Audi A6 Saloon Pre Model 3.0 TFSI quattro SE 4dr Car Review - February 2012

The 3.0 litre V6 petrol engine gives the car a good power boost of 296 bhp at 5250-6500 rpm with torque figures of 324 lb-ft at 2900-4500 rpm. The car delivers poor mileage at 34.4 mpg but provides good performance for a saloon car with a top speed of 155 mph, going from 0-62 mph in an impressive 5.5 seconds.

The A6 range has lighter handling than the competing car ranges with an agile feel for a big car. The range’s standard suspension gives the car good balance and decent control but the steering is light and lacks feel. The range has adequate adjustment for the driver’s seat and steering wheel for enhanced comfort. The upper dashboard of the A6 is well organised which allows the driver to operate the car comfortably.

The Audi A6 Saloon 3.0 TFSI Quattro SE 4dr looks very stylish with an attractive exterior and a well crafted and comfortable cabin.

The car comes fitted with high end driving technology including, stability control, alloy wheels, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, cruise control, MP3 connectivity, a CD player system, Bluetooth, satellite-navigation, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights and wipers, front and rear parking sensors and an alarm and immobiliser to deter theft.

The range also comes with optional equipment including massaging front seats, television reception and all-LED headlights.

The A6 model comes with five seats with ample room in both the front and back seats making long drives comfortable for children as well as adults passengers. The range comes with a standard 530 litre capacity boot along with split/folding rear seatbacks.

The 3.0 TFSI Quattro SE comes equipped with a top of the range safety kit with a five out of five NCAP rating. The kit consists of a stability control system and driver, passenger and front side airbags. The car model also comes with optional equipment like rear side airbags and a motorway steering system that help the driver maintain the car lane n a motorway.

The 3.0 TFSI Quattro SE comes with a three year warranty with 60,000 miles. In addition to its price, it has high running costs, coming under road tax band J and insurance bracket 36. With poor fuel economy, the car has high carbon emissions of 190g/km.

The Audi A6 3.0 TFSI Quattro SE is an expensive car, priced at £39,290. Whilst this is cheaper than the 3.0 TDI diesel models the efficiency is also lower and BMW's rival saloon, the 5 Series 520d SE, offers better value at an even lower purchase price.

The car has a well-crafted and reliable engine which gives years of trouble-free service and comes with advanced driving and safety technology. The combination of the car’s popularity, performance and the Audi brand gives it excellent resale values and limits depreciation.

However, the car is made for those with fat wallets and the rival BMW is better value for money. Poor mileage requires regular refills and incurs heavy fuel costs and although the car enjoys good dealer services along with Audi’s excellent quality and reliability record, the maintenance and repair costs of the car are high.