The first thing that I noticed when getting into this Audi was that it is a big car.  So, if you have lots of luggage or other stuff to move around, this car is the one for you.  The engine in this car is the base version available in the UK - a 2.0 litre turbo-charged engine producing a maximum of 168 BHP, but with a substantial peak torque of 207 lb-ft.  This means that the car will perform well at low revs, but performance at high revs will be limited.  This proved to be the case.  When I floored the throttle in second gear, the response to about 4,500 RPM was good, but pulling power died off rapidly after that.  But, the important point was that under normal driving conditions (less than 4,500 RPM), pulling power was good.

The Audi A6 is praised in the UK because it provided an excellent balancer between ride comfort and road-holding, and I could understand why after driving the car for a while.  The steering was very well weighted, unlike my Audi A4 which has steering that is too light at low speeds and too heavy when speed builds up.  It gripped very well when going around corners, but remained very soft and supple when driving over the bumpy roads that are typical of rural roads over here.  The engine was quiet and refined at all speeds, too.

One of the main points of interest for me was the technological sophistication of this car.  Al the main functions, such as the stereo controls and heating controls, are operated from a menu system located in the centre of the car, between the front seats.  Most interesting of all was the hand brake, which was controlled electronically by a switch.  I must admit I was somewhat wary of this at first, though it seems to work well if you remember the "rules" - you must have the foot-brake pressed before you can release or operate the brake.  I still prefer the more conventional type of hand-brake, though.

Overall, I liked this car.  The performance of the base engine was quite good, except at high revs, and it was very comfortable and quiet.  I wasn't able to judge accurately the economy of the car under my style of driving, but the computer in the car said that it had maintained 29 MPG over its last few runs, which is not so bad for a big petrol-engined car that has maybe had to work quite hard in its life.  The quality of the car was excellent (no squeaks or rattles even with 15,000 miles on the clock), but I wouldn't trade it for my A4 3.0 TDi, which is both faster and more economical.  On the other hand, my A4 doesn't have the sheer space that is available in this car ...