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The last time these three came together was back in January 2008, which goes to show that we as a market are now onto the second generation of these very cars in a span of just four years. Back then, the Audi A6 emerged the winner in what many saw as a strange twist. The BMW was right behind it, and the Merc E-Class came last. Our test was a combination of a hill climb, a highway blast and a city-test. Interestingly, Bijoy wrote back then that quattro is what India needs, and to this day we hold that as true. But the BMW proved, in true Bavarian fashion, that it was the most fun to steer and the Merc was the most comfortable.
I write this thinking about what a day it was for a young tester like me to understand and appreciate what the three brands really stood for. And it’s strange how things have changed in all that while. The Mercedes E-Class has the most steering feedback of the trio you see on these pages, the BMW 5 Series has the most space; and quattro, well, it continues to keep the Audi’s nose clean. But can quattro alone save the A6 this time around? Has the BMW lost its way or is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class the surprise package of this lot? How I wish I had Bijoy by my side to solve this dilemma! So here’s what I thought of it all – maybe you’ll like the outcome, maybe not.
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