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Audi A6 Wagons

Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
edited October 2014 in Audi
Here's a link for a mini-review of the Audi A6
Avant at the New York Auto Show

Audi A6 Avant

Any Avant owners around? Tell us what you think.

KarenS/SW Conference Host
«13456

Comments

  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Here's another link to a report about the A6 Avant from the Geneva Auto Show
  • uzzieuzzie Member Posts: 1
    Motortrend gives a pretty positive test drive review in its latest edition. I am very interested in this car to go along with my Jeep Grand Cherokee. I have an STS which has been great but its time to have two cars useful for hauling around the young kids. I was leaning towards the e320 MB station wagon AWD but the Audi might be the better value with the superior quattro system
    Comments?
  • johnamyjohnamy Member Posts: 1
    Any news on the new Audi A6 wagon for 1999 which is now appearing in showrooms?
  • goldbergergoldberger Member Posts: 58
    Is there anything to indicate that the A6 Avant is anything more than a *very* deluxe VW Passat Wagon with a 2-inch "plug" inserted behind the front seats? (And an inch down the middle.) All this for a mere 50% extra cost (dealers' invoice) Do they come down different assembly lines? Are the suspension parts the same? I know that VW ships the 1.8 4-cyl FWD as well as (eventually) the V-6 Synchro, whilst Audi owners deserve nothing less than the V-6 Quattro, which accounts for some of the difference. But there still is a pretty big gap for a pretty similar vehicle.
  • AchmetovAchmetov Member Posts: 1
    I agree, I wanted an A6 Avant until I heard about the VW Passat Syncro Wagon which is expected to be in showrooms by this November. I just saw a A6 at the local dealer $43.8K sticker, looks great, but too much $$$.
  • piglettigpiglettig Member Posts: 1
    If you can do with a little less space; I can't recomend
    the A4 Avant enough. Even after 6+ mo. in my 98 quattro
    I am still smitten with it. The 6cyl/quattro combo
    prvides very anti-wagon performance. When people ask
    how it drives I say,' Like a sprorts coupe, lust have a really big trunk"
    Even though I have had it only six months I am coming up
    on 14k trouble free miles. i love the handling and the get upadn go
    the 190hp provides, the only disadvantage over the a6 Avant is it is
    smaller. However even hauling three dogs and various drumsets I have
    never run out of space. Unless you have more than 2 kids the space would be
    more than adiquit. Check it out
  • jjenkins15jjenkins15 Member Posts: 1
    It is a shame that they are discontinuing the V6 Quattro package for '99. I have a feeling that it was canabalizing some of the A6 Avant's sales.
  • bicalinobicalino Member Posts: 13
    discontinuing the v-6 quattro pkg in '99 for which car ?
  • wileycatwileycat Member Posts: 3
    My understanding is that the V6 will be discontinued in the FWD A4 Avant only, but that the quattro version will still have it. The A4 Avant FWD will have the 1.8-litre turbo four-holer.

    The 30V V6 will be offered in the A6 Avant, with the possible addition of the 3.2 V8 sometime in the future. At least, that's what I've heard.
  • paul34paul34 Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a '98 Audi A4 Quattro SW with stick shift with the 2.8L engine. One problem I have is the cruise control - the car surges and releases rather than maintaining a smooth drive. Check out the cruise control before buying.
    Paul
  • rxkerxke Member Posts: 168
    Has anyone gotten good prices on the A6 Avant in the NY area? Dealers don't seem to be that flexible(Only 8-8.5%discount off MSRP).
  • fred24fred24 Member Posts: 1
    I plan to purchase Audi A6 sedan. Can I get any
    comments about this car. Thank you
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    If it's a sedan you want, you need to check out the Sedans Conference.

    KarenS/SW host
  • bobk3bobk3 Member Posts: 3
    I've read Edmund's review of the A6 Avant and agree with it. Hopefully the rumored turbo and stick shift for this model, in '99, is true. Then I'll be willing to replace my '89 Audi 200 turbo quattro wagon (230,000 miles).
  • aauaau Member Posts: 1
    I recently purchased a '99 A6 Avant after careful deliberation. I was looking for a vehicle that had a fair amount of cargo capacity (for family trips). My '96 A4-Quattro, while beautiful and a joy to drive was requiring more and more time to pack up everytime we headed out of town. Living in southeastern Ontario, especially after last year's ice storm, we learned how useful it was to have full-time all-wheel drive.

    As a result, when it came time to replace our A4, we narrowed our choices down to the MB M320, Lexus RX300, Volvo V70 AWD and the Audi A6 Avant.

    MB M320 - we had read many reviews praising this SUV. However, we never drive off-road. My wife is of fairly short-stature and had a hard time getting into this vehicle (forget about it if wearing a skirt, or carrying our son). The MB running board was a bit tricky to use. The dashboard was rather flimsy and we were rather disappointed in the interior. The drive was reasonable although the steering (and its lack of 'locked-on-centre') was a bit irritating and it produced a fair amount of wind-noise at higher speeds. While, the price represents excellent value for such a vehicle, we decided to move on.

    Lexus RX300 - I found this vehicle to drive very nicely, although wind-noise became a factor with the rather large outer mirrors. Acceleration was smooth and braking was exceptional. The lack of available heated seats was the limiting factor (one gets spoiled after having them in cold climates).

    Volvo V70 AWD - This vehicle was a joy to ride. The seats are the most comfortable I've ever experienced. The low head room in the back meant that I had to make a special effort not to bump my head nor my son's when getting him into the safety seat. The price is pretty reasonable for such a vehicle and the limiting factor became the 5-cylinder engine and the advancing age of the current 850/70 series.

    Audi A6 Avant - First of all, this was the most expensive of the 4 choices. My only other concern was with the power of the V-6. However, during the test drives, I found the latter to be not an issue and actually found this vehicle to have the smoothest transmission of all. The interior details are first-class with all of those features that you would expect in a more expensive MB or BMW sedan. Things such as the lowering outer mirrors while parking, seat memory control from the integrated key-fob, self-dimming mirrors, amazing Bose stereo (albeit $$$$), non-glare red LEDs for the cabin, rear seat warmers, heated steering wheel among many other features were really appealing. In terms of storage, the low rear-sill height and wide entrance was enhanced by a polished metal loading sill to save the bumper.

    Final decision. In the end, the A6 edged out the Volvo mainly because of its attention to detail. While the price is steep, we felt that we would notice the differences in quality down the road. So far, we have not been disappointed.

    (My only sorrow comes from the discontinuation of the Pearlescent White color and its replacement with Melange - Audi had the most beautiful pearl paint that I've seen and I was sad to say goodbye to our Pearl A4. By the way, we got the silver A6 Avant!)
    -AA
  • DogmanDogman Member Posts: 5
    Congratulations on the purchase of your new Audi.I too have thought about the cars you mentioned as well as the Dodge Durango and more recently the BMW Wagon.The Dodge gets 8-10 mpg so it's out and the BMW does not have awd and cost many dollars.But the BMW is such a nice vehicle that I must consider it with the A6.I'm just afraid that after I make my Purchase alot of manufacturers will come out with their own wagons because their popularity seems to be gaining.Keep us informed on anything good or bad that comes up on your A6.
  • jetstreamjetstream Member Posts: 1
    There is a tremendous difference between the Passat and the A6 Avant, just as there is a difference between the Toyota Camry and the Lexus GS 300. Both are made by the same parent company but are worlds apart in performance and quality. My mechanic told me that VW's are not as well designed or built as the Audi, and will not last as long. He is a Master Certified VW and Audi mechanic and works only on these two brands. He states that the Audi's are definitely worth the extra money. They are safer, more durable and have a higher resale value. I can definitely attest to the safety of Audis. A driver rear ended my wife. Our Audi 5000Q had minimal damage (blue paint on the bumper that will not come off). The other car, a Ford Taurus had to be towed away, the radiator was destroyed and both quarter panels were pushed into the tires.

    Also the Synco system is not full time all wheel drive. It is similar to Volvo's V70 viscous coupled AWD system, which is actually FWD with power transmitted to the rear when front slippage occurs. Whereas the Quattro is full time all wheel drive. Quattro is the only all wheel drive system that employs 3 differentials to supply power to all 4 wheels, at the same time. Also the Quattro's center diffential is torque sensitive and is the only AWD system that can vary the amount of torque distributed to the wheels. The Quattro system actually helps reduce power needed by half, thereby reducing fuel consumption.
  • tucker5tucker5 Member Posts: 1
    Interested in buying one of the following wagons:
    Audi A6 quattro, Volvo V70R AWD , M-B E320 AWD. Cannot decide which to buy. Audi A6 seemed to have smaller viewing range than the others. But, it is a very great car to drive. Does anyone have more experience with these particular models? I always thought of buying a car as an adventure and somewhat of a "fun" time. However, it seems to be a market(wagons) which is about to undergo some major changes. MB is trying to go to one car pricing and dealers are nervous. Ordering either the MB 3204MATIC or the Audi A6 quattro takes 4-6 months! This is not "user friendly". The Volvo V70R AWD is somewhat sooner. Does one just wait until the century turn-over and see what happens to the market? What happens to the value of a 1999 when the century changes over? Will the depreciation be "normal" or will the consumer take more of a "hit"? Of the three listed above, which will hold the best value? I thought the MB, but with the one car pricing situation, it appears that the dealers are in an unstable situation. One car pricing will take 3% off of the dealers proceeds. Is Volvo or Audi going to do this?
  • wheelrpwheelrp Member Posts: 2
    Does anyone have any experience towing with thier A6 Avant, or are their any reviews which discuss the matter?
  • jcsekulajcsekula Member Posts: 1
    Have questions for those of you regarding Volvo V70 purchase as opposed to Audi A6. The A6 seems to have a much smoother ride than the AWD Volvos and due to that we are only considering the GLT and the T-5. My wife and I believe the power seats in the A6 are more comfortable and adjustable than the V70. Problem lies in the area of depreciation/reliability. In NJ regularly see Volvo wagons many years old on the roads. Any ideas on how long we can expect an A6 to last and will it hold its value compared to a V70?
  • crewboy1crewboy1 Member Posts: 2
    in my opinion the Audi is better over a Volvo any day. The Germans can build a sweet car. The Audi will definitely hold its value better. Go with the Audi. It is also a much better looking car.
  • bonnie_rickbonnie_rick Member Posts: 115
    Audi A6 Avant luxury wagon Road Test, coming soon to the front page of www.edmunds.com

    Bonnie Rick
    Town Hall Community Manager, Edmunds.com
  • krogers1krogers1 Member Posts: 1
    Am interested in hearing comments re: satisfaction (pros and cons) of this model.
  • paneottopaneotto Member Posts: 1
    Anyone know how passat wagon compares with outback and a6 avant? I am thinking about purchasing a five-speed passat.
  • ksayersksayers Member Posts: 59
    My wife and I just bought a V70AWDXC. She loves it. I have been looking at the A6Avant for me.
    Much greater refinement. But, $7000 more out the
    door (at least !). I asked the salesman about A6 power and he did the usual claim that the engine is more than adequate. While I am on the edge between buying ANOTHER V70 for me (since we have
    had good luck with Volvos)or an A6, the engine situation is bothersome. If a 2.7Turbo is coming, thats great as long as the costs are in line. If the Turbo pushes the differential between the XC and the Avant to say.... 7500-9000, or more... then Volvo's going to win. I can live without bells and whistles while having $8000 in my pocket. Ok, the Torsen AWD is "better" than Volvo. For 99% of the time, it doesn't mean squat.

    The problem is I really like the A6. Since I drive often at elevation (5000-7000 feet) power becomes a critical question.

    More questions than answers...
  • johnson7johnson7 Member Posts: 1
    Are you aware of the V8's for the A6Avant coming this fall? Should fix the power problem, but like you, it will also kick-up the price....just a quess on that that part...no facts.
  • roberttrobertt Member Posts: 1
    We lost our '87 acura interga ls special in an accident, and was torn between a volvo V70 and the '99 Volkswagen Passat GL wagon with the luxury package. The Passat won out big time!!!
  • katnorcalkatnorcal Member Posts: 1
    A6 Avant vs XC debate over: Avant, fully optioned,
    out the door for +$4074. My wife loves her XC.
    However, the A6 for $4K more is worth it. Long
    term comparison tests have begun. Note after 4 days: power question is overblown. The A6 engine
    is more isolated and is smoother at low rpm, therefore, "feels" slower. It's not. Both vehicles will get you quickly from "a" to "b",
    and both are fine vehicles. For $4K you get more
    refinement, bells and whistles. Both will haul a load from Home Depot. Quickly.

    Regards,
  • bobk3bobk3 Member Posts: 3
    As of May 6, 1999 Audi of America said they will not be bringing the A6 Avant 4.2 to the states. The only other option for more power in an A6 Avant is to install an aftermarket chip (+ approx. 18 HP).
  • gerrylehmanngerrylehmann Member Posts: 3
    On 5/8 I inquired on the Audi website (auditalk) regarding a V8 A6 Avant and was told that there would not be one in the US but they did indicate a twin turbo V6 would be coming. Following is a quote from Audi USA's response.

    "The A6 2.7 T will arrive with a 2.7 liter V6 biturbo engine producing 250 horsepower, and a 6-speed manual transmission during the fall of 1999. It will be a 2000 model. An automatic transmission will be available later in the model year. Specifications and pricing information are not currently available."

    I have found one dealer here in San Diego who confirms this and another who flatly denies it. I'll be waiting .....for a while.
  • sunnysidesunnyside Member Posts: 2
    Gerry,

    I too am in San Diego and without ever mentioning your name -Would you be kind enough to tell me which dealer confirmed it and which denied it..

    I soon expect to be shopping for an A6 Avant (99?)

    Thanks
    Sunny
  • gerrylehmanngerrylehmann Member Posts: 3
    The dealer at Miramar said there would be no other optional engines in 2000 for the Avant. The downtown dealership, Metro (salesman was Anthony) said the twin turbo would be coming.

    Also I test drove an Avant last week at Miramar that supposedly had the new final drive ratio (also had the new stereo with in dash CD). According to the salesman, it picked up the 0-60 by 1/2 second. I haven't driven the older one so I can't say but I still was a little disappointed with the performance, although it did pull away from a stop pretty nicely.
  • sunnysidesunnyside Member Posts: 2
    Your question about resale of a '99 versus '2000
    is the same one I've been asking myself before buy. Have you received any responses or clues?
    Thanks.
    Sunnyside
  • bassoonbassoon Member Posts: 7
    Does the a6 Avant quattro come with a cd player? I know you can order a 6 disc cd changer but is a regular cd player in the dash?
  • bassoonbassoon Member Posts: 7
    Does the a6 Avant quattro come with a cd player? I know you can order a 6 disc cd changer but is a regular cd player in the dash?
  • rocket_sciencerocket_science Member Posts: 8
    '99 A6's are now arriving at dealers with the new Symphony double-DIN radio as standard equipment. It includes a cassette player as well as an in-dash CD player. The 6 CD changer in the trunk is still an option.
  • garv9garv9 Member Posts: 1
    I just visited Jack Daniels Audi in New Jersey. The Sales Manager said the 2.7T (twin turbo;250hp) will be available in the 2000 model year. He told me 8-12 weeks from now. What will the torque be in this new engine?
    I am really confused between the A6 Avant, SAAB 9-5 Wagon and the Volvo V70XC. Any further comments from recent decisions would be helpful. Also, what is a good deal on theses vehicles? Thanks in advance.
  • shererssshererss Member Posts: 1
    After several months of searching and test driving We are chosing the Audi A6 2.8 Quarto.
    This will replace a Honda Odyssey LX. I have driven several cars.
    The volvo xxawd left me with a terrible headache. The car was not properly
    preped. The ride was very bumpy. The deal was super, but the car was not.
    We did give volvo another try with the V70 GLT-the ride was much better but again the headache showed up.
    For spending over $30,000 for a car, you better love it!

    Moved on to the ML320-Liked this car very much, still rocky on some roads,but overall was moving up fast
    as #1 choice..before making final selection Hubby says we must go see YBH dealership in PA (I still morn the day I sold my 92-90S
    took out the A6 and fell in love all over again. Will take the car for a day to make sure it was not a one night stand, and to see how the
    kids, stroller, dog, and hubby all fit.

    Numbers are the bottom line, remember when your first home was cheaper than your 1999 car choice??
  • zuffenzuffen Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone now when was the new final ratio transmissions updated? manufacturing dates? Also how much did you pay for your A6 Avants? I'm buying this weekend and Volvo is surely making it hard to pass up price wise.

    Thanks.
  • bobewald1bobewald1 Member Posts: 2
    I am in the purchasing mode for a new A6 Avant right now. I currently have two dealers trying to meet a price of $36,200 for a fully loaded Melange wagon. One is pretty stuffy (Dallas area) and is VERY proud of their pricing structure... "we only deal from sticker, sir", you know how that works for us the car buyer. The other one is is supposed to come back with another offer this morning. I had not heard anything about gear ratios.
  • ivo1ivo1 Member Posts: 1
    I am currently looking at the A6 Avant and love the style of the car; however, I am concerned that it is a VW product. I realize all Audis (and the passat) are built in Germany, but c'mon VW controls the quality. My experience with the Jetta (old and new) have been poor and Consumer Reports always rates VW products poorly after several years on the road.
    Considering the new design for A6 Avant 99 and VW's history, is this car worth purchasing over the more expensive MB wagon or BMW? Should I invest more to have "piece of mind?"
  • bassoonbassoon Member Posts: 7
    after months of test drives and comparisons I finally bought the quattro A6. What a nice smooth ride - the car is plenty plenty peppy and it has every creature comfort you could think of (even tell you when to take a break after 2 hours of driving) I got a late 1999 model with a cd changer, rear windows that defrost (in additon to back and front) and a good price to lease ($100 month less than Saab 6cy which we also liked a lot) I am happ with the dealer and the car!
  • shyamcjhashyamcjha Member Posts: 1
    Having owned an 1996 A6 Quattro Wagon since new, I can share my ownership experience with others.

    My advise: Sell the car while still in warranty. My car just came out of warranty (36 months) and developed an air conditioner problem (leak in evaporator) at 37,000 miles. Estimate to fix it was $ 1,200 from my audi dealership.

    This is ridiculous.

    In the past three years of ownership, the following items went wrong:

    1: Rattle in rear door. Fixed in 3 visits.
    2: Remotes not working.
    3: Door locks not working.
    4: Battery dies.
    5: Radio needed replacement. TWICE!

    Finally A/C dies.

    Is this what you expect from a luxury car?

    Not me. I had a Lexus LS 400 which required *NO* repairs in 4 years of ownership!!

    Good luck to all Audin buyers.

    S J
  • marc25marc25 Member Posts: 6
    check out the current dealer incentives
    A4 all models $1750 LEASE
    A6 from $3000 - $3750 LEASE
  • taildraggertaildragger Member Posts: 2
    Last Tuesday I faxed out a vehicle description / offer to lease to a couple dozen Audi dealers. The net cap price of $35,460 that I offered was based on Invoice less the $3250 lease incentive plus $500 for the dealer to make something.

    I received a response from all but 4 of the dealers, and on Thursday evening I took delivery of a Jaspis green A6 Avant at the net cap offered.

    Of course, it was quite that simple. The dealer tried to get some back by sliding thru a few bogus title charges (I was from out of state), and a lease from some no-name outfit at a higher money factor. After I ripped up the 3rd lease, I told 'em I had other things to do, and we finally got it done.

    td

    Ha
  • mrjmrj Member Posts: 21
    My local dealer is trying hard to move a few 99.5 Avants before the flood of new Audis arrive. He is offering $440/month on fully loaded (43K sticker) Avants with about 3K down and 12K/yr. (I can't recall all details). What did you actually get in your lease (months, price, miles, cap reduction, sec deposit, etc.)

    Also, what do you really think about the Tip Trans? Can you override that annoying computer chip that "learns" your driving style? I hear you can in the BMW version.

    Thanks!
  • irishmikeirishmike Member Posts: 2
    In previous posts (I think somewhere between #30 and #40)there was a brief discussion on A6 with turbocharged 250 HP engine. Is this the European S4 version. Article in USA Today (9/17, pg 12B)seems to indicate Audi is bringing it here soon. Is this the performance version previously mentioned ?

    Now that I've gotten over (kinda) sticker shock on Audi and BMW wagons .... seems like this version gives me best of both worlds. Audi styling, with 6-speed and bigger engine.

    Should I wait? Anyone see or test drive a S4 in Europe? Thoughts ?
  • taildraggertaildragger Member Posts: 2
    MRJ: Your dealer is offering the standard promotion package from the sounds of it. While the Audi leases are advertised to show the lowest lease payment, they are available in whatever form you would like. Most folks won't want to pay $3K up front, and will pay a drive off of 1st, last and cap reduction of approx $1500. The 36 and 39 month terms are the most popular, but most folks go with the 15K mile/year rates. I did the $1500 drive off, 39 month @12Kmi/yr with a residual of $21.6K and lease payment of $507.

    Triptronic vs BMW automatic: This is like apples and oranges. The trip is very smooth, the BMW isn't. The BMW theoretically allows a manual selection mode, but after using it once, you'll never bother again. The trip not only allows manual selection, but with it's sluggish engine/tranny combo in automatic operation, you will NEED the manual mode at times, especially in urban freeway driving. If find I use the trip quite allot, and it works very well.

    I simply put the BMW in auto and go. However, this is a 328ICS and has plenty of power.
  • jeffdjeffd Member Posts: 8
    had conversation with salesman. he said 2.7 turbo would not be available in u.s. in avants. i hope he's wrong because it does appear to be the perfect combination of performance and space. anyone heard different?
  • gazrungazrun Member Posts: 1
    Back to the reliability question. I leased a silver avant last month based on a somewhat confused process of elimination--Volvo XC, Lexus 3oo, Toyota Sienna. We loved the Audi's looks, I found the power adequate for our needs, and had seen fine reliability comments from some test sources, including Consumer Reports. I did see a very negative review by an owner on another auto site--said all hell broke loose after 50,000 mi. I can't believe current German engineering could produce a lemon--esp. given the love and care evident in materials and design.Will it last as long as a Volvo?
This discussion has been closed.