Audi A6

liy · May 2005

You can put one set of men's clubs in the A6 3.2, horizontally, if you so desire. There is an indentation in one of the pull down service doors of the trunk liner that allows for this. However, I have had four sets of clubs, and some luggage, in the trunk when the clubs were tilted to the diagonal.

FWIW.

LIY

markcincinnati · May 2005

I will not re-hash tip lag -- there is much cyber-ink on this subject right here on edmunds and there is also considerable comment and dissent about this on a couple of other Internet forums.

It is real. It is also able to be overcome by reprogramming the tip each and every time you get behind the wheel -- and it takes about 9 seconds total to do so, probably 5 seconds if you catch your rythym.

If someone told you that there was "driveline" lag (sometimes there is some driveline lash -- but that is NOT an AWD only phenom) because there are multiple differentials -- he/she was speaking inaccurately (you determine if this was ignorance or willful).

Query the quattro club of america -- "ask uncle john," he seems to be very aware of the causes and potential cures of this transmission malady.

I don't fault the sales rep for wanting to "overcome your objection" -- it is what they (we as I am in technology and it is 99% salew, too) do to move the process forward.

I do fault the rep for either ignorance and "making up an answer" or for not saying, "I'll get back to you on that" or something other than a story that actually would make the quattro system appear to have a major flaw (which it DOES NOT have!)

Finally, tip lag is NOT bothersome to all people and I suspect it does not happen to every tiptronic equipped Audi (or automatic equipped "fill in the blank" car). Only you can decide if "tip lag" is acceptable, unacceptable or simply annoying.

I found it annoying and the work around did, in fact, work.

It just ticks me off to be in a $40,000 to $70,000 car that you have to make excuses for (even if the excuses are mainly to yourself).

liferules · May 2005

The sport seats may be more comfortable from a bolster standpoint, but the sport suspension will actually be stiffer, thus making the ride more UNcomfortable. Unless you were planning on just getting sport seats without sport mode...

Personally, my regular seats are quite comfortable, but I don't know what the S70's feel like so I can't compare...

Hope you like the car as much as I do...

tomleone1 · May 2005

Thanks. I might just get the Sport seats for the extra bolstering. One question though, does the transmission give you the SPORT mode if you do not purchase the Sports package? I test drove the A6 this past weekend and really liked the "S" mode. In regular "D" mode, I found the car shifts out of 1st way too quickly (almost immediately off the line). The "S" mode held the gear longer.

liferules · May 2005

Yep, all the cars have S mode. I love it. When I'm really enjoying the weather (like these days...), I'll put it in "S" and enjoy zipping around the city. I agree, the regular mode is a little too economical with shifting to 2nd...good for routine driving and especially good for highways, but not too fun for the twisties, etc...

That being said, as you probably already know, the car will "learn" from your driving style and get more energetic in "D" mode as well. But still not as fun as "S". I tend to use "S" when I'm alone, and "D" when with company as it is smoother and less jolting to passengers...

liy · May 2005

Yes. The sport mode is present on all recent Audi Tiptronic vehicles - sport line and non-sport, as well.

LIY

markcincinnati · May 2005

Spent the entire weekend 140 miles worth in a 2005 Audi with tip.

Kept it in sport mode the entire time -- no evidence of tip lag.

Ban D altogether.

Tip lag is a programming problem or issue, not a flaw.

D is for "dull."

markcincinnati · May 2005

That is probably true -- best course of action, go manual. With 170HP in a 2005 A4, that poor little 1.8T was hard pressed to catch its breath in "D" mode.

I'll send the extra buck or two to the oil companies if that is what it takes to not drive a boring car (the A4 2.0T -- also test driven -- does not seem to have this issue, at all.)

saoc · May 2005

I find it hard to believe that you could get 4 sets diagonally in the A6. I have trouble getting 3 sets in my 2002 A6. That's my main gripe with it - the trunk is not very functional. :mad:

wattson1 · May 2005

just got the delivery my car. after 3months of wait... absolutely love it.

liferules · May 2005

Congrats! It's a great car, exterior and interior. What color did you get?

markcincinnati · May 2005

Don't you just love the sound of that engine under full throttle?

What options, packages, etc. did you get?

liy · May 2005

Whoops, I stand corrected; my wife says we got three sets in - one male and two female - two bags with the clubs facing on the diagonal heads toward the passenger compartment - and one set the other way.

In any case, I find the trunk roomy enough!!

And, we like your priorites!

LIY

saoc · May 2005

That makes sense. Did you have an A6 prior to the 3.2? My 2002 A6 2.7T has around 40K on it and I have started to look for my next car. By far this car has been my favorite. Had it in the dealer yesterday for a bad bearing (only problem I've had) and the gave me a new A6 3.2 - boy I was impressed. The 3.2 has plenty of power and is very smooth. The trunk seemed taller vertically that my 2002 but still narrow. I love the interior. I've looked at the M35X but the exterior stying in the front is a liitle different. I like the interior except for the location of their audio/NAV controls. To me they're too prominent on the dash. The trunk is more functional.n It will be a tough choice but the A6 is back in the running. I'm not sure about the guppy mouth nose but it is starting to grow on me. :confuse:

liy · May 2005

I had a '99 A6 2.8 - with 145,000 miles on it at trade-in. Also, I looked at and drove the M35x extensively before agreeing to take the A6 3.2 which I had ordered. Ultimately, the "Infiniti" stitching on the front seats, and exterior body resemblence to the G35, pushed me back to the A6. (Also, did not like the lack of a six-speed automatic in the Infiniti - from which I thought its substantial power could benefit). Have had the car close to 3 months now with 7,000 miles - no problems of any kind - and love the car!

LIY

marcus_birnsti · May 2005

I am going to buy a A6 with voice control option, but I would like to know if we can switch the language to spanish or english.
Thank you...

jeqq · May 2005

yes - english, spanish, french or german. Every time you start the car you can choose the language or default to your previous selection.

jeqq · May 2005

rjlaero · May 2005

Up to date sales figures on 2005 A6

Year to Date 2005: 5,782
Year to Date 2004: 3,425

markcincinnati · May 2005

Overall Audi USA sales are, however, down -.5% for 2005 -- I suspect the new A4 and A3 will shortly improve things.

rjlaero · May 2005

The A4 has been slightly down for YTD figures. The TT and Allroad almost don't even count. The sales numbers for them are in only in the hundreds of cars and slow at best.

As you said, the A3 and A4 will pick things upconsiderably for Audi this year.
When it's all said and done, 2005 should be an upswing year for Audi as a whole.

Its hard to say where the A6 will come in with pricing for 2006. The option packages have been minimized a lot. No more nit-picking with too many different options.

I hope the prices stay in line. And a FWD model is on the way for 2006.

wattson1 · May 2005

i got -

1. premium sound w XM
2. tire monitoring
3. cold weather
4. 18" inch wheels
5. advanced key
6. Nav
7. voice activation

the ride is awesome. need a suggestion on a good bluetooth phone?

wattson1 · May 2005

white color

markcincinnati · May 2005

We have two now -- the Sony Ericson T637 and the Motorola V505 -- I don't know if they both work with the Audi -- the new Bimmer my wife got only said it supported the T637, but my Moto worked first time, all functions.

mikestevens · May 2005

Does using the sport mode provide more low end torque on the A6? Will it shave anything off the 0-60 time? I'm wondering if tip lag is the reason the A6 3.2 lands in last for 0-60 time in every comparo I've seen.

richcream · May 2005

Sport mode does make a considerable difference in acceleration, at least as far as "seat-of-your-pants" feel goes, though I'm not sure how much it actually improves it timewise.

For me, it came down to the A6 3.2 and the M35x, and I have to say that one of the major determining factors was what I perceived to be the sluggishness of the 3.2 (3.1) vs. the much swifter pickup of the Infiniti.

I had all but committed to the Audi (after eliminating the 530, the E350, and the RL), when all of a sudden the M hit the scene and pulled me away.

The acceleration in the 3.2 is more than sufficient, it's very smooth, and, to be fair, quieter, than the M35x. It is, after all, a V6 so it's not like one should expect neck-snapping starts.

The salesman at Audi told me that a bigger V6 is in the works for the A6, and that it won't be the same one used in the new Passat. Who knows, maybe the second half of 2006 will have an A6 3.2 (3.something) that my M35x will be chasing after.

markcincinnati · May 2005

Sport mode vs normal mode: from a dead stop on a straight road if you floor the accelerator on the Audi regardless of the selection of sport or normal, the Audi will upshift pretty close to redline.

Full throttle is full throttle that is. There should be NO difference in this scenario.

However, under less than full throttle, the sport mode will hold each gear to a higher RPM level before upshifting. The shifts as I recall are crisper in sport mode, but this may be solely due to the higher RPM shift point.

Sport mode may indeed reduce tip lag since tip lag (or DBW lag) generally happens when you would expect the transmission to "decide" to downshift. In sport mode the need to be in third gear may not exist since you may already be in third gear, whereas in normal mode, you will already be in 4th or perhaps 5th.

What will make the A6 3.2 quicker? Well there are plenty of things that could be done, but decreasing the content of the car is unlikely. The engine is tuned for our fuel and probably has a lot of grunt left in it. At present the most likely thing that could be done will be to change both the breathing and the engine management to produce higher torque at as low RPM's as possible.

In the absence of the ability to do this, the car could be made quicker "as is" if the final drive ratio were shortened even as little as 3% or so -- of course gas milage would decline.

The FSI engine with really clean fuel can probably be made to have more HP and torque without any major fiddling -- 2006 may bring this fuel to the US by law. Then Audi could tweak the FSI 3.2 to have both a bit more torque and HP.

Mean time, your choice may just be to go with the M35X -- my final two choices were the A6 3.2 and the M35X. For many reasons, I would have taken the A6 over the M35X if I could get over the $3,000+ difference (more for the Audi) and the almost $200 per month lease premium Audi was commanding.

I hope I made the right choice, for the A6 is a very nice automobile, including or despite the Tip lag.

Maybe next time.

liferules · May 2005

I agree with the 2 other replies. I suspect the sport mode won't change the 0-60 time on a drag strip. What it does do is make the car peppier on the everyday routine roads, by holding lower gears longer. It is especially the 1st 2 gears that make or break acceleration from a stop, and with sport mode it gives it that extra "oomph".

I must agree that, at least on paper, the M35x is faster (as it wasn't out when I bought my A6). All I can say is that I have the A6 3.2 and I can't stop smiling when driving in sport mode. Could I have found a faster car? Sure, but that's not what its all about for me. I wanted a fast car (anything around 7 sec 0-60) with adequate HP to get on and off highways and avoid accidents. That's it. Otherwise, I was more focused on the looks and aesthetics of the automobile...both from a classy, eye catching exterior, to an elegant, top of the line, interior, to great safety features and cool electronics.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is the "whole package" to me that makes the A6 such a nice car. Is it the fastest, or the biggest, or lightest, or does it have the loudest sound system? No. But it has all the features that I wanted with outstanding fit and finish and I have no regrets if someone in an M35 beats me to the next light by 1 second (if they want it that bad, they can have it...).

markcincinnati · May 2005

0-60 times alone -- in this class -- should not be THE reason to go one way or another. The M may be quicker, but unless you regularly plan to drag race M's this under 1 second difference should not deter you from the A6.

In other words, I agree with the previous post.

jeqq · May 2005

I agree with both of you, but I still miss my old 2.7 turbo.

Now Mark, I keep telling you my car, a 3.2 has absolutely no tip lag. I keep telling you this and you keep on contradicting that. BTW a poster in the M35 forum did notice hesitation in his 3.5 engine when accelerating at certain speeds and gears. I think I also felt it on my test drive but it was only momentarily. I don't think there's a car out there that has immediate foot-throttle response in all circumstances. Our brains are still faster processors than our engines.

rjlaero · May 2005

I think tip-lag has dimished quite a bit on the new 3.2 engines w/ the FSI. You can't notice it much anymore...if at all.

markcincinnati · May 2005

I believe anyone who says they have no tip lag and I also believe folks that say they have it.

I have deliberately said tip lag not Tip lag -- the reason is I believe too that tip lag, or Drive By Wire (DBW) throttle lag and probably some other kinds of "hesitation" also are real (not simply effecting Audis -- and Porsches -- that is).

But, one more thing that I believe:

Robots are stealing my luggage (with thanks to Steve Martin).

jeqq · May 2005

I googled that Steve Martin quote and got the entire monologue-very funny thanks. Sort of like Lenny Bruce's routine "TO is a preposition, COME is a verb".

If next year's gasoline is cleaner, I guess less sulfur, can they mod my engine and give me extra horses and efficiency. I average 14 MPG in NYC, on the highway
22.

galenas · May 2005

Can anyone who has taken out their A6 on a road trip let me know how they felt about it? Are the seats comfortable after driving for long periods? Does the trunk seem to be ample in terms of space for things?

rjlaero · May 2005

I took the 2005 A6 3.2 on a decent size trip....400 miles or so one way.

I love how this car just soaks up the road. The Audi's are so smooth at 85 MPH. The car just begs to be driven fast. It started pouring down raining, but with the Quattro, I still felt like I owned the road in bad weather conditions.

I would say that the seats are a bit on the firm side. My butt did ache a little bit after driving 5 hours. But I think a lot of European cars seats are a bit on the firm side on a brand new car.

jhutchins · May 2005

My wife has taken our new A6 on several trips from the DC area to the Phillie area, and absolutely loves it. Almost every time we are in the car and she is driving, she comments on how thrilled she is that we bought it. I haven't driven it for long stretches of time on the highway yet, but in my relatively short trips on the highway (e.g., DC to Baltimore), the car seems unflappable and you will find yourself driving much faster than you normally would if you are not careful. The only improvement I would make to the seats is to provide a little more lateral support, but I didn't get the special sport seats, which likely would have provided that, had I been willing to pay for it.

With respect to the trunk, it seems huge to me. I went on a long business trip (about two and a half weeks), and the trunk swallowed up all of the luggage I had to pack (two big rolling garment bags, a backpack, a large briefcase) with no problem whatsoever. I don't think anyone could fairly complain about the size of the trunk on this model.

dplush · May 2005

I am about to lease a 2005 A6 3.2 and have a few dealerships that have the car I want (Black with Amaretto) with very similar options. The only thing I am concerned about is the wheels, one has the 17 inch all season and the other has the 18 inch all season. The dealer with the 17 inch wheels is telling me they are better in slippery conditions (snow, ice, rain, etc...). Is there any truth to this? Is there a different feel to the car with the different size wheels? Thanks...

ctorrey · May 2005

Chances are, the vehicle with the 18" wheels either has the "sports package" or just the 18" wheel upgrade. In either case, I believe the tires fitted with the larger rims are "summer only" as opposed to the all-season tires mounted on the small rims. Maybe some else can confirm or check out the "build your own Audi" on www.Audiusa.com and check out the wheel/tire options.

FYI: My '05 A4 came with 18" wheels with summer-only tires. Despite quattro and ESP, it was still quite a handful in snowy conditions. Winter tires are recommended when using summer-only set ups.

dplush · May 2005

The 18" are

"18" 7-arm alloy wheels with 245/40 all-season tires

Straight from Audi's website, so they are all-season. all of the cars I am looking at do not have the sport package. Thanks

markcincinnati · May 2005

Then by all means go with the 18" wheels/tires. You will get a somewhat more crisp "turn in" with these wheels and tires and since it has the comfort suspension set up you will enjoy, largely, the best of both worlds.

You will have somewhat sportier tires, a nicer look (subjectively, I admit) and many of the benefits of the sport package without any stiffening of the ride that goes along with the stiffer shocks and reduced ride height (I personally prefer this set up, but the folks at Car and Driver said the A6 sport set up was a bit of a kidney jar-er.)

chef_jmr · May 2005

I need to know!!!

Also, can anyone (markcincinnati) give comparisons of the Audi sport package vs. S-line vs. M35 normal & sport packages? Would it be a plausible assumption that the S-line gives a similar ride of the M35 sport?

I've tested the M35 non-sport, and an A6 Sport 3.2; I feel the M35 was "tighter" and more responsive in its base form. Yet I am leaning towards the A6 for it's interior appeal (subjective) and my love of German "fahrvergnugen", something money just can't buy. Will the S-line bring the A6 to a higher level of sportiness?

Thanks,

Jeff

rjlaero · May 2005

You can order a 2006 3.2 w/ the S Line package right now.

It's basically the same thing as a 2005 w/ the 18 inch wheels and sport suspension you can get on the V6 right now. No difference in ride quality.

It's more of a cosmetic treatment w/ S line badges, a differernt grill w/ air dam and painted spolier. And the S Line has the RS4 style 5 spoke wheels.

liferules · May 2005

When looking at the A6 vs. M35, remember that the A6 just added "interior of the year" award to its other honors.

As above, the S-line isn't any different engine, that would be the S6 (yet to be released), not the S-line. The S-line just looks sportier (for the most part)...

chef_jmr · May 2005

Thanks for the replies!

I thought their was a 10mm difference in ride height between the Sport and the S-Line. The Sport being 20mm lower than stock, and the S-line being 30mm lower than stock... Any truth to this? Or, have I been doing too much research on different cars and getting the numbers mixed up...?

On another note...

I have written two emails to a salesperson at the Marin Audi dealer and he has not responded to either of them. I basically asked about the S-line on the 3.2, and special orders for color combinations... (I want the Arctic White on Amaretto). If anyone in the Bay Area has a "preferred" salesperson who would be responsive, please let me know. BTW, I will not deal with the local San Francisco dealership! They are grease balls....

markcincinnati · May 2005

I have no clue about the M35 sport. I only looked at the A6 w and w/o sport option and only at the M35X which is one flavor only.

S-Line in the past has not offered a suspension that is lower than the sport suspension alone.

The performance differences when there are any are attributable to the +1" wheel size (the A4 sport had 17" S-Line was 18" -- as far as I know the A6 S-Line comes with 18" wheels (at least for '05)). Other possible differences would be due to the body pieces that will or could effect c/d.

mikestevens · May 2005

Anyone know if there are any changes to the A6 for 2006. IMO Audi is lagging behind Lexus and Infiniti in not offering ventilated seats or any sort of MP3 or Ipod capabilities. Both Inifiniti and Lexus also offer rearview cameras, better nav systems and more robust voice recognition. What they don't offer of course, is a fantastic V8 wedded to quattro...

richcream · May 2005

Add to that list of needed upgrades a power telescoping steering wheel. To have a manual version in a $50k+ car is silly.

I don't know about creature comforts, but the audi salesman I dealt with told me that they have a more powerful V6 lined up for '06-'07. That would be great, what with the new and more powerful German offerings (E350 4matic and 530xi) and the infiniti M35x. (Can't speak as to the GS300 AWD's power.)

rjlaero · May 2005

Amaretto is not available w/ Artic white. You may be able to special oder it, but it may cost a substantial amount of money to get Audi to do something not available for regular orders.

Also, Arctic white is a sold order color only for 2006.

markcincinnati · May 2005

The so called 3.2 FSI (for fuel straight injection) has several more tricks up its sleeve prior to what one could only hope for (a bi-turbo option). The first trick so to speak is to realize that FSI was intended to mean fuel stratified injection. I am not capable of explaining all the details but suffice it to say that FSI (the latter) requires a quality of fuel that "is coming soon to a large country in North America" but that is not here yet. What can happen even with the 3.2 is better gas mileage AND more power. There are other engines that have been around (and some that have not) that Audi could easily come up with (and are rumored to be coming up with as we type). There is a 3.7, a 3.6, the full FSI treatment to the 4.2, the addition of a turbo to the 3.2 (wouldn't THAT be sweeeeeeet? and it could easily have 300HP and 300 ft pounds AND burn regular gas too -- fuel stratified, version, not fuel straight version).

2006? I have read much the same stuff that probably many of us have about some new juice for 2006 (ostensibly to make certain that Audi wins the horsepower war -- over the VW Passat's upcoming power rumor of 280).

Considering the A6 3.2 replaced (at the price point) the A6 2.7T S-Line at 265 HP and 280 ft pounds at about 150 RPM (just kidding) which was THE quickest A6 of them all (at the time -- 2004) and considering that every other car in this class seems to be producing numbers to 60 UNDER 7.0 seconds, well, Audi had better do something 'cause "Time, keeps flowin' like a river. . . ."

Had I been surveyed, I would have "voted" for the new A6 to have a slightly shorter final drive ratio and a tiny bit taller 5th and 6th gear which would have improved the 0-60 time and had little "highway" mileage impact. I wasn't surveyed.

Audis sales numbers, perhaps when viewed in comparison with the other cars "in its class" may be part and parcel because of the perceived performance prerequisites for a premium priced product like the A6 (sorry for the alliteration, I got carried away).

My guess -- sometime in the next 12 months, the A6 will "get some more muscle" by hook or by crook. Other gradual changes (improvements?) will certainly happen in due course.

mikestevens · May 2005

Well Mark, anyone buying an LPS this year has a difficult decision, and I have certainly enjoyed your informative posts over the past several months. My wife is sick to death of my indecision and I've promised her that I will purchase a car by the end of this week, but I STILL CAN'T DECIDE.

It's between the A6 4.2 the M45 and the M35x. I really prefer the looks of the A6 (inside and out), and it certainly has more brand cachet (I'm insecure enough to care), but the Inifiniti has loads more tech goodies, is likely to be more fun to drive, and will probably be a good deal more reliable. The M45 will require the hassle and expense of snow tires where I live as well...I swear I have never had this much trouble picking out a car. Maybe I'll just get the RL :P

Audi A6

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