- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
4.2i, 8 cyl.
- Engine Power
220kW, 400Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 10.5L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
NA
- Ancap Safety
NA
2001 Audi A6 reivew: A myth among legends
"What's the best car on the market?" is a common question in this business but a definitive answer is impossible
The good: Beautiful to look at. Built and finished to the highest standards. Potent, refined 4.2-litre V8/five-speed auto drivetrain. Active safety benefits of quattro system and ESP make it very forgiving of dumb mistakes and/or adverse conditions. Strong brakes. Big boot.
The bad: Suspension tuning is overly firm and uncompliant, unsuited to local roads. Lacks cornering balance, with too much weight up front and dull steering response. Steering shake on rough corners. Complex audio, air and cruise controls. Underpadded driver's seat.
The verdict: A great engine in a disappointing car.
The results: 3 stars (out of 5).
"What's the best car on the market?" is a common question in this business but a definitive answer is impossible. Like recommending movies or restaurants to friends, it is often a dangerous exercise trying to match your opinion with their expectations.
However when you look at all of the things which a car is supposed to do well, the mid-size, blue-chip German sedans - BMW's 535i/540i and the Benz E320/430 - probably come closest to the mythic ideal.
Engineering, build and finish quality, performance, dynamics, comfort, refinement, equipment ... whatever criteria you measure against, the score is high. Sure, the Benz has a small boot and the BMW's ride quality is a bit firm, but there's precious little else to attract criticism.
Audi's contender in this class, the A6, has failed to make serious inroads into 5 Series and E Class territory. Despite gorgeous styling, competitive quality and specification, plus the unique quattro all-wheel-drive system, the major problem facing the A6, like all Audis, is its lack of badge allure compared with BMW and Benz.
On its release in 1997, the A6, with 2.4 and 2.8 V6 engines, also fell short of its rivals on the road, with poorly sorted suspension tuning and B-grade refinement.
Audi is now trying to improve the A6's chances with a long-overdue V8 version. The 4.2-litre quattro sedan, competitively priced at $135,400, is touted as a luxury piece with a sports edge, thanks to slightly stiffened, lowered suspension, 17-inch alloy wheels squeezed into mean-looking flared arches and top-spec 255/40 Pirelli P6000 tyres.
Mated to a five-speed automatic, the five-valves-per-cylinder 4.2 V8 is a beauty. Claimed peak power is 220kW at 6,200rpm, but lean on the accelerator and it feels like more.
Despite the significant weight penalty of the quattro hardware, the A6 takes off like a rocket and, with a beautifully elastic 400Nm of torque, accelerates relentlessly to whatever speed is required, making glorious snarling noises along the way. The A6 covers the 0-100km/h trip in 6.8 seconds, comparable with the BMW 540 and Benz E430.
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In cruise model, the V8 is silken and silent, loafing along in fifth, but the auto kicks down instantly when you want rapid passing power. It features adaptive programming plus sequential operation - given the V8's seamless power delivery, the latter is superfluous in most situations.
The quattro system, together with Audi's electronic stability program (ESP) and the premium wheel/tyre package, gives the A6 exceptionally high active safety levels, especially in wet or slippery conditions.
Quattro eliminates wheelspin, while ESP uses sensors to track the car's stability, triggering the anti-lock brakes/electronic differential locks to restore control in the unlikely event of grip being lost.
This technology also permits quick, secure cornering. You would have to do something extremely stupid to get the A6 out of shape, but it lacks the fine balance and agility expected in this class when changing direction quickly in tight bends.
The car feels front-heavy; steering response is dull when pointing it into a corner and you find yourself using more input at the wheel to counter a perceived - but not actual - tendency to run wide.
There is also some steering kickback, and a trace of rack shake, on choppy surfaces, with slight tramlining at low speeds. The brakes, on the other hand, are excellent.
The A6's suspension, which uses many aluminium components to reduce unsprung weight, probably works a treat on an autobahn but is less impressive in local conditions than a Benz or BMW.
Even making allowances for the car's sporting emphasis, it is too firmly sprung and uncompliant on country roads. The A6 won't get kicked off line by bumps, but it feels like it could.
Ride comfort is further compromised by the low-profile tyres. On less-than-perfect surfaces there is too much jostling and harshness in the cabin, and relatively loud noises from the suspension and tyres.
Inside, the A6 is the last word in fit and finish quality. There's plenty of leg and headroom front and rear, but the Audi is narrower than its rivals so is less suitable for five adults.
The A6 has no shortage of crash protection technology. The set-up includes four side, two roof and two front airbags, height and tilt adjustable head restraints and lap-sash belts for all seats, plus pyrotechnic seatbelt pre-tensioners on the outer belts.
Power-adjustable in every direction, the leather upholstered driver's seat has a three-position memory function to accommodate different driver preferences. The wheel is also height and reach adjustable.
The driver's backrest is supportive and plush, but the seat cushion is underpadded - the numb-bum syndrome can set in on long journeys. Rear seat comfort is fine for two adults.
Looking like the epitome of German functionality, the dash in practice is a different story. The A6 audio system's flat, crowded, indistinct buttons are very difficult to locate quickly, while the automatic air-conditioning system and cruise control operation are also more complicated than necessary.
Brilliant xenon headlights are standard in the A6, as is a trip computer and a parking warning chime which tells you when you're about to kiss the front or rear bumper against someone else's.
Remote central locking/immobiliser/alarm security, great-sounding Bose audio with a CD stacker, auto dimming rear view mirror, a power operated rear sunblind and automatically variable intermittent wipers are also included.
When the A6 is parked in the sun, a solar panel in the sunroof automatically switches on the air-conditioning system to cool the interior.
The big boot has a cargo net, and can be extended with the 60-40 split-folding rear seat or a small central porthole.
On paper, the A6 4.2 V8 quattro looks like a serious E Class-5 Series challenger, but on the road this impression quickly fades. Effortless pace with fluid grace is what a top-class German sedan is all about; the A6's V8 certainly delivers the required performance, but its dynamics and ride comfort don't merit the latter description, or measure up to its rivals.
Vital signs
Engine: 4.2 litre, 40-valve fuel-injected V8.
Power: 220kW at 6,200rpm (average).
Performance: 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds (average).
Brakes: Discs with ABS (excellent).
Economy: 10 litres/100km highway; 14.8 litres/100km city (good).
Prices: Recommended retail - $135,400. Street price - very few around, so no deals.
Main options: A+ package $9,500 (satellite navigation - software not yet available - telephone, wheel-mounted audio controls, metallic paint); metallic paint $1,895.
Warranty: Three years/unlimited kilometres/roadside assistance (average).
Residual value: 74 percent after three years (A6 2.8 quattro; above average).
Safety rating: Good (A6 V6, Euro NCAP).
Alternatives:
BMW 540i - $134,820
Jaguar S-Type SE 4.0 - $111,450
Mercedes-Benz E430 Elegance - $145,890