Audi A6 Avant

If you've read any of my other bits and pieces on this site then you will know that I am a bit of a Porsche freak. So what am I doing writing about a big staid Audi? Well, I flogged my Boxter S at the end of last autumn and Jan (she who must be obeyed) decided that I should invest in "something more sensible" in line with my rapidly advancing years. Having pondered for a while on what to do I decided to have a look at the new crop of big German "super diesels". You know, those big turbocharged Autobahn stormers that whistle past you on the Motorway doing a steady 98 MPH and getting forty-odd miles to the gallon - smug bastards. So, ...

It is sometimes said that a camel is a horse designed by a committee. I have always had a similar problem with the A6. To me it looks as though Audi called in about 8 members of their design team and gave them each a bit of the car to design. When they returned Hans had done the roof, Michael had done the bumpers, Rolf had done the doors etc and they just bolted all these bits together and there it was - the A6. It was hardly a revolutionary new design the present Audi A4 and A6 are not fundamentally different from the 80 and 100 ranges they replaced. For me the A6 is not as elegant or as well proportioned as the 100 which preceded it. So starting from the ...

It's a case of swings and roundabouts when comparing the Avant's styling with the A6 saloon's. Gone is the four-door's fabulous curved roofline which, although inevitable, is still a little bit of a shame. Gone too is the saloon's rear end, and that's no shame at all. The Avant's back-end styling is a lot more tidy and convincing than the saloon's appearance. Overall the Avant looks good, and is a proper model in its own right, rather than just an 'estate version', although our car's chrome roof rails give it a dated look. Fear not, for the rails, which are standard equipment, also come in black. If you make your ...