Test drive Audi A6 2001 - 2004 sedan

Mr. Vice President

Like any leader with the prefix, Vice always stands closer to the people than the chef and six, the second most senior in the line of Audi is most popular among fans of four rings in Russia.
 
No liberties
Business dark costume, shining with a whiteness, a stylish tie, I don’t know why the shoes are brilliant, but I should see me on the street black, dark blue or silver Audi-A6, as the image of an official is born in my head, clearly already achieved, But by no means exhausted all his potential. And you look inside, and the analogy only intensifies.
 
In the Audi-A6 salon there are no liberties or designer frills. Fitted with the accuracy of the tenth of the millimeter of the interior details, not a hint of at least some rainbow notes. Yes, there are luxurious light gray soft skin of bufalino, polished tree, villous rugs. And, nevertheless, there is nothing to catch on the eye. Central console? Good. But here would be a display, as on richly equipped A8. Steering wheel? You will meet the same thing on models with a lower rank. But on the eight he is sometimes more beautiful and solid, and he can boast heated. Dashboard? Truly, it is on it that you can study the principles of interchangeability and standardization. Skoda, Volkswagen, Ceata - all almost the same. It seems that pragmatism has reached the highest manifestation here.
 
Of course, there is a highlight. To the standard arrow quartet of the dashboard added the indicators of the oil temperature and voltage in the on -board network. What would be possible to get by with ordinary control bulbs? Beautiful.
 
Very good spectacular red lighting of devices that are perfectly read and do not glance. The same aggressive radiance can also boast of a cigarette lighter, ashtrays, stereo system control buttons, glass windows, climate control and even numerous ultra-tanning lighting keys. In a word, the costume is very good, there are no questions, but not the highest class - Hugo Boss, maybe, but by no means zeni. Yes, and a tie is just Versachi, not Hermes at all.
 
I play the boss
We chose the car not just with an updated appearance (like an eight, a chrome air intake edging appeared, headlight washers hid in a bumper, the size of the right mirror increased) and all-wheel drive, but also with a new 220-horsepower engine. He successfully made his debut on Audi A4 a little over a year ago. And what is surprising - the first thing I wanted was to jump to jump to the driver's place and personally enjoy power over a powerful German, but for some reason I flopped on a luxurious rear sofa. Already almost threw a colleague: to the office! - And he prepared to plunge into the solution of important state problems. As I repent, they shamed me right there. Who would you think? The car itself. There is nothing, you see, in a fracture row with boots that are not covered to shine, when you even illuminate the rug in front of the chair. Growing, you see, you need to such a car.
 
Well, okay, I’ll fence away from the surrounding three curtains on the windows-the rear with an electric drive and a pair of laterals, I will turn on the climate control with a dust filter and I will enjoy the sound of the stereo system an audi concert, recalling a good word lulling the suspension. It wasn't there. If the music is quite part of a person who does not present ultra -high demands on it, then the smoothness of the move to a real representative car is clearly far away. Not that it was shaking much, but numerous potholes during a leisurely driving along the city streets did not allow to forget that the roads in the pioneer were by no means ideal. Of course, not as tough as, for example, in sports audi-S6. But what, excuse me, to the assurances of the creators, it increased, they say, the hardness of the body, they put other springs and shock absorbers. No, obviously not here the place of the owner. In a word, after a quarter of an hour of travel, I hastened to change my roles with my colleague.
 
 
The dashboard is not original, but it reads well
 
The volume sensor button will be very useful if the car remains inside the car, for example, a dog
      
 
A new design radio appeared on the central console
 
The rustic steering wheel does not go perfectly with the skin of expensive dressing and natural wood

 
Who are you really?
And for a long time, I will report to you, I had to do it! The body pleasantly wrapped around the well -tailored leather seat, which also demonstrated huge moves of adjustments. Mirrors, obeying the electric drive, set up an acceptable picture, the Tipronika lever himself lay in the hand, and, without hesitation, we rolled along the city streets.
 
 
The left row, a traffic light, and under the hood - a motor that added 28 horsepower. Green. Yes - quickly, yes - the whole stream was left behind. But, I admit, it did not lit up. I did not inspire somehow! Subjectively, the dynamics really improved. But except about the assertiveness of the acceleration, only the speedometer arrow, and the constantly present force that presses me in the seat speaks. And I expected a lot more. Maybe this black S-class is to blame for everything that rolled away from me in a reverse strip? It can be seen, indeed, the thoughtfulness of the tiptron did not completely eradicate, but a pity. For example, the BMW box is supplied by the same ZF company, and there are much more funny machines. Maybe it's still about setting up?
 
Although stand. What am I, completely forgot about the sports regime? On the previous Testronics there was no. I instantly translate the lever to the extreme position of the S. Pictogram, so what? The arrow of the tachometer still every time decisions at 6500, the programs are replaced by one another, but, alas, there is no at least any perceptible difference in the dynamics. Not a dummy, in the end, of course, not! It was worth accelerating a couple of times, closing the gas to the kick -downs, and then remove the leg from the pedal and - here it turns out, it turns out that the same sports. A smart adaptive machine immediately smashed the transmission to the step below, and the motor used all the potential to quickly and safely besiege more than one and a half -ton sedan at any speed. Nevertheless, we’ll get to the training ground and there we’ll finally figure it out.
    
Full -wheel drive, sober calculation
 
We quickly realized that Audi is not only an impenating fashion and a truly Aryan origin, but also an unsuccessful reputation, supported by reliability, safety and excellent adaptability to Russian conditions. Moreover, in Russia, the price of six from Ingolstadt starts at $ 31,295. So much is asked for a 2-liter 130-horsepower sedan with a mechanical checkpoint and in the basic equipment. In rich Germany, for example, about 40% of all produced six are equipped with all-wheel drive and it was the A6-Kvattro that became the sales leader. Naturally, these cars do not go unnoticed with us. Are they closer to the people? Compare yourself. The minimum price of Audi-A6-3.0-Skvattro is $ 39,733. BMW-530i classmate cannot buy in good configuration for less than $ 45,000. You can choose cheaper Opel-Omega, Volvo-S80, Toyota-Kamri or Nissan-Maxima, But none of them can boast of the presence of all -wheel drive we have so necessary. And the Mercedes company is almost twice as much. Decided on an all -wheel drive Audi? I would do that.
 

 
All audits officially supplied to Russia receive an enhanced suspension, a protective motor casing and an increased road clearance
      
   
With such illumination, you simply must maintain the salon clean
 
A massive tunnel creates some inconvenience to the central passenger of the rear sofa
      
 
There are a couple of comfortable pockets in each front door
 
Near the door handles there was a place and high -frequency speakers of the stereo system

 
In the native element
The highway near Moscow, 100, 120, 140 km/h - and in the salon there is silence. About 4000 rpm of/min, at least in a whisper, hold a meeting. The motor does not even think to give out its presence with the sound. Even locomotive acceleration. And suddenly where did such a significant pickup and a pleasant muffled roar come from? This engine began to breathe along a shortened intake path. And Audi with new forces devours a kilometer per kilometer, scaring the oncoming with bright xenon light.
 
The red speedometer sword is already compressed by a mark of 180 km/h. As before, A6 is very clearly holding a straight line. Not the slightest scan. There is no annoying aerodynamic howling. I remember that the predecessor with the all -wheel drive system sinned with a significant noise in the transmission at high speeds. There is nothing like that here. A solid representative sedan, not annoying to its owner.
 
But how did Audi's famous all -wheel drive showed himself? On this occasion, as they say, the next toast.
 
 
A lid covering the niche with a reserve can be quickly and convenient to fix the trunk of the top panel
 
The work of headlight wastors is equally effective and effective
       
 
The stickers on the lid of the gas tank hatch will tell you what gasoline you can fill and the recommended tire pressure
    
 
At the training ground, as in confession
It was worth provoking the car to one skid after another, and the car honestly admitted that although he was not omnipotent, he was able to do a lot. The smoothly predicted lead out of the rotation is first the front, and then the rear axle, a clear and understandable dangling into the turn for discharge of gas and the desire to straighten the arc under an increase in fuel supply. Everything is verified, refined. Believe me, few even of the most temperamental Germans or Italians with only a couple of leading wheels will be able to perform such maneuvers at such a breathtaking speed. Audi copes with them on any coating.
 
And the most important trump card: intensive acceleration, when the right wheels on ice, and the left on the asphalt. I admit, I have never met this at all. Without going into technical details, I will say that each of the sliding wheels is inhibited by electronics, and the ESP system clearly supports the car on the trajectory.
 
 
The icon of activation of the electronic anti -theft device is designed to remind the owner that within 15 seconds after it ended up in the cabin, it is necessary to start the engine. Delayed - you will have to put and remove the car again
 
Front and side airbags - the last line of protection in the struggle for your life in the accident

    
Traditions are not rushed
What do you think, a torque of 300 N. M for 3200 rpm - is it a lot or a little for a hopeless engine? In fact, this is a very good indicator. For comparison, exactly the same is the three -liter BMW engine, recognized last year as the best in its class. And Bavaret, if you demand, will let many puffs of smoke from under the wheels.
 
In Ingolstadt, other traditions. Forcing the six to burn an expensive 16-inch rubber will not work, no matter how you try. On the asphalt, each wheel, having received its legitimate 25 percent of the moment from the engine, confidently clings to the road, even if you turned off the ESP system. And in this case, the often flashing yellow triangle with an arrow on the dashboard will give out diligent operation of smart electronics, and the car is solid and at the same time very assertively rushing forward. Believe me, those 8 seconds for which he exchanges the first hundred will still allow your vice president to almost always be a head above the vast majority of ordinary mortals. Here they are, the same three hundreds of Newtonometers!
 
The true manifestation of the motionness of the motor can be felt by excellent picketing even when accelerated from 120 km/h. Cool, I will report to you, feelings. Here is the only thing that will limit you is an internal culture, and not a 6-cylinder motor at all. It is then, perhaps, it will become completely clear - it is necessary to grow to any machine, just as in order to lead, you need to be able to and obey.
 
 
Audi A6 3.0 Quattro
common data
 
Body
5-seater sedan
 
Equipped mass, kg
1640
 
Complete mass, kg
2190
 
Length x width x height, mm
4796 x 1810 x 1453
 
Base, mm
2759
 
Front/back, mm track
1540/1569
 
Maximum speed, km/h
237
 
Acceleration 0-100 km/h, with
8.7
 
Fuel consumption, l/100 km
8.3/16.5
 
Fuel supply, l
70 (AI-98*)
 
 
Engine
 
Location
The front is longing
 
Design
 
 
6-cylinder,
V-shaped,
two camshafts in the head of the block,
the variable length of the inlet tract,
distributed fuel injection
 
The number of valves per cylinder
5
 
Cylinder diameter X piston stroke, mm
82.5 x 92.8
 
Working volume, SMZ
2976
 
Compression ratio
10.5: 1
 
Power, L.S. (kW) at rpm
220 (162) /6300
 
Torque, kgsm (nm) at rpm
30.6 (300) / 3800
 
 
Chassis
 
 
Transmission
 
constant all -wheel drive,
self -locking center differential torsen with the possibility of braking slippers of wheels
 
Transmission
5-speed tiptronics
 
Suspension:
 
front
 
independent, on the racks of McExeson, a reptile stabilizer
 
behind
 
independent, on double transverse levers, a reptile stabilizer
 
Steering
REMENCH with an amplifier
 
Brakes
 
 
front
Disk ventilated
 
behind
disk
 
The size of the tires
215/55 R16
 
 
* It is possible to use gasoline with an octane number of 91-95 with a certain decrease in power and an increase in fuel consumption.
 
 
PER
Excellent quality of manufacture, rich equipment, including security systems, high exchange rate stability, confident effective acceleration on any road
 
AGAINST
Heavy steering wheel in parking modes, a fairly large fuel consumption in the city, inconvenience of a manual brake with a lowered armrest
 
 
Alexey Sergeev, photo Alexander Sadovnikov
 
 

Source: Magazine "Limousine" [04/02]