CAR FINALISTS

Audi A6

WE LIKE Class-leading interior, incredibly quiet cabin WE DON’T LIKE Road noise from 21-inch tires, fake exhaust tips

The A6 moves to a new platform with a choice of suspensions that make for the best-riding A6 in a while, albeit one that’s a bit firm on uneven surfaces. Zach Gale said the A6’s excellence “sneaks up on you.”

The 3.0-liter V-6 replaces a supercharger with a turbo and is now a mild hybrid with a standard 48-volt system. Judges called it quiet, smooth, and capable. The ride is crisp and sharp, Frank Markus noted, but it was still possible to get a slide going on the handling course. The transitions from one corner to the next are wonderfully precise.

Kudos to the acoustics team—the cabin is almost unnervingly quiet. “Breathtakingly clean and elegant,” Angus MacKenzie said. Chris Theodore called it a revelation that re-establishes Audi as the interior design leader. The matte wood trim, supple leather, and Alcantara marry well with the three screens of the optional Virtual Cockpit while keeping a redundant volume