I've always thought of the A6 as the Toyota Camry of big German luxury cars. It's got all the details that make German cars so endearing -- good road manners, impressive attention to detail, and enough buttons and dials to make an airline pilot blanch -- but I just never found it all that thrilling to drive. Audi, it would seem, agrees with me, because they've given the 2009 A6 a round of updates designed to make it more engaging, including a new 300 horsepower supercharged V6 engine. Did the changes work? Read on.
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- New engine is fast and frugal
- Roomy and comfortable
- Better to drive than the old A6
- 3.0T engine is noisy
- A6 is Audi's mid-size luxury sedan; also available as a wagon
- Trim levels: 3.2 FWD, 3.0T Quattro, 4.2 Quattro
- Price range: $45.935 - $63,510
- Model/price as tested: A6 3.0T sedan, $58,025
- Available engines: 3.1 liter V6, 255 hp; 3.0L supercharged V6, 300 hp; 4.2L V8, 350 hp
- EPA fuel economy estimates: 16-18 MPG city, 23-27 MPG highway
- Observed fuel economy: 22.6 MPG
- Best rivals: Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Infiniti M-series, Cadillac CTS
Let me start with the new 3.0T engine: I'm a fan. This 300 hp V6 produces better acceleration than I expected given the 310 lb-ft torque output and the A6's two-ton weight. And because it's supercharged -- not turbocharged, as the "T" designation might lead you to believe -- it delivers all that power at the slightest prod of the accelerator. It's also more frugal than I expected; I averaged an impressive 22.6 MPG. Downsides? It's noisy -- it clatters at idle and roars under acceleration, like... hmm. I'm tempted to say "like a diesel", except the last diesel I drove was actually quieter than the A6 3.0T.
Audi's suspension improvements have done wonders for the A6's personality. A6s with Quattro all-wheel-drive (like my tester) have always gripped the road well, but my test car -- which had an optional sport suspension -- was way more involving to drive than the old A6. Used to be you'd know you had reached the limits of traction when the iron fist of the electronic stability control system clamped down upon you, but the new A6 squeals its tires like a proper sports sedan. And when the ESC system does cut in, it does so gently, timidly, almost reluctantly. But cut in it will -- in fact, I can honestly say that this is the only 300 horsepower car I'd feel safe letting my 16-year-old son drive. (If I had a 16-year-old son, that is.) Of course, I'd only let this theoretical son take the car once he'd proven his mastery of MMI (Multimedia Interface), the dial-operated confusionware system that operates the navigation and stereo systems.
Other than that, there's not a lot to complain about -- the A6 is handsome, roomy, and very comfortable. I still prefer the luxury of the Mercedes E-Class and the sportiness of the Infiniti M-Series, but the Audi A6 is definitely moving in the right direction. -- Aaron Gold
