Test drive Audi A6 1997 - 2001 sedan

Audi

We have long and fruitfully cooperate with the autopilot magazine, we have common commercial projects with them, so I eagerly responded to the proposal of the editor -in -chief to test the Audi A6 car. In addition, I knew that it was a business class car. That is, just one that, in principle, would suit a business person. An extra argument in favor of evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of the car.
Service novels with cars
But for starters, so that the reader understands why it suddenly I so confidently agreed to drive an unfamiliar car, I would like to briefly tell the story of my relationship with cars.
I received rights at the end of 1992. At the beginning of the 93rd, my friend gave me an eight-year-old eight. I loved her terribly, there was such a wonderful car, such my own, homely. Then she turned ten years old and began: I come to the meeting, negotiations, I go out - I won’t start, I call my services, they will tow me, they will repair something, I come to the next meeting - the same thing again. And all the time there are different reasons. Then I gave it to myself and bought myself 99th. Then I worked in the bank. This car, I confess, fell in love with passionately. And she behaved well. It broke extremely rarely. But she traveled for two years - and the same story happened to her. I began to give crazy money for the repair of this machine. And when I came to the service (this is already in the auto card), the first thing I gave the keys to our driver - he immediately began to delve into the car. In principle, I myself understand the glands a little. If something breaks on the road, I can go out, open the hood and if something is not clear, then fix it. It was even a hobby: to go out on Sunday into the yard and tinker with the car. I was never afraid to stain my hands. But the 99th broke so ...
In general, when she ate so much money that it was possible to buy a new one on them, I decided - I sell. And I buy a German car (from us they are traditionally considered reliable). What - I did not know yet. But I decided that it should be front -wheel drive or all -wheel drive, have a high landing and steering wheel. I went for several weeks, chose and finally bought Volkswagen Passat.
When I started to ride it, at first I did not understand how much it differs from nine. It seems to be almost the same, just does not rattle. But when after him she got into the domestic car, she felt that it was heaven and earth. Here is such a story. Now about Audi.
The average burger
I liked the appearance of the car very much. I looked at Audi even earlier. There is nothing superfluous in him. Neither big nor small - namely the way the business class car should be. And at the same time, quite aesthetic. The salon is generally wonderful. So comfortable that it was as if you had been sitting in it all your life. Usually, when you get into a new car, you feel some inconvenience, because you do not know what and how. And here this is not, and you immediately appreciate such attention to yourself.
This is how it is difficult for me to evaluate the car. I don't like to be a passenger at all. If I'm not driving, my sensations are sharply negative. Therefore, I immediately got behind the wheel. Everything is as it should. The dimensions are felt right away, the visibility is complete: the mirrors are regulated exactly as it should, perfectly control the situation and see everything that happens around. I liked the seats. Adjusting for several electric drive positions, heating, lateral support - everything is on top. I really liked the setting of the steering column in height and depth. You do not need almost anything else. Now I want to evaluate the car in action. Go.
It is impossible to complain!
The steering wheel is very light and not sharp. But at the same time it gives a complete feeling that you control the movement of the machine.
The accelerated dynamics at first seemed weak. From the spot, the car seemed to touch as quickly as I wanted. But then I realized that in fact the car accelerates very briskly, it just happens smoothly and therefore a feeling of a quick set of speed is conceived.
The only thing that embarrassed was the lever of switching modes on an automatic gearbox. It needs to be shed, it moves in a stepped slot. Unusual.
The pedals are located very conveniently. I especially liked that instead of the clutch pedal there is a special site under the left foot.
The dashboard is competently combined. There are enough devices, only now the red lighting is slightly, it seems to me, irritates the eyes. But on the central console, all sorts of buttons are hung too much. So you won’t figure it out right away. Although if you take a description and how to sit, then, probably, in the end you will master.
I will not even talk about ABS. I believe that this is a gift to a woman on our roads, especially in winter. Even in its car, when the system turned on for the first time, scared: what is this with the brake pedal? And then I got used to it and now I boldly slow down on the bends. The anti -lock system has never failed. And on Audi, it also works softly and unobtrusively.
And the last. If in the domestic car I loved to tinker with the engine, then, having looked under the hood of Audi, I realized that it was not provided here in principle. The very view of the unit, as it were, says: do not interfere with this to work! So every desire to touch him disappears. Only to a specialist.
In general, the car fully met my expectations. Everything is done with German pedantry and literacy. Just what needs a serious business person who does not love empty drawing on the cars screaming about his high cost.
The editors expresses gratitude to the Art Motors, (095) 245-8450, which provided the car for the test and the business center on the Savvinskaya Embankment, (095) 258-4300-for help in the organization of shooting ..
For the period of the test, the car was insured in the insurance company of the Resa-Garantia, (095) 250-3600, 255-6834, 254-2272.

Communicating during the test with Oksana Viktorovna, we noted to ourselves that she is well versed in cars - it is guided by the brands, models and the device of the car. But still in a short time, it is difficult for a non -specialist to pay attention to all the little things and nuances of an unfamiliar car. Therefore, the magazine experts decided to briefly talk about what was left behind the scenes.
First of all about landing. In principle, everything said is true. With one significant reservation: if the driver of medium height or higher, he will be problematic to sit with comfort. The fact is that, having selected a convenient landing, you find that the head rests on the roof. The hatch is to blame, which eats the supply of free space above the head. Therefore, in our opinion, when buying a car, it makes sense to refuse it. Moreover, the car is equipped with climate control.
Speaking of climate control. This thing is certainly pleasant and useful, and it is not so difficult to deal with its management. But the control itself using buttons with displaying modes on the display is not too optimal - it makes you distract from the road for a long time. Therefore, the usual system with rotating handles or, at worst, levers is nicer to us. But we, of course, are picky.
Now about some not too common solutions. Take, for example, the central castle. When you open the car, it will unlock only the driver's door. All the others are controlled by the key from the driver's seat. This decision reduces the likelihood of purchasing unwanted fellow travelers when planting in a car.
Another thing is external light control. It is made in the form of a separate steering wheel switch (on the left in front of an ordinary lever there is another smaller one), so there is no need to break away from the steering wheel once again. Or rear window heater. It turns off automatically, so it is impossible to forget to turn it off.
But a cover for skis in a business class car is a common thing. Indeed, folding the rear seats to transport a large -sized cargo, the owner of this car is unlikely to be needed. Therefore, here they do not add up, and under the armrest there is a hatch, behind which is hidden a cover fixed on the wall of the trunk. Having pulled it inside the cabin, you can place a long luggage in the trunk. At the same time, the trunk remains isolated from the cabin, and passengers respectively from the skis itself or there is something else.
*Oksana Filippova - CEO of the processing company Avtokart
Opinions of independent Auditors
A6 is primarily a representative. Take, for example, garages in the management of the President and the Federal Assembly. There are about 450 Audi, more than two hundred of which are six. There is A6 in the government apparatus, the Moscow Region authorities. Sixes are buying for representative purposes and the company. The Roskoddragmetov authorities, for example, have been traveling for eight A6 and one A8 for six months.
A6 is generally the most common Audi we have: there are so many six in Russia as there are four and eights taken together.
As for the attitude to Audi A6, all of it, of course, praise it, but - somehow without inspiration. Buyers have a lot of objective calculation and little feeling. Very good, very reliable, very durable, very adapted for Russia ... but without special charm. Says Vladimir Gasanov, general director of the Euro -Author, the official Russian dealer Audi:
Very good car. I like everything in her. Literally everything. The problem of corrosion of the body is solved, one can say, one hundred percent - it is galvanized. The motor is excellent, located compactly. There is no breakdown. More precisely, there is almost no. You see, it's not in the car, but in who is in it. If he is a disciplined owner, he does everything in time, changes oil and other liquids (and does not save on their quality) - everything will be fine. It is necessary: \u200b\u200bonly on the computer did the inscription maintenance caught fire - immediately to the service. There are no special problems with refueling. The fact is that Audi is specifically adapted to Russia for gasoline at least 80. But with those purchased in Europe worse: the wrong gasoline is pouring - and goodbye the catalyst.
Buyers also act in the same spirit. Solid, competent, but not too original opinions. One of them talked about his feelings on a mobile phone, sitting at the wheel of Audi: I like everything. Great car. Quietly, as in a Mercedes. There are no problems with the repair for 37 thousand. The originality of appearance? And I do not need it. If someone cannot do without bells and whistles, let him order tuning. The only minus is probably - it is difficult to turn on the first speed. And not only on my Audi: he asked friends, they have the same thing. And, after some thought, one, a purely Russian claim, presented to us to any machine, followed: the power is not enough. I would add. (I was, by the way, about Audi with a 2.6 -liter engine - not huhra -mukhra.)
Buyers of Audi, admitted Vladimir Gasanov, generally capricious people. Mostly managed to travel both to BMW and Mercedes. So they know what to demand from the car. One bought a six from us, rolled for six months, and then comes and says: take it. Everyone got a lot - how so? I want, he says, all -wheel drive. Now he drives - satisfied.
By the way, such a capricious and together a co -thorough client can only, probably, to fully feel the features of the color policy of Audi. It seems that all her cars are black. But, according to representatives of the company, it only seems. There are few purely black Audi, but there is a lot of almost black - blue diamond, black diamond, emerald, black volcanic ash ... But only the aforementioned client can discern all these nuances. And then only after raining the car.
And now about world recognition.
A6 can be congratulated on a whole series of awards. The large Swedish insurance company Folksam, which considered all accidents in its country for two years, announced the results: the Audi A6 turned out to be the safest machine, even overtaking Volvo and Saab. The six turned out to be 55 percent safer than an average car. But - what an annoying accident! - It was in Audi that the deputy head of the apparatus of the Russian government, Valery Grydnev, crashed last November.
A6 also appreciated the English magazine Diesel Car, calling it a 2.5-liter diesel version of the year diesel. The magazine correspondent was not as stingy for emotions as Russian lovers. I just returned from Tuscany to a diesel six, ”he writes. - Hand on the heart - never such a long trip was delivered by such a buzz. For one and a half thousand kilometers, he was only twice twice, and another half a tank remained. 6.5 liters per hundred! I twisted on mountain roads, rushed along the highways, wagged along narrow city streets. Everywhere - equally great. The car goes like rails. At any speed. The brakes are fantastic. In general, for me - the car is better nowhere.
 
What else
We traditionally compare Audi cars with other prestigious German machines - BMW and Mercedes -Benz. Indeed, the ideology of these brands is extremely close. However, we decided to move away from the stamps and find other rivals for the Audi_a6, especially since neither the Munich nor the Stuttgart concerns of the middle class with all -wheel drive today are now produced.
The top version of the largest (164th) model in the program of the Italian company-Alfa Romeo 164 Q4-has an all-wheel drive transmission and a six-cylinder V-shaped engine. Although one hundred and sixty four have already exchanged the second ten, the design developed by Pininfarina, and today makes you look at it on the streets.
The Japanese, although they look a little less representative than the Audi and Alfa Romeo, in technical terms will not give in to European competitors at all - they also have a permanent all -wheel drive, and the engines are distinguished by a high degree of forcing. The advantages of Mitsubishi Diamante and Subaru Legacy include attention inherent in the Japanese to all sorts of pleasant trifles, and their lists of additional equipment are truly infinite.
 
Oksana Filippova,
Dmitry Novokreshhenov (photo)

 

Source: "Autopilot"