The A6 has long been a personal favourite, even when Audi dubbed it 5000. Of course, that car wasn’t an A6, but it was the genesis

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of this mid-size Quattro-infused four-door, and a critically important car for the four-ringed German brand.

That model was known as the 100 in other markets, an earlier version being the first car I ever bought with my own hard earned money. It was later renamed 100 here as well, the original turbocharged five-cylinder all-wheel drive S4 spinoff my personal favourite sport sedan of the era and a test drive I’ll never forget, while the original Audi V8, based on the same 100 platform architecture, is probably the vehicle most responsible for pulling the Audi image up to the same premium stratosphere as fellow Teutonic brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The 100 line lasted

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until 1997 when it was replaced by the first A6, the Audi V8 melding into the A8, and so on.

Yes, I’m going way back. Fifty-plus years of indelibly stamped impressions will do that to a person, especially when one’s first car, plus the car whose ownership most inspired my devotion to upwardly mobile ’80s yuppie success, and my once favourite sport sedan are brought into the equation. The current A6, while eons beyond these early examples in every respect, has become the curator of my montage of Audi memories, not to mention my current creative muse for an entirely new cache of car related contemplations.

Fortunately

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my personal bias towards this car no longer requires me to overlook what came close to five-year old styling cues before this year’s wonderfully chiseled mid-cycle makeover debuted. While I still liked the old design, I find this update brilliantly fresh from every angle. Then again it wasn’t like the car’s many admirers had tired from the previous iteration, as A6 sales were stronger throughout calendar year 2014 than in nearly a decade, last year good for 1,113 units in Canada, whereas US sales totaled 23,941, the best results since 2002. It’s still handily outsold by Mercedes’ E-Class and BMW’s 5 Series, but such exclusivity is part of its cachet, and believe me it’s endowed with plenty of eyeball-pulling prestige.

Earlier

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this year I tested a gorgeous white A6 2.0 TFSI Quattro in base Progressiv trim, while this time around I spent time in an extremely classy Aviator Blue metallic 3.0 TFSI Quattro Technik. Unlike the previous example that was done out in performance-oriented S Line guise, this version was pure elegance, with a nod toward chrome-laden classic luxury from nose to tail, all sitting on a stunning set of trident-style triple-five-spoke 19-inch alloys on 255/40R19 Goodyear Eagle all seasons. Next to the horizontally ribbed singleframe grille, infused with metal brightwork so dazzling it could be seen from a mile away, the beautifully detailed LED-enhanced headlights and taillights are design highlights, pardon the wordplay, artfully tying the gracefully penned lines together at each corner. How Audi will one-up this design is

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beyond me, although if their Prologue concept is any indication the Ingolstadt brand undoubtedly will.

Inside it’s all rich open pore woods, genuine aluminum accents and sumptuous leathers, this car featuring beautifully detailed stitching on its solid and perforated optional hides for a bespoke handmade look and feel, while the door inserts are covered in soft suede-like Alcantara for a whole new level of opulence. Additionally, the A6 is endowed with some of the best fit and finish in the industry, but while the soft-touch synthetics Audi uses are easily some of the nicest

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in the industry, not enough of the interior gets the upscale treatment, the lower dash and glove box made from hard shell plastic, this in a class that fortunately doesn’t follow Audi’s lead in this respect at least.

I wish more competitors incorporated the brand’s impressive MMI (MultiMedia Interface) infotainment system, however, which is feature-filled and extremely easy to sort out, while it also powers up out of the dash at startup, adding some wow factor for impressing uninitiated passengers while, when lowered back down, providing a nice clean instrument panel for those of us who appreciate less clutter and distraction when driving at night.

Now higher in resolution and grown into an eight-inch display, it’s not a touchscreen

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so it won’t get coated with fingerprints, but rather uses a large rotating dial controller positioned on the lower console ahead of the centre armrest to move throughout the system and make commands. Additionally, just to the left is a touchpad with handwriting recognition for finger gesture prompts, similar to how you might use your smartphone. What’s more, this latest MMI integrates an MIB 2 Nvidia Tegra 30 processor that’s capable of eight billion computations per second for smoother, quicker operation. There’s little end to what you can make this system do, although even those with zero tech capability will appreciate the 360-degree surround monitor my tester was equipped with, making parking a great deal more confidence inspiring, while Audi also includes front and rear parking sensors.

The

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A6 is a mid-size car, so it’s not as unwieldy to park as a stretched A8L or some even larger full-size models. Still, there’s more than enough room for big folks whether up front or in back. My hardly large five-foot-eight frame could actually stretch out in the latter, while I still had a few inches above my head and more than that ahead of my knees, making me fairly confident that six-plus-footers will fit in well enough. The seats are tremendously comfortable in all outboard positions, with all four enhanced by standard three-way heatable cushions, while those up front enjoyed the benefit of optional three-way seat cooling as well. Like the front occupants, passengers seated next to the rear window can manage their own temperature zone via a gorgeous digital panel on the backside of the front console, while rear occupants also get a generous centre armrest when only four are aboard, complete with a velvet-lined

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what-have-you compartment and cupholders that slide out from its frontal section.

The same goes for the trunk. No not the velvet lining, but some of the nicest cargo carpeting in the segment. That carpeting even reaches up each sidewall, while the topmost portion is covered over with a fitted shroud, Audi going the extra mile to make sure your valuables don’t snag on any mechanical bits. Four chromed tie-downs keep those items in place if you choose to get frisky behind the wheel on the way home from the mall, or you can slot a smaller bag into a neatly netted side compartment. It’s not the largest trunk in the segment, measuring just 399 litres (14.1 cubic feet), but it provides expandability via 60/40 split rear seatbacks when needed, plus the added convenience of an additional centre

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pass-through located behind that flip-down rear armrest just mentioned, this allowing seating for four to the ski hill with boards in between, all of which will enjoy warming up quickly via those aforementioned seat heaters on the way home.

But enough about passengers and practicality, if you’ve never driven an A6 prepare yourself for one of the best ride/handling combinations in the class. It doesn’t drive down the highway, it glides, and then when pushed hard into a corner, whether a high-speed sweeper or an undulating off-camber hairpin it reacts as adeptly as a premium German sport sedan should, gripping tarmac relentlessly even in wet or worse conditions. That’s where Audi’s legendary Quattro all-wheel drive intervenes, the A6 feeling part luxury ride part rally car. OK, it’s 100-percent luxury, but like I said, don’t let its compliant composure fool you into thinking it can’t zig as quickly as its rougher riding peers zag.

For

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such purposes Audi includes a Dynamic sport mode accessible via the infotainment system, which enhances every aspect of its performance while never making it feel harsh, therefore I left it here most of the time. So set the steering wheel-mounted shift paddles deliver instantaneously quick and positive gear changes throughout its ZF-sourced eight forward speeds, the transmission as sporting as it is smooth.

While wonderfully agile it’s also serenely quiet, Audi incorporating new acoustic glazing on the glass as well as a paneled underfloor that directs airflow below the car so as to aid its overall 0.26 coefficient of drag. It’s a car you can drive all day without

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tiring, the A6′ five-link front suspension with upper and lower wishbones, plus its trapezoidal rear design, also with wishbones, making for an ultimately compliant cruiser.

Braking power is breathtaking when called upon, mind you, and its binders won’t fade away after repeated application. Four large discs are improved upon by dual-circuit, diagonally split ABS with electronic brake-force distribution, electronic stability control and even a brake disc-wiping feature that keeps the rotors primed no matter the condition of road or weather.

My test was during a particularly cold but dry spell, allowing me to maximize performance. Unlike my previous 2.0 TFSI tester’s competently upgraded 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, this time around my A6 3.0 TFSI V6 produced 333 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque, and trust me the added output makes a difference.

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This A6, so equipped, while hardly a heavyweight within its class at 1,895 kilos (4,178 lbs), is no lightweight either. Therefore each and every pound-foot of torque can be felt at takeoff, this one good for an impressive 5.3-second sprint to 100km/h, on to a top speed of 209 km/h (130 mph), which I didn’t even consider attempting for fear of losing my right to drive. Still, I’ve tested similar Audis on Austrian and German autobahns where such anxieties aren’t experienced (as long as you’re watching out for impromptu limits that flash up on the digital signboards above), and they were stable to the point of being uneventful. I imagine the latest A6 feels likewise.

While

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cruising at more moderate speeds the 3.0-litre V6 is capable of a shockingly good 7.9 L/100km highway, while its claimed 11.6 city and 9.9 combined ratings are also very good for the luxury class. It achieves this with thanks to that aforementioned eight-speed automatic, which also incorporates auto start/stop to reduce consumption and emissions when it would otherwise be idling.

This is standard, incidentally, the base A6 2.0 TFSI Quattro Progressiv starting at just $56,900 plus freight and dealer fees while including a host of included gear that gets grandfathered up to my 3.0 TFSI Quattro Technik tester, such as auto on/off HID headlamps with automatic range adjustment, daytime running lights and washers, a powered moonroof, metal scuff plates, proximity-sensing keyless entry with pushbutton start/stop, an electromechanical parking brake, heatable powered front seats with powered lumbar support, heatable rear outboard seats, leather

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upholstery, a power tilt and telescopic heatable leather-wrapped multi-function three-spoke sport steering wheel, auto-dimming rearview and side mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, a high-resolution driver information system, the eight-inch powered infotainment system noted earlier, navigation, satellite radio, Bluetooth hands-free with audio streaming, and two new USB ports in the centre console, one replacing the old car’s outdated 30-pin iPod plug that also connected through to the MMI system, and the other one powered (thanks for taking care of we Android users Audi), while the standard list also includes cruise control, the aforementioned front and rear parking sensors and rear seat pass-through, Audi pre-sense frontal crash mitigation, and all the usual safety equipment including knee blockers for the airbag system.

Moving

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up to the 3.0-litre V6 increases the price to $63,700 and also adds the gorgeous natural fine grain ash wood inlays I mentioned before, plus a HomeLink universal garage door opener, while Technik trim, which pushed the window sticker of my test model up to a still reasonable $70,200, added the larger 19-inch wheels and tires I commented on earlier, plus the front seat ventilation and 360-degree camera also noted before, as well as power-folding side mirrors with memory, ambient interior lighting, upgraded multi-piece dash and door trim panels, absolutely superb 14-speaker 630-watt Bose surround sound audio with AudioPilot noise-compensation, four-way front lumbar support, a powered rear sunscreen, a powered trunk lid, Audi pre sense rear and side assist, and more.

One of the reasons I was so ultimately comfortable was the addition of the $2,750 Multicontour

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package that adds yet more comfortable 14-way powered front seats with massage capability, making me long for a road trip to truly appreciate their deep tissue prodding. As it was I found them quite soothing after a long day’s work, while as already noted was much appreciative of the much nicer Valcona leather upholstery.

Additionally, a $2,900 Driver Assistant package adds adaptive cruise control with stop and go function, Audi pre sense plus, and active lane assist.

So equipped the newest 2016 A6 was given an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating. What’s more, all A6 models achieved a best possible five-star crash test rating from the NHTSA, which included five stars in all categories, making this one of the safer cars you can trust your family with.

If

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classic elegance isn’t as much your thing as sporty styling, then I recommend opting for the A6’s $1,600 S Line package that adds unique 19-inch alloys on 255/40 performance rubber or the option of 20s on 255/35s, racier S Line bumpers and fascia trim, S Line doorsill plates, a black roofliner and a whole bunch of cool S Line badging all over, or if you’re even more seriously into sport I can’t help but coax you into the 450 horsepower S6 for just $88,500, but that’s another story for another time.

Right now we’re in one of the nicer sport/luxury sedans substantially less money can buy, and I have to say I’d be thoroughly satisfied wiling away the miles in this beauty. Truly, life is good behind the wheel of an A6, and better when suited up in 3.0 TFSI Quattro Technik duds. I recommend it highly.

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