By Kelly Foss, MyCarData.com

AUDI A6 TDI
Starting Price: $43,000

Audi, one of the traditional German luxury brands, is known for its styling, technology and inviting interiors. The midsize A6 luxury sedan possess all those attributes and competes with vehicles like the Mercedes E Class and the BMW 5 Series. The TDI model adds the intrigue of class-leading clean diesel technology and elevates the vehicle to a new level.

Comparatively speaking, the A6 is a great car. It possesses that illusive blend of styling, comfort and performance. The shape of the current model gives the car presence and a high level of richness and refinement. The brands DNA shows through and similarities between it and the top-of-the -line A8 are obvious.

My turbocharged 3.0 liter V6 diesel engine powered A6 was an extremely rewarding vehicle to drive. Current diesel technology provides engines that are quiet, clean and smokeless. They are inherently more efficient than gas engines therefore get about 30% better fuel economy and have tremendous pulling power. The engine’s efficiency mated with an 8 speed automatic transmission yields a car that is very quick and pleasing to drive plus gets outstanding fuel economy. A light touch on the accelerator pedal delivers immediate and sustained acceleration thanks to the diesel’s 428 foot pounds of torque developed at very low RPMs. I found the EPA rating of 24 mpg city and 38 highway to be very conservative. At steady freeway cruising I could routinely get 45+ mpg and city/highway combined trips posted 35 mpg.

My test car priced at $66,000 also had the sport package which added multiple suspension settings and grippy performance tires. The result was a car with excellent power, great handling and outstanding fuel economy. The diesel option adds about $2,400 to the vehicle cost —and currently diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline — but those costs are offset by the amazingly high fuel economy numbers plus the exhilaration of driving this diesel powered car.

Audi produces possibly the best interiors in the world. The styling is very tasteful and the materials are of the highest quality. My test A6 had the Nougat Brown heated and cooled leather seating package. Dark brown walnut wood inlay was a very distinctive feature. Side and rear window shades enhance the comfort of rear seat passengers. In all, the interior was a delight to spend time in.

Modern technology can also enhance the driving experience. An excellent navigation package plus a fine Bose audio system add to the joy of the journey. Drivers can get assistance from adaptive cruise control, a pre-collision alert system, lane assist and lots of cameras on the car. In addition to a rear view backup camera, the driver also gets a 360 degree top-down view of the car so you can see objects around you.

The A6 TDI is a complete package. It’s elegant, capable, fun and efficient.

RANGE ROVER EVOQUE
Starting Price: $42,000

Since its introduction in 2010, the Evoque has actually worked out quite well considering how different it is from the rest of the Land Rover family.

For review, the Evoque is the stylish “show pony” in the Land Rover stable that also just happens to deliver the off-road goods that you’d expect from the brand. The vehicle is a unibody constructed compact SUV that has Land Rover credentials. It’s so unique that the vehicle looks like it’s been adopted into the LR family as opposed to be having been born into it.

The styling is an optical illusion and the vehicle offers more room than it might appear from the outside. The proportions make it look small yet the dimensions provide ample interior room for a vehicle in this class. The cabin is tastefully crafted and passengers get a commanding view of the road.

The Evoque is offered in two body styles, the Evoque which is a 5-door hatchback and the Evoque Coupe which is a 3-door hatchback model. Prices range from about $42,000 to over $60,000 which is a healthy sum for a compact SUV, even an elegant one. Coupe buyers are basically writing off carrying people in the second row because access requires a high level of commitment and athleticism. Additionally, the Coupe eliminates side access to the front part of the cargo area. Other than a sleeker looking body, it’s hard to justify it especially considering that it also is priced higher than the 5-door.

The Evoque is lightweight, relatively speaking, at about 4,000 pounds. It is powered by a Ford sourced turbocharged 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine that produces a very respectable 240 horsepower and an impressive 250 foot pounds of torque. All that engine power is channeled through a 9 speed automatic transmission which is a lot of gears for a vehicle of this size. The gears allow the vehicle to operate placidly under most conditions but when robust acceleration is needed instantly it can take a moment for the car to get the turbocharger spooled up and the proper gear selected. The official fuel economy rating is 21 city and 30 highway and my week of driving produced an average of about 23 mpg which is in the expected range.

Being a Range Rover, off-road capabilities are expected. I did manage to get the test vehicle muddy yet I didn’t test it anywhere near its advertised limits. The Evoque has a 19.7 inch wading capability but I didn’t try fording any streams either. The thought of taking a rich-looking premium vehicle out in the weeds always creates some inner conflict. I believe that it’s capable of exploring but I’m not sure how many owners would be actually to take their pricey SUV out in the rough.

The Range Rover Evoque is a very lovely vehicle and just knowing that you could go off-road if needed is enough for most people.

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