Audi A6 Saloon review

Although the A6 measures slightly less for front leg room than a BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class, that's a bit like saying the Asian elephant is smaller than the African when the prescient point is that both are big-old beasts.  And besides, when it comes to head room the A6 is one of the biggest beasts out there.

You'll also find it has plenty of width for your elbows, though speaking of which: if you’re tall and have the seat slid back you run out of armrest on the door, because it’s too short.

There are some storage compartments dotted around, but compared to an E-Class or 5 Series it lacks the addition convenience of a large cubby under the centre armrest or tray to dump odds and sods in the centre console.   

As this luxury class encompasses really palatial stuff, cars such as the S-Class long wheelbase and Rolls-Royce Phantom, the A6 was never going to be the biggest. Yet of its immediate price peers, it's rather good.

The rear seats offer far more head and leg room than an E-Class, for instance, and there's even a centimetre or two of added leg room over the 5 Series, which itself is pretty big. Seating three adults side by side is also better than its chief rivals, but before you get too excited that still means a bit of a squeeze for the middle passenger, who has to straddle a tall central floor tunnel.

There’s nothing of great consequence to report here - you don't get the multi-adjustable, electric rear seats that are available in the A6's bigger brother, the A8. Yet you do get 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats as standard, which both a BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class will demand you to pay extra for.

It's a shame you don't get levers inside the boot opening to drop the rear seats, which would make the job more convenient. Instead you have to walk around the car opening its rear doors to pop the levers atop its rear seat backs.

The A6 gets top marks here. Even compared to bigger cars, such as the S-Class, the A6 is better, fitting nine carry-on suitcases to prove the point. That's one more than a BMW 5 Series can manage, and even though an E-Class will match it, that's only if you include its under-floor storage well. 

When you fold down the A6's rear seats they lie almost flat and leave no step between the boot and passenger compartment, which makes loading long items relatively easy.