The Audi A6 Avant hits its stride on a number of fronts, especially in terms of safety – earning a top rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) – and in terms of performance via a stellar 255 horsepower V6 engine. But the A6 Avant misses the mark in a couple of design areas: a non-intuitive placed button to open the glovebox (it’s on the dash to the left of the glovebox), and a manual-adjust cargo restraint system that is different to use. For the 2007 model year, the A6 is fitted with a smaller satellite radio antenna. And there are feature additions to the various optional packages, like the $4,000 technology collection now including a rearview camera.

The Multi-Media Interface (MMI) high-resolution 7-inch screen is an example of the A6 having overly styled interior appointments. For instance, rather than using the screen as a touch-point for changing a radio station, the user needs to press a center console button and then turn a knob. On the upside, the MMI screen (when equipped with the technology package) shows what is behind the vehicle when the transmission is in reverse. And that rearview image includes “lines” that project the vehicle’s path based on steering inputs. The Audi A6 3.2 quattro with 6-speed Tiptronic transmission carries a MSRP of $48,000, and per gallon fuel estimates of 19 city/27 highway.