This article is from page 31 of the 2007-09-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 31 JPG
PVE been spoiled for choice in re- cent weeks having had the pleasure of testing two very classy Audi mo- tors.
After a week in the Audi A4, I then got to drive the truly massive A6 all- road 2.7 TDI Tiptronic quattro. The black A4 was a classy looking mo- tor, but the silver A6 was just sheer luxury.
“You wouldn’t mind being stuck in Dublin traffic in a car like that.”’ That was the reaction I got from a salesman in a South Dublin garage, a garage that does not specialise in Audi cars.
For me that was some praise com- ing from a competitor, but that was his honest reaction after sitting in and experiencing the comforts of the AO.
When you do sit in it definitely is comfortable. I have often said before that the first thing you do in an au- tomatic is forget about your left leg. Otherwise you will find your fore- head rapidly come in contact with the windscreen as you press what you think is the clutch.
So you just sit back, wait for those lights to turn green and just glide away. If you want speed then the 2.7 engine will ensure that you ‘jump away’ from the lights. And all that power is brilliant when overtaking.
Audi say that the A6 allroad is aimed at people who like horse rid- ing, field sports enthusiasts and those
whose lifestyles have a distinctly off- road dimension.
OW eK rwa Ul eu mcmoree) (CM UbKOr:(OMRVol NE cle. In this model the number plate has been repositioned higher up on the grille to prevent it being ripped away by sharp inclines. Other design features include: beefier bumpers,
bigger door mirrors, flared wheel arches and stainless steel under-body protection.
Externally it doesn’t look like an off-road motor and the only clues are the two roof-bars. It’s a beautiful station-wagon type of car, but I don’t think I would like to risk any damage
to this expensive car by taking it off- road. If I really had to go off-road I think I would probably prefer a 4×4 OS MSO)ONLSLVODNOTMM UIA OMEN OUESA Ooo mmOlU RANTS position.
In the cabin you feel like an air- plane pilot as you select the radio controls which are ideally located in
a console between the driver and the front seat passenger. So if your front seat passenger wants to choose the ra- dio station/cd that she/he wants then the controls are very user friendly for them also.
Naturally the boot is absolutely huge and is capable of carrying any extra items you could think of. It’s a very long motor, but parking sen- sors are provided and they are very useful. When you do park the lights stay on for approximately a minute to allow you get in your front door or if in town, maybe find that parking aloe
Prices for the 2.7 start at E69,440. The optional extras which included leather seats, bluetooth phone, cruise control, heated front seats, sunroof and parking sensors, brought the price of the test car up to E80,934. That’s a lot of money and in an ideal world it would be nice to get your employer to buy one for you. Howev- er, if you keep an eye on the second hand market you could well pick up a bargain. The chances are that the car has been well looked after.
Audi sponsor several sporting events in Ireland each year including the Audi Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Derby weekend where they showed off their latest models to an appreciate audience.