My lease for my 2003 A6 Quattro 2.7T ends later this year and I had it at the dealer for routine service this week. While there, I had a chance to take out a 2005 3.2 with 17" wheels. I had it out for over an hour and must say....I was impressed!

It seemed much quieter than my 2003 and had none of the wind noise that my 2003 exhibits. Also, a much more compliant ride, more comfortable seats, and a significantly upgraded interior. Handling and steering felt much like the 2.7 with sport suspension. The doors and trunk seemed much more solid. For some reason, the windshield seemed smaller?

I thought the new driver interface would be a pain, but it was actually fairly intuitive...even my wife was able to figure it out. The 3.2 didn't have quite the punch of my 2.7 but was still pretty quick when pushed. I was also surprised to find that the car looks better than the pictures...even the big snout looked good.

So, it looks like my next car will be an Audi A6 again. I stopped buying BMW 5 series cars after the Bangle redesign and thought this new look might put me in the same position as the BMW. Wrong. The new A6 looks good and feels good. I guess I'll start looking at colors now.

Stan