My Search:

Before I get to the actual review, I just want to give some context as to what kind of car I am looking for in terms of needs and preferences. This was you’ll have a better basis for how my opinion may or may not fit with your own.

With my lease on my Saab 9-3 up in a few months, I am finally getting out to test drive the myriad of cars that are on my list as possible replacements. The car I purchase (or lease) will be my primary means of getting back and forth to work in L.A. traffic. I don’t need to carry many other people in the car, so I just need it to be comfortable up front and enough space in back to hold one (or both) of my kid’s car seats in a pinch. This will not be our main family car - that’s what we bought our Honda Odyssey for, after all.

I’d like a car with decent performance; although I won’t be racing it anytime soon and I do live in southern CA, so fuel economy is somewhat important. As far as handling goes, I’m not the kind of driver who is looking for a car that feels "toss-able" or allows me to induce oversteer. I think the best word to describe the handling characteristics I’m looking for would be "confidence". I want a car that feels like it can handle anything I can throw at it and still stay below its limits. And I’m getting old enough that I’m also willing to give up some handling capability for a little smoother ride.

As far as interior goes, I’d like an upscale interior with comfortable seats with good support. I’d also like some advanced technology available such as Bluetooth and MP3/iPod integration. A navigation system is not necessary, nor is a super upscale 15 speaker sound package. And, as I said before, I don’t need a large amount or rear seat space or a voluminous trunk.

The cars that I’ve selected to test drive for my search can be divided into three groupings:
Compact sport sedans including the Acura TL, Audi A4 3.2, BMW 330i, Infiniti G35, Lexus IS350, Mercedes C350, and the Volvo S60 R. Mid-sized sport sedans such as the Audi A6 3.2, Infiniti M35, and Lexus GS300. And a few other odds and ends such as the Mazda RX-8 and the Subaru Legacy GT (both mostly due to stellar reviews on this site) as well as the Infiniti FX35 (which I think is one of the best looking vehicles on the road). As you can see, I plan on enjoying this go-round of car shopping.

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Let me start out by saying that, overall, I like Audi’s. Two of the 5 vehicles that I’ve had as my personal car have been Audi’s (a 1987 4000s and a 2001 TT coupe). So I figured I’d start my search at the local Audi dealer to check out the latest A4 and A6 - both with the V6 engine. Historically, I’ve not been a person for the class of car that the A6 fits in to - I prefer smaller more nimble vehicles. But since I’m older, got two kids, and have a commute in L.A. traffic, I thought I’d check out a few cars that are a bit larger and more luxury than sport.

Trim Levels:

For the 2005 model year, Audi did a significant upgrade to the A6 lineup. Along with some major aesthetic changes, the 3.0L V6 engine was replaced by a 3.2L V6. There is also a 4.2L V8 available that remains unchanged from the pre-2005 model. Either of these engines is available in sedan or wagon form. This review focuses on the 3.2 sedan model only.

Exterior:

The A6 was the first of Audi’s major production cars (I don’t count the W12 A8) to get the new "Audi grill", where they’ve basically joined the upper and lower part of the front grill by wrapping them in a chrome trim. I know this new look has gotten some poor reviews, but I honestly don’t really mind it that much. I may not love it, but the grill works ok for me - especially on the bigger cars such as the A6 and A8.

For the redesign, Audi also gave the A6 a somewhat more chiseled, angular look rather than the old styling that was more rounded. To me this has given the A6 a much better profile from the side and 3/4 views. I found the old body style rather bland and definitely think the new design works better, especially on the rear of the car.

Interior:

The Audi A6 has always been a class leader in interior quality and I was definitely not disappointed when I climbed behind the wheel. Compared to the A4, the A6 has a much more luxurious feel on the inside - where the A4 has wood trim, the A6 wraps higher-quality wood with a nice chrome edging and wraps the wood all the way down the center console. The seats seem about the same as in the A4 - comfortable and supportive but not overly plush.

The main instrument cluster is typical Audi with a large tach and speedometer divided by a multi-function display area for outside temperature, average mpg, etc. I wish this display screen was multi-colored as in the A4, but in the A6 you seem to only get a monochromatic red display.

All the controls for the windows, door locks, sunroof, and climate controls are conveniently located and easy to use. The A6 gets the same nifty dial for controlling the sunroof as the A4 as well as a better dual-knob control system for the climate controls.

I liked the feel and thickness of the steering wheel. Audi has implemented rolling control buttons on either side for controlling radio volume and station selection. The rest of the sound system is controlled by Audi’s MMI which is located on the center console behind the shifter along with a whole host of other buttons. The A6 even has a toggle switch for the parking break located in the same area. I didn’t spend a lot of time working with these controls, but overall it seemed like a little too much gadgetry for me. Give me a regular old hand level for the parking break any day.

The back seat has ample legroom - about the same as an E-class Mercedes, I’d say. A little better thigh support would be appreciated, though. The A6 also has a good-sized trunk for a car in this class.

Performance/Handling:

The 3.2L V6 that powers the A6 makes 255 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. Needless to say, this engine doesn’t move the A6 with the same urgency that it does in the A4. At over 3950 lbs, the A6 is one of the heaviest cars in its class (an Infiniti M35 weighs about 100 lbs less, the Lexus GS300 more than 300 lbs less). The engine is powerful enough to feel peppy once you’re moving but off the line it’s a little lethargic. Zero to sixty will take you about 7.5 to 8 seconds.

The car I drove had the six-speed automatic ("Tiptronic") transmission which did pretty well smoothly moving the car through its gearings. Like most similar transmissions it provides a regular drive mode, a sport mode that delays shifts, and a manual shift mode.

The Quattro all-wheel drive does its job well (as usual), which is what keeps nose heavy Audi’s from too much understeer. The car feels controlled in hard turns and smoothes out most of the road imperfections but can't quite make itself feel lighter than it's two ton mass. As with the A4, the A6 is quiet at idle but can get a little noisy at speed. Braking is also good as is the turning radius.

Fuel Economy:

The A6 is rated at 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway which is about average for this class of car.

Reliability:

This has not been Audi/VW’s forte as of late. The A6 is rated below average in reliability and I’d be lying if I said that didn’t concern me. (Although, I never had any issues with my TT in just under three years of ownership.)

Safety:

Like the A4, the A6 earned a "double best pick" award - meaning it performed well in both front and side impact collision tests. The A6 has standard airbags up front and side curtain for both front and rear passengers. Rear side airbags are optional (why not make them standard as well?).

Update (12/05/05): IIHS has named the A6 a Silver Top Safety Pick for 2006 for good results in front & side crash tests and acceptable performance in rear crash tests.

Summary:

Although I liked the A6 well enough, I’m not sure that it was able to convince me to give up a smaller, more nimble sport sedan. Maybe with the 4.2L V8 it would be a more fun car to drive, but with the V6 I’d rather have the A4, personally.