2012 Audi A6 price starts at $41,700 … but there’s a catch

Want a nice luxury German mid-size sedan? Well, get ready to cash out more than $45,000. The 2011 BMW 5-Series starts at $45,050 for the 528i, which is powered by a 3.0 liter 6-cylinder unit making 240-hp. Go for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and you’ll be paying $49,400 for the E350, which is powered by a 3.5L V6 making 268-hp. Audi has a better solution.

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When the 2012 Audi A6 hits dealerships later this year, it will carry a starting price tag of just $41,700 (excluding a $875 destination charge). However, you’ll have to sacrifice a couple of things that BMW and Mercedes-Benz have spoiled you with. First off, you’ll lose a 6-cylinder powerplant. For $41,700, you’ll get a 2012 Audi A6 powered by the company’s 2.0 liter 4-cylinder turbo engine with 211-hp and 258 lb-ft. Not only that, it will be a front-wheel-drive model mated to a CVT transmission. While that may seem against everything a mid-size German sedan stands for, you’ll be averaging 33 miles per gallon.

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So it’s not so much that Audi’s 4-cylinder A6 undercuts the price of its competitors, it just doesn’t have many competitors that offer such a low-performance luxury sedan.

For a true competitor Audi offers its 2012 Audi A6 3.0T, which is powered by a 3.0 liter TFSI V6 units making 310-hp. That brings the starting price tag up to $49,900.

As far as the 2012 Audi A6 Avant goes, the brand has no plans to offer the station wagon in the stateside anytime soon.

– By: Omar Rana