Audi’s Mid-Sizers Might Bother You

Polish to perfection, then switch to a finer grit.

That life is not fair is one of its most important lessons. Some are born with what others work for; some are born to be who others work for; and some are born without any real concept of what work even is, but they get elected to public office just the same.

The A6, S6, and A7 are as a suite at the Four Seasons

If you’re the sort who’s upset by such karmic imbalances, Audi’s mid-sizers might bother you, as these cars have been given more than their fair share of gifts. They certainly bother BMW and Mercedes-Benz. There’s nothing the Audis don’t do well. When you’ve got 1000 freeway miles separating the morning’s first cup of coffee and the comfort of your own bed, the A6, S6, and A7 are as a suite at the Four Seasons. But when your fortunes takes a turn toward blind crests and sphincter-cinching kinks, the Audis prove their adaptability with exemplary steering and body control. No matter the task, an overwhelming sense of solidity and unflappability pervades every move thee Audis make.

They are as crisply designed as they are engineered, with deceptively simple exterior styling. And their interiors are not just well ordered, but meticulously and artfully so. Woods that look as though they might once have been the end tables in Neuschwanstein Castle segue into spears of satin chrome and rich stitched leathers, lending the impression that Audi is some-how budgeting three to five times more on materials than its competitors. Regardless of whether they control the HVAC, audio system, or the side mirrors, knurled knobs provide a rare consistency of feel thanks to a faction of the interior-design team that focuses solely on haptics, the science of touch. And the MMI infotainment system sets the standard for the rest of the industry.

The Audis prove their adaptability with exemplary steering and body control

Between the A6 and A7, Audi offers a choice of maximum passenger volume or a seductive roofline atop the same faultless mechanical base. Powertrain choices range from hyper-efficient – 38 mpg highway with the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6 – to simply hyper – 420 horsepower from the S6’s twin-turbo V-8. Audi offers a 2.0-liter engine in the A6, but, as good as that engine is, Audi has never provided that model for evaluation. Audi’s wing in the 10Best clubhouse is reserved for six- and eight-cylinder engines. With all of these various powertrain and body-style combinations, there’s no way to go wrong, just a handful of different ways to go right.

Their interiors are not just well ordered, but meticulously and artfully so

Places on this list are awarded based on more than just numbers, but the S6’s deserve special mention. Turn off stability control and flat-foot the throttle with the brake applied, and the launch control revs the engine to 5000rpm before dumping the clutch. Not a single power stroke goes unused as all four fat tires hurl the car to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 12.1 at 115mph. That makes this sedate-looking sedan quicker even than the new Corvette.

The Audi mid-sizers’ only downside is cost. With a V-6, the A6 starts at $55,995; the A7 at $65,395. The S6’s base price is $74,295, and a $1400 price bump from 2013 to ’14 put the S7 over our $80,000 base-price cap, which was the only thing preventing its inclusion on this year’s list.

Between the A6 and A7, Audi offers a choice of maximum passenger volume or a seductive roofline atop the same faultless mechanical base

Even at these prices, though, the cars are worth it. There are no-compromise sports cars and no-compromise luxury cars, but those sports cars typically compromise on comfort, and those luxury cars frequently compromise on performance. The Audis are genuine no-compromise cars: They don’t just offer something for everyone, they offer everything for anyone who can afford it.