Audi A6 4.2: Test driven!

The Times-Tribune has a review of the Audi A6 4.2.

I’ve long been a fan of the Audi aesthetic. From the Bauhausian statement of the TT coupe and roadster to the plutocratic bearing of the continent-conquering A8, Audi’s line of cars and wagons typically embody a mix of imagination and intelligent restraint.

So as the A6 entered its most recent comprehensive remake, I wonder aloud: Have the designers at VW’s luxury division finally perfected a formula that’s been over a decade in the making?

The answer, as it happens, is “yes” — or at least a strong “I think so.”

With its bold lines, pronounced front grille, low-slung roofline and choice of powerful engines, the A6’s evolution has arrived at a sedan that’s at once familiar but now newly broad-shouldered and handsome. Throw in a choice of powerful V6 or V8 engines and a slick six-speed Tiptronic transmission, and Audi seems to have a real player in its quest for upper-management bonuses.

It’s easy to detect the original A6’s DNA in the new model. Check out the long nose, arched coupe-like roof and snubbed rear end. Gone is the tentative roundness of the old in favor of a design that’s a symphony of straight lines, sharp creases and bulges that create a sense of forward momentum. Indeed, the newest A6 looks like it’s put in a year at the gym and is ready to rumble.

And, oh, what an interior. Like its parent VW, no one makes a better mass-market driver’s environment. Featuring a herd’s worth of leather, a couple board-feet of stained bird’s eye maple and plenty of nicely textured plastic and rubber surfaces, the A6 cockpit is at once inviting and all-business.

The good: Butter-smooth and powerful V8, sumptuous interior, sculpted exterior, quiet yet buttoned-down ride quality, all-wheel drive sure-footedness.

The bad: Sport suspension might be too stiff for some, two-ton curb weight assures that engine has work cut out, fiddly Multimedia Interface system, breath-taking sticker.

Bottom line: Audi’s lovely mid-line luxury cruiser adds enough “sport” to the mix to give the BMW 5 Series a run for its money.

GermanCarBlog, Audi A6

Source: The Times-Tribune via AudiWorld, picture by Audi of America

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