Gear Junky

A new arrival has barged its 
way into the corporate car park, and Audi’s latest A6 has one objective 
– to secure class honours in a sector 
traditionally dominated by its German rivals. So has it got what it takes?

1st :Audi A6 2.0 TDI SE
Entry diesel blends class of higher-spec models with tempting costs

After a string of near misses, Audi is hoping to take the top step of the podium with its new A6. The luxury A8 and A7 premium hatch have both been second-placed finishers in Auto Express road tests in recent weeks, so does this car succeed where its stablemates have failed?

Depending upon the spec of your A6, the exterior will provoke mixed reactions. The first example we saw was finished in silver and wore optional alloys, and it looked great. In contrast, our test car was painted a more sombre shade and sported standard wheels, and it barely merited a second glance. Either way, the A6 follows the firm’s tried-and-tested approach, looking like a miniature A8 or big A4, depending on your point of view. The trademark trapezoidal grille and LED daytime running lamps give it a purposeful appearance, but we think the rear end is a bit bland for a car in this class.

Interior quality is typically first-rate. The A6 cabin borrows heavily from its larger stablemates, with the firm’s beautifully clear and simple instruments, plus intuitive MMI control system, taking centre stage. High-grade plastics, reassuringly solid switchgear and classy aluminium trim ensure the new A6 has the premium edge over its rivals. In SE spec, you’ll also find plenty of kit, including Bluetooth and leather, while the display screen for the standard-fit sat-nav emerges electronically from the dash, as it does in the A7 and A8. The driving position provides plenty of adjustability, and from behind the wheel the A6 feels much more compact than the gigantic 5-Series. Despite this, there is more space in the back than in either rival. The boot also measures in at 530 litres, which places the load area directly between the bigger Mercedes’ and smaller BMW’s. Interior space and quality are both traditional A6 strengths, but where the newcomer really needs to score is on the road. The rear-wheel-drive BMW has set the dynamic standard in this class for years, and also boasts some of the cleanest engines around. Has the Audi got what it takes to compete?

A quick check of the tax discs is enough to ascertain that the firm has caught up when it comes to efficiency. The new 2.0-litre model emits 129g/km of CO2, which places the A6 in precisely the same tax bracket as its blue propeller rival, and ahead of the dirtier Mercedes. Stop-start technology, brake-energy recuperation and lightweight construction all help to keep emissions in check. The 175bhp A6 is punchy, too, with 380Nm of torque from only 1,750rpm. Although the BMW produces more power and the Mercedes boasts superior torque, the A6 doesn’t feel outgunned. At our track the Audi covered 0-60mph in nine seconds flat –that’s nine-tenths slower than the BMW – but its performance during our in-gear tests was far stronger. Here, it out-accelerated the more powerful 520d in every discipline. That low-down punch is allied to supreme refinement, and the A6 proved the quietest and most comfortable car here at motorway cruising speeds, making it a more restful long-distance companion than the 520d and a match for the Mercedes.

This is partly down to the spec of our test machine. Standard SE models do without the sporty suspension set-up fitted to more costly S line variants, and while the ordinary alloys do nothing
for the car’s styling, you reap the rewards on the move as the Audi copes with big bumps and smaller ruts more effectively than its rivals. Purists will argue that the BMW’s rear-drive chassis is more engaging, and they have a point. The A6 doesn’t provide much feedback through the well weighted steering, and the light gearshift lacks the mechanical feel of the 5-Series. Yet on dual carriageways, the Audi makes a better fist of things.

Through bends you will discover tightly controlled body roll and huge grip, although the A6 is neither as communicative nor as much fun as the 520d. And on uneven roads you can detect steering wheel squirm when you nail the throttle exiting slow corners, as the front tyres fight for grip. This isn’t something you’ll experience in the car’s rear-wheel-drive rivals, but the impression is still of a thoroughly composed and very capable saloon. The firm has also improved the Drive Select system, so the changes the different modes make to the steering are more subtle than in previous Audis we have tested. This gives the set-up a more sophisticated feel.

With understated looks, a classy cabin and polished dynamics, the new A6 will give BMW plenty to think about – and that’s before you consider its 39.5mpg fuel return. This underlines the success of the car’s lightweight construction – and Audi deserves a pat on the back. The A6 has gone from also-ran to class contender in one fell swoop.

2nd :BMW 520d SE
Blend of style and driveability makes our class champion a strong choice

There's no time for BMW’s latest 5-Series to rest on it laurels. Less than a year after being crowned Best Executive Car at our New Car Awards, the model is having to defend its position at the top from Audi’s all-new A6.

On first impressions, there’s little to separate the pair. While it lacks the Audi’s sleek profile, the taller 520d is more imposing, thanks to its gaping, double-kidney grille and quad headlamps. The car in our pictures is the more expensive M Sport model, which features larger 18-inch alloy wheels and a bodykit that adds an aftermarket feel. We think the more low-key entry-level SE version tested is much better, although neither has the head-turning appeal of its boldly styled predecessor. Inside, cues are taken from the firm’s luxurious 7-Series saloon. The sweeping dashboard design and beautiful build quality help give the interior a genuinely upmarket feel. This impression is reinforced by the long list of standard kit, which includes leather trim for the seats and dual-zone climate control, although sat-nav remains an extra-cost option. It’s spacious, too, with rear passengers getting plenty of room to stretch out. And while the BMW has the smallest boot of this trio, its 520-litre capacity should be ample.

As you’d expect from the firm, the 520d is a strong performer on the road. Its refined 181bhp 2.0-litre oil-burner is the most powerful on test. However, what gives the big saloon the edge off the line is its rear-wheel-drive traction. It sprinted from 0-60mph test in 8.1 seconds, but trailed the lighter A6 for mid-range pace. The blue propeller’s clever EfficientDynamics technology has set the benchmark in this sector, yet the 520d’s emissions of 129g/km are matched by its newer rival. And while fuel returns of 37.4mpg are good, it trailed the A6 at the pumps. Keen drivers are sure to favour the BMW, though, as its rear-wheel-drive chassis serves up a wealth of involvement. The weighty steering delivers a lot of feedback and precision, which help to mask the car’s bulky dimensions. The trade-off for its sharp handling is a firm ride, which means the BMW is less cosseting than its rivals. Long journeys are also made more tiring by steering that requires constant corrections to keep the 520d tracking straight at high cruising speeds. However, that’s one of the few flaws in an otherwise outstanding package.

On this showing, it’s going to take something special to knock the most affordable car in this line-up off the top of the podium.

3rd :Mercedes E220 CDI SE
Model scores on refinement and comfort, plus the appeal of the brand

The E-Class has only been in showrooms since 2009, but the it’s the elder statesman of this executive trio. Despite its advancing years, the imposing Mercedes still represents a stern test for any new arrival in this sector. Top-notch build quality, superb refinement and unrivalled company car park kudos make the E-Class a desirable machine, even in entry SE guise. However, you will have to do without the racy bodykit, eye-catching 18-inch AMG alloys and LED daytime running lights of the Sport trim version in our pictures. Instead, you’ll get rather small 16-inch rims and an upright and old-fashioned design. Factor in the fussy creases along the car’s flanks, and the E-Class takes the wooden spoon in the style stakes.

Matters improve when you climb aboard. The cabin is solidly built and logically laid out. And while the dashboard design doesn’t have the flair of the Audi or material quality of the BMW, loyal Mercedes fans will feel at home. Behind the large steering wheel is the trademark single stalk for the wipers, lights and indicators. But while it works well enough, it isn’t as intuitive as the rotary controller for the car’s COMAND multimedia system. There’s a decent standard kit count, which includes heated seats, parking sensors and climate control. Occupants get plenty of space, too, with rear passengers benefiting from generous leg and headroom. And the useful 540-litre load bay offers 10 and 20 litres more than the Audi and BMW respectively.

Yet while the Mercedes takes practicality honours, it can’t match the more powerful 5-Series from 0-60mph – trailing by three-tenths, with a time of 8.4 seconds. However, despite its combination of a gruff 168bhp 2.2-litre and optional, power-sapping, five-speed auto box, the E220 delivers decent pace once it’s up and running. In kickdown, it betters the in-gear performance of its manual rivals, but the differences are small enough not to really matter. The dynamic contrasts are more obvious. The E-Class’s softer suspension set-up is geared for comfort rather than back-road blasts. Standard adaptive damping and accurate steering help deliver decent composure, but the Mercedes can’t rival the BMW or Audi for driver appeal. Instead, excellent refinement and a supple ride make it better suited to relaxing long-distance cruising.

Running costs are less inviting. With emissions of 154g/km and 34.5mpg economy, it will be more expensive to tax and fuel than its rivals. Factor in lower residuals, and the odds are against it.

jetinder

Off to try them all and the XF at silverstone this morning with the Mrs. Should be fun !

Jet

Gear Junky

Didn't recall which UK mag tested the new A6 against these 3 rivals as well as the XF but it was the Jag that came out on top. It's always been a great car and the facelift thats due on sale this sept makes it a great looking car as well.

Please report your findings.

darkop

Am always getting nervous when about to read these comparisons with FWD Audis involved. They don't represent real Audis to me and am always curious to see how big banging would they receive from competitors. This time it's really come to surprise that an "Audi masked VW'' won it against more driving oriented rivals, although I would still get a 5er in this guise.
Give me back my A6 3.0TFSI (or S6) please! Who cares about 2.0TDIs!?? (apart from majority of Europe )

jetinder

It certainly was a busy day. We were well fed and watered and the whole team from Germany were incredibly polite.

Now, the cars...

We started off the day on an hour and a half drive of the 3.0 TDI Quattro SE. It was a mixed bag in terms of specification, but generally, quite a high one. It including lane assist (the one that nudges you back into lane if you wander out of it), which I hadn't used before, the Google map thingie (paired up my Galaxy phone without a hitch), and the normal array of pre-sense stuff with Bose. It had the 5 spoke RS-5 type wheels.

We found the car very easy to drive, not too harsh on the roads around silverstone. The steering was light, but still responsive for every day use. My wife liked the car a lot, she's really glad she's getting one. We did think the amount of road noise from the 20 inch rims was high and are ameding our order to add the heat/sound reflecting glass which will help a little with that. There was some country road driving, down through some single track roads at times, which can be a great test on brakes if you suddenly come across oncoming traffic or a herd of cows crossing to be milked!

We especially liked the legroom in the front and the back, it's comparable to our A8 I'd say.

Halfway round the trip, we changed to the 2.0 TDI fwd 6 speed manual. It was such a basic spec :-( But it gave us the chance to compare. It's a fine car, but nowehere near the 3.0. Road noise was still apparent, but we didn't get a chance to goof around on the smaller country lanes with this one.

In the afternoon, we started off by trying the E350 CDI on a twisty coned off track. It was a competent car, but the interior looked and felt so dated with a lot of buttons, lots and lots and lots of buttons. Both of us were a little confused by the way the gear lever worked (our last Merc was a W210 about 4 years ago). From a handling point of view, it felt a little soft, but not very sporty. The emergency braking was ok, probably just above the Jag.

Next, we had the Jaguar XF 3.0D. My wife drove first, and she almost stopped halfway because she couldn't stand it. I don't know if it was the specification, but the interior didn't meet with our tastes and it felt incredibly rigid when flinging it round bends. You didn't feel confident in asking it to do too much. I thought the emergency braking was definitely the worst of the four. The satnav/multimedia stuff just confused us .. maybe because we'd not seen it before.

Next was a 3.0 TDI Quattro SE. It didn't have the sports diff. This was the best car to drive in our opinion, it was quick, responded really well to steering input, changed gear really nicely and not at awkward moments e.g NOT mid-corner unlike the XF in our case. The braking was terrific - probably helped by having a low overall weight. We both felt that as a passenger, you were less stressed. There was hardly any body roll, a cracking suspension setup (it wasn't air either).

Lastly, was a BMW 530D. The cabin was nice, but we felt there was a bit of a mish-mash with regards to the dash and materials used. It may have been the black on black with black inlays, not sure. We also thought the i-Drive was a bit confusing. As we only spent a few minutes in there, we gave up on that. In terms of power/handling, couldn't fault it. It was definitely the most "raw" of the group, lots of wheelspin getting off the line - even with esp on, the handling was much better than the Benz, but not as sure-footed as the A6.

It was actually quite close for us between the A6 and 5 series. But with the slightly more "rattly" straight 6 verses the bent crank of the A6, the A6 is a lot smoother and quieter.

We then had a chance to try a 3.0 TFSI on another part of the track. By this time, my wife was feeling a bit sick, so she watched (and I got 8 laps instead of 4). It was a handling test again, but this time with a full emergency stop at the end.

I can categorically say that the TFSI engine is a stormer. It's a lot of fun, when pushed, it does tend to understeer, but as this one had the sports rear diff and the funky centre crown differential, I was able to give it a bit more gas at certain areas of the track. It screeeaams off the line, changing gear sharply in dynamic mode (7 speed s-tronic), you can push the car hard, but it understeers first. The back end is kept in check by the fancy electronics (flattering drivers like myself who don't know what they are doing!) almost all the time. Getting the brake assist to kick in on emergency stop was very difficult, but fun. It's a good system to have in a car as I can see it being useful when you are in one of those situations when you realise the car in front has stopped when you haven't expected them too. The shoulders on all foure tyres were very worn by the end of the day. The brakes were beginning to fade after the 6 time.

Personally, I'd go with a 3.0 TDI and remap it, you'll get just as much power and more torque using less fuel. No brainer really (that's if they sell it in your country).

The only down side was that there wasn't even one S-Line A6.

A very nice day out. Roll on next month when the car hopefully arrives.

Thanks Audi UK and Audi AG.

darkop

Just to let you know guys.
Received an invitation from Audi ME for half day C7 A6 3.0TFSI Driving Experience at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi on June 4th, with complimentary dinner, night and breakfast in Yas Marina hotel.
Life can be a bitch sometimes, I know.
will keep you posted on my impressions, as they often bring the competitors.
cheers

jetinder

They will, you'll enjoy it. I believe they are in Singapore at the moment before coming there, they said that Russia would be soon after that.

sfbayguy

I have never followed the new realease of an A6 model before and can not believe how quiet it is here and at the german car forums, especially compared to the release of the new 5 series and new e class. Makes me wonder why this car does not generate more enthusiasm and excitement?

Gear Junky

The simple answer is the caliber of client that own an Audi compared to the others, especially a BMW, those guys on their forums are generally between the ages of 16 and 25. In other words they haven't quite matured yet and get overly excited at just about anything BMW.

Just take a look at the class of person driving an executive Audi and you will see they are almost always professional types, these are not the type of person who gets overly excited in the first place and don't usually spend time on forums either. The ones that buy S and RS models are different, these guys are generally car nuts, just wait till the details of the S6/RS6 are released then you'll see the buzz over the forums.

BTW, both the E-class and 5 series are truly brilliant in their own right, I looks and both of them when they were first launched in their latest form and was impressed. In fact I was impressed enough to revisit both of them when it came time to consider the new A6 but in my opinion the Audi felt more solid to drive, had a better driving enviornment and looked the part, plus where i live they also hold more of their value longterm. The only negative I could level at the new A6 was it's noise level at motorway speeds, the big wheels cause a lot of road noise compared to either of the others which is one of the reasons I chose the 19" rims instead of the 20" which look so good. Apart from that the A6 is a class act.

gatoman39

I think it has more to do with brand awareness. BMW has always been known for sporty small sedans, M3, M5. Mercedes has been synonymous with the SL roadster and the panache of the S-Class luxury car. I think people have had a harder time identifying with a specific model for Audi.
Audi has marketed itself more with the Quattro system and poor weather prowess. The one car that I think most people see when they think of Audi is the Quattro rally car.
I also think that the products haven't had the long generational cycles that BMW and Mercedes have been able to carve, so there isn't the product marketing maturity.
With that being said, BMW and Mercedes often attract polar opposite buyers. I think Audi has carved a nice place in the luxury market place, a good balance between sport and comfort, and is no longer content as being viewed as the "third" brand. The last 20 years or so the Audi renaissance has been built completely on merit, and the company has come a long way from the 80's PR problems and should be highly commended for it.