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Comments
Hmm, if the $750 is already in the price, that makes the Japanese cars even more of a bargain, no?
I doubt that the invoice has been bumped $750 for pushbutton start capability, though I suppose I could be wrong....maybe. I'd have to agree with the consensus that price gauging is in full effect.
How is your keyless feature doing? You had some issues with it - all better?
My use of the key is so far down on my list of issues I have with cars, it isn't even on the list.
A heated steering wheel, as I recall, used to be $150 option -- that seems about right for the PB start too.
Most cars depreciate 60~65% off MSRP in the first 3 years of ownership, then 5~10% per year after that. Most first-line lending institutions won't even write loans on 5 year old cars, so this tells what kind of value you could expect at that time.
Example: My 2000 Audi A6 2.7T MSRP'd for $44,600. $44,600 x 60% ($26,760)= $17840 (2003) minus 5 % = $16,948 (2004) minus 5% = $16,100.60 (2005). $16000 is "around "what I may be able to sell this 77,000 mile Audi for now in 2005.The final sale price would probably be even less.
The bottom line is that $2,000 off an 2005 w/4000 miles is not near enough!
And that's exactly what we're here for, to provide that venue.
I did inform Johan that my wife and I did not re up for new Audis and that it was perhaps the most difficult big ticket purchase decision we have ever made.
I still love the brand, but can't figure out the current marketing approach -- I asked for clarification.
Let's see what happens.
And I agree with the host, many of us have interests in a variety of cars. My decision NOT to go with the new A6 does not somehow suggest any critique of someone who did go with the new Audi.
Perhaps after 27 of them in a row, my perception, my decision stemmed from a different place. This doesn't mean I think my move would be appropriate for someone else.
Said it before: a big piece of me certainly will miss not having another Audi.
Actually, the car won't stop without the key. So, she'd have noticed it earlier, or the tank would be empty at the end of the day.
Now that is gauging!
They're both great cars. You'll be happy with either. Pick whichever you feel most comfortable with. IMO, the A6 is better looking and has a better interior. I have to agree that the Acura will likely be more reliable (though they've had their electronic glitches with the new RL release as well.... a lot of people were commenting about the door dimple not working)... Anyway, I personally like the RL's nav better, but the Audi's screen resolution actually is better (a different technology than the LCD of the RL). If you look at the initial quality scores for the 1st 90 days of ownership, the A6 is better than the RL. How the A6 will hold up over time is the bigger question...
Good luck with the choice.
I have heard the Acura is a nice interior and drives well...the outside is very boring looking and although you do sit most of the time on the inside of your car, it should look like something outside other than a box with four wheels. I have heard they are not selling to well so there are some deals to be had. Audi is doing deals too. I don't see that many of them on the road either. The Audi has an aluminum chasis this year and they made the car more rigid (34% I think). The car has no squeaks and has a heavy feel to it.
daniiboy
Then everybody would be driving the same car!
I love tech and am known for being a gaget kinda guy.
But I don't want GPS, DVD, Blue tooth, advance key, integrated phone, or voice recognition.
I want xenon, dimming mirrors, kick [non-permissible content removed] stereo and best engine and drive train with good looks and comfort.
THe soul of a fine german car cannot be duplicated by technology.
This is my preference.
Will Audi offer better A6 lease? Drop down to a 3.2 A4 with 6speed? (based on it being available), A3 tricked out to the max (tech?) wheels, extras? Or am I to gonna be "turning Japanese?"
I do know that nothing depreciated faster than technology!
Working on the voice activation -- love Sirius and the bluetooth phone capability.
Cambrige Green pearl
Amaretto comfort seats
Premium
Cold
Convenience
Advanced Key
Speech recognition
Parktronic
Premium leather
18" wheels UPH all seasons
Sony Ericson cradle
I'm sorry, I've been out of town and must have missed some interesting comments...I thought you were getting an M35x! What happened? You really didn't go to the dark side! Congrats! I know you won't be disappointed.
On the bright side we are stuck with you for another 39 months:)
First 50 miles impressions on LPS.
The allroad as I had it modified, was not a pig. It could be accused in fact of doing a good imitation of "nimble" on its sport antisway bar, lowered suspension and 18" 245 x 45 x 18" UPH summer only tires.
The new A6's chassis/body/frame/structure is much stiffer and it pays dividends in both ride and handling. The 18" low profile (40 series) tires make it feel more competent, too. I have hardly pushed it in this department. I did have it up to nearly 80mph for about 5 miles on the Interstate this afternoon.
The brakes on the A6 are much better than the allroad's. The A/C too is better and the sound system (especially Sirius) is a big step up.
The seats are better on the A6, but this is an incremental improvement over the allroad.
The tip upshifts out of first gear almost instantly.
I use the car in "S" mode -- I did have my first hint of tiptronic lag upon entering the freeway when the car in front of me slowed suddenly and I slowed from 45 to 20 rapidly followed by a punch of the accelerator (I was in D mode since I was getting onto the interstate) -- the car hesitated for a 1/2 second and then LEAPT forward as the lower gear and higher revs provided a boost of torque.
This problem is probably simply masked by S mode since it does not upshift with such determination and it seems, in this mode, to be more willing to down shift.
Automatics, smart automatics -- whattya gonna do?
This car with a 6speed manual would be the best car I have ever driven I'd imagine. It is the best Audi I have ever driven -- this blows my 1997 A8 away.
Hope this helps somewhat. :confuse:
There is NO difference between D and S at this speed unless you have recently accelerated hard -- S mode seems to apparently prevent or at least vastly reduce tip lag.
My observation is that tip lag is only an issue with this transmission if you are on the "cusp" of needing either first or second gear -- and the programming is apparently set to make the default mode the higher gear. Then when you need a bit more go you press a modest amount on the accelerator and the car does not instantly respond so you press a bit more and WHAM the thing down shifts and the revs go to 5,000 and the car lunges forward. Tip mode seems fine, but I am not impressed with the manu matic experience. S mode keeps the revs up a bit so that there is more torque on tap at most speeds under 60mph.
Theory:
Those that find tip lag the most problematic are those who prefer stick shifts, have most recently driven almost exclusively stick shifts, etc.
I think those of us with stick shift proclivities have different expectations than those who are not used to and who do not prefer or perhaps don't know much about driving a stick.
The stick does what I want it to do when I want it to do it. I am not used to the transmission being smarter (and it isn't) or more capable than I am. Oddly, I am willing to let the brakes, brake assist and ESP help me -- I embrace those technologies. The contemporary auto transmissions do a pretty good imitation of competent shifting (and god knows I'm not perfect) -- but they still do things at times that I would not do or would not do at that moment.
Comment
I can see the curve up ahead, I know the whoop de do is coming in a couple hundred yards, etc. I know I want to assume engine braking NOW, but not THEN, etc.
These tip/step/command/etc - tronic transmissions are very good -- they aren't as good as a manual, they are more difficult to adapt to, they are not as much fun, they drink more gas (a little bit), they retard the performance and my hair isn't blue yet -- and if I had my magic wand, I would have this new A6 with a 6spd manual like my wife's BMW (which was even better than my allroad's 6spd manual).
All in all, at over 100 miles on the thing, it is a wonderful machine.
At this point, I will leave this review and comment at: this is the best Audi ever; and although I am not an SAE (self appointed expert), I am VERY experienced in this regard with Audi #28 now in my garage ("dark and hot").
Film at eleven.
Weird world, I go away for a few days, and chaos ensues... Mark goes back to Audi, cats and dogs living together in sin, Spurs win the championship, what next?
as the audi turns, the man stays! All that work paid off! You gonna share the deal with us? We know everyting else about you!
Deep down you knew you panicked and in the end you got it! Good for you! I was begining to think my allroad would be a FX35 next year, but you give me hope, to carry on, you lite up my, oh never mind!
That ameretto interior is great, the green I take it is dark! must be great combo!
Im sure the boys back in the Rhine were quaking in their boots!
Good luck with the car, and I might go lurk again in audiworld and see what your up to!
Back in early 2005, I would have paid a bit more (on a lease) for an Audi -- numerous posts attest to this. In the end the combination of the deal PLUS my long stated affection for the cars themselves (plus Infiniti's near INSTANT willingness to refund my deposit without issue) made this an offer I couldn't refuse.
The terms of the offer, the car's features and options are here and on the LPS board. All the data is within the past 3 or 4 days worth of posts if you care to review.
The color is DARK DARK green "pearl" -- the 7 spoke 18" wheels on the 245 x 40 x 18" tires plus the Bourbon, er, Amaretto interior are / were my first choice. My second choice (Audi or Inifiniti) was Silver + Amaretto or Bourbon. The Bourbon (Inifiniti), Amaretto (Audi) or Terracotta (BMW) seem to be the "it" interior color this year -- you either hate "it" or love "it" that is.
With my wife's Terracotta BMW sitting right beside my Amaretto Audi, I can tell you they are VERY similar. The Bourbon Infiniti, too, as memory serves, is similar with a touch more ORANGE in it.
The dealer said they had never seen the combination before -- score one for being either "odd" or "unique." I think the latter characterization is more to my liking.
The suspension of the A6 is stiff in standard mode and harsh in sport mode (mmm sounds like the reviews of the first take of the X3 from BMW in January 2004).
The 18" UHP all seasons are very quiet and the turn in is sharp. The chassis is stiff enough to keep the ride compliant.
The reviews of the sport suspension equipped versions almost all complain of "un-required" (unnecessary) stiffness and harshness.
Yet the A6 seems "in balance" with the 18" 40 series tires. UHP all seasons are a compromise. But one of the positives with this compromise is the tread wear should be at least 20,000 miles. This is NOT the case on the Max Performance summer only tires that come on the thing when equipped with the sport package.
The sport package is $1250, the wheels are $1000. I'd say that's a fair indication of the impact (both visual and tactile) of the 18" wheel/tire set up.
Never one to hold back: get this car with these wheels and tires -- and if you believe the editors you can pass on the sport springs.
I am happy with the handling of this "big" Audi.
The only issue I have would be little effected by stiffer underpinnings -- it is nose heavy. Now, Audi makes the best of this situation -- but the thing will understeer (like most Audis). The suspension tuners and chassis engineers and all the bright people that create cars have minimized this effect.
Having said that, it is NOT a BMW in that respect. Future Audis are already queuing for better F/R weight balance. Just understand this IS NOT a plow, but it is also not a "Lotus" that according to Pretty Woman, corners like it is on rails.
Try driving two of these cars back to back -- both with standard suspensions, one with 18" and one with 17" -- go over the same territory and see if the tires do not improve the "carve" capability of this lux perf sedan markedly.
As far as availability of replacement tires -- go to tires.com or tirerack.com and select by size. This size tire isn't a cheapie. But if it makes you feel any better there are plenty of tires that cost much more.
BTW my tire guy looked at the rims, the brakes and the wheel assembly and was amazed by it.
I'm glad Audi is getting rid of the 7 spoke design patten for the base wheels for 2006. I believe they have a new 14 spoke pattern that will look a lot better that the 2005 wheels. The 18's will stay the same as optional wheels.
We are very curious. IF its a private matter, I understand, but payment, cash outlay and money facter would be of interest. If Audi is starting to crack, then its good news for us!
Your the bellweather!
I built a memory of my favorite stations AM FM Sirius.
I dunno, I have maybe 18 stations in memory.
You can access the stations by using the MODE button (left side of steering wheel) and the roller and a depress of the roller to select.
Or (and the full instructions can be read to you and shown on the screen at the same time) you can push the talk button, wait for the beep and say "help radio."
One of the commands is "store station" and one is "play station" -- I did the following for about 6 or my favorite stations:
Store station: "station name" The Vault "say again please" The Vault.
Then: Press talk button, wait for beep, say Radio, Audi lady responds "radio" you say Play The Vault, Audi lady responds "changing to Satellite Radio "The Vault."
This is very close to what it takes.
I have the Jimmy Buffet station, Jazz Cafe, The Vault, Pops, 60's hits, 70 hits, and a couple more from Sirius stored as "Play Jazz Cafe," for example.
You can say the Mhz if you know -- or you can have your favorite radio station FM or AM programmed to respond to "Play WGUC" or "Play WKRC" (there technically is NO W K R P in Cincinnati, however there is a W K R C.)
I found THE MOST DIFFICULT concept the voice activation for the Navigation system since it must be coupled with the directory function and can be used to store both a name for a navigation command and/or a telephone command or both at once.
Me: Navigation, Audi lady: Navigation, Me: Navigate to HOME, Audi lady: do you wish route guidance to the designated destination? Me: yes, Audi lady: the route is being calculated. Screen folds and rolls from text to moving map and center info display between the Tach and Speedo displays an arrow and the Audi lady starts telling you what to do, etc.
All in all a decent system.
Makes me drool for what it will be like in a couple of years from now.
The all at once phone number instruction set is sooooo much nicer than the 2003 On*star method, too.
Dial Number: Number please: 8885551212 spits it right back at you, and then you say "Dial." Instant Tang!
I had expectations of -- well I will just come out with it -- somewhat underwhelming acceleration. I am pleased to inform that the acceleration seems already "peppier" than three days ago and thus far I have not felt I asked for more power than the 3.2 was able to muster.
Considering the A6 tends to isolate you far more than any previous Audi I have had, I suspect the acceleration lack that I thought was the case is NOT the case after all -- it actually gets right up to extra legal freeway speeds in the proverbial blink of an eye.
I am under no delusions that this is the quickest LPS 6 cyc car -- I do feel, however, it is nowhere close to being the little barker I had pretty much resigned myself to.
I just loved that 2.7T with the 6spd manual so much, I had pretty much felt the new wheels would be, shall we say, restrained. I am happy to report this Audi has none of the "is that all there is feel" of the prior 3.0 and 2.8 versions.
I am not retracting my comments that Audi, IMHO, should have made the final drive ratio a bit shorter (2+% perhaps) in order to make it a tenth or two quicker to 60. On the other hand, the gas milage, even at this tender age is clearly beating that thirsty 2.7T.
Finally, I "had to nearly floor the car once or twice" -- the sound isn't as sweet as the 4.2 V8 -- but this is the sweetest sounding V6 I've heard.
One small comparison note -- I like the sound of the 3.2 V6 more than the sound of the Infiniti M35X's V6. And, I must say, I liked the sound of the Infiniti -- the Audi is just a teeny bit sweeter to my ear.
And, no, I do not think that means the Audi is now somehow quicker -- I am confident the M is the one [V6] AWD to beat in this class. My assumption of pecking order in this class would be Infiniti M35X, BMW 530xi, Acura RL, Mercedes E320 4Matic, Audi 3.2, Lexus GS3. . .and so on (remember I am speaking specifically of LPS, AWD 6 cylinder (since all are not "V's") autos.
Perhaps the Audi aces the Merc, but it is my understanding that the new Mercedes has a 7spd auto and even more grunt than the outgoing E320 4Matic.
Not trying to start an argument, I do not have delusions of grandeur in this 3.2 -- but it is a pleasant surprise against my admittedly low expectations (with respect to acceleration, that is -- my overall expectations of the Audi were and remain high; thus far it has not disappointed.)