2017 Audi A6 Pros vs Cons

The Audi A6 is Audi’s mid-size luxury sedan and one of the leading vehicles in the segment in both sales and critical acclaim. It is spacious and well-equipped, as well as sporting a selection of powerful engines. Buyers in the market for a luxury midsize car will definitely appreciate giving the A6 a look.

What’s New for 2017

The 2017 Audi A6 remains mostly unchanged since the 2015 mid-cycle refresh. Several safety features - the rearview camera and parking sensors - are now standard on all models and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now optional features. One notable change is the new Competition trim that focuses on performance and tunes up the engine for extra power.

Ten Reasons You May Like the 2017 Audi A6 – The Pros

1. Quality Interior

Audi is a luxury brand that makes a big part of its reputation from its attention to detail where interiors are concerned. From the entry-level A6 on up, the interior is trimmed with quality materials and is well put together. Upholstery, trim and accents are all well chosen and upscale, making for a very aesthetically pleasing cabin.

2. Space and Comfort

The 2017 Audi A6 manages to give plenty of legroom and headroom to both front and rear passengers while treating them to a variety of comfortable amenities. With features such as massaging front seats and rear seat heating, the A6 creature comforts are bound to leave everyone happy. If you drive others often, they will appreciate the extra mile that Audi went with this vehicle.

3. Child-friendly Design

Unlike many other mid-size luxury cars, the A6 was definitely designed with families in mind. The rear seats of the 2017 Audi A6 make it very easy to find the LATCH anchors for child seats and the wide openings of the rear doors make getting kids of all ages into and out of the car a breeze. This makes it a great choice if you are looking for both a fun and practical vehicle.

4. Great Handling

The 2017 Audi A6 is very easy to control for a larger car. Even the base front-wheel drive models are very responsive and handle sharp turns with confidence, while the quattro all-wheel drive models are even better behaved. This allows the A6 to be a fun and exciting car to drive even when equipped with the smaller engine options.

5. Potent Engines

In addition to great handling, the 2017 Audi A6 also gives you a choice of two strong engines. The base 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo already offers ample power with its 252 horsepower, while the 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 clocks in at 333 horsepower. The new Competition trim this year ups that to 340 horsepower, making the A6 truly a driver’s car when it comes to power.

6. Multi-Media Interface

As luxury manufacturers strive to build innovative new infotainment systems to provide intuitive controls for all of the new technologies available in cars, Audi takes the lead with its Multi-Media Interface system. It is standard on all 2017 Audi A6 models and allows you to control the infotainment through a convenient touchpad interface. It even recognizes written letters for use with navigation and the phonebook.

7. Rich Standard Features

Unlike many of its competitors, the 2017 Audi A6 gives you many of the most popular features as standard equipment. Even a bare-bones A6 gives you a rearview camera, parking sensors, three-zone climate control, 10 speakers, a moonroof and the MMI interface with Bluetooth and satellite radio, among others. That gives even the entry-level models great value.

8. Vast Options Range

In addition to the impressive standard feature set, the A6 also gives you an incredible options menu to pick from. Practically any feature you can expect in a luxury car is on offer, including both Bang & Olufsen and Bose premium audio. Between all of the options available, the A6 is probably the best-equipped car you can buy in its price range.

9. Innovative Safety Features

As many of the most common active safety technologies like automatic braking are becoming more popular, the 2017 Audi A6 introduces even newer technologies to keep you safe. One such features is the Night Vision Assistance, which uses a front-mounted infrared camera to detect obstacles, pedestrians and animals at night and alert you to their presence.

10. Outstanding Safety Scores

Technology is not the only thing making the 2017 Audi A6 a very safe vehicle, as it also gets maximum scores on crash tests as well. The official government tests give it a score of five out of five in every category and the industry-backed Insurance Institute for Highway Safety likewise gives it top marks on all of its tests. Even without the high-end safety gear, the A6 is still a very reliable vehicle in case of a crash.

Reasons You May Not Like the 2017 Audi A6 – The Cons

1. Ride Quality

While many other cars in the segment have managed to strike a good balance between performance and comfort in their driving feel, the A6 leans more towards the performance end, giving it a stiffer ride than some of the competitors. That means a slightly bumpier ride than many other mid-size luxury sedans.

2. Conservative Exterior

The Audi design language is showing the need for a refresh and the exterior of the 2017 Audi A6 is one of the least adventurous in the class. It is especially jarring in contrast to the car’s modern and well-designed interior.

3. Disappearing Diesel

Audi has gotten rid of the diesel engine for this year’s model of the A6 in conjunction with the wider Volkswagen diesel scandal. This puts the Audi at a disadvantage to several competitors that still offer very fuel-efficient diesels.

4. Audi’s Other Cars

The Audi A6 is a great car when compared to other competitors in its class, but it loses its luster a little when compared to other cars that Audi offers. The compact A4 is only a little smaller, comes with more standard features and is less expensive. On the other end, the A7 is similarly sized and only slightly more expensive, but has more storage and passenger space and is far more stylish.

How It Stacks Up to the Competition

The 2017 Audi A6 is primarily a competitor of other mid-size luxury sedans like the BMW 5-Series, the Cadillac CTS and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The E-Class gives you more options and has a slightly softer ride, but is significantly pricier for the same features. The 5-Series has the BMW name recognition, but charges more for fewer features than the A6 and offers much less as standard equipment. Finally, the CTS has a stylish modern exterior and a stronger engine, but doesn’t handle as well as the A6 and doesn’t have the same great interior styling.

Conclusion

The 2017 Audi A6 continues to be the mid-size luxury sedan against which others are compared. It has everything from quick performance to luxury interior to advanced technology, though it does lag behind some of the pioneers in exterior design. While some vehicles in other classes that Audi offers may be infringing on the A6’s standard-bearer status, it is still one of the best mid-size luxury sedans that money can buy today.