Most road tests suck because they just talk about handling, power, brakes, and comfort. There is no story. It’s just a sad compilation of disparate elements, lazily edited to 800 words. These reviews never illustrate the summed experience of how the car performs from start to finish in a singular adventure.
Considering that the average age of a vehicle in the United States is quickly reaching twelve years old, my 2004 Audi A6 should look and feel like a completely average car. When taking into account the early 21st century VW Group quality and reliability, then my Audi should be an absolute dump. So then how is my 04’ Avant so damn amazing?
The answer is simple. No really, it’s simple. The car is simple. While “simple” is quickly becoming a derogatory term that young urbanites use to refer to midwesterners, it actually is a huge compliment for a car. My Audi has absolutely everything a passenger or driver could want, and nothing that will quickly go out of style. Heated seats front and back, a decent stereo system, a multifunction display with necessary instruments, high quality, soft touch interior materials, and plenty of space – these are hardly considered features anymore, but they are all people care about in a car. They are all that is required to make a car seem and appear modern. If it has these features, people will be happy. They satisfy 90% of consumers, and 100% of passengers.
The Audi takes all of these features and puts them in a timeless body that replaces bling for build quality. Out of this comes a car that people think is new and actually looks good despite being three generations old. These simple fundamentals seem entirely lost in new car design, and most importantly, by new car shoppers. The only new car that embodies this minimalist, simplistic approach anymore is the VW Golf. Despite the Golf’s good design, better packaging, and amazing powertrains, it still sells roughly a billion fewer units each month than a Corolla.
Does this consumer shift make my ’04 A6 a product of a bygone era? It seems so, unfortunately. Yet every time I get into it, I’m amazed again at how I can genuinely wish for no more or less from any automobile. Neither can my passengers, yet they all own a civic, corolla, CR-V, or Sentra. The plight of the “just right” consumer is greater than ever. Their choices are essentially limited to the Golf and the Golf Sportwagen. I still need to drive the new Golf, but in my limited time spent in a Jetta Sportwagen, I quickly realized that it is the modern successor to my Audi. It has the same features, quality, simplistic style, and packaging. I could recommend no other car to someone interested in something “just right”.
I know too much about this Audi to fit all of my thoughts into a simple road test or think piece, so look forward to a few more posts detailing the Audi.
Car and Other 