Audi officials are calling the fantastic new A6 their "center of gravity." Audi's sales have taken off the
past couple years and the company's new luxury sedan is certain to keep that momentum going.
Indeed, Audi is here to stay.
We hated to give our A6 back to them. We loved its elegant looks and friendly interior. We enjoyed its brisk
performance. We appreciated its outstanding performance in bad weather. The week we spent in it seemed way too short.
The A6 is a beautiful luxury car. Audi designed it with the style and elegance of a coupe. It's instantly
recognizable as a member of the Audi family. Headlights, hood and bumpers blend to reveal a familiar face
while advanced lighting technology, visible behind polycarbonate lenses, add sparkle and style. Curvaceous
lines caress the eyes. The wind glides across the gracefully flowing hood, up and over the sweeping roof
line and down the smooth rear deck lid, slipping through the wind with a low 0.28 drag coefficient.
One of the most significant details is something you don't really see at first. The A6 comes together
in seamless form, with body gaps kept to less than 3 millimeters.
Car design is a question of trade-offs, and all too often a stylish exterior means a compromised interior.
But not so with the A6. It's a roomy car, offering more than an inch of additional headroom over the previous
model (now 39.3 inches or 38.5 as tested with sunroof). Rear-seat passengers will enjoy an additional two inches
of legroom.
Dynamically, the A6 is as good as it looks. A6 engineers took lessons from Audi's all-aluminum A8 high-performance
luxury sedan. Pound-for-pound, aluminum is significantly stronger than steel and the A6 makes extensive use of
it. The aluminum hood is 36 percent lighter than the hood on last year's model, yet it's 20 percent more rigid.
Door frames, side-impact beams and bumper mounts are made of aluminum. Overall, the body of the A6 has 50 percent
greater torsional rigidity even though it is 30 percent lighter. That translates into less shimmy and shake on
rough roads and helps isolate noise. A rigid chassis also provides the basis for precise suspension tuning,
contributing to the A6's excellent handling and ride.
Audi's objective was to design a world class car with a world class interior. The passenger compartment offers
a full six cubic feet of additional volume over last year's model. And, at 17.1 cubic feet, the trunk is one of
the largest in its class, with enough room to store a week's worth of luggage and a couple of sets of golf clubs.
The rear seat folds down to provide room for skis or long packages.
German automakers are justifiably well known for their ergonomic interiors and Audi offers exquisite attention
to detail on the A6. Switches are easy to reach and operate. Gauges are easy to see and read. Best of all, Audi
has gone for a warmer, friendlier feel where BMW and Mercedes-Benz products tend to be Teutonically cold and
efficient. At night, the glowing orange-red lights and indicators are calmly reassuring.
Echoing Audi's extensive use of aluminum for structural applications, the gear shift bezel is made of aluminum
buffed to a high gloss. It's a visually exciting, high-tech look. That look is balanced by the warmth of lots of
real wood that looks like real wood, not over-polished plastic.
Audi now offers three distinct interior styles or "Atmospheres" that come in an extensive range of colors and
tones. Each atmosphere surrounds its occupants with a distinctly different character distinguished by the texture
and appearance of the seat upholstery and the color and type of wood and aluminum trim. The classic touring sedan
look is found in "Ambition," which features rich, dark woods with classic, deep-colored leather tones. Lighter
