Are you ready to stick it to Northwest and Delta?  What would you pay for a device that would free you from ever having to wait in an airport, lose baggage, or be stuck on a runway again?  How does $45,000 sound?  With an Audi A6 2.7T at your disposal, air travel becomes a second-tier means of travel.

Although the A8 is larger, more luxurious, and more expensive, the A6 is the big Audi sedan that people are likely to remember.  It shares the TT sports car’s rounded, purposeful lines, and with the new, more powerful 2.7-liter biturbo engine it can finally be considered a serious competitor for the BMW 540, which has long been king of the heap when it comes to sport-luxury sedans.

Like most Audis these days, the A6 2.7 is not the least bit shy about showing the world what it is.  While other manufacturers are content to slap a big chrome logo on a generic sedan and call it identity, the Audi looks like no other big sedan on the road.  The rounded off corners and sheer, smooth sides wrapped around tall tires give the A6 a solid, imposing look.  The headlamp and taillamp covers and bumpers are so smoothly integrated into the form that they look painted on.  Bold chrome Audi logos adorn the car front and rear.  The 2.7T hides dual exhaust outlets under the rear bumper.

Inside, the A6 provides the kind of luxury that $45,000 really ought to buy (but doesn’t always).  Audi makes the A6 available with one of three distinct interior design ‘atmospheres:’  Ambition, Ambiente, and Advance.  Our test car featured the Ambiente theme, with soft dark blue leather and sycamore wood trim on the glovebox, console, and doors.  All four windows and the sunroof open or close with a single touch of a button, and both front and rear seats are heated.  The interior has a clean, designer-finished look, just like a Hollywoodized version of a Calfornia condo.  Although it’s packed with features, the A6 is also a comfortable place from which to conduct a long drive.  It takes a while to find a comfortable seat position, but don’t worry, it’s in there somewhere.  The steering wheel looks and feels perfect, although it could use a telescoping adjustment.  The biggest annoyance is the self-adjusting volume on the otherwise excellent sound system.  The car turns the radio up as it speeds up, and turns it down again as speed drops, resulting in constant fiddling with the volume to alternately save one’s ears or bring the music level back up to audibility.  It’s worth noting that Audi isn’t alone in offering this annoying feature; it’s common on both Audis and Mercedes.

Audi’s great presentation extends to the engine compartment.  Before driving the A6 for the first time, take a moment to pop the hood.  The A6′s fashion sense goes straight through.

Once on the road, all of those carefully designed parts work very, very well together.  A great-sounding growl from under the hood precedes a strong launch as the twin turbochargers kick in.  250 horsepower is strong motivation indeed.  Equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, the A6 2.7T splits the difference between sport and luxury nicely.  Like many six-speed boxes, the throws are longish and take some getting used to.  The A6 prefers a more relaxed driving style.  Violent speed shifts are not rewarded; it prefers to have the turbos squeeze on the power for a more subtle but equally fierce punch.  Selecting a lane or a hole in traffic is as easy as deciding that you want to be there.

Our test vehicle was an all-wheel drive (quattro) model, and exhibited the remarkable stability and poise exhibited by all of Audi’s quattro cars.  Unlike traction control systems, Audi’s all-wheel drive system redistributes power to the wheels with traction without reducing engine power or applying the brakes.  The result is confident power delivery whether it’s dry or wet.  The only letdown is Audi’s tire choice for the A6 2.7T; there’s a lot of tire squeal during hard cornering, which makes the A6 sound considerably less planted than it is.

As mentioned before, the A6 doesn’t disappoint with luxury.  The A6 2.7T starts at $38,550.  Our test vehicle featured the standard six-speed manual transmission, optional heated seats, BOSE sound system with CD changer, and Audi’s Sport package (firmer suspension and sport wheels) and stickered for $45,200.  The design atmospheres are no-cost options.  If the 2.7T isn’t luxurious enough for you, the V8-powered A6 4.2 sedan awaits just one more rung up the latter.  And best of all, the A6 is available as a station wagon (Audi calls it the “Avant”) for the iconoclasts who want to thumb their nose at the airlines, too.  And new for 2001 will be the Audi allroad quattro, a rough and tumble 4×4 wagon based on the A6 platform and designed to go head-to-head with Volvo’s V70 XC and the Subaru Outback.

So an airplane will get you there faster.  Who cares?  Personally, we’re calculating the number of plane tickets $45,000 would buy, and dividing the result by the aggravation we’d save with an Audi A6 2.7.

The Fact Box:
All specs are for the 2000 Audi A6 2.7 T, which we tested.
Length:     192.0 in.
Width:        76.1 in.
Height:        57.2 in.
Wheelbase:    108.7 in.
Curb weight:    3759 lb.
Cargo space:    15.4 cu.ft.
Base price:    $38,550
Price as tested: $45,200
Engine:     2.7 liter biturbo DOHC 30-valve V6
Drivetrain:     six-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Horsepower:     250 @ 5800 rpm
Torque:     258 ft./lb. @ 1850 rpm
Fuel capacity:    18.5 gal.
Est. mileage:    17/24

6/2009 update: The only thing that would make me hesitate at the purchase of a used A6 would be the existence of the Volkswagen Phaeton on the used-car market.  The Phaeton’s cliff-like depreciation means that they don’t cost much more than an older A6, but with a larger body and more amenities.  Otherwise, my A6 respect continues.