Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi of Melbourne

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Walk Around

The Audi A6 is a study in excellent design. It has the look of a four-door coupe, with clean, flowing lines. The overall look is upscale, masculine. A giant trapezoidal grille dominates the front of the car. Some like it, some don't. The car's completely modern shape has a slippery drag coefficient of 0.29. Aluminum was used for key body panels to save weight, though not to the extent of the expensive all-aluminum A8.

The A6 Avant is an especially sleek looking wagon, distinguished by a sloping roofline. The arching shoulder line and relatively narrow glass create a dynamic profile that terminates in a gently sloped tail marked by distinctive two-piece LED taillights. Overall the design language says European elegance.

Much of the beauty of the A6 is in the details: Body panels fit closely together around the doors, hood and trunk lid, as well as along places such as the bottom edge of each tail lamp. It's a result of close tolerances. You won't even find a rubber strip at the top of windshield, nor strips on the sides of the roof. Door jams, the trunk flange and other areas normally hidden are Class A surfaces, smooth and painted as on the exterior body panels. Not everyone will notice this level of detail, but most will sense a general look of quality.

All A6 models (except S6) gain S line styling cues for 2008. An air inlet is added beneath the grille, the front and rear bumpers are changed, and 18-inch wheels become standard versus the 16s and 17s on 2007 models.

The S6 is distinguished from its less-powerful stablemates by special exterior and interior elements. Audi's striking trapezoidal grille gets an S6 badge. The front bumper's unique look comes from the strip of separate LED daytime running lights situated a the top of two larger lower cooling ducts. The front foglamps are incorporated into the main headlights, which feature gray-tinted covers. The rear tailights also feature distinctive LED brake lights. An integrated spoiler juts from the trunk lid, bright aluminum trim surrounds the side windows, the door handles are body color, and the rearview mirror housings are brushed aluminum. The S6 also has black brake calipers, dual exhaust oval polished quad tailpipes, and a chrome strip on the trunk lid.

The lever-style outside door handles are stylish, but we found they aren't as easy to operate as the grab handles that don't require flipping your hand over.

Overall, the A6 sets a benchmark in quality of materials and build quality.

Interior

2008 Audi A6

The Audi A6 cabin is light and airy, particularly with the lighter-colored leather choices.

The leather that comes standard in the A6 3.2 is nice, distinguished by a handsome two-tone treatment of light-colored seats and door inserts and charcoal dash and door trim. Wood trim comes standard on all models.

Premium Milano leather is standard on 4.2 models and optional on 3.2 models. We particularly like the gray birch trim in the S line Interior Package. Additional leather covering for the dashboard is also offered. It looks and feels nice, but is an expensive proposition.

The front seats are comfortable and supportive. We never gave them much thought during a drizzly day of driving from Milan to Lake Como, a good sign. The quiet cabin allows for easy conversation even when driving quickly.

The rear seats are comfortable, too. Head and leg room are expansive enough to tote around two clients in comfort. Audi designed room in the rear-seat footwell for bulky shoes, like sneakers on teenage boys, to be able to easily swing by the B-pillar when getting in and out. The current A6 is much roomier than pre-2005 models.

Up front, everything is oriented around the driver. A center console with a control panel separates driver and passenger, and their legs go into separate tunnels. The driver benefits from a nice four-spoke steering wheel or a nicer, sportier three-spoke wheel and a straightforward instrument panel surrounded by flex-metallic trim. The center stack is angled toward the driver. Climate controls are located at the bottom of the center stack that are sophisticated but straightforward and easy to operate. At the top of the stack, above the vents, is a crisp seven-inch screen that displays navigation and other functions. The standard trip computer and Driver Information Center features a digital speed indicator.

Audi's Multi Media Interface, or MMI, features a large knob and 15 buttons set horizontally on the center console to control most interior functions. This eliminates a lot of switches, making for a clean-looking dash. To further reduce clutter, the switch for the glovebox is located on the center of dash. Mastering the MMI takes time and requires reading the owner's manual. Too many times, we've found it a distraction, as it makes simple tasks like programming a radio station a multi-step process. At least the main controller and buttons fall easily to hand.

High technology can also be found in what have been traditionally mundane controls. The parking brake is electronic; pull the switch up to set it, press to release it. The hood release operates only when the door is open. The wipers are speed sensitive. A Bluetooth-enabled interface integrates compatible cell phones.

The A6 does not offer many places to put stuff. The glovebox is small, especially with the available CD changer. The cup holders are positioned well, however.

The trunk is deep. Luggage capacity is nearly 16 cubic feet, more than the BMW and comparable to the Mercedes, but the trunk opening is small. Attention to detail can be seen inside the trunk. Raise the floor panel to get at the spare tire and you'll note that it can be hooked up in place, making it easier to remove or replace the spare.

The Avant sport wagon offers the road manners of a European-bred sports sedan and the versatility of a sport utility. The luggage compartment offers a variety of configurations and features two securing rails recessed into the floor of the load area, while four lashing eyes and a luggage net are provided to secure objects. The load floor can be folded up and locked in several ways, which provides access to a lower load area lined by a plastic tray, an ideal cubby for stowing wet or muddy gear.

The S6 cockpit features sport seats upholstered in Nappa leather, with integral head restraints and pronounced lateral support. Electrically adjustable in multiple directions and including lumbar support, they offer multi-st

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