We recently sold our '97 Acura RL 3.5 because it was getting up in miles and started having quirky shifts and intermittant ABS and TCS lights and repair bills were adding up. My wife loved the Acura and wants another newer version or maybe a 3.2 TL but I've always been partial to the German design and engineering of BMW and Audi. Trying to sway her over to the Audi but honestly don't know much about them in terms of reliability and cost of ownership.

I've tinkered with old BMW's for years (E28 models) and they have their quirks and if not for forums like this they have the potential to drain your wallet. Thanks to the experiences (and mistakes) of others I've been able to nail down most of the issues (control arm bushings, driveline woes, metric tires, etc, etc.) and find good less expensive sources for parts. It has made for a good experience over all.

Have read through many posts on this forum and looks like I've found another good resource!

So I'm here today because in our search for an Acura we came across a 2000 A6 Avant Wagon. Very nice style, car seems solid, and the 2.8 delivers reasonable spunk with 200 hp. even with the heavy wagon and all wheel drive. With a couple young kids it seems like it could be a nice family car and reading various consumer reports I don't see much in the negative column.

Consumer reports are nice but I like to hear the words from actual owners; How do you all rate the A6? Mostly reliable? What things should we double check for? Is the tiptronic trans reliable? I think I should steer clear of the turbo for reliability and cost potential...agree? I'd love to have the 3.0 but think it's going to be just out of the reach of my checkbook as we're looking for something in the 15-18k range.

thanks in advance for your insight.
Brian

Hi, I've owned my 2000 A6 Avant for 2 years. We enjoy the car very much, however cost of maintenance was a bit more than I expected. Annual maintenance for me has been over $1K, which has included things like:
[ul][*] upper control arms[*] brakes[*] valve cover gasket[*] tie rod ends[*] catalytic converter
[/ul]
Also, check out the recalls and make sure they've been done -- lower control arms and front bumper in particluar.

Very cool and safe care, but put away some $ for maintenance!

The 2.8 engine is bulletproof. It will be the least of your concerns.

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Either lead, follow, or get out of the way...
Audis don't get out of the way and they never follow.

I'll second wisco on the control arms and tie rods.
Audi's are notorious for being weak in those areas; you just have to accept it and keep it in your maintenance budget.

__________________

Either lead, follow, or get out of the way...
Audis don't get out of the way and they never follow.

I've only owned my '00 A6 Avant since August of last year, now with 73,000 miles. I picked up mine fairly cheap from a Mitsubishi dealer, due to the somewhat high mileage. I've run into problems with clogged cowl drain tubes (read prior posts), and I recently messed up my front bumper pulling too far forward over a curb when parking. I also blew out one of the front door speakers. Haven't replaced it yet. The rear cargo cover was broken when I got it. It drives smooth, and the Tiptronic is fun. If you are able to, I would recommend you locate one that's an Audi certified used, so you can get the extended warranty.
I was actually tinking about selling mine soon, if you are interested. I'm in southern Calif.