E-Class, 5 Series and A6: The Audi A6 challenges the business class

W hen the new Audi A6 at the beginning of 2011 comes on the market, the German premium trio of the upper middle class is complete again - at least as a sedan, because customers will have to wait until the IAA in autumn 2011 for the Audi A6 Avant. Therefore, the station wagons that are already available from the 5 Series and the E-Class should not be mentioned here.

Mercedes E-Class with the largest cargo space and the smallest payload

Is it about the new Audi A6 is already ahead of the curve. With a length of 4.92 meters, it towers above both the E-Class (4.87 meters) and the BMW 5 Series (4.90 meters). The width of the A6 is also 1.87 to 1.85 and 1.86 meters ahead. There is a tie when it comes to vehicle height: At around 1.46 meters, nobody can break away from here. However, there is a clear hierarchy for the wheelbase. At 2.97 meters, the BMW clearly stands out from the Audi (2.91 meters) and the Mercedes (2.87 meters).

All three of them are five-seater, with the luggage compartment you rely on the small one , but subtle difference. The Audi A6 enters the race with 530 liters, while the BMW 5 Series holds 520 liters. The Mercedes E-Class scores here as a swallowing woodpecker with 540 liters. A foldable rear bench offers all three additional cargo space potential. The BMW and the Audi with a payload of up to 610 kilograms, depending on the engine and equipment, are clearly ahead of the Mercedes (up to 550 kg). When it comes to the load that can be towed, Audi and Mercedes (depending on the engine) are just ahead of the BMW (up to 2.0 tons) with up to 2.1 tons.

Mercedes with the widest range of drive systems

In the drive section, the Audi A6, which will hit dealerships in spring 2001, will initially have two petrol and three diesel engines. More engines, including another RS6, will be submitted later. The basic engine is a two-liter TDI with 177 hp and front-wheel drive. The 204 hp 2.8-liter gasoline engine can be combined with front-wheel and all-wheel drive. The 300 hp 3.0 TFSI comes exclusively as a Quattro. The basic diesel develops 204 hp from a three-liter displacement and comes with front-wheel drive, the top diesel with 245 hp has all-wheel drive. It is shifted either with a continuously variable CVT transmission or a seven-speed automatic. Only the basic diesel is combined with a manual transmission. At a later date, the Audi A6 will be available with a hybrid drive for the first time. Take care of thisTwo-liter four-cylinder TFSI with 211 hp and a 33 kW electric motor together for propulsion. The system output should be 245 PS.

Mercedes E-Class drivers are sometimes also allowed to change gear manually. In addition to the manual six-speed gearbox, there is also a five-speed and seven-speed automatic to choose from. The engine spectrum in the E-Class ranges from four to eight-cylinder. Six diesel and six gasoline engines are available. The four-cylinder diesel engines produce 136, 170 and 204 hp, the six-cylinder engines have 211, 231 or 265 hp. The four-cylinder turbo gasoline engines come with 183 and 204 hp, the six-cylinder engines produce 272 and 292 hp, and the eight-cylinder engines produce 388 and 525 hp in the AMG model. All-wheel drive is available for the six-cylinder diesel and six-cylinder gasoline engine as well as the smaller V8 engine. A hybrid drive for the E-Class is not yet available. This will not come as a diesel hybrid until the end of 2011 as a combination of a 2.2-liter four-cylinder and a 15 kW electric motor with a total output of 224 hp.

Audi with the cheapest base price

The engine spectrum for the BMW 5 Series also ranges from four to eight-cylinder units - four diesels and four petrol engines. The only unit with four pots is the basic diesel with 184 hp, the only eight-cylinder is the turbo gasoline engine with 407 hp. The six-cylinder petrol engines produce 258 and 306 hp, the diesel with six pots have 204, 245 and 300 hp. The M5 with a twin-turbo V8 will produce around 550 hp, but will only come to the IAA. If you want to combine your BMW 5 Series with all-wheel drive, you only have one option, namely the 407 hp V8 petrol engine. There is a choice between a manual six-speed gearbox and an automatic gearbox with eight gears. Only the V8 works exclusively with the automatic. A hybrid for the 5 Series is not yet ready for a decision, but the Bavarians had already shown a hybrid study with a six-cylinder gasoline engine and a 40 kW electric motor in Geneva in 2010.

The business sedans are closed Prices from 38,500 euros for the Audi A6, from 39,270 euros for the Mercedes E-Class and from 40,350 euros for the BMW 5 Series.