, enough to propel the A6 4.2 from 0 to 60 in 5.8 seconds, which is quite quick indeed. Better yet, the increased power comes with an improvement in fuel mileage. The 4.2 gets an EPA-estimated 18/25 mpg City/Highway, respectable for a sports sedan. The A6 mounts its engines longitudinally, rather than sideways, improving the flow of power between front and rear wheels and improving driving dynamics. The six-speed automatic transmission is super smooth and adds considerably to the joy of driving the A6 and its responsive performance. If the mood strikes you, shift into the Tiptronic mode and shift manually, but we found it worked exceptionally well in Drive. It always seems to be in the right gear, whether quick acceleration is wanted or smooth, quiet cruising is preferred. The CVT in the front-drive model is also surprisingly sporty and is the perfect choice for the owner whose driving terrain is mostly urban streets.

Final Word

The Audi A6 excels at driving dynamics. It's a wonderful car for quick commuting, smooth high-speed travel, and spirited driving. It's smooth and quiet, good for easy conversation and listening pleasure. It's right up there with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series in terms of safe and secure motoring, particularly when weather enters the picture. When conditions get really slick, you can't beat quattro. NewCarTestDrive.com editor Mitch McCullough filed this report from Milan, with Greg Brown in Italy's Dolomites.