REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

On the road again

Audi’s come a long way since November 1986. That’s when "60 Minutes" and Mike Wallace savaged the German company’s reputation with accusations of "unintended acceleration." Never mind that the charges proved groundless. Or that Audis, with the company’s trademark quattro all-wheel- drive systems, were amongst the safest cars then on the road. Wallace’s unmitigated zeal guaranteed that Audi’s fortunes plummeted like the Dow Jones industrial average after yet another of Mr. Greenspan’s infamous "soft-landing" interventions.It wasn’t until the introduction of the A4 almost a decade later that Audi began to recover. The good news, however, is that Audi, aware that it had made a very important breakthrough, has been on a roll ever since. Much of the company’s newfound respect is a result of its styling abilities. Certainly, the A4 is the cutest car in its class, and the more recently introduced A6 is one of the handsomest profiles on four wheels.

There’s only one fly in the ointment regarding the 4.2 and it has nothing to do with performance, but everything to do with value. You see, the 2.7T version of the A6, while producing ‘only’ 250 hp is actually 0.1 seconds faster to 100 km/h, thanks mainly to its superior low rpm torque. It’s a marginal difference to be sure, but when you consider that the A6 - 2.7T is less expensive than the 4.2’s, you’re paying a whole heck of a lot for not a big performance gain.

On the plus side, Audi gives the 4.2 a few items either not available or optional on the lesser A6s. These include the larger rims and tires, a 200-watt Bose audio system, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, leather door panel trim, an electrically telescoping steering wheel and a nifty tool kit in the luggage compartment.

Part of the A6’s appeal is the sumptuousness of its interior in what Audi calls "atmospheres", as in ambiances. That means the tester came with soft cream- colored leather upholstery. I won’t quibble with Audi’s taste but I can’t imagine anyone but the most seriously anal retentive being able to keep all that white leather clean for the lifetime of the car. Like some other Audi’s, my biggest beef with the A6’s interior are the complicated audio controls. There aren’t as many unidentifiable buttons as there are in the A4, but not all of the A6 radio controls are intuitive. Last on the list of nits are the noisy windshield wiper blades which didn’t wipe.The big four-cam, all-aluminum V8 sports no less than 40 valves (all Audis now have five valves per cylinder) and produces a prodigious 300 horsepower at 6200 rpm, and 295 lb-ft of torque between 3000 and 4000 rpm.

Audi had to make some fairly major alterations to fit the V8 from whence the V6 came, namely stretching the A6’s nose by nearly two inches and fitting new front fenders. All four wheel arches were also widened to accommodate the A6’s larger rubber - 235/50R-16s are standard, but the tester was fitted with the optional 245/40R-17s. Combined with the lowered suspension, the changes make an already beautiful automobile absolutely stunning. Passerbys of all ages who wouldn’t give a standard A6 a second glance literally gawked as the aggressive looking all-black A6 trundled by.

And, of course, it has the performance to back up all these image enhancers. Three hundred is a lot of ponies and the V8 transforms what was a pretty–but sluggish– family sedan into a rip roarin’ super sled (that just happens to be as comfortable as ever). The engine is also super-smooth as one would expect from a high-tech V8 from Germany. The five-speed automatic transmission has Audi’s Tiptronic manual shift feature and it’s not uncommon to look at the tachometer and find the engine spinning a silky 4,000 rpm because you’ve forgotten to shift to a higher gear. As with most Audi products, this A6’s handling is excellent. Not quite as firmly suspended as the sportier S4, the steering is nonetheless linear and precise. It may not quite invite the abandon that BMW’s 540 does, but it’s head and shoulders above the rest of the mid-sized luxury class. And, of course, there’s Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system locking front and rear differentials, and the Torsen (torque-sensing) center differential that directs torque to the axle with the most traction.

It’s an impressive package, especially when it’s backed up by the latest iteration of Bosch’s anti-lock control as well as front and side airbags, plus Audi’s Sideguard air-curtain. It all adds up to one very impressive automobile, able to do battle with heavy-hitters from BMW (540) and Mercedes (E430). Those loaded with excess dollars will find 4.2 finally able to deliver the performance and comfort that the A6’s avante garde shape has promised. I must admit, however, that the 2.7T

version holds more appeal for me, offering just as much thrust for significantly less dosh.

PROS
Superb 2.7 engine
Benefits of AWD (Quattro)
Virtually perfect interior

CONS
Overly smooth suspension
Steering a tad too flimsy