LOOKS

With a roomy interior (Audi vehicles tend to be pretty spacious), the A6 features comfortable seating for five.

And I mean real comfortable; as in you won’t want to get out sometimes. Between the quality leather seating and wood features, the A6 offers one of the best interiors you’ll find in a luxury ride. Other comforts include heated power front seats; a power sunroof if you want to let the rays shine on you; and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The exterior stands up well too, between the redesigned front and rear ends, the distinctive grille and Audi logo up front, and the sharp white paint scheme on my test ride, this was definitely a looker. Another nice feature on the vehicle are Audi’s xenon-plus headlights, and LED daytime running lights and taillights, which are quite effective. Getting them to fit was part of the reason for some of the exterior redesign, and it turned out well.

ENGINE, HORSEPOWER

In the end, it’s all about the driving experience, and you can’t focus solely on looks. Good news for the A6 is that it was one of the smoothest rides I’ve ever had; and quiet too. The experience was not overpowering but it has a lot of oomph and gets you where you need to go and responds instantly to steering wheel commands.

The A6 that I tested had a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine; and an 8-speed automatic transmission. It offered 252 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft. of torque. Another engine option (a 3.0-liter turbo) brings total horsepower up to 333 hp.
Finally, if you move up to the S6 model (a more performance-focused brand from Audi), it jumps all the way up to 450 hp, but that’s a whole different animal and price bracket (The S6 starts at $70K, about $25,000 higher than the A6).

While not the fastest speed demon from Audi, the A6 does get from 0 to 60 in 5.8 seconds -- nothing to be ashamed of. It features paddle shifters for those who want to simulate the manual experience, and you can choose your drive mode depending on conditions.

My test vehicle had Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive, but that’s optional and FWD is the standard offering.

TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY
The safety ratings on the A6 from government crash testing were ALL five-stars (overall; driver, passenger, front, rear, rollover); This is not easy to do, so you can feel very safe driving yourself and your family around in the A6.

There are lots of optional tech features offered on the A6:
The Premium Plus package ($3,700) offers: Navigation system, parking system with rearview camera, Audi connect with online service (8-month subscription), Auto-dimming and heated power folding mirrors, a power adjustable steering column with memory settings, and more.

Other tech and safety options include: Active lane assist, adaptive cruise control, Audi parking system plus and Night Vision Assistant

The infotainment system is controlled by a dial in the center console, and is easy to use after a brief learning curve.

A Warm Weather package offers 4-zone climate control, power rear window sunshade and rear door manual sunshades.

Last but not least, a full array of airbags has you covered from seemingly all angles, and the anti-theft system features an engine immobilizer. Seat belts also are automatic pretensioned to protect you more in an accident.

MPG
The 2016 Audi A6 2.0T that I tested boasts fuel mileage numbers of 22 city/32 highway/26 combined. Compared to others in the midsize luxury sedan class (BMW 5-series; Benz E-class, etc.), these are competitive numbers.

PRICE, BOTTOM LINE
My test vehicle was just under $55,000; base price starts a hair above $46,000. For the level of luxury and performance that it offers, I would say the 2016 Audi A6 is worth all of that if you’re able to afford it -- either as a purchase or a lease -- as you’ll truly enjoy your drive every day.

There are no doubt other vehicles in the class that will give the A6 a run for its money, but in the end, even if all were placed side by side and tested equally, the A6 is going to win a lot of those beauty and performance contests.

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Matt Myftiu can be found on Twitter @MattMyftiu.