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Audi A6 2004: The Weekly Driver Review
Like airports in many metropolitan cities, the San Francisco International Airport is a maze of intersections, connecting ramps, misplaced directional signs, heavy traffic, tense drivers and never-ending construction. Add the unfamiliarity of a new vehicle, and the driving anywhere near an airport can be even be more unpleasant. But such was not the case when I began my weekly test drive of the Audi A6 at the San Francisco International Airport on a recent weekday night. As per the manufacturer's reputation, the 265-horsepower, 2.7-liter luxury sedan is a relaxing, refined and powerful vehicle that affords any driver security, comfort and myriad features without intimidation. I left a hotel parking lot near the airport following a month's travel in Europe and was immediately catapulted back into a mess of U.S. freeway drivers. But the suddenly reality of abrupt lane changes without the use of turn signals and the erratic speeds were diminished by the responsiveness of the steering, acceleration and driving comfort of my Audi. My vehicle, the four-wheel drive (Audi's patented name for the feature is quattro) automatic, had a perfectly matched dolphin gray exterior and a platinum interior, including firm and contouring gray leather seats. The Tiptronic transmission feature, which allows gear shifting without interruption of power, is readily noticeable as is the vehicle's firm grasp of the road (18-inch wheels are standard) and its quiet ride.
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