Audi A6 Awarded 2005 World Car of the Year

Ironically the new A6 doesn't quite measure up to the outgoing model in all respects. Controversial styling aside, the fit and

Ironically the new A6 doesn't quite measure up to the outgoing model in all respects. (Photo: Audi Canada)

finish of its interior is not quite up to the unparalleled standards set by the previous generation.

Most evident are sloppily fixed buttons on the centre stack, dash, lower console and steering wheel; each button loose enough to audibly hear the sound of clicking when plastic meets plastic. The outgoing A6 featured zero-tolerance buttons, with absolutely no play from side to side.

Such superior interior quality has been a hallmark of Audi vehicles during the last decade, and now that most rival, and even entry-level brands have benchmarked the German nameplate, the A6 has been surpassed in interior fit and finish quality by unlikely new vehicles sold by Honda, Mazda, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia.

The A6 has been surpassed in interior fit and finish quality by unlikely new vehicles sold by Honda, Mazda, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia. (Photo: Audi Canada)

Many of GM's new models, such as the Buick Allure, also offer tighter fit and finish tolerances than the new Audi.

While some might not concern themselves with how a button feels when pressed, considering it a minor issue compared to the many other positive attributes a vehicle such as the A6 offers, many premium buyers will not be impressed with the vehicle's perceived quality, especially if cross-shopping from another premium brand that offers better quality switchgear, such as BMW, Cadillac, Jaguar, Infiniti, Lexus or Mercedes-Benz. It no doubt is also an embarrassment to those in charge of the new A6 that it has slipped from first to last place in interior fit and finish.