Audi A6 3.0 Avant quattro AT5

For those who don't speak Audi, the car I tested was an A6 (its model name) with a 3.0-liter engine, the company's signature four-wheel drive (quattro), and a five-speed automatic transmission. The Avant model is a station wagon and, unlike station wagons I grew up with, lacks a third row of seats. It was the back seat, the wayback, as we used to call it, that really made station wagons family cars. For better or worse, CAFE standards and minivans have driven traditional wagons into near extinction. So to me, the Avant is more of a sporty hatchback, a four-door sedan with some extremely usable interior cargo space. Serendipitously, a friend had some furniture to move and it gave me the chance to check out the vehicle's cargo-carrying abilities. With the back seats folded down, it boasts a bit over 73 ft3 of space, which isn't a whole heck of a lot, but enough to carry the bookcases, books, and bric-a-brac transported. I did have to adjust my driving to compensate for the load in the back, however. I had to allow more stopping distance and really work the brake pedal. Though Audi touts its new "upsized tandem brake servo, complete with high-performance disc brakes," I'd suggest they add even more stopping power. Perhaps part of my problem with the braking was the lure of the 220-hp engine and five-speed transmission with a "Sport" setting. You can put the gearshift in S (for Sport), or the transmission will put itself there if it determines that's the way you're driving. In S mode, the transmission delays upshifts to take advantage of the fat part of the torque curve. Like every Audi I've ever driven, the A6 is fast. It's always quick to add another 10 to 20 mph no matter how fast