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Audi A6

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Comments

  • gooddesigngooddesign Member Posts: 34
    I would buy the '99 ('98s were very trouble prone, I have one!) and take the $5000 savings to the Audi service department.

    Tell them that you want the car to be young again. It will probably cost much less than $5k.

    Also, replace the foot pedal pads, floor mats, etc. and have it detailed thoroughly. I think it's a no-brainer. Good luck!
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    My C&D September 2001 came yesterday, and the article about the BMW 540 vs the Audi 4.2 (and severl others) was very interesting. When has it been written that a 2000 version of a car (with 20,000 miles on it) is tested against a 2001 version? I thought this was only done when one car was at the end of the model year and the other one had an early new model release. The Audi tested was a 2000 (Audi probably has some 2002's here in North America) -- so the end of model turnover was hardly a factor for AoA.

    I read the article almost in disbelief -- the scoring according to the article was "so close" (between the 540 and the A6 4.2) that the author made a comment that if the scores were recorded again that the A6 could have been #1 and the BMW #2. The BMW received a score of 95 and the Audi a 94. And the Audi costs less! And, and, and of course it has quattro.

    When the 2002 and then the "new" 2003 A6's come out (and certainly replacement 5 series -- which may follow in the footsteps of the new highly anticipated 7 series Bimmer) the bar will again be raised. It has been so gratifying to see Car and Driver (my favorite of all the car magazines -- and according to my wife, I subscribe to them ALL) take the heat for again giving an Audi product such very high marks (and remarks). They did it with the A4 2.8 quattro sport vs the BMW and the S4 (circa 1994). Moreover, the S4 current version has received much praise in their publication and both the 2.7T and 4.2 A6's were on their 10 best list.

    My guess is that they'll take heat regarding the remarks that claimed the A6 and 540 were so evenly matched. Makes these 23 years of loyalty (to Audi) seem worth it somehow.

    BTW test reports, etc do say many good things about the new AWD Jaguar -- I have not driven one yet -- based only on the test reports, you probably wouldn't hate yourself if you bought one. But the editors of the car magazines still seem to rate the A6 more highly.
  • mbnut1mbnut1 Member Posts: 403
    The X-type is more a competator with the A4 rather than the A6 and I think that while overall it compares favorably with the current A4 it will likely not be as good as the upcoming 2002.
  • bmms8bmms8 Member Posts: 86
    thats cool, but the most im gong to spend on a car is not more than 40K, and the 4.6 A6 costs 50K...so under 40K, would the x-type be a good choice..?
  • timcartimcar Member Posts: 363
    I doubt there are many people with enough real world experience to say if an X-Type will be preferable to an A6, but I doubt it. With all respect bmms8, you're cross shopping two different classes of car. If you're shopping $40K, or less, you would be hard pressed to fit a new A6 under that number. The A6 is better compared to the S-Type, 5 Series or E Class Mercedes. Though while Audi's have not always been trouble free, reports are that the S-Type has been even more so. I also think Jag dealerships are even more scarce and low volume than Audi, certainly here in the northeast.

    Believe the A6 is a larger and much roomier car than the X-Type. Without having driven, or even seen an X-Type, my suspicion is the new 3.0 A4 will be a much better and more reliable ride. If you're shopping under $40, that's the real comparison. And you really need to go test-drive each to get any inkling as to which you personally prefer. I've learned from experience that you can't car shop by reading auto magazines.
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    I agree, car magazines are useful perhaps for putting a list together. And timcar is also correct, in the PRICE class you are looking at, the new A4 3.0 quattro is your comparison point, not an A6 of any flavor (even the bottom of the line A6 will overshoot 40K pretty quickly.

    I have driven the new A4 quattro -- it is the best A4 ever.
  • chicago27t1chicago27t1 Member Posts: 24
    Thank for the advice on handling upgrades. Sounds like tires are a good place to start,

    I live in Chicago (hence the userid), where we are known to get more than a little bit of nasty winter weather. My A6 2.7t came with the standard continentals (16").

    I would prefer to stick with the same tires year round. What would you recommend for a year-round performance 16" performance tire. How much will it improve handling? And how much are they likely to cost?
  • trejos28trejos28 Member Posts: 93
    With the BOSE system, what in the heck does the "MIDDLE" button do? All the other buttons make sense, but this one has me stumped and the manual is no help.

    btw, just passed 1,000 miles this weekend (only two weeks). can keep her off the road!

    Thanks for your help.
  • timcartimcar Member Posts: 363
    May be missing something, but I don't recollect a middle button on my head unit. Is that what it says? Could be. There is a button in the middle for adjusting the mid-range of frequencies. Is this what we're talking about?
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    The middle button is just another tone control -- which will give you more flexibility when tuning the sound to your tastes. Some car sound systems have 5 tone controls, and there is one that even has more -- they call these things equalizers (but no matter what, you may call them tone controls). Their purpose is to boost or reduce the volume levels of certain frequencies in the theoretical range of 20 - 20,000 Hz (human hearing presumably -- but most people can't hear too much above 16kHz and a lot of woofers and tweeters start to roll off the volume levels below 50 Hz and above 16kHz respectively. Although, really good systems, with sub woofers and great tweeters go much deeper than 50 Hz and much higher than 16kHz. The Audi does have a decent sub woofer. The Bose sound system is, for a factory unit, pretty good to very good IMHO -- but there is a phrase that my audiophile friends say "No highs, no lows, must be Bose." I think that is a bit of a broad generalization and a bit unfair to Bose, but that's my opinion.

    Re tires: in Chicago, with your desire for a year round tire -- go with an all season Ultra High Performance tire plus zero'd (which on a 16" wheel would be 225 x 50 x 16"). I like my Yokohama AVS db's a lot (you can read up on them at www.tirerack.com) and they will cost no more than $140/each. One other benefit of this tire is durability -- they should last longer than a pure summer tire like the Dunlop SP9000's.

    There are several very good all season UHP tires from Pirelli and some other mfg's too. Tirerack sales folks are very good consultants in this regard. One of my criteria was I wanted a quiet UHP tire. Hence the db label on the Yok's.

    Keep us informed.
  • trejos28trejos28 Member Posts: 93
  • rlbarrettrlbarrett Member Posts: 7
    Here are a few questions from a new A6 owner.
    1998 A6 quattro.

    1) I have the bose system and it's great except that the sub woofer is killing me. Is there anyway to turn it down? I have the bass control to -5 already and still get tons of this boomy sound. If it was tight, it would be great, but this just sounds like a low budget speaker. I was thinking maybe there was a control on the sub in the truck.

    2) Can you get the Key and associated remote control anywheres beside the dealer. I understand that they cost about $160. is that right?

    3) Finally drove the car in the rain this weekend (yes, it rained in TN). I noticed that I got road grime all over the sides of the car including the mirrors. Are there mud guards you can get or is that taboo on a A6?.

    4) My car will be going out of warranty in a couple of months. Should I look into an extended warranty or just wing it? A better way to ask the question is for you guys who have high mileage, are there things that go out that would be cover under an extended warranty. I am concerned about of the electronics in the car and the quattro system.

    thanks.
  • amarchanamarchan Member Posts: 23
    I agree with Mark that tires do make a huge difference. Look into the Sumitomos at www.tirerack.com The HRT4 is really inexpensive, and it's a better tire than most. In my 1986 Mercedes 2.3-16 I had Pirellis, Bridgestone Potenzas RE-71's, Yokohamas and then the Sumitomos, and the Sumitomos were the best of the bunch by a significant margin. They also have a compound in their rubber that keeps them supple at temperature extremes. In my 1998 A4 2.8 I replaced the Continentals (not a bad tire, but nothing fantastic) with the Sumitomos HTR4's ($67/tire 205/55-16) and the whole character of the car changed. Better steering, much better grip, including wet grip, and quieter. At tirerack there is feedback from buyers so you can get an idea how tires will perform.
    Good luck!
  • mknmkn Member Posts: 35
    Thanks for the initial response to my query. The 98 AUdi that I looked at today at a dealers is priced at $22900. The problems that I noticed with it are that it has a whole lot of scratches on it,the tail light on the right is cracked,the leather is a yellowish white, the carpets and interior are deep blue and the exterior is a metallic deep blue. It has 29K on it. The dealer says he would give it for 22500 but that is it. He said that they tried to buff it but the scratches won't go away and that it would take at least $800-1000 to fix everything. And then the engine check light came on and stayed on. He said that they would take care of it since it appeared to have come on due to one of the many not-so-significant reasons. The car has 29K on it and that could be a problem or it would have a fuel cap that needed resetting. I am a bit worried but with low miles on the car, it did not look like it was a terrible buy. Please, could you advise me on the best course of action? I have recently seen a whole bunch of A6s that I tried out and this did not seem to be too bad. But then when you are in the market for a car, only previous /current owners of the model can best see the deal from another perspective and throw any light on it.Thanks
  • mknmkn Member Posts: 35
    Thanks for the initial response to my query. The 98 AUdi that I looked at today at a dealers is priced at $22900. The problems that I noticed with it are that it has a whole lot of scratches on it,the tail light on the right is cracked,the leather is a yellowish white, the carpets and interior are deep blue and the exterior is a metallic deep blue. It has 29K on it. The dealer says he would give it for 22500 but that is it. He said that they tried to buff it but the scratches won't go away and that it would take at least $800-1000 to fix everything. And then the engine check light came on and stayed on. He said that they would take care of it since it appeared to have come on due to one of the many not-so-significant reasons. The car has 29K on it and that could be a problem or it would have a fuel cap that needed resetting. I am a bit worried but with low miles on the car, it did not look like it was a terrible buy. Please, could you advise me on the best course of action? I have recently seen a whole bunch of A6s that I tried out and this did not seem to be too bad. But then when you are in the market for a car, only previous /current owners of the model can best see the deal from another perspective and throw any light on it.Thanks
  • lime52lime52 Member Posts: 2
    First, a note of thanks to those who replied to my earlier questions. I have learned a great deal, which will ultimately lead to the desired end result...an A6 2.7t at a fair lease rate.

    My questions:

    In Chicago27t1's response to my original post he mentioned the invoice price. Where did the invoice price come from? Are options on the vehicle included in the invoice, or are they added at another point.

    In today's conversation with the sales person he was definitely pushing a 39 month lease with $1,750 down and 10k miles per year. Last week there was $0 down which makes me somewhat suspicious. I find it curious that Audi does not post their lease specials on their site, but I digress.

    The dealer quoted an MSRP of $45,175 and a cap cost of $42,390. The Money Factor was .00139 (3.3%). Last week it was 2.9% yet another inconsistency. The residual ranged from $24,846 at 10k miles per year to $23,491 at 15k miles per year.

    Here are my calculations:

    I assumed an invoice of $35,894 which came from the Edmunds site which excludes options. I multiplied this by .025 (assuming i can negotiate a 2.5% over invoice deal). This gave me my baseline cost of $36,791 to work from. I used a residual of 52% which I arrived at by dividing the residual numbers provided by the dealer and dividing that by the the MSRP provided by the dealer. $23,491/$45,175 = 52%.

    Next for the CT tax I took the basline cost $36,791-$23,491(residual)= $13,300 *.06 = $798.

    So following the formula from post # 1541 the lease payment would be as follows:

    Net cap cost = $36,791 + $798 - $1,750 = $35,839

    So the monthly depreciation would be the net cap cost $35,839 - $23,491 (residual)/ 39 months = $316.61.

    The monthly finance payment would be the net cap cost $35,839 + $23,491 = $59,330 * .00139 (the money factor) = $82.46

    The monthly total, if I did this correctly would be $316.61 + $82.46= $399.07

    This sounds incredibly inexpensive for a car of this quality which leads me to believe there may be an error in one of my asumptions. Any assistance from the finance experts in the crowd would be very much appreciated.

    I intend to fax a letter to several dealerships in the area and see who will be willing to do the deal. I'm ready to buy as soon as I get a dealer to agree.

    Thanks again for the help.
  • mknmkn Member Posts: 35
    Thanks for the initial response to my query. The 98 AUdi that I looked at today at a dealers is priced at $22900. The problems that I noticed with it are that it has a whole lot of scratches on it,the tail light on the right is cracked,the leather is a yellowish white, the carpets and interior are deep blue and the exterior is a metallic deep blue. It has 29K on it. The dealer says he would give it for 22500 but that is it. He said that they tried to buff it but the scratches won't go away and that it would take at least $800-1000 to fix everything. And then the engine check light came on and stayed on. He said that they would take care of it since it appeared to have come on due to one of the many not-so-significant reasons. The car has 29K on it and that could be a problem or it would have a fuel cap that needed resetting. I am a bit worried but with low miles on the car, it did not look like it was a terrible buy. Please, could you advise me on the best course of action? I have recently seen a whole bunch of A6s that I tried out and this did not seem to be too bad. But then when you are in the market for a car, only previous /current owners of the model can best see the deal from another perspective and throw any light on it.Thanks
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    Your comments make me nervous and I'm fearless -- seriously. If you are NOT going to buy one of these cars in CASH, it seems to me that the lease payment on a new 2002 A4 would be no more, and possibly less. Why not just lease a new car and leave your concerns and someone else's troubles on the dealer's lot?

    Just a thought.
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    Get an extended warranty, if at all possible, Audis (and frankly most European cars) are breathtakingly expensive to maintain and fix after warranty.
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    The "Hunter" on-car rotor turner is "in the house." My rotors will be heated, turned while hot and then a driving test will occur on Thursday August 16th. If this doesn't work, new rotors.

    For those of you following this or with similar brake rotor problems on your 2000 or 2001 S4, A6 2.7T, 4.2 or A8's, I will keep you posted.

    I am still pleased with the way this is being handled, if not the brakes themselves.

    For those new to this saga -- my brake rotors on my 2000 and now my 2001 A6 4.2 make a shuddering or purring sound and feel -- as if they are warped. Audi has, in total, replaced my rotors 5 times -- no charge no questions asked. I currently have 12,000 miles on my now 9 month old 2001 A6 4.2 and the car has had two sets of front rotors already.

    The symptom has become more prevalent in the past 10 days, so I am hopeful that that fact alone will make the results of the cure easy to ascertain. If they put another set of rotors on the car, that is OK too, but I would rather they just go out and buy a set of brembo cross drilled OEM replacements and be done with it. But other than the time cost to me -- which, frankly, has been minimal -- this has been an adventure, a confusing (why would they spend all that money on replacing the parts over and over when they could just go get some "good ones"?) adventure.

    I can't wait to get into a 2003 S4 or S6 -- which I am convinced will have "new and improved" factory original brakes.
  • chicago27t1chicago27t1 Member Posts: 24
    My car had the same MSRP as yours, $45,175. The invoice on that car is $40,374.

    The invoice has nothing to do with the final lease price, other than that it provides you with a basis for negotiating a good sales price (which will be the base for your net cap cost). In my case, the negotiated sales price was in the mid 41ks.

    Net cap cost is the sales price (not the invoice) +/- any taxes or payments.

    I got a 48 month lease (12K miles per year) so that the lease would coincide with the warrantee. Your salesman is pushing 39 months because that is the current Audi deal. If, however, you extend it to 48 months you'll save about $40/month. Salesman (in spite of what they will tell you), know very little about leasing.

    Think of it this way. You know the lease equation. Now, think about what will make your payments go up or down. If your lease term increases, while your residual stays about the same, your monthly payment will also decrease. The reason? You're depreciating about the same amount, but over a longer period of time. This amount, to anticipate your next question, is much greater than the additional finance charges. The reason? You're only extending the lease by 9 months. The residual will not change much because the additional 9 months will not add much depreciation (regardless of whether you choose 39 or 48 months, you'll still terminate your lease in the same model year -- 2005). Can you really tell the difference between driving a car that is 3 years and 3 months old vs. an identical car that is 4 years old?

    The key is whether you'll be able to keep the car within the warantee mileage. If you're going to drive 15k per year, you'll fall outside of warantee -- in which case it's probably better to go with the shorter term. There's no way I would ever lease a car outside of the warantee.

    With respect to the differing residuals you've been given, consider that a car that's been driven 40k miles (12k per year for 39 months is probably going to depreciate less than a car that has been driven 50k miles (15k for 48 months). That's why the residual pct will be higher as the mileage increases. When I was going to lease my car for 10k per year, the residual was 50% of MSRP. When I extended it to 12K per year, the pct dropped to 49%.

    FYI: You're lucky that you're in Connecticut (not just because I grew up there). Like most states, you only pay tax on the depreciated amount. In Illinois, we pay tax on the full sales price of the car. In Cook county, they even tack on a .25% surcharge.
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    Nuff said.
  • lostwageslostwages Member Posts: 21
    Thanks to Lime53 and Chicago27t1 re: lease info on the 2.7t. I stopped by the dealer this a.m. (only one in the Portland, OR metro area - I actually live in WA - but Portland dealer is closest).

    The car I saw did not have sports or nav packages and did not have the cd trunk changer. All other options were on the car. MSRP is $45,975. "Lease price" is 43,275 - whatever that means. I assume they are offering the car at $2,700 below MSRP, but not sure.

    A 12,000 mile per year for 39 month lease w/ $0 down is $567.70 per month. With $2,499 down, the monthly is $500.15. Money factor is the same as above .00139 with a residual of 55% ($24,826.50)

    I love this car (ming blue w/ tungsten grey interior) and this sounds like a reasonable deal, BUT I have never leased before (actually never financed before either). Since WA has sales tax (but only on the portion of the lease that you pay), it is highly desirable over purchasing the car. I don't really want to pay $3,500 + to the state for the privilege of buying a car.

    What is the best way to negotiate a better lease deal. I would be interested in 36 - 48 months @ 12,000 miles per year w/ as little down as possible. I would love additional advice from anyone and more info re: what others are hearing from dealers.

    Peace and GO Mariners
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    You've read it and heard it before -- do not put any money down on a lease, it is a false economy, especially with the deals like we're seeing on this board.
  • jkendalljkendall Member Posts: 30
    So, Mark, are you saying not to pay the tax, title, and license fees? It seems funny to finance
    a 'one time' fee and pay interest on it. I agree about the 'cap cost reduction'. That's instant
    money in the dealer's pocket.
    jk
  • chicago27t1chicago27t1 Member Posts: 24
    The $43,275 or lease price is the same as the sales price of the car.

    The way you approach the dealer is to come in with your formula and the lease price.

    Tell him you'll give him 2% over invoice (43,275 * 1.02) for the lease. Show him how this effects your lease payment. Use the formula to calculate the payment. Calculate it for 39 months and 48 months (residual for 48 months will be 50% for 10k miles/year and 49% for 12K miles/year).

    Explain in a nice but somewhat condescending tone that you are going to show him how to calculate a lease payment with a pen and calculator. At this point he will realize that you are a very sophisticated buyer and will take you a bit more seriously. If he doesn't, ask to speak to the manager. It will also be helpful if they realize that they can sell a car on the spot if they meet your price. At this time of the year, you should be able to pick up a 2.7T for no more than 3% over invoice...regardless of what they tell you.
  • jkendalljkendall Member Posts: 30
    So, Mark, are you saying not to pay the tax, title, and license fees? It seems funny to finance
    a 'one time' fee and pay interest on it. I agree about the 'cap cost reduction'. That's instant
    money in the dealer's pocket.
    jk
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    I meant no CAP COST reduction and if possible no security deposit.
  • lostwageslostwages Member Posts: 21
    What are the deals that others have been able to negotiate on the 2.7t w/ the current Audi lease offers? Have dealers been willing to go below the Audi lease printout (listing all lease options) or have they been sticking with these #'s?? I am looking to lease ASAP, but would love some input from others.
  • blehrlichblehrlich Member Posts: 92
    I picked up my 4.2 on Friday (Silver/Tung,premium,17" wheels) and the one thing I noticed while putting on 500 miles (trip from MA to NH and back)was that the stock tires, while handling ok in the rain, were extremely noisy (Pirelli P6000). I spoke to the sales and service people and they all said that this is the price you pay for performance tires. Finally I spoke to an Audi tech that I have known for years, and he actually said that this tire/car combo was not great (he agreed on the noise). He actually suggested that I try more of an "all season" option such as the Yokohama AVS db that have been discussed here.
    They go on tomorrow...I'll let you know.
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    Oddly enough, I AM a pretty big Pirelli fan -- but not of those Pirellis -- and they are NOT very durable. The Yok AVS db's I am certain have a "lower" limit than the Pirellis -- but the 4.2 w/sport has such a great capacity even with these all season tires, I am certain you will be happy.

    Let me know what you think about the Yok's.

    I hope Audi (soon) lets us configure our cars the way we want them (including the tires) -- the computer/www would make this process easy, especially if instant gratification (buying without ordering that is) was not an issue.

    My dealer told me that a larger portion of Audi and Porsche customers (compared to US brands' customers) think nothing about a three to nine month lead time when buying a car. And, the BMW dealer said to this day there are BMW's that are virtually ONLY sold via order and with substantial (by American standards) lead times.

    I have never bought an Audi off the lot, oops one time, in over 20 years. The longest wait I had was for my wife's first TT -- about a year wait. The second TT took a little over 5 months, my 4.2 took a little less than 4 months. But I got what I wanted, not what was on the lot.

    It seems to me that the cost of "floorplanning" is so high that more and more dealers will keep less and less inventory especially if buying habits tend, over time, to drift away from instant gratification. My dealer has one S8 in stock -- and one with dealer tags on it, claims that S8 buyers are unlikely to come in a buy off the showroom floor unless there is a deal.
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    There are quiet maximum performance tires -- the Pirelli Rosa jumps to mind -- noise is NOT always the price one must pay for max perf. The Dunlop SP9000's were quiet, the Goodyear GS-D's -- I could go on.

    You were given the "lazy" or convenient answer. That is crap (lazy answers, that is) IMHO.
  • mknmkn Member Posts: 35
    What is the maintenance history/record of an A6 quattro (1998 and/1999) with >60k miles on it? Any info that you may have will be helpful. Typically, how long do these cars last without prohibitively expensive maintenance?

    Thanks
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    Q: Typically, how long do these cars last without prohibitively expensive maintenance? Big charges -- assuming nothing breaks -- i.e., big charges for maintenance and replacement parts starts at 60K miles and accelerates at 75K miles (and, things DO start to go wrong, too -- beyond worn out parts and maintenance). However, having said that -- an "overhaul" should not be needed (all things being in tip top shape and having been well maintained) until at least 150K miles. Many of these late model European cars have been leased and have had factory maintenance schedules kept pretty much in compliance (in part because the maintenance is free). But, Click and Clack the Tappet brothers claim that the service intervals are geared toward owner convenience not exactly what is best for the car's mechanicals for a long period of time.

    I have found myself changing the oil for example less frequently than I used to (although still more frequently than the manual says) because I never keep the car beyond warranty.

    I used to change oil and filter every 3,000 miles and use the best semi syn oil there was. Annually, I would change virtually ALL fluids in the car (even when it was my nickle). I realize the cars need such pampering less than they used to, but my guess is that the 10,000 mile oil change intervals of the new Audis won't bite anyone during the first 50,000 miles -- but more's the pity for the next owner.

    Anyway -- when you look at it from the perspective of keeping a car 150,000 miles with little or no major breakdown, frequent maintenance makes $ense. If my plan was to try to keep an Audi for 100 to 150,000 miles, I think I would only do so if I bought the car brand new.

    No car, for me, is worth the risk -- unless it is very low acquisition cost -- starting out at 60+K miles -- I would just assume that I would pay for the car and then pay for the car again in bringing it up to great condition.

    Seems "cheaper" to buy a new one and maintain it well and keep it until the wheels turn square (oh yes and buy it new with an extended warranty right away).

    The cost per year is probably lower starting with a new car than one that you don't know.

    At least that has been my experience.

    Mark
  • mknmkn Member Posts: 35
    What is the maintenance history/record of an A6 quattro (1998 and/1999) with >60k miles on it? Any info that you may have will be helpful. Typically, how long do these cars last without prohibitively expensive maintenance?

    Thanks
  • dwpcdwpc Member Posts: 159
    Its tough to gauge because until the current A4 & A6 models, Audi sold hardly any cars in the US, so there are few older cars to assess. I can't quote from Audi experience, but the drive train on most any modern car should go to 150K+ miles without major trouble. At some point before 100K, most need the timing belt replaced, which can be quite expensive. With a std. trans, clutch wear is an issue after 75K. In my experience, its more likely that "little" problems; air conditioning, power windows & seats, trim falling off in your lap, etc., will get to you long before the engine or driver train goes sour. Then you find out your "baby" is essentially worthless as a trade-in.
  • forex303forex303 Member Posts: 6
    I am the proud new owner of a 2001 A6 2.7T in the Denver area. The car came with stock 16" Continentals and my dealer is vague on whether or not I need to upgrade to a better tire for winter. Here's the deal - I have the kind of job where, no questions asked, I have to be able to get to work despite the fact that we may have 5 inches of snow on the road.

    Markcincinnati, I know you are a fan of the Yoko AVS db's and recommended them recently to a writer in Chicago. I have to admit that I have no idea what winters in Chicago or Cincinnati are like as compared to Denver. Do you think this would be a good choice for me as well given my situation?

    I have also been considering dedicated winter tires and having them mounted on an extra set of alloy rims through tirerack.com. On tirerack.com there are a lot of 17" and 18" wheel choices for the A6, but I am nervous about the fact that my owner's manual repeatedly stresses the need for me to stick with the OE size of 215/55-16. Has anyone had experience changing the wheel size on their late model A6 and has everything turned out okay?
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    Relatively speaking winters in Cincinnati are moderate sometimes mild rarely harsh.

    I would go with dedicated winter tires based on your description of your situation (with separate wheels too).
  • blehrlichblehrlich Member Posts: 92
    I just replaced the oem Pirelli P6000 tire with Yokohama AVS dB tires. The difference in noise level is amazing, even the sales manager was astounded. Thanks to everyone here for their valuable knowledge.
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    Keep us posted as to your satisfaction with these tires -- by the way -- who paid for these tires on your one day old A6 4.2?

    And, while I'm being nosey -- how much did they cost -- I paid $144 each from tirerack.com.

    Mark
  • blehrlichblehrlich Member Posts: 92
    The dealer actually suggested that I try a local tire place that gave me $125 per tire credit for the Pirellis. This offset the fact that I paid $180 per tire for the new ones (mounted, balanced, etc. Including free flat repair and free rotation for life). The whole thing cost me slightly over $200. I spoke to the dealer and they are "giving" me a cd changer as compensation, so I think it worked out ok.
    By the ay, this car is unbelievable, and the quality of the interior is far superior (from a materials standpoint) to the 2001 MB S500 behemouth that I just sold.
    BTW2, the dealer was willing to install for free if I bought from tirerack, but would give me nothing for the old tires.
  • timcartimcar Member Posts: 363
    In your situation, the surest bet would be to get a good set of winter tires on your current rims. Many, many A6 owners have put all kinds of 17" & 18" wheels on their cars, and all combinations of tires. Audi sells them with 17" wheels. If you take a look at Tire Rack, the Yoko AVS dB's aren't rated best in snow among the Ultra All-seasons. An unusually effective tire in that class is the Dunlop SP5000, if you want to go that route. If you want to check out some of the wheel/tire combo's that A6er's are using, I'd suggest looking at the A6 board on AudiWorld. Having said all that, the A6 2.7T is a great car in snow, and the stock Conti's aren't that bad. They'd probably get you where you're going too.
  • ausome17ausome17 Member Posts: 1
    A few weeks after I bought my 2000 A6, the front doom light has been working intermittently. I've taken it to the shop twice, and each time they didn't find a problem, and when I picked up the car, the light works. Then 2-3 days later, it's out again. Seems to work most often on hot days or in the sunlight. Seems to hardly work at night or in my garage. Anybody else seen this problem? Thanks for any help or advice.
  • bertram60bertram60 Member Posts: 113
    I have had great success with the Bridgestone Blizzacs (in my previous life I lived in the snowbelt). I would opt for either a pair of steel 16" wheels (there should be a VW fitment that would work) and the Blizzacs for the winter, or get a nice set of 17" or 18" and some summer tires, and have the Blizzacs mounted on factory alloys. I used them on a number of my VW's and NEVER had a problem, they were the BEST snow tire I ever used. BUT, dry road handling is not the best, as a matter of fact, the car becomes something completely different on dry roads due to the complex makeup of the rubber and tread design, but put them on snow or ice and a quattro car would be almost unstoppable.

    Tirerack is best place to go. Try extension 317, JD is very helpful and knowledgeable.
  • mjordanszdmjordanszd Member Posts: 17
    local dealer just received two 2.8q's and has offered to sell one to me for 37,300 (invoice plus 6%). i'd like to push for invoice plus 2%, but am given the impression by the dealer that 2.8q's are now extremely difficult to come by. is that anyone else's experience? if so, what do you think would be the lowest over invoice i should reasonably push? thanks in advance.
  • timcartimcar Member Posts: 363
    Haven't looked at 2.8Q invoice prices in awhile, so I'll take $37.3K as 6% over, but it sounds like less than that. I have never heard of any market where 2.8 Quattro's weren't the MOST common A6. So unless your market is very unusual, I find the salesman's statement hard to accept. Considering that the '01 model year is almost over, I would think that $1K over dealer invoice would be a fair offer and $1.5K would be generous.
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    The Blizzacs and separate winter/summer wheel tire combinations would be my choice, too.

    I would consider mounting the Blizzacs on the Audi A6 factory wheel and doing a PlusOne Summer tire/wheel -- you could even upsize the wheel to an Audi wheel (@ www.audiusa.com).
  • gooddesigngooddesign Member Posts: 34
    Saw on AudiWorld boards that 2% is usually offered and 3% is limit to go.

    The 3.0 models will be out soon and the dealers need to GET RID of the 2.8 models as soon as possible. Play hardball on this model, or give a little on the faster models.
  • jason64jason64 Member Posts: 50
    Hi Mark, the suspense is killing us; what happened to your rotor turning experience on the Hunter set-up?
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    It is about 5:30PM on Friday August 17th -- and my clean Audi was just delivered to my office a few minutes ago (it took them a day and a half to do the deed on the Hunter machine).

    The Service manager called me and said, "well, the vibration is gone, the brakes are smooth, but it will take about 150 to 200 miles for the noise to go away." He said he WAS pleased with the results as far as the shudder is concerned but said that the purring sound was possibly a bit louder -- he said drive it for the weekend and Monday, and call him on Tuesday and if I am in any way unhappy he will put new rotors on it.

    At this point, that is a full report.

    As the Service Manger said, sorry it took so long -- and I am saying to you, sorry this saga is taking so long to report. But, you are getting the information as quickly as I get it.

    And, BTW, the SVC MGR said that he did check with other's who had had the "treatment" and they said the noise will go away in a few days. Since I don't know what the noise is, yet -- I'll give a cautiously optimistic, "we'll see."

    Mark
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