Audi A6

Price Paid:  $52000.00 from Stevens Creek Audi

Year / Model Reviewed:
2008 3.2 quattro

Summary:
Having just returned from driving my A6 in Europe for two weeks (see WARNING below about Audi’s European delivery program), during which I drove over 2,400 miles, I can report my complete satisfaction with the vehicle. Even when trying in vain to make sense of Italy’s road signs (which display far too many route numbers, city names, and regional descriptions, yet at the same time rarely what you need to reliably navigate through to your destination), the car was still a joy to drive.

The A6 is a very comfortable car to drive, whether on a quick hop down the street or a long haul spanning a country. The seats (standard, not sport) hold you firmly in place yet produce no sore spots even after hours of riding. The low noise levels of the cabin aid greatly in limiting fatigue and the controls are well positioned for easy use. The much maligned MMI (main controller for navigation, radio, phone, and car setup options) does require some study, but is convenient to operate and a much better alternative than having 100 or so separate buttons. If you can point and click your way to this review, you can easily learn to operate all of the MMI functions.

The performance and handling of the A6 is impressive. I opted for the 3.2 liter (3,123 cc) instead of the 4.2 to optimize both fuel economy and handling. The extra cost of the 4.2 both to purchase and operate is not easily justified by the moderate increase in acceleration. When I want to accelerate my eyeballs to the back of my head, I hop on my FJR1300 motorcycle. And the 3.2 does just fine in getting up to speed, whether merging, passing, or setting the pace for autobahn traffic.

Driving in Germany is an experience everyone should have. After limiting my pace to 100 mph or so for the break in period, I reached the car’s electronic speed cap of 134 mph several times. In the A6, that seemingly reckless velocity is in reality a rather mundane occurrence while at the same time still very cool. Even at that speed, the car is rock solid with very tight steering and no drift, shake, wobble, or float. And when the time comes to rein in the horses for slower traffic ahead, the brakes are very controlled and predictable. The downside of course is that once my car is back here in the states, my ability to keep within our paltry speed limits will be greatly impeded.

The suspension of the A6 is a surprising combination of road surface sensing and isolation from harsh jolts. The feel is like reading the road with your hands, having the ability to detect any grove, bump, ridge, or even surface composition changes. But that ever present and useful information is easily ignored and imposed on the driver only with substantial impacts with surface imperfections. You always “know” what conditions the tires are encountering but rarely do you have to think about it.

And the quattro all wheel drive is truly remarkable. While I didn’t have any snow to drive on in Europe (Switzerland doesn’t allow cars up to it’s Jungfrau and Schilthorn areas), I did test out the traction control on a dirt parking lot. I stomped on the accelerator and got nothing but a surprising amount of forward acceleration. Any other drive system would have dug a hole and spread a lot of dirt.

Having done a lot of research on quattro at torsen.com and other sites, I summarize its operation with the following: All other four wheel drive systems are like walking on a slippery sidewalk, slipping, and then catching yourself before you fall. Audi’s quattro is like not slipping in the first place. It does this by mechanically and instantaneously sending extra torque to the set of wheels (front or rear) that has more traction. Other systems have to slip first, then detect the slip with ABS sensors, then actuate a clutch which then sends more torque to the wheels with more traction. Audi does use ABS sensors to regulate slip between the left and right wheels on the front or rear of the car, but uses the ingenious and completely mechanical TORSEN center differential to distribute torque between the front and rear pairs of wheels. In most cases, this prevents slip before it happens, rather than trying to play catch up like those systems on BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Acura, etc.

Strengths:
The exterior styling of the 2008 model contains an extra grille slot below main grill that adds a significant amount of additional flare to the front appearance. Also, the now standard 18” 5 spoke wheels should be easier to keep clean and are an aesthetic improvement over most smaller and higher spoke count wheels.

The interior design features the classic Audi attention to detail with very attractive wood inserts and stitched leather seats. I opted for the lighter beige interior color and the segmented steering wheel which has wood sections to complement those of the dash, doors, and center console.

As for features, those that I most like include the adaptive air suspension (special order only on the 2008 3.2) which allows for selecting comfort or dynamic modes depending on your current whim, and also a “lift” option which provides more ground clearance at lower speeds. The back up camera is ready to go right on startup and is very useful once you get used to its indications. The Bose sound, audio pilot, and surround sound options make for great listening, which is a little surprising for a company (Bose) that seems to be almost entirely focused on marketing. The headlight washers will be great for keeping the lights bright even when driving home from skiing in the mountains through sand filled road spray. The rain sensitive wipers do not have a non-rain-sensing intermittent option, but perform reasonably well in most circumstances. The trunk is large with the entire back seat being able to fold down for all the storage one might want in a sedan or just the left seat to retain the right seating position. The full size spare keeps you riding in safe control in case of a flat. The adaptive headlights really help to illuminate corners, especially on dark nights with unlit roads.

Weaknesses:
WARNING about Audi’s European delivery program: While I highly recommend taking European delivery (go to audiusa.com and look under “experience”), Audi’s program, which just restarted a couple of years ago, is extremely behind schedule. I had to fight very, very hard just to get my documentation two days before my departure, not the two weeks promised on their web site. They seem to be critically understaffed in this area.

Price Paid:  $45000.00 from TRACEY AUDI HYANNIS

Summary:
AUDI HAS A GREAT RIDE AND THE SOUND SYSTEM IS INCREDIBLE, YOU LITERALLY FEEL LIKE YOU ARE DRIVING ON AIR

Strengths:
LOTS OF POWER AND FAST

Weaknesses:
AUDI SERVICE DEPT. IS HORRIBLE, EVERYTIME I HAD A PROBLEM AND BELIEVE ME THERE WERE MANY, SERVICE ALWAYS SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG, I TOOK MY CAR TO ANOTHER AUDI DEALERSHIP, MY CAR HAD MAJOR PROBLEMS, TRACY AUDI KEPT DENYING THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND THE PROBLEMS WERE OBVIOUS, LIKE NOISES ETC. I CALLED AUDI DIRECTLY THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT HELP ME SO I WAS SCREWED!! ALSO THEY REALLY TRY TO ROB THE CONSUMER YOU CAN'T EVEN CHANGE YOUR OWN BATTERY. I HAD SO MUCH BETTER LUCK WITH HYUNDAI THER SERVICE WAS AWESOME!!! I TRADED MY AUDI IN FOR A FORD AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM. THE ONLY WAY I'D EVER HAVE ANOTHER AUDI IS SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TO GIVE IT TO ME AND THEN I'D TRADE IT IN. I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THE DEALER AND AUDI ITSELF IS RACIST OR JUST PLAIN DUMB

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.67 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $46000.00 from University Audi

Year / Model Reviewed:
2005 Audi A6 3.2

Summary:
Let there be no doubt this is a beautiful car. I have only one issue with this car and its somewhat of a big one- its in the shop every 3 months. A few weeks after leasing this car I went to start it up at the airport after being gone a few days. It died. Took it in and Audi service found nothing wrong with it. From then on, each time I started it the idle would stutter for a few minutes until it "warmed up." Audi service looked at it again and tried to convince me thats the way these cars are. It continued to die and had to be taken in again. This time it was faulty fuel injectors which they replaced under warranty. More recently the gas guage would fall from 1/4 tank to empty in a matter of seconds. I took it in again to find out it needed a new float in the tank and needed some software upgrades. No problem. Driving home I could smell a very strong odor of gas. This morning I walk into the garage to find my A-6 above an enormous puddle of gasoline. Ive had it with this thing.

Strengths:
Absolutely beautiful looking car. When it runs right it is quite fun to drive.

Weaknesses:
Audi service department spends more time with my car than I do.

Similar Products Used:
Honda Accord

Price Paid:  $0.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
2003 A6 4.2

Summary:
all you BMW fans need to go away. Audi has the best cars and BMW doen NOT even come CLOSE to Audi. The A6s are about 10k cheaper, quicker, better handling, better styling, etc.

Strengths:
Great power, looks, everything

Weaknesses:
NONE!

Similar Products Used:
just gave up my A8 on a lease :-(

Price Paid:  $63000.00 from Mark Motors Ottawa

Year / Model Reviewed:
2003 Audi A6 2.7T

Summary:
My experience with luxury cars includes Jaguar and Infiniti. In comparison, several characteristics jump out at you after driving the Audi A6 2.7T. Steering is like on rails, yet very responsive to avoid pot holes. The all wheel drive is stunning, particularly under poor road conditions. The turbo engine blows most v8's away. I would rate design, fit and finish as good and sensible. This car has a combination of features that should keep the owner smiling for many years. Infiniti probably has a better engine and the Jaguar ride is great, but the Audi A6 has tons of potential.

Strengths:
Quattro all wheel drive is the best. Quality design, fit and finish. Turbo charged engine that performs! Best interior lighting of controls that I have ever seen.

Weaknesses:
Poor dealer support. Lack of radio controls on steering wheel. Electric windows move too fast.

Similar Products Used:
Infiniti I30 Jaguar XJ6