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2005 Audi A6: German
Style in Italian Fashion
By Kimatni D. Rawlins, 03.26.04
The narrative is simple; Milano, Italia is truly the fashion capitol
of the world. Paris weighs in second, while New York isn't too far
off. Yet, imagine the concept of a pedestrian prescient full of extravagant
shops including the likes of Fendi, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Pollini
and Trussardi to name a few. Yeah, that's enough anxiety to entice
even the Statue of Liberty to swap out her gown for a more debonair
statement! To say the least, I was not in Milano seeking out Tyra
Banks' America's Next Top Model. My transatlantic journey was to scope
out one of Audi's top models; the 2005 A6.
The A6 -- which goes on sale this fall in the States -- is a luxury,
passenger sedan with enough conveniences for any fickle-minded consumer.
It competes thoroughly with the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class and
Lexus GS.
Audi products are passionate, sophisticated and well-balanced -- especially
the new A6, which is, of course, endowed with "quattro"
all-wheel-drive. I say of course because "quattro" is Audi's
claim to fame. While many of today's vehicles are either front-wheel-drive
or rear-wheel-drive, Audi's "quattro" blesses all four wheels
with the same drive power. Imagine Marion Jones with four legs. Exactly!
Quattro enhances the vehicle with more stability and is almost impervious
to haphazard road conditions including rain. The morning upon leaving
the historic Hotel Principe di Savoia, the clouds were bursting leaving
the narrow Milano streets quite wet. Quattro didn't mind that at all!
So how will you be able to differentiate the 04' from the 05' model?
Simple; from the outside the bigger 05' has the "new look of
Audi" wide-opening grill. It's the first thing you notice upon
approach. Envision a fish with its mouth open while drooling for a
sea snack. The wheel openings, however, look pretty lonely with the
standard 16's. It's even more obvious when sitting behind the wheel.
Apply pressure to the throttle and you would agree that the A6's substantive
engines are the cause. It is kept powerful by virtue of a 4.2-liter
335-horsepower V8 and a 3.2-liter 255-horsepower V6. Comparing the
old to the new is as slanted as having the "Rock" versus
Chris Rock for your tag-team wrestling partner. A 6-speed Steptronic
transmission manages the power flow with three styles of shifting.
When driving on Autobahn (Motorway) A9 the A6 was calm and composed,
but always had enough getty-up to pass the crowd.
  
 
Another, if not the most, significant difference is the Audi's interior
finish which is more detailed than CSI investigators. Open the doors
and you witness pure precision. It's sugar-coated with European styling;
Multi-Media Interface (MMI); a new to Audi light-turning, multifunction
steering wheel; rear window shades; gratuitous back seats that lay
flat, and an optional BOSE sound enhancer.
MMI is the Bill Gates of the A6's most utilized systems. It consists
of a 6.5-inch color screen; a circular joystick, and a set of corresponding
controls. The navigation, audio, temperature and vehicle settings
can all be managed by MMI; which by the way is much easier to operate,
while driving, than BMW's iDrive. Its optional DVD navigation also
comes in handy. It clearly routed us through the confusing Italian
round-abouts and single-lane, cobblestone streets. Although, sometimes
my lady (the navi voice) would over communicate leaving me baffled.
But then, the burning aroma of trees and village homes sitting atop
tunnels and exotic hills in Villa Erba would appease my mood.
On the road there is more to a glorified ride than just
its looks and power. So Audi enhanced the A6 with a good amount of
safety attributes. To begin, it's loaded with Adaptive B-Xenon headlights
that swivel around corners for a broader range of light; Tire Pressure
Monitoring System to inform of an impending flat; SIDEGUARD head curtain
airbag system, side airbags, and front head restraints; ESP and brake
assist; Rear Parktronic, and Advanced key for keyless entry and ignition
start. Remember those corny, scary flicks when the victim has trouble
opening the door? Not anymore. Auto consumers should always consider
safety features over any other when shopping for a new vehicle!
The hours spent outside of town in the exquisite Audi A6 was enlightening.
We rolled back into Milano at the Park Hyatt Hotel adjacent a Dolce
& Gabbana boutique. What a beautiful life it could be I thought.
What a beautiful life! Expect to pay around $45,000 for an entry-level
A6.
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