Car Reviews: 1998 Audi A6

past couple years and the company's new luxury sedan is certain to keep that momentum going.

Indeed, Audi is here to stay.

We hated to give our A6 back to them. We loved its elegant looks and friendly interior. We enjoyed its brisk

performance. We appreciated its outstanding performance in bad weather. The week we spent in it seemed way too short.

recognizable as a member of the Audi family. Headlights, hood and bumpers blend to reveal a familiar face

while advanced lighting technology, visible behind polycarbonate lenses, add sparkle and style. Curvaceous

lines caress the eyes. The wind glides across the gracefully flowing hood, up and over the sweeping roof

line and down the smooth rear deck lid, slipping through the wind with a low 0.28 drag coefficient.

One of the most significant details is something you don't really see at first. The A6 comes together

in seamless form, with body gaps kept to less than 3 millimeters.

Car design is a question of trade-offs, and all too often a stylish exterior means a compromised interior.

But not so with the A6. It's a roomy car, offering more than an inch of additional headroom over the previous

model (now 39.3 inches or 38.5 as tested with sunroof). Rear-seat passengers will enjoy an additional two inches

of legroom.

Dynamically, the A6 is as good as it looks. A6 engineers took lessons from Audi's all-aluminum A8 high-performance

luxury sedan. Pound-for-pound, aluminum is significantly stronger than steel and the A6 makes extensive use of

it. The aluminum hood is 36 percent lighter than the hood on last year's model, yet it's 20 percent more rigid.

Door frames, side-impact beams and bumper mounts are made of aluminum. Overall, the body of the A6 has 50 percent

greater torsional rigidity even though it is 30 percent lighter. That translates into less shimmy and shake on

rough roads and helps isolate noise. A rigid chassis also provides the basis for precise suspension tuning,

contributing to the A6's excellent handling and ride.

a full six cubic feet of additional volume over last year's model. And, at 17.1 cubic feet, the trunk is one of

the largest in its class, with enough room to store a week's worth of luggage and a couple of sets of golf clubs.

The rear seat folds down to provide room for skis or long packages.

German automakers are justifiably well known for their ergonomic interiors and Audi offers exquisite attention

to detail on the A6. Switches are easy to reach and operate. Gauges are easy to see and read. Best of all, Audi

has gone for a warmer, friendlier feel where BMW and Mercedes-Benz products tend to be Teutonically cold and

efficient. At night, the glowing orange-red lights and indicators are calmly reassuring.

Echoing Audi's extensive use of aluminum for structural applications, the gear shift bezel is made of aluminum

buffed to a high gloss. It's a visually exciting, high-tech look. That look is balanced by the warmth of lots of

real wood that looks like real wood, not over-polished plastic.

Audi now offers three distinct interior styles or "Atmospheres" that come in an extensive range of colors and

tones. Each atmosphere surrounds its occupants with a distinctly different character distinguished by the texture

and appearance of the seat upholstery and the color and type of wood and aluminum trim. The classic touring sedan

look is found in "Ambition," which features rich, dark woods with classic, deep-colored leather tones. Lighter

wood and bolder color combinations are seen in a Mediterranean style called "Ambiente" with fine, supple materials.

A high-tech, monotone look is found in "Advance." Each atmosphere is available in at least two color choices and

a choice of leatherette, leather or, in the Advance atmosphere, a Jacquard cloth. They all come matched with

choice of rich and vibrant exterior hues.

The A6 comes with a high level of standard equipment, including dual automatic climate control with pollen

filter, power mirrors, windows and door locks, eight-way power driver's seat, keyless remote entry, rear heat

duct, tilt/telescoping leather wrapped steering wheel and cast alloy wheels. The AM/FM cassette sound system

boasts 120 watts of power and a subwoofer.

Two options packages should be considered: The cold weather package comes with heated seats and a heated

steering wheel. The warm weather package includes infrared-reflective glass and a solar sunroof that generates

power to run a cooling fan without draining the battery. This helps keep the interior cool in the summer.

Safety is a big issue for Audi and the A6 comes with dual airbags up front as well as dual front side-impact

airbags. All five seat belts have pretensioners. In the event of an accident, they cinch the belts as tight as

possible to minimize injuries.

deeply, and on the open road it loves to wind out. Its 200 hp is delivered almost silently, though at full

acceleration there's a reassuring roar. It's more powerful than previous Audi powertrains, though it isn't quite

as quick off the line as some comparably priced sedans.

The V6 is mated to a 5-speed Tiptronic transmission based on a design from Porsche. It can be operated either

as a silky-smooth automatic or switched to manual mode. Moved into a special gate, the driver upshifts or

downshifts for enhanced control. It's entertaining and particularly useful on winding roads and in the mountains.

A6 buyers have a choice of the front-wheel-drive configuration or Audi's legendary Quattro all-wheel-drive

system. A few years back, you had to have a big bank account to drive a Quattro, but since Audi reduced the price

on the basic Quattro package, we'd say it's a must. Quattro is a full-time all-wheel-drive system that is

constantly at work putting power to the pavement through all four wheels. It brings a sense of control and security

to the driver like nothing else.

Audi calls its Quattro system an "enabling" technology, referring to traction control systems on two-wheel-drive

cars as "disabling" technology because they work by reducing engine power until wheel spin is under control.

Now in the fourth generation of the Quattro system, Audi is way ahead of other companies in all-wheel-drive

technology. The key to Quattro has always been the use of three differentials that vary power distribution to all

four wheels, all of the time, at any speed. The latest system uses an electronic differential lock that operates on

both the front and rear differentials. This feature detects and limits wheel spin and redistributes drive torque

from side to side to take advantage of any available traction. This operates with the Torsen center differential

that distributes up to 65 percent of the traction to whichever axle has the most traction.

Quattro comes with a double-wishbone rear suspension, while front-wheel-drive A6s are equipped with a torsion-beam

rear suspension. The front-wheel-drive (non-Quattro) A6 models use Audi's FrontTrak traction control system, which

operates at all speeds to reduce wheel spin.

and handling are precise. And it's quiet. Overall, the A6 delivers the superb ride and handling qualities that Audi

is known for.

It looks great and offers a lot of value in terms of standard features and must-have options. The A6 is a car

the competition is watching closely. With this car as its center of gravity, Audi is going to be drawing in a lot

of new customers.