Acura, Infiniti, Cadillac, and Lexus have their work cut out for them, because the current contenders for best mid-size luxury car are all very compelling. They also all happen to be German. Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz rule this sector, if not in terms of overall sales, then at least in terms of perception. Executives and engineers from the other makers consider the A6, the 5-series, and the E-class benchmark sedans. But which of these three is the best?
To find out, we took the six-cylinder models on a lightning tour of Bavaria. They're the volume sellers, after all, even if they lack the pace and ultimate refinement of their pricier V-8-engined siblings. The newest car, the Audi A6 3.2 Quattro, is the biggest. It's roughly three inches longer than its rivals and is less than five inches shorter than Audi's flagship A8.... Read full article