Audi A6 3.0 Quattro 2005 review

Following hot on the heels of the A3 Sportback is the heavily revised and reskinned A4.

There are nine A4 sedans to suit most tastes ranging from sub $50k to more than $80k as well as three Avants (wagons).

The larger A6 model also is winning fans and awards.

Recently, among national awards the A6 added another string to its bow by being named Europe's Auto 1 winner for 2005.

Already decorated as the World Car of the Year in 2004, the A6 is riding the crest of a wave.

Sampling the 3-litre quattro version, which is number two on the list of four A6 variants topped by the 4.2-litre V8, the 3-litre quattro has a substantial physical presence.

It is mild mannered and has a neutral ride around town and out on the highway.

The 160kW engine is a little soft in drive but it livens up using Tiptronic which can be activated by using the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel or by throwing the gear lever out of drive and into sequential.

Brakes could have a more progressive feel, sometimes seeming a little underdone when traffic in front comes to a sudden stop.

There is still a bit of remoteness attached to driving the A6, perhaps to do with the steering, which admittedly is an improvement over the previous model.

The seats in the cockpit are cosy and supportive, electric adjustments making it easy to find the optimum driving position.

The dash and centre console are a maze of buttons and switches.

Audi's Multi-Media Interface, a centrally-mounted dial with associated buttons simplifies functions.

Like a growing number of user-friendly navigation systems the A6's SatNav has the capacity to anticipate the next letter in a street name.

Fuel range from the 80-litre tank is impressive, more than a quarter of a tank remaining after 600km.

That said consumption was surprisingly on the high side with the on board computer reading out 12.1litres/100km of mostly open running driving in a test spread over 800km.

If you are in the market for a BMW 5-series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class or Jaguar S-Type, the A6 more than ever is worth more than a passing thought.