| A Week at the Wheel | Herts, England | Audi A6 2.8 FSI Multitronic SE |

Inside & Out:

We've never had any complaints about how the Audi A6 looks. It's a classy and discreet machine that will impress in the office car park without being too showy. Crucially, it's neither a Mercedes-Benz nor a BMW, so it comes without the sometimes negative stigma associated with those brands - Audi drivers seemingly avoiding scorn from other motorists. The fifth star in this category though is purely based on the A6's interior. Save for a few of the uber-luxury firms there's no manufacturer that manages to produce such fantastic interiors. It's not opulent, but hugely satisfying for its clarity and smart, intuitive design.

The interior lighting is fantastic, the optional additional lights that come as part of the luxury package (which includes must-have leather upholstery) giving a cool lighting effect at night around the cabin. The seats are firm, but comfortable, there's plenty of passenger and luggage space and it feels like it'll all last forever. If we've one reservation, it's the sometimes fussy operation of the MMI (Multi Media Interface) controller, which doubles up unnecessarily on many functions.

Engine & Transmission:

The A6's 2.8-litre V6 is like the majority of the engine line-up in the A6 range; it's smooth, though pleasingly raspy when pushed, offers plenty of power, its quoted 207bhp feeling conservative, and consumption isn't too bad either. But in this instance it's fitted to Audi's Multitronic CVT transmission. While we're impressed by the engineering behind Audi's CVT, it's not the most enjoyable transmission to drive - and not just because it's only offered with front-wheel drive.

Like all CVTs, the Multitronic achieves its manual-rivalling economy (32.1mpg is just 0.3mpg lower than the six-speed manual) by working in the engine's peak torque and power zones. Unlike a regular automatic, the engine's revs rise to that point and stay there, which is an unusual experience and does little for refinement. Driven manually - via the wheel-mounted paddles - there are seven pre-set ratios, which is at least one too many. It's sometimes caught out too, being clunky to shift. In short, we'd rather have a manual or a conventional automatic, despite the obvious economy advantages the Multitronic offers.

Ride & Handling:

In the executive class the A6 is unusual in being offered in standard guise with front-wheel drive. There's usually the option to upgrade that to Audi's quattro four-wheel drive system, but not with the Multitronic specified. And that's a problem. If it's slippery or under heavy throttle loadings the A6 is obviously driven from the front, the otherwise lifeless steering wheel squirming in your hands, which is hardly fitting behaviour in this class. The ride is decent enough (as it should be with £1,500 worth of optional air suspension), but even on the 'comfort' setting it struggles to cope with sharp ridges or bumps at high speeds.

The handling suffers for being front-wheel drive, keen drivers likely to opt for one of the A6's rear-driven rivals or choosing an A6 that can be had with quattro four-wheel drive.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

Standard equipment is decent enough, though it's telling that Audi supplied the test car with almost £8,000 worth of optional equipment. That options list includes leather upholstery, heated front seats, rear parking sensors, DVD satnav, an MMI upgrade, adaptive air suspension, metallic paint and a good few more besides. Many of these are necessary items in the executive class - certainly if you want a quick and easy sale in the future. With a fully loaded price of £35,000 we'd be tempted to look at other models further up the range that might include some of these items as standard. We'd also pick a different engine and transmission.

Overall:

We like the A6 a great deal; even if it's not as sharp as its two chief home market protagonists it's a very appealing machine for its comfort, style and space. At this point in the line-up we'd go for the 2.7-litre TDI unit instead though, particularly as it would come without the 2.8's Multitronic option. A good car then, but not so appealing in this particular guise.