The media offerings are also highly evolved but not to the point of distraction. There is an interface dial between the front seats that controls menus, navigation, sound, and climate, plus there are buttons and a touchpad on the console. Google Earth and Audi’s data system support live traffic updates, parking garage capacities, gas prices, and weather patterns. Considering the complexity of its functions, it’s an easy universe to navigate.
The dashboard is nicely sculpted; the leather steering wheel and seats are high quality. The rear bench seats three adults in comfort, provided they’re friendly. In fact, it’s all nice, very nice. Which is to say, it’s all pretty vanilla.
I think the thing here is to get as many upgrades as you can. First on the list should be the Prestige Package, which for $4,600 includes a heads-up display, LED headlights, front-seat ventilation and lumbar support, BOSE Surround Sound, a Warm Weather Package, a power-automatic trunk, and interior LED lighting.
See also: the $1,800 S-Line Sport Package (19-inch wheels, all-season tires, sport suspension, S badging on the interior and exterior); the $500 Cold Weather Package (heated rear seats, heated steering wheel); and the $1,500 Black Optic Package (20- inch titanium finished wheels, summer tires, high-gloss black trim on the grille). Total price on the version I drove, which included all this plus taxes and fees, came to $66,875. (The base 2016 A6, with a 2-liter turbocharged engine and front-wheel drive, costs $47,125.)
Sticking with the standard accoutrements will get you 18- inch wheels, automatic start-stop, a power sunroof, Xenon headlights, auto-dimming power-heated exterior mirrors, heated front seats, and an anti-theft system, among other things. These are no small items; they’re the welcome trappings of any high- end vehicle.
The main thing to know here is that the 2016 Audi A6 is a fine car. It’s not spectacular, but it’s very good. Consider it against the BMW 5-Series, Cadillac CTS, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Jaguar XF, though I think you’ll find those more memorable than this, performance- and aesthetics-wise, especially that XF.
But anyway—the upside of mass luxury these days is that all of the cars in the sedan segment are much safer and more powerful than things from 20 and 30 years ago. Much of the decision to buy comes down to branding and aesthetics. And the A6 is as solid a choice as any.