Interior Design and Special Features

Trimmed in leather, aluminum and birch wood accents, the S6's cabin upholds Audi's reputation as a builder of some of the finest automobile interiors. The S6's front sport seats are heavily bolstered to provide support during aggressive driving on a twisty road. The MMI control interface allows the driver and front passenger to operate entertainment, climate, communications and navigation functions. There's a steep learning curve involved, but the system is notably more intuitive than BMW's reviled iDrive. A split/folding rear seat with a pass-through provides additional cargo capacity should the trunk's 15.9 cubic feet not be enough.

Driving Impressions

Weighing nearly 4,500 pounds, the 2008 Audi S6 is no lightweight, and this is most noticeable when attacking a twisty road. Although steering is crisp, body roll is well controlled and handling is confidence-inspiring, the S6 just doesn't have the nimble feel of its lighter rivals. Around town, the sport suspension calibration gives a stiff-legged ride, quite out of character for an Audi and again not equal to the more forgiving yet still very capable setups of the M5 and E63 AMG.

The 2008 S6 has a lot going for it -- specifically, the 435-horsepower, 5.2-liter V10 engine that's based on the V10 found in the Audi-owned Lamborghini Gallardo exotic sports car. Despite having less power, the S6 version features a fuller power band that's more befitting a luxury sport sedan. Further enhancements over a regular A6 include significant suspension tuning, larger wheels and brakes, unique styling elements and aggressively bolstered front seats.

The rest of the S6 is typical Audi. The only transmission is a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission with steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles, while its ubiquitous Quattro all-wheel-drive system should appeal to those who want maximum performance and maximum bad-weather traction. Inside, the cabin is constructed with the same impeccable panache and quality that sets the regular A6 apart in its class. All together, the 2008 S6 is a package that offers a lot of goods for a price that's at least $11,000 less than its two German rivals.