Motoramic’s Best Luxury Car of 2011: Audi A7

Some of our Best of 2011 picks couldn't be easier. In a year where the differences between the top 1% of income-earning Americans and the rest of us became a topic worthy of camp-outs and pepper spray, the Audi A7 stands by acclaim as the best new luxury car a one-percenter could hope to occupy.

The difference between a great luxury car and every other hunk of metal on the road isn't absolute power, or a unique style or whether its leather carries contrasting French stitches. Like the personal assistants that organize the lives of the wealthy, a great luxury car anticipates the driver's need -- even before the driver knows such needs exist. You don't need night vision to warn you of pedestrians at dusk, or in-car WiFi for up to eight devices, or a hatch that opens with a fingertip.

That's right, the A7 is an honest-to-Citation hatchback, and like a lot of European fashions it took a few cycles (see BMW 5GT, Porsche Panamera) for someone to find the grace notes in the idea of a four-dour coupe. Even though a few critics will say the lines sag at the rear, the A7 strikes us as one of the best-looking vehicles on the road at any price point -- as long as that road runs through a state where you don't need a front license plate.

It's performance metrics reflect the same kind of balance suggested by the design -- the 310-hp supercharged V6 isn't the fastest engine in its class, but it's fast enough, and more efficient than its peers. Those who find such power levels insufficient will be rewarded for their wait when the 420-hp S7 arrives later this year, but these are not the kind of cars bought by people who suffer much for delayed gratification.