Test drive Audi A6 1997 - 2001 sedan

Bavarian power

To call the true Bavarz a German is like inflicting a deadly insult to him. Of course, the land of Bavaria is part of the Federal Republic of Germany, but still this is Bavaria and Bavarians live in it. They live, I must say, not bad: they cook excellent beer, make delicious sausages for beer, and also build cars. For some reason, many believe that the car company here is the same - BMW. It turns out that Audi is also a Bavarian brand. The capital of the company, the town of Ingolstadt from Munich is only an hour's drive on a local train.

Shooting at two hares
Time goes on, the end of the twentieth century is in the yard. The car has long turned from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan, and rapid technological progress continues its job. Each new model is faster, more convenient, more reliable, more perfect, of its predecessor. Everything would be fine, but for all this, the buyer has to lay out money, and considerable. Together with perfection, the price is growing. It’s not for long to get into a vicious circle, and therefore car manufacturers, showing the top of ingenuity, are trying to make their next miracle of technology even cheap, which means accessible to the buyer. Volkswagen - Audi Sorotovyshchi - Spanish Seat and Czech Skoda, for example, embarked on a difficult path of wide unification of their products. Several basic platforms, a set of various engines and four different branded emblems - here you have a rather long lineup. But is it interesting when the Volkswagen, like two drops of water, looks like a skoda, and Audi is a sama? That's right, uninteresting! Therefore, the body, namely platforms, are far from always unified. And this platform is not the whole car. Well, will anyone say, looking at the new Audi A6, that his native brother Volkswagen Passat? Of course, there is a similarity in the silhouette, but in the end the silhouette is not the main thing: Audi is much larger than the passat, and it looks much more solid. But still they are almost twins. A6 and the passat in the design have a lot in common, but for an ordinary buyer these are completely different cars. Which, in fact, was required. The money is saved on development, cheaper production, providing spare parts and service. The buyer sees two different cars in front of him and suffers, poor, which of them is better, choosing, in fact, only the shell - the mechanics of the machines are very, very similar.

Who do you look like?
If you look at the front, then the first -generation Audi A6 Audi Audi is at your predecessor, and if in profile, then on the same passat - a hunchbacked roof, a short trunk, large wheels. But here's the back ... Either this is something because of the ocean, or the retro is impossible to name an accurate analogue. Some hints, motives. But most of all it is similar to itself, Audi A6, or Audiyev concept kars of the nearby past.
In general, the appearance of a new audi is an impressive mixture of traditional motives with innovative ones, sometimes made, as they say, on the verge of a foul. If you remove four branded rings from a false radiator grille, any young car lover will accurately determine what is in front of him. Although the similarity with the predecessors is no longer so striking if this predecessor put it nearby. The physiognomy of the previous A-Sestor is only similar to a descendant, but ... the difference is known in comparison. You can’t do without branded emblems on the feed of the car - we are not used to such an Audi. What is the impression? Complex, you can’t express in a word. But the citizens of the non-poor (including good cars) were protruding from the windows of their expensive sedans, and the owners of the brand new A6, but now the old version, shook their heads upset: it must have been a little hurry up with the purchase. In a word, the car attracts - so the designers worked not in vain.
By the way, about the style: how do you like the combination of golden with blue? The salon of a particular copy that we got to get acquainted was finished with the skin of a noble dark blue color. So what? At first it seemed unusual, but they got used to it very quickly. What is blue skin! Here, wooden inserts on the panel with a polished aluminum lining on the floor of the floor under the control lever under the automatic box cover are adjacent. Shiny levers of locks and some details of golden anodizing flaunt on the front doors - again next to wood and skin, but all this looks quite harmonious. However, who said that the salon of an expensive car should be boring and strict? And how many devices are before the driver's eyes? There is such an exotic as a voltmeter and an indicator of oil temperature. Are they necessary? It is difficult to answer, but the instrument shield does not look like most others. So the new A6, although the original, is moderate - there is a taste and sense of proportion in it.

Do not want to frolic?
Why not? Under the hood, two hundred horses, an automatic box with the possibility of manually selection of gears, all -wheel drive, an electronic car stabilization system, an anti -lock brake system - a whole bouquet of systems and devices that help you feel confidently and safely.
We are in a blue salon. The buzz of servo drives, adjust the seats. Then the steering wheel - it can be adjusted both in the corner and the length of the column. Now - external mirrors. They also need accurate fitting, because in the internal, except for the rear head restraints that completely cover the glass, you will see little. We adjust the climatic installation - the passenger +19C, the driver is half a grade less so that he does not get excited, starting to go through the thickets of hops - it seems that the main agricultural culture in the vicinity of Ingolstadt.

The revolutions are higher - the motor sang, and it can be heard in the cabin quite clearly. The automatic five -speed box itself will switch the transmission when necessary, say, will led low if the driver’s leg drowned the gas pedal to the floor. A smart box with gears works quickly (after all, boxes and thoughtful ones are found), but for the machine, perhaps too sharply, with a noticeable jerk.
But in addition to this box there is a wonderful toy - a manual selection system. Tired of going by the will of technology, you move the lever to the right, and you can manage it yourself. Switching is simple: pushed the lever forward - an increased gear turns on, backwards - low. At first you experience some discomfort from the wrong action. It is known: a manual box - the left leg and the right hand work, the machine - rest. And here you need to pull the box lever and at the same time do not try to do something with your foot with a non-existent clutch pedal! True, you get used to good quickly, although if you think about something, relapses of clutch searches may appear.
Why do you need such a mode? To perform some quick maneuver - overtaking, for example. This device is very convenient on mountain roads, you can slow down with an engine, you can simply have fun when a tedious saw is drunk. A smart system allows a lot, except that it is impossible to do in any case. You will not turn on the lowest gear if this threatens to exceed the maximum engine speed. You will not touch any transmission except the first. It is worth slowing down at the intersection, like a box itself, even in manual mode, will be made to the start. Electronics can be deceived if desired. Click the gas pedal to the floor, demanding the transmission of the lower, the lever to try to turn on the increased.
Of course, switching with some delay occurs, and the automatic lever itself is not very convenient for work manually. Nevertheless, I liked the system: you get the opportunity to choose whether to go with an automaton or operate yourself with a box yourself.
And Audi A6 has an electronic stabilization system. Imagine that our croatro on a slippery road has gone in a skid. The driver must show serious skill and composure in order to get out of a difficult situation. And if you are by no means a speaker with iron nerves? Then instead of it, the electronic system will be removed from the drift. Having received a message from the sensors about the starting skid, it will brake the wheel (or wheel) to return the car to the desired trajectory. We found a platform sprinkled with gravel, tried - acts. Although it seemed that the stabilization system was too actively trying to screw the floating car into the turn. But this is with a frank provocation from the one who is driving. In ordinary driving, this is a valuable assistant to many drivers. Who does not like outside help, he can turn off the keyboard system on the panel.
But the suspension was somewhat disappointed. On an even autobahn - no problems: the car goes softly, keeps the way well. But it is worth even small holes on the highway, passengers begin to shake very sensitively, and if the rear wheel enters the pothole, then this is accompanied by a distinct bukh. The radius of the turn is too large- it is difficult to turn on a narrow road into one technique. The review back is disgusting: in reverse parking is true flour. The bright red lighting of the devices is somewhat annoying.
But I remembered the Audi A6 with a large spacious interior and a fairly capacious trunk, although it has even more in the front -wheel drive version. I liked the brakes and the work of ABS. An interesting thing is the on -board navigation system, but, unfortunately, it was not possible to use it, there was no standard CD.

Bauern Power
A fat man with a pitchfork at the ready jumps on a well -fed pig. The inscription reads: Bavarian power. We saw such a picture on board one of the trucks. It is good when people know how to play a trick on themselves. Every joke has some truth. Bavaria is actually strong with its pigs, hops, grain and derivatives of them. And there is also a powerful Bavarian industry. So Audi is also a Bavarian power.
The company has always been distinguished by love for various technical innovations. The new A6 croatro is a solid device, a rather complicated design, sometimes very ambiguous. But the main thing is that the car is extraordinary. It is difficult to scold him and not be easy to praise. It is also complicated by perception, and therefore even more interesting.

The new Audi A6 is the heir to the popular hundredth. He replaced the first generation on the A6 A6 conveyor, essentially modernized Audi 100 of the last version. For the first time presented by the public this year, Audi A6 was a deafening success at the Geneva Motor Show. His engines are 1.8 gasoline; 2.4 and 2.8 liters and 1.9 -liter diesel with turbocharged, gearbox - a five -speed mechanical or five -speed machine with a manual selection of Testronics programs.

A characteristic profile of modern sedans Audi: a sloping roof, a short trunk, rounded contours - aerodynamics dictates fashion.

The design of the Audi A6 stern looks quite unusual.

A six -cylinder engine hidden under plastic is still a gasoline devourer. But if you set the goal, you can save. On a direct flat section of the highway, we managed to achieve a consumption of 6.7 l/100 km at a speed of about 70 km/h.

Technical characteristics of the car Audi A6-2.8 quattro
General data: number of places - 5; Equipped mass - 1575 kg; full weight - 2125 kg; maximum speed - 229 km/h; acceleration time from a place to 100 km/h - 10 s; Fuel consumption: city/country - 8.5/16.7 l/100 km; Fuel supply - 70 liters. Dimensions: length - 4795 mm; width - 1810 mm; height - 1450 mm; base - 2760 mm; The track in front/back - 1540/1570 mm; Road clearance - 120 mm; turning radius - 5.85 m; The volume of the trunk is 435 liters. Engine: six-cylinder, V-shaped, gasoline, with fuel injection, located in front longitudinal; the number of valves per cylinder is 5; working volume - 2771 cm; the diameter and stroke of the piston - 82.5 x 86.4 mm; compression degree - 10.6; Power - 142 kW/193 l. With. at 6000 rpm; The maximum torque is 280 N.M at 3200 rpm. Transmission: drive to all wheels; gearbox - automatic five -speed, gear rates: I transmission - 3.67; II - 2.00; III - 1.41; IV - 1.00; V - 0.74; h. X. - 4.1; The main program is 3.19. Suspension: Independent, front and back - with double transverse levers and stabilizer of theal stability. Brakes: front and rear - disk, front - ventilated, with an amplifier and ABS. Tire size: 205/60WR15.
Igor Solidov
Photo by the author

Source: The magazine "Driving"