2007 Audi A6 Avant

Avant a Sporty Station Wagon

The sporty, midsize Audi A6 Avant wagon receives minor updates for 2007 that include a newly offered S Line package.

The Audi A6 station wagon (which the automaker calls “Avant”), is an ideal blend of comfort, sport and utility, without being a SUV.

The Audi A6 Sedan on which the A6 Avant is based was last redesigned for 2005. It was the first Audi to receive a bigger, bolder trapezoidal grille that’s now on every model. (Press pundits compared it to Macaulay Culkin’s trademark expression in the movie Home Alone, or else Munch’s painting The Scream.)

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The Audi A6 Avant only comes in a single version, with a V6 engine, Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive and a Tiptronic six-speed automatic gearbox with manual-shift capability. Besides that configuration, the A6 Sedan also has versions with front-wheel drive and a continuously variable transmission, or else V6 and V8 engine options and the more conventional automatic transmission.

The Audi A6 Avant has a richly appointed, bank-vault-silent interior and a supple yet taut suspension. The wagon excels at isolating occupants from road irregularities while offering agility and responsiveness for spirited driving. The quattro system offers superior grip on slick roads and improves handling and performance. The quattro’s downside is poor fuel economy.

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Standard safety features for the Audi A6 Avant include front, front side and side-curtain airbags, electronic stability control, brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution. Rear side airbags are optional.

Trimmed in high-quality leather, aluminum and wood veneer, the interior is roomy and comfortable. But the steeply raked windshield and low, sweeping roofline lend a sense of claustrophobia typical of modern cars with high beltlines.

Audi A6 Avant Vehicle Summary

A seven-inch Multi-Media Interface (MMI) display in the center of the dashboard incorporates navigation, audio, climate control and other systems. A large knob behind the gearshift lever governs most functions, but there are also redundant buttons and knobs for many things, such as the climate-control system and the stereo.

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The sheer number of switches is staggering. The dash and instrument panel resemble a jet plane’s cockpit, especially when they light up at night. This setup is more distracting and less intuitive to operate than traditional controls, but it’s easier to use than BMW’s iDrive system, which relies heavily on one large knob and has fewer redundant controls than Audi’s MMI.

An optional power-operated tailgate is available.