The A6 was redesigned for the 2005 model year. I generally try to drive cars as soon as possible, but this one slipped through the cracks. Each time I dropped into an Audi dealer something else--A3, A4, A8, S4--seemed more enticing. Especially the S4.
Well, while visiting South Carolina recently I drove not one but two A6s, a 2006 3.2 V6 and a 2005 4.2 V8. I reviewed the 3.2 content_222890135172. This review is mostly the same, but focuses on the 4.2. If you've already read the earlier review, skip ahead to the "on the road" section.
Styling
The 1984 Audi 5000 was a groundbreaking design. With shear, ultra-clean sides and totally flush windows, it started the aero trend. Audi sold a ton of them until lackluster reliability and talk of "unintended acceleration" sent sales into a nosedive.
Fleeing that train wreck, Audi twice renamed its midsized sedan, first the 100 and later the A6.
The 1998 A6, though not as revolutionary as the 1984 5000, was another pioneering design. The round ends of the car were especially daring. Carried by this car and the similarly styled A4, Audi sales finally began to grow again.
In comparison, the current A6 is an evolutionary design. It looks much like the 1998-2004 car, just longer, sleeker, and showier.
The additional length is largely an illusion. While the new A6 looks much longer than the previous one, the tape measure will find only another inch and a half. Even more puzzling, while the car's front overhang now appears enormous, wheelbase has grown by over three inches, suggesting that overhang was actually reduced.
Illusion or not, the new car needs the optional 18-inch alloys to look good. The 17s both due to their size and styling look undersized and weak. They ruin the entire look of the car. The 3.2 we drove had these wheels, while the 4.2 had the larger ones. Spend the $900.
No one I've come into contact with likes the current Audi front end. Hopefully it will soon leave us.
Overall, the previous A6 had a more balanced, more classic design, but the new car has a bit more flash and considerably more presence.
Audi inevitably comes up in any discussion of automotive interiors, as it has been the industry benchmark for at least the last decade. At first glance the new A6 upholds this tradition, with chrome-outlined wood trim on the dash and doors and a few more square feet of the stuff on the sportily-sloped, luxuriously broad center console.
Yet some materials are a step or two below those in the previous car. The gray plastic faceplate that spans the upper face of the instrument panel would not look out of place in a Hyundai. And the armrests on the doors are made of the same ungrained hard plastic that has been met with much disdain in the new Passat.
No doubt my perceptions were slightly distorted by the big Benz I had just driven, but I still expected the Audi, even at less than two-thirds the price, to be nicer inside.
The wood is available in both blonde and traditional medium brown tones. My father always detests the former, which graced the interior of the 3.2. Though I personally have natural maple bedroom set, in the Audi the lighter shade didn't work for me, either. I suppose this is why they give you a choice.
Accommodations
Considering the size of the A6, its driving position affords good visibility and helps the car feel at least a bit smaller than it is. Like those in past Audis, the seats in this one are about as firm as luxury sedan seats get. They are nicely shaped, with four-way power lumbar on both sides enabling a precise fit. But some people will wish for plusher seats. Sports seats are available, but aren't very necessary in this size car.
Oddly, the key interior difference between the 3.2 and the 4.2 is that the latter has a power tilt and telescoping wheel as standard equipment. This feature is simply not available on the 3.2. Why should this feature be tied to engine power? Beats me. Is someone really going to kick in the extra $5,000 for the V8 just to get a power-adjustable steering wheel, or feel that this feature somehow makes the 4.2 much more special? Right.
If they wanted people to think of the 4.2 as more luxurious, they should have made it more luxurious. One extra feature isn't going to do the trick.
Despite the widespread criticism of BMW's iDrive control system, both the new S-Class and the current A6 have their own versions of it. Perhaps over time these things become easy to use. Perhaps not. They do keep getting better, but conventional controls would be better still. The CD changer is in the glove compartment--why do the Germans continue to have so much trouble putting it in the instrument panel?
The rear seat is moderately roomy and fairly comfortable, making it better than the low, relatively cramped rear seat in the Mercedes E-Class but not quite up to that in the current 5-Series. It provides decent thigh support, but a bit more height off the floor and more room for toes under the front seats wouldn't hurt.
Trunk volume is about average for the class. As in other German midsize luxury sedans, but unlike those from Japan, the rear seat folds to expand the trunk.
On the Road
The 4.2-liter DOHC V8 produces 80 more horsepower than the V6, for a total of 335. The peak is a lofty 6,600 RPM, but use a heavy foot and/or shift the transmission manually and you can get there. The V8 is decidedly quicker than the 3.2-liter V6 at all speeds, and thus was more to my father's liking. However, like the V6 it is louder than most luxury sedan engines, and the noises it makes, while sweet to the ears of an enthusiast, are not the most intoxicating. My father would have preferred a less vocal engine.
I've sampled a similar engine before in the S4. I remember it sounding throatier and simply nicer in that car. I suspect they cut back on the throatiness to make the engine more suitable for luxury duty, but didn't achieve nearly the same level of refinement as you'll find in a BMW, Mercedes (new 5.5), or Lexus V8. So, like GM's Northstar, the Audi V8 is both too loud for traditional luxury duty but not sporty-sounding enough to send a tingle up an enthusiasts' spine.
With six forward ratios, the transmission has a proper gear for any circumstance. Sometimes it hesitated to kick down without a serious prod from the right foot (or the use of the manual shift function). But in general it made exploiting either engine's powerband quite easy.
Overall, I suspect nearly all buyers will be plenty satisfied with the V6. But those who want more power will find it in the 4.2. Want still more? A V10-powered S6 is on its way. I look forward to sampling that car.
The biggest surprise for me was how the A6 handled. I've been disappointed by both the A4 and the A8 within the past year. Both feel larger than they should, and when pushed like to plow. Especially the big Audi, which also rolls quite a bit in hard turns.
In contrast, the A6 felt more balanced and smaller than its actual size. An A4 feels smaller and sportier still, but not nearly as much as its smaller size suggests it should. Steering that is quick, moderately firm, and communicative (for a luxury sedan) helps. As in other Audis, the all-wheel-drive system is especially helpful when powering out of turns--you won't spin a tire or have the car's composure upset by any nasty understeer or oversteer.
One caveat: it's possible that here as well my reference point was affected by the big Benz, this time in the Audi's favor. The big Benz handles very well for a large car, but it is undeniably LARGE.
Whatever the reason, I quite enjoyed hustling the A6 along a twisty road. I would have enjoyed a 5-Series still more, but the gap is not as large as I assumed it to be. Compared to the previous A6, the new one rolls less in hard turns and generally feels more balanced and precise.
The 4.2 had a slightly tighter feel than the 3.2. While it had the 18-inch tires and the 3.2 had the standard 17s, a salesperson at the dealer suspected that the V8 is sprung a bit more firmly. He hasn't seen any official mention of this, though.
Then there is ride quality. With the 17-inch tires the ride is usually decent. But a BMW or Lexus is smoother and has the feel of a more upscale car. The A6 lacks the sense of gliding over the road that typifies those cars.
With the 18s, ride quality suffers considerably. Even minor potholes are both felt and heard. My father was not happy. Be sure to test drive the A6 with the 18s if you plan to buy the larger tires.
Even with the 17s, the Audi is firmer than pretty much any current competitor. In this regard it maintains a German tradition that Mercedes and especially BMW have largely abandoned.
The available (for $2,300) air suspension might help, but it didn't do a whole lot for the A8. And BMW somehow does very well without the aid of such trickery.
Audi A6 4.2 Pricing
For quick, up-to-date new car pricing, and especially user-specified price comparisons, check out the website I created:
www.truedelta.com. Why yet another vehicle pricing website? Well, I personally lacked the patience to keep using the others. They were too slow and required too much effort, especially when trying to compare prices. So I taught myself some programming and created a site where there is no need to dig through option packages, prerequisites, and the like one by one -- the
TrueDelta algorithm figures these out for you in
one swift pass.
In general, an Audi will cost you less than a Lexus, BMW, or Mercedes. But it will also depreciate more quickly, and thus might cost more in the long run.
Compared to the 3.2, the A6 4.2 runs nearly $5,000 more even comparably equipped, and nearly $10,000 more when comparing base prices. Not worth it for the great majority of people.
Last Words
With the 18-inch wheels the A6 remains a strikingly attractive car despite being less of an aesthetic leap than its predecessor. The interior sports a few spotty bits, but in general maintains the uplevel ambiance for which the brand is known. Either engine is sufficiently powerful, but the V8's extra 80 horsepower is readily detectable.
The current A6 looks larger and more elegant than the previous one, suggesting a less sporty, more luxurious car. Instead, the opposite is the case. On the road, the A6 is firmer and harder-edged than most other luxury sedans, even other German luxury sedans. This makes it sportier than I expected, but also less luxurious. A BMW manages to feel both sportier and smoother. Engine noise with both the V6 and V8 is similar higher than the luxury sedan average.
My father nearly bought an A6 2.7T instead of the Lexus GS 400 he ended up with four years ago. He really liked that car. This time around, though, he found little to his taste. Since he's the sort of person who buys luxury sedans, and I'm not, Audi might want to do some tweaking to bring the car's dynamic character more in line with its appearance.
A Note on Audi A6 4.2 Reliability
People often email me asking about the reliability of the cars and trucks they are considering. Existing sources of reliability information just aren't helpful enough.
In response, my website, truedelta.com, will more clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy an A6 rather than something else by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). Those who help provide the data--which will require just a few minutes a year--will earn
free access to the site's reliability information. To encourage participation, this access will otherwise cost $24.95.
For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.
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Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Audi A6 review (previous generation)
BMW 5-Series review
Cadillac STS review
Infiniti M35 review
Jaguar S-Type review
Lexus GS review
Mercedes E-Class review 
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