If acclaimed design were reason enough to buy a luxury car, then the Audi A6 would automatically be on top of everyone’s list. Drive any A6 model, and you will immediately feel why it should by on the top of yours.

When you see its singleframe® grille, there’s no mistaking an A6 for any other luxury model. The available, striking LED daytime running lights and taillights give the A6 an air of sophistication that’s never stuffy. The coupe-like roofline – which the A6 sedan models have had for over 10 years – is now widely imitated in the luxury category.

It would be a mistake, however, to think the A6 deserves your attention purely because of its appearance. This is a car that rewards the most discerning driving enthusiast while coddling lucky passengers.

Start with two body styles – sedan and Avant wagon. The A6 sedan offers three engine choices; the Avant wagon comes exclusively as the 3.0T with standard quattro® all-wheel drive and starts with an MSRP of $53,310. All three engines used in the A6 line are equipped with performance-boosting, fuel-conserving direct fuel injection.

Starting at an MSRP of $45,200, the A6 3.2 FSI Premium gives you a 3.2-liter V6 – now with 265 hp for 2010 – mated to an advanced Multitronic® continuously variable transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive. It’s a unique offering in the class with standard luxury that includes 12-way power front seats, supple Valcona leather seating surfaces, superbly crafted brown walnut wood inlays and a sunroof. (In case you haven’t checked recently, leather costs extra in the BMW 528i and Mercedes-Benz E350.) Bluetooth connectivity and SIRIUS Satellite Radio with three months of free service are standard, too.

At a $48,100 MSRP, the A6 3.2 FSI Premium Plus sedan gives you the luxury of a standard cutting-edge third-generation navigation system that includes SIRIUS Traffic Logic. The Cold Weather Package adds heated seats and a heated steering wheel with shift paddles. These are not ordinary heated seats. The entire surface of the seat is heated, not just small parts, and the rear seats are heated, too. For A6 3.0T and 4.2 models, front heated seats are standard.

New for 2010, optional Sport Packages sharpen the performance character of the A6 with lowered sport suspension, sport steering wheel and either all-season 18-inch or performance 19-inch tires. 

At the top of the A6 range (not including the incomparable V10 powered S6 performance model), you find the 4.2 FSI quattro (MSRP $60,950) with a 350-hp direct-injection V8. This model is available exclusively in the Prestige trim line, which delivers the highest level of luxury.

The A6 that has the auto world, though, is the one with the 300-hp TFSI® 3.0-liter V6 engine. Starting at an MSRP of $51,600, the A6 3.0T models come equipped exclusively with a six-speed Tiptronic® transmission and Audi’s quattro® all-wheel drive. This legendary handling system normally sends 60 percent of the power to the rear wheels, which enhances handling agility. If wheel slippage is detected, quattro can reroute power to the wheels with the best traction.

The remarkable 3.0 TFSI engine combines two power-boosting technologies – direct fuel injection and supercharging. The result is a powerplant that outperforms competitors’ sixes without consuming more fuel than they do. In fact, the EPA-estimated 26 mpg on the highway is not far off a mainstream V6 family sedan.

The latest generation of the Audi Multi-Media Interface (MMI) sets the standard for such wide-ranging control systems used in luxury cars – highly capable, yet easy to use. Playing your iPod couldn’t be easier – plug it in, and the MMI recognizes it and offers easy-access controls to your music library.

In the Prestige trim models, a standard BOSE surround-sound system bathes you and your passengers in the clearest music. AudioPilot® noise compensation technology adjusts the volume for the optional system in response to unwanted road noise, creating a richer stereo experience.

The available Audi side assist system, active at speeds over 19 mph, warns drivers of vehicles approaching in blind spot areas at a range of about 150 feet to the rear of the car.

The market offers you many competent luxury cars. The Audi A6 is for those who prefer something compelling. One test drive can show you the difference.