What's New for 1996

Traction control systems have been improved this year. Fans of the manual transmission will mourn the loss of it; all 1996 A6 models are saddled with an automatic shifter.

Review

In its second year of production, the A6 is receiving a lot of attention. Safety scores have been exceptional, even among European competitors such as Volvo, Mercedes, BMW, and Saab. Of course, it's unlikely that you will ever need the A6's safety equipment because of the wonderful accident avoiding features Audi has thoughtfully included. Optional Quattro all-wheel drive and an improved antilock braking system make the A6 a difficult car to send spinning out of control, or get stuck in a rut. Audi claims that the Quattro will be able to move as long as one wheel is able to grip. Even without the Quattro option, the A6 has improved low speed traction as a result of its Electronic Differential Locking (EDL).

All of this in a car loaded with standard equipment such as: a healthy 172-horsepower V6 engine, ABS, Chenille velour upholstery, burled walnut trim, power everything, and room for two six-footers in the back seat. Better yet, it costs just over $30,000. If you are interested in European luxury sedans and are considering the Volvo 960, you should take a look at this Audi.