Unexpectedly running into an old college flame can be awkward for an exceptionally happily married guy like me, but not if her name is Audi, she has four wheels and moves with extraordinary grace and quickness.
The old flame was a 75 Audi Fox that was my first-ever new car, purchased towards the end of grad school in anticipation of the move to
Washington
D.C.
Like all good things that must end, however, the Fox went away after four delightful years, leaving only fond and lingering memories. I’ve driven lots of Audis in the years since, but none quite recaptured the driving pleasures of that Fox.
But a couple of weeks ago, a handsome black Audi A6 3.2 Quattro arrived for a week in the test fleet and I soon found myself thinking “wow, this is fun, like the Fox.” Actually, the A6 3.2 Quattro is dramatically different, mechanically and otherwise, from the Fox, but my grins were the same.
With a curb weight of 4,211 pounds, the A6 isn’t light on its feet like the Fox was, but, thanks to the well-tuned S Line suspension, the new Audi is swift and confident through corners.
The all-wheel-drive Quattro adds the security and confidence of power to each corner, and the steering, though slightly over-boosted, communicates well to the listening ear. The also slightly over-boosted brakes haul the A6 down from triple digit speeds or burn off excess velocity at turn-in with repeated assurance.
I feared the 3.2 liter DOHC V-6, which produces 255 horsepower, would be overwhelmed by the A6’s heft, but coupled with a superb six-speed automatic with Tiptronic (i.e. manual) shifting, the resulting power-train is wonderful.
Acceleration from rest is powerful and the A6 continually beckons you to keep the hammer down way beyond anything remotely prudent. If only
But there is a catch. Audi wants nearly $60,000 for an A6 Quattro. It is surely worth every penny and more, but it makes me again long for those bygone days when a middle-class Joe could reasonably hope to someday afford an Audi.
Other Views of the A6:
“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 the 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.”
Car Reviews
Autos
Motorsports
Fast Cars
New Car Reviews
Carnival of Cars
Driving
Automotive issues
Audi A6 S Line
Cool Cars
