Class: Executive
Rivals: Mercedes E Class, BMW 5series, Lexus GS, Volvo V70,
Variants: Saloon, Avant, Allroad, S6, RS6
Engines: Petrol 2.0l, 2.4l, 2.8l, 3.2l, 4.2 V8
Diesel 2.0tdi, 2.7tdi, 3.0tdi
Gearbox: 6 speed manual, 6 speed automatic, 7 speed CVT Tiptronic
Awards: World Car of the Year 2005
Ever since I started this blog I have been dying to feature this car. The car we tested was the 2010 A6 S-Line Avant 3.0TDI V6 Quattro 7 Speed Tiptronic and my word what a car! We had the perfect drive from Frankfurt, through Luxembourg and into the Lorraine Region of France on which we had German Motorway Driving, tight and twisty mountain passes as well as City Driving and the car handled beautifully on each.
Now if your thinking that after 3 car reviews we have gone all Top Gear already, don't forget this car has been around since 2004 and the Irish model to go for is the 2.0TDI Avant. Our Rental Car is the last in the current line for the C6 chassis as a new model on the new C7 chassis to set for launch in 2011.
Now I'm not a huge fan of the Quattro system, in the A4 I found it takes a lot of horsepower to drive and will sometimes just give you a twitch when your really leaning into a corner as the rear wheels receive more power to keep you straight, especially in any car less than 200bhp! But, in the 225bhp 3.0TDI V6 version, its a different animal! To drive, the car feels very similar to the 333bhp S4, you can push hard along the autobahn or just for cruising from A to B. The cabin is unreal, the Multi-Media Interface (MMI) is spot on, every button is exactly where it should be without having to stretch for it. There is more than enough space in the rear for 3 6ft plus passengers. The Tiptronic gearbox is smooth in auto-mode, but in sports mode is useless at cruising speed, but floor it and it comes into its own! Its a big car without feeling cumbersome on the road.
All Variants of the A6 come with a 5 star rating from the Euro Ncap Crash Tests.
When looking at a car to buy 2nd hand, we recommend you go for the 2.0TDI 6 speed manual. At 140bhp its no slouch. Like with any Audi, check for signs of clocking, you can contact your local Audi Dealer for help on this aspect. When looking at the engine bay, make sure there are no signs of any major oil leaks and no excessive smoke from the exhausts! In some rare examples, the dual-mass Flywheel can cause problems so if you feel any strange vibration through the car on the test drive you may as well leave it there because this is a very expensive problem to fix.
Up to 2008, this car is €614 to tax and after its only €302 per year to tax. A standard service should be running at about €150 including oil. You're looking at about 55mpg mixed driving.
There is no doubt that there are some bargains to be picked up in the UK, but make sure and check the VRT before you import as it can be extortionate. You are looking at somewhere between €5,000 for a 04 model, all the way up to €60,000 for a new model!!!! On average for a nice clean 05/06 car with a good service history you should only be paying about €8,000 to €10,000
Here at Allparts, we want this car!
Gary
