Case of Swings and Roundabouts (Audi A6 Avant)

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Product:	Audi A6 Avant
Date:	03/12/00 (299 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Handsome looking

Disadvantages: Too much body roll

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 living flogging expensive wardrobes you'll need them. Like its main rival the BMW 5-Series Touring, with its sloping rear hatch, the Avant does not set out to be the world's largest estate car. But there's still plenty of room in it; the combined luggage blind and net unit is fairly simple to remove and the seats fold quickly and effortlessly without the headrests having to be removed. Like BMW, Audi offers a platform which can be slid out to load heavy objects. Gripes? The seats don't fold completely level and you don't get a flat load lip.

Complaints about the interior are also only minor. We didn't warm to our car's wood trim, but that's about it. Otherwise the A6's neatly designed cabin is a fine, roomy and comfortable place to be, and apart from the less steeply raked windscreen you would assume you were driving the saloon.

The V6 engine is everything it needs to be: smooth, refined and fast. The five-speed Tiptronic gearbox is fun, but it pays just as well to leave the auto 'box in drive and let it get on with it. On fast, flowing roads it feels safe and secure, if not completely involving. But when we found our perfect corners we weren't quite so impressed. Under hard cornering, especially through s-bends, there's too much body ro
ll and the Avant takes too long to regain its composure.

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