2011 Audi A6 vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

Among $50,000 luxury sedans, we’re most impressed by the 2011 Infiniti M37 and M56.

Formerly anonymous, the M&Ms have ripened into major sex objects this year; the cabin’s subtly gorgeous and the V-8 has thundering power.

So is the V-6, but it's noisier and harsher than you’d expect.

The Jaguar XF is utterly captivating, inside and out, but the backseat is the smallest of all these cars, and early reliability hasn’t been stellar.

Both the E-Class and the 5-Series are reinvented this year; the E-Class’ shape is controversial, but handling’s improved and so are fit and finish.

Meanwhile, the 5-Series gets a much cleaner set of lines and better interior space as BMW junks most of the excesses of the Bangle era of design.

The 5-Series GT is specifically aimed at the Audi A6 Avant; its flexible cargo space borders on brilliance, though there’s a visual penalty to be paid in the form of a tall, heavy rear end.