Instrumented Test
Confession: We can get a little carried away sometimes. Just because a bigger engine or stiffer suspension is available doesn’t mean everybody should opt for it. We sometimes overlook the fact that not everyone needs more horsepower or higher spring rates for his or her daily ride. A lot of people just want competent, reliable, and satisfying-to-drive personal transportation. Nobody needs a luxury car, but if you want an Audi and don’t know anything beyond that, you need a diesel.
One Quick Diesel
Audi’s 240-hp diesel A6 is down 70 stallions to the A6’s supercharged gas six, but it betters the gas six in the torque war with an extra 103 lb-ft of grunt, for a total of 428. And even in Quattro guise and with taller final-drive gearing, the diesel clobbers the gas car to 60 mph, hitting the mark in 5.1 seconds, a half-second quicker than the last A6 3.0T we tested. At least some of that credit goes to the TDI’s Pirelli P Zeros, part of the $1300 Black Optic package (that is itself an add-on to the $1500 Sport package). Through the quarter-mile, the diesel holds the advantage with a 13.9-second elapsed time compared with the gas car’s 14 flat. But the 3.0T’s 101-mph trap speed is 3 mph higher than the TDI’s, showing how the gas car’s wider power band allows it to reel in the diesel once they’re under way.
The TDI Quattro’s EPA ratings of 24 mpg city and 38 highway better the gas model’s by 6 and 11, and the diesel averaged 29 mpg in our care—very respectable for a 4220-pound AWD luxury car. Its smooth, immediate torque delivery and the eight-speed automatic’s snappy shifts make the diesel an easy way to slither through traffic.
Or maybe you’d rather surprise yourself and use this diesel sedan for a satisfying back-road burn. Its lag-free power delivery nicely complements the A6’s imperturbable feel and sense of unmatched solidity, producing a car that does what it’s asked, when it’s asked. The Pirellis helped our Quattro test car gather 0.94 g of stick on the skidpad—again, very respectable for a 4220-pound luxury sedan. And at 70 mph, you’re just 159 feet from a standstill.
“Expensive” Is Relative
The TDI Quattro starts at $58,395, $2400 more than an identically equipped gas model. Our example was outfitted for long-distance space-outs with the $2800 Driver Assistance package that includes adaptive cruise control, active lane keeping, and automatic emergency braking. Another $2800 went to the Prestige package, which adds snappier S line exterior trim, four-zone climate control, a Bose audio system, and ventilated front seats, among other odds and ends. Toss in $500 for Glacier White paint, and the sticker came to $67,295.
It’s hard to think about a $67,000 A6 as the least amount of anything, nor would we recommend it on the grounds of being the least amount of A6 someone could afford. We’d recommend it on the grounds of being a great car, and it’s fantastic that this greatness is available in the humble TDI—unless you’re a full-on speed freak, in which case Audi has your desires covered with other choices in its lineup.
