And just like that, the 2012 Audi A6 has become the most desirable car in the midsize luxury sedan class, leaving the 2011 BMW 535i in the unfamiliar position of 2nd place.
I'm Your Biggest Fan
With this redesign, the A6 finally joins the A4, A5 and A7 on Audi's MLB chassis. It mounts the engine longitudinally, but places it farther back behind the front axle to lessen the sensation that you're in a front-drive-based Audi instead of a rear-wheel-drive Bimmer.
Notably, this A6 has 3 fewer inches of front overhang, which translates to less mass up front and helps the car respond more quickly to steering input. All A6s with the 3.0 V6 also get standard Quattro all-wheel drive. Its torsen-type center differential biases 60 percent of engine torque to the rear axle, so it steers more naturally under normal conditions.
Even with its all-wheel-drive hardware, the 2012 Audi A6's curb weight is within the BMW's ballpark. The use of aluminum body panels and suspension parts holds our Audi A6 tester to 4,175 pounds — just 100 more than the rear-drive 2011 BMW 535i. The two cars are within an inch of each other in length, width and height, while the BMW has an extra 2 inches of wheelbase (116.9 inches).
I Heart Forced Induction
Anyone would have a tough time coming up with an engine worthy of competing with BMW's turbocharged inline six-cylinders. The smooth, refined engines deliver the goods when you floor the throttle, while serving up a sweet soundtrack of induction noise and exhaust snarl.
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