Beauty Contestants With Curves, Talent and German Accents
For many middle-aged buyers, crisis-averting red sports cars are out. Instead, the runaway trend is the “four-door coupe,” a description that seemed to be less of an oxymoron after the success of the 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. Seemingly within weeks, companies began to imitate the CLS’s eye-catching hillock of a roof, first with the more mainstream <a href="http://www.soso-trade.com/s-Nike-Free-run-2-f2-90-c3-539.html"><strong>Nike Free run</strong></a> Volkswagen CC. The movement has recently produced some unexpected offshoots like the Aston Martin Rapide and the Porsche Panamera. Even a family sedan, the Hyundai Sonata, should remember to thank Mercedes for its curvy style. Now two new models are going head to pretty head in a battle for luxury buyers: the Audi A7, with a supercharged V-6 and hidden-hatchback layout, and a redesigned CLS550, formidably powered by a new twin-turbo V-8. It’s not always wise to choose a car for its seductive looks, but here you can’t go wrong: both cars are fine performers beneath their handsome skins. And since these are personal-reward cars, if one or the other fulfills your dreams, and you have the cash to burn, I’d say go for it. Yet I’d still urge any infatuated shopper to test-drive both cars: Their on-road impressions may surprise you. Second Place: Audi A7 For the reliably fabulous Audi brand, a looks-first luxury car might seem an easy assignment. And the company hasn’t messed it up. The A7 crystallizes everything that has Audi on a roll with customers and critics. The exterior combines Germanic strength with litheness and painterly detail. The interior is a sensory and technological feast, with its impossibly thin pop-up navigation screen, a magnificent optional 15-speaker 1,300-watt Bang & Olufsen audio system and a choice of striking trim that includes a “natural brown ash” with exposed grain that recalls hand-hewn furniture. The full name — A7 3.0 TFSI Quattro — is cumbersome. But the car is delightfully smooth, composed and quick, despite a “mere” 310 horsepower from its supercharged 3-liter V-6. The A7 scores four advantages over the Benz: A lower base price (60,125 versus 72,175 for the CLS) that includes the latest Quattro all-wheel-drive system, a more versatile hatchback layout, easier-to-manage controls and slightly better fuel economy. Both cars carve out ample space for two adults in back, bisected by consoles that disallow <a href="http://www.soso-trade.com/s-Nike-Lunarglide-3-f2-90-c3-590.html"><strong>Nike Lunarglide +3</strong></a> a third person. But their falling rooflines — the key to their coupelike profiles — make for smallish side windows back there. Tall rear-seat riders find just enough headroom but they also end up staring at the headliner when they peer out; it’s a bit like being stuck inside a hair dryer at the salon. But specifically for cargo, the Audi makes fewer sacrifices to style. Based on the new A6 sedan, the A7 disguises its utility with a seamlessly integrated hatch. The power liftgate yawns elegantly, revealing a roomy cargo hold — though not close, in practical terms, to the 24.5 cubic feet in the specifications. That is the theoretical space when the cargo cover is removed and items are stuffed to the top of the hatch glass. Audi’s European specifications put the figure at a more realistic 18.9 cubic feet. In practice, the Audi can swallow one more suitcase than the Benz. Dropping the second-row seats expands the space to 49.1 cubic feet, roughly on par with a Ford Focus or other compact hatchback. The A7’s versatility may provide cover for a splurge, allowing owners to imagine productive weekends at the garden center. Yet this is still a me-first car, or at least me-and-you: Audi expects the vast majority of buyers to be empty nesters. Those fortunate couples can enjoy the ride or the optional electronic gadgets, many accessed through Audi’s well-integrated Multi Media Interface. For an extra 25 to 30 a month (the first six months are free), the new Audi Connect offers an industry-first Google Earth-enabled navigation system, whose Web database is vaster than onboard DVD-based navigators, and is constantly updated. Just as significant, the system’s wireless connection makes the car a mobile hotspot for up to eight devices. Call up a Google destination, like a restaurant, and the Audi displays exterior photos, reviews and other data, including a phone number to dial. Even the Audi’s excellent, basic onboard navigation system integrates the drawing touchpad from the A8 sedan, which reads your finger scrawls to call up destinations or phone contacts.
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