I looked at it yesterday and I'm taking it for a test drive today. It is fully loaded with every option available, forged wheels, sport etc. 89,000 KM's. The dealer is asking $34,000CAN but my dad has bought a new A4 and A8 from him in the last few years and knows the sales guy. He said he would give me about $1500CAN off plus the 2 year 160,000km warrenty which is another couple of thousand (although the car is in the autotrader and in the ad it says warrenty is included in that price). I checked the black book value and it said it was worth $23,325CAN plus more because it had low km's. In the auto trader there are a few other 4.2's selling for $28,000 and some 2.7T's for $21,000. I don't know what options and what the condition of those are though. This one seemed in mint condition except for a bunch of scratches on the silver base of the gear shifter from the previous owners ring which he will fix.

Also, there is a 2004 A4 loaded, sport, with 75,000km's for $35,000CAN (after discount) that I'm testing today. Its black book value is $35,675 minus some because of high km's. Any opinions would really help me out. Especially about what kind of prices I should be offering.

*edit: total prices in US would be about $28,500 for A6 and $31,000 for A4.

Hi Rob1234

Sound like you may still need to decide exactly which Audi you really want.....there is a VAST difference between the A4 and the A6, and quite a large difference between the 2.7 and the 4.2 also!

As for prices, I'm not sure how prices are in CAN, but I purchased my 2001 4.2 in March....it had sport package, cold weather, warm weather, and only 47k miles...I picked it up for $22,500 USD. To me, 28,500 sounds quite high, but again, I'm not familiar with prices in CAN.

In any case, BEST OF LUCK....we all know how you feel.....the time between wanting, shopping, and buying are some of the most exciting times we car fanatics have to enjoy!

Shoman

Thanks, I'm testing both cars in about an hour so then I'll try and decide which one I like then. I'll tell him that I've found the same cars for way less and see how low I can get him. I've driven an A4 3.0 and A8 4.2 lots before. I like A4 better but the A6 I'm looking at has sport suspension and such so it may be closer to the A4 than A8. We'll see.

Well, just got back and I'm still no closer to a decision.

For the A4 it's only 2 years old so I would get a 4 year 160,000km warrenty. The suspension and steering were a lot tighter which I liked and it's newer and less scuffs and scratches and has newer looking controls and silver trim instead of wood grain which I also like.

For the A6 I only get a 2 year 160,000km warrenty. It has every option feature possible and I like the look of the exterior a lot better than the A4 and way more power but looser suspension.

The A6 has xenon lights, power passenger seat, garage door, sun screens, more room and other stuff that the A4 didn't. It does not have the thing where the blinkers blink 3 times when you click it down which the A4 has. It also has some little scratches on the wood trim and scuffs on the glove box.

So basically it's between the 2004 A4 with better steering/suspension and a better interior for $34,000CAN or the 2001 A6 with more power, xenon, and better exterior for under $30,000CAN.

Any advice or opinions would be very welcome. I'll be keeping this car for at least 5 years.

I have an HID kit from my old car at home with a relay, two ballasts and two HID bulbs. How difficult would it be to use this kit in the A4? What bulb size/type is the A4? I think I have H7 bulbs but I can get another type if necessary. The relay connects directly to the battery and the ballasts I can just zip tie somewhere so I think it should be possible unless the A4 uses some wierd headlight design or bulb type.

Oh yeah, the A6 also has 3M rockguard already and Bose, but Bose sucks.

A6 stock suspension prior to 03 is pretty loose. The sport package cures this. The other alternative is aftermakret coilovers/shocks/sways. On 03, Audi made the sport suspension standard.

The A6 I'm looking at has the sport suspension. It's not super loose but not like the A4 which also had sport.

One thing to consider is that the A6 (particularly the 4.2) is a LOT heavier car. As such, it will never feel as nimble. Even with the OEM sport suspension, you can benefit from upgrading the sway bars with the beefier ones made by H-sport (the next mod I'm doing to my 01 2.7T sport). Big bang for small buck (<350).

If I weren't 6' 3" I would have gone for an S4. The 2.7T engine (which I LOVE) in the smaller A4 body is supposed to be an absolute blast. Went with the A6 because I needed a roomier ride and love it.

Good luck!

Yeah, I'm still wavering back and forth. I'm going to go back tomorrow and have a closer look at them and really compare them.

How much do you think the sway bars would be to install though?

Sway bars are a DIY if you're reasonably comfortable with tools. No more than a couple of hours for a mechanic so they shouldn't be too much if you opt to have it done for you.

I'm comfortable with tools and I've installed entire sound systems and wiring in cars before but never anything under a car. Plus I don't really have a lift or jack stands.

After reading some more about the sway bars it looks like I'm going to take one more look at the A6 and make sure I'll be happy with the interior and then go with that.

Alright, went back, I've pretty much decided on the A6. He told me they purchased the car around $25-$26,000, repaired some stuff bringing the cost upto $27,391.42 plus $2,295 for warrenty makes their cost $29,686.42 and he'll sell it to me for $31,000 which is just under 5% profit for them. I don't know the sales guy but my dad has dealt with him lots before and believes he is being honest about the prices.

Still have a few questions. What's the gas mileage like on the 4.2? Right now I mostly do highway driving but I'll be moving into the city within the year. I accept that it's not going to be great but my dad keeps claiming his 4.2 A8 gets much better mileage then his 3.0 A4.

Can I get those h-sport sway bars in Canada?

Thanks for all your help. I should be putting a deposit down tonight.

Don't mean to rain on your parade but I got my A6 2.7t 2001 in Canada for 15,000$CAD so your thought he is only making 5% is being optamistic!

BTW 120KM and NO Issues or body damage after 4 months of ownership
Clean title
All service records
1 owner

Sorry bout your luck

Yeah, but this is a 4.2 with every possible addition/option and warrenty. I think the same dealer has a 2003 2.7T for under $27,000CAN.

Also, the sales guy is actually the sales manager for new cars and he only makes a set amount on the sale whatever I pay (not that that means he doesn't want to make more money for the dealship) and my parents and two of their friends have all bought audi's from him.

Anyway, I realize I'm probably paying more than I might be able to else where. But as it stands my old car was totaled so I have no transportation and I live on an acreage so it's not like there's public transportation I can use. This car has the options I want and is in the color I want and is in perfect shape except those scratches so I'm going for it.

And if I do regret it I'm sure I'll find another sucker like myself to take it off my hands.

Oh yeah, I also wanted to ask if any of you have removed the license plate frame from the front bumper. They're not required where I am so I'd like to remove it but the dealer said there would be big holes in the bumper. Is there any plugs available or does anyone have any ideas of what to put in the frame if I can't remove it?

Rob,

YOU ultimately hav to be the one that decides if this car is worth it. My only question at this point is, have you thoroughly searched for similar cars on autotrader.com and cars.com. These two sites will have a lot of comparables you can look at to get a feel for whether or not you're being offered the right price. As you point out, options, engine, etc. will factor into price. I paid $21.9 for a fully loaded 2001 2.7T. Some people might say that was a bit high, but it only had 28k miles on it. WELL worth the two or three grand extra compared to similar cars of that year that had over twice the mileage.

So, IF you've done your reseach and are confident the price is right, go for it. That said...

I think this sounds like it may be a little high. Take the dealer's comments with a HUGE grain of salt. They will always tell you "how much they have into it" and moan about not making a killing. Nothing wrong with this -- it's their job to make as much as they can. It's YOUR job to get the lowest price you can for the car you want. Only way to do that is to thoroughly research your options. know what you want, and be willing to walk away if you have any concerns about the price. There WILL be another one down the road if this one does not work out. There are a bazillion of these coming off lease (VERY popular lease car).

Good luck!

Yeah, I checked autotrader and the local paper, I think cars.com is US only. There's only two 4.2's that I could find in the entire province. One was a 2000 with no options, really high mileage, no warrenty and ugly color for $20,000 the other was a 2001 with 120,000kms and most of the options, not sport for $28,000 with a warrenty but from a used car lot so who knows how good the warrenty is. Both of these are over 300km away from me as well. There were also some 2003 and 2005 models but they were all over $45,000.

There are some 2.7's and a few 3.0's for cheaper but one of the reasons I'm looking at the A6 is the look of the 4.2.

I'm going to sleep on it tonight (the dealer closes in 10 min anyway) and maybe wait until monday. Then I'll see if I can get him down a little more.

I bought my 2001 4.2 A6 quattro for $21, 995 USD and it only had 46,680 miles. It is fully loaded too with all the options. The car was practically in perfect condition. I love the car and it is real fun to drive so i'm sure you'll love it, especially with the triptonic. This car is definately worth the purchase. I have no regrets. Just see if you can get it at a better deal though.

Rob,

Sounds like you've done your homework. If the only reason you're ruling out the 2.7T is the appearance of the 4.2, here's something to consider... You can add the door blades from the 4.2 to the 2.7T (something I'll be doing shortly). Doesn't give you the nice, wider fender flares, but it is a step in that direction. Cost is about $250 US + the cost of having them painted. EASY DIY job (other than the painting).

It sounds like you may have found your car, but I thought I'd throw this out there in case it helps you open up your options.

Man o Man - Southboro you are RIGHT ON!

Rob - you asked about mileage on the 4.2.....well, you've got to know that it's gonna be BAD.

I have a moderately heavy foot, and find that I'm consistently getting only around 13-14 miles per gallon. Interestingly enough, I seem to get slightly better mileage (maybe around 1 MPG) BETTER mileage when using TIPTRONIC! Of course, with the high-compression engine, you should be opting for HIGH OCTANE fuel - a bit more money as well.

Southboro - you are also correct about all that damn weight in the 4.2 A6....my 2001 AUDI brochure lists the weight as 4024 pounds, as opposed to the 2.7T coming in at 3759 (Manual) or 3836 (Automatic)...That's a LOT of mass to be moving around, so it's not gonna be a GREAT handling car, especially compared to it's lighter, nimbler A4 brethren. (The S4 is a MUCH better handling car!).

As for how you can improve the handling of ANY A6, the H-sports are a great Bang for the Buck addition. With such few aftermarket parts for the 4.2, this one is a no-brainer for this heavyweight. (After searching the internet, the best price around was Tirerack, believe it or not!) I myself didn't have the time to put them in myself, and a local front end shop in my area offered to install them for around $140, so I went ahead and had them do it. The difference was immediately apparent, with more controlled body lean and a slightly stiffer ride (very slight). I love the difference. Now all I need is a good set of tires (soon!), and I'll be happy, at least for now.

One last thought - Since I've never owned an Audi (and Quattro drive), I cannot say just how well the slightly heavier 4.2 will behave in the snow, but a co-worker has a 1999 A6 2.8 with 176k on the odometer, and he said he was able to drive through a virginal, non-plowed parking lot in NJ last year (in about 6 inches of snow) while his wife couldn't make it through with her Cherokee (and his 2.8 was without snow tires!!) To date (I've only had my car since March), the quattro drive is very impressive - pure traction in ALL rain conditions encountered thus far. I dislike winter because of the limitations it has placed on my driving, but I think that may well be a thing of the past with my "Silver Bullet" A6 4.2

Hope you choice serves you well Rob!

Shoman

One last thought (IF it's not too late) Rob -

Make sure you've got the "small stuff" covered by the seller as well...

When I found my car and entered into those last few minutes of haggling, I noted that the car only came with ONE key. I haggled another $250 reduction to cover that cost (it ended up costing $210).

I had luckily noticed the reflective safety triangle in the trunk lid was also missing.....the dealer found another one in one of his other A6's.

Lastly, As I was driving my "new baby" home, I noticed that, strangely enough, the factory floor mat for the driver's side was missing!!

Don't know how that happened, but now I've got some wierd, cheap non-original generic floor mat in place of the nice Audi brand mat. It will be interesting to see where I can pick up JUST the driver's mat...

Just a few things to consider....there's always SOMETHING that one can easily miss, so in a forum like this, the more people who tell their stories, the better off everyone else is...

Shoman

Thanks for the replies, I put a deposit down yesterday. I didn't check the number of keys but I'll make sure I get at least two at no extra cost. They have all the carpet mats and triangle and med kit in there and he is giving me winter rubber mats for free. I still want to check and make sure I get a user manual.

As for winter driving I've driven both my dad's A4 3.0 quattro and mom's A8 4.2 quattro and they were both had extremely good handling providing you have winter tires.

I knew fuel would be high cost. I do a lot of highway driving in to work everyday and my dad claims the A8 4.2 gets much better highway mileage then his A4. But in the city starting and stopping 4024 pounds all the time is going to be costly.

I'm for sure going to order the H-sport. Does tire rack ship to canada? Do you know of anywhere in Canada to get it?

Also, do you know if there are any difficults to putting in an after market alarm/starter, probably a compustar. I really liked the one in my old car.

Rob,

If you're still keen on getting H-Sports, there's a great buy available through month end. Here's the link on the details: Discounted H-Sports (http://forums.audiworld.com/a6/msgs/633077.phtml)

Also, I think we missed answering your question about the front plate... Those holes are a bear to fix. I'd recommend coming up with a front decorative plate that works for you (maybe the Audi rings?). Will be easier and more effective then trying to hide them. Unless you want to have a body shop tackle it...

Good luck with finalizing your purchase. Be sure to post some pics after you get her home.

Thanks, I was actually looking at that store. I sent them an email yesterday to see it they'll ship to Canada.

That's also what I was thinking. I want to put a black plate with the Audi rings on the front. Know where I can get one?

Check eBay. Also, try the Audi of America site -- they sell some stuff there and this might just be on the list. Good luck with it.

Yeah, Audi of America has exactly what I'm looking for but expensive and they might not ship to Canada. The Audi Canada store doesn't have them. Ebay has the chrome one but not the black one. I didn't spend too much time looking though.

That H-sport deal is only until fri then? I guess I should phone them if they don't reply soon.

You've got mail...

Congrats on deciding on the 4.2 I had a 2001 2.7T before I bought my 2002 4.2, and I have to say the 4.2 is mroe of a head-turner than the 2.7T, even though I had LOTS of mods on the 2.7T.

As far as fuel economy, I tend to have a heavy foot, and my daily commute is a mix of in-town traffic and highway rush hours, with pockets of open highway where I get up to 80-90 MPH. My gas mileage has averaged around 16 MPG. Not much worse than my 2.7T, the same commute I averaged in the mid-17s. I bought the 4.2 in Chicago January and drove it home to Boston, averaging on the highway 80MPH or so, and i got about 22MPG.

Anyway, for a list of stuff you can do to your car, check out my registry page...I've done a few things...

Boston Driver's Registry Page (http://www.audiworld.com/cgi-bin/registry/details.cgi?car=60221&sessionID=1149874300-16669-lem&ownerIDX=18472)

ORIGINAL: Boston Driver

...I've done a few things...



Now THAT is an understatment! LOL. BD is one of the masters.

ORIGINAL: Boston Driver

Anyway, for a list of stuff you can do to your car, check out my registry page...I've done a few things...

Boston Driver's Registry Page (http://www.audiworld.com/cgi-bin/registry/details.cgi?car=60221&sessionID=1149874300-16669-lem&ownerIDX=18472)


Yeah, I was actually looking at that yesterday. Where did you find the Carbon Fiber trim and Nav unit? I would love to do those mods but I'm guessing getting them from the dealer is going to cost way too much.

First I'm going to get the sway bars.

Before I crashed my old car I had RMA'd one of my HID bulbs (H7) and I told the guy not to send the replacement yet so I might get him to send a 6000k bulb I can use for the A6 and then buy another one and replace the old ones which I'm guessing are around 4100k. Would that be easy to do? I can get D2S and D2R bulbs or most of the halogen size bulbs.

I also have some JL Audio stuff I salvaged from the old car that I might put in. XR650CSi's, 12W3, and a 450/4. They got shook around in the crash but they should still work. I installed them myself in the old car but it was a lot of work so I don't know if I'm up for it again. I also have a 4 channel David Navone LOC which is supposed to be one of the best you can get. Should I use that or get that yellow plug thing with RCAs? I would put the LOC behind the headunit since it's 4 channel I would need to splice the front and rear channels.

I might get VAG-COM. Can you program the remote with the shareware version?

I'm also thinking about tint, smoked tail lights, LED interior map lights (which I already have some 194 bulbs), license plate frame, pedals, and front vanity plate which Audi sells so I'm going to call my dealer and see if he'll sell it to me at cost.

Maybe exhaust. I haven't looked at the exhaust yet so I don't know what's on there.

That should keep me going for the next year or so.

ORIGINAL: rob1234

Yeah, I was actually looking at that yesterday. Where did you find the Carbon Fiber trim and Nav unit? I would love to do those mods but I'm guessing getting them from the dealer is going to cost way too much.

First I'm going to get the sway bars.


Good move on the H-sports...the absoltue BEST bang for the buck suspension mod out there. As far as the carbon fiber trim, got them from ebay germany for about $500 a couple of years ago. Had them in my previous car (2001 2.7T), but then I ahd to replce the shift surround because I had the original shift surround milled out for the 2001 shifter (PRND432 vs. PRNDS). Can't make a hole smaller, right? Anyway, this stuff goes for over $2000 new at the dealer. A couple of sets just sold in the last two weeks from AudiWorld classifieds as well as eBay Germany. You just have to be patient.

The nav unit is the OEM RNS-E that was only available in the US int eh C5 platform in the 2005 alroad. At the dealer, they will probably sell you one for over $3000. I got this for around $1500, complete with wire adaptors and GPS antenna, from one of the sellers (proxus) on www.navplus.us. He currentlyhas a HUGE backlog of customers waiting for nav units to come in. I think "SteveZ1" is as reputable, and has a couple fo A6 units in stock. Great gadget, but pricey. If you do not travel for work, it is not really that necessary. It does, however, give much better sound than the stock Bose unit.

Keep in mind that OEM studff does NOT have to come from the dealer. LOTS of stuff can be found in on-line classifieds (like AudiWorld, Audi Forums, Audizine, VW VOrtex, craigslist) as well as auctions (eBay US, eBay UK, eBay Germany). You'dbe suprised how much stuff is out there, if you just look. Hell, I scored a full set of alcantara headliner and pillar trim from an RS6 for less than $250. Just the B-pillar at the dealer would cost me over $400. Score!

Thanks, do you speak german. How did you communicate with them about shipping and stuff?

I've been reading about the 605 relay. I thought I read somewhere that it's a European option. Would it be in a Canadian A6? The steering was something I noticed right away with the A6 and I almost got the A4 because it was much tighter. Removing the 605 might be the solution.

As far as I know, BD does not speak German. What I think he does (and what I know I do) is use the Google translator to communicate with German sellers. That and he knows a few key auto words/phrases. He'll correct me if I'm wrong on this.

Check Stoney's Links -- there's a few posts in there about taking out the 605 and/or replacing with the 6XX (some other number for a controller that provides less boost).

Southboro- are you sans front plate?
I'm in Mass....and need to mount the front plate to get my inspection sticker.
I'm not pleased with the notion of drilling the bumper cover..but haven't come up with an alternative that'll pass the straight-face 'perment' test. Cant get a magnet back there, I don't think.

yea... I just bought a used 2004 audi a6 3.0L (of course fully loaded) for about $25,000 out the door. It has a manfuacturer warranty till 50,000 miles and a 100000 mile dealer warranty. Only had 25, 000 miles on it. I realize your looking at a 4.2 L , but it sounds high if your paying anywhere near $30,000 for a 2001.

But either way the A6 is a much better car than an A4 . The A6 has power, but also enormous comfort.