I am looking at purchasing an A6 soon, and I am faced with a delimma. I see an 04 2.7t and an 02 4.2 which both have 70K miles, and they are the same price. Reliability is most important, but I do like the color of the 04 better (black) thought the 02 is still likable (red). The 04 has Zenons, not sure about the 02 (can someone tell me this). The 04 has satellite radio which i will be installing in the 02 if i buy it, but i like the idea of having an integrated system. What do you think. Both have a clear carfax. Thanks!

The 4.2 has bi-xenons. The 4.2 will be better for maintenance and reliability and the 2.7t will be easier to MOD. Your choice also depends on service records and what has been done to the car. Big ones include: Timing Belt/waterpump etc. and control arms/tie rod ends/cv joints. Also depends on what your driving habits are like.

Thanks for the information! And i know this question has been asked a bajillion times, i don't know all the differences in the years or if that even matters. Modding is not important to me, this will be a primary vehicle so i don't forsee any desire to start tearing into it. I have been reading hints thatthe 2.7 is faster too, any truth to that?And where can i find these service records? should my carfax reports list them ( i dont see it on there, but i dont know what i am looking for,)

Thanks again.

4.2 = 300HP 296ft lbs. of torque
2.7T = 250HP torque??

0-60 = 6.2 ish for 4.2
0-60 = 6.2-5ish for 2.7t

Less maintenance with the 4.2. This is probably not disputed.
Were the 4.2 shines is 60 to 100+. Lots of torque at 2-3k for passing and hauling ass. These cars were built to travel the autobahn in speeds in excess of 100mph. Stable and and as safe as can be.
Gas Mileage with the 4.2 (personal experience) = 14 city and 18-20 hywy
Gas Mileage with the 2.7t (from specs) = 16-18 city and 22-26 hywy. Of course this all depends on how you drive it. Both come well equipped with all the goodies. I would pull a carfax to get an idea of whats been done and I would talk to the dealer. i hope you are buying used/certified and will be purchasing an extended warranty. You will thank me later for that advice. You can make these cars as fast or as cool looking as you want. There is alot more marketspace for the 2.7t because of the twin turbo setup. I have the fever to MOD as well but I tell myself all the time that if I want to go faster, buy a faster car...Sounds like you are going to be doing the same. Driving a turb car requires driving habits that the 4.2 doesn't require. Hang around the forum and you wil have 2.7t owners telling you all about it. Plus, you can search for topics too by clicking the search button up top on the menu. Good luck on your decision and let us know what you decide. Post a pic if you can!

hmm, that worries me. the dealers do not have the cars listed as Audi certified, and neither are they Audi dealers (they juat have them on their lot) Are these cars notorious for problems? I was hoping to upgrade to a car with high reliability, but that doesn't sound too good. I know about the timing belts and water pumps, but other than that what issues should i know about? They do offer extended warranties, but i don't know if they will be easily hounorable since i'll be flying 800 miles to get the 4.2 ( the one im leaning towards ). i guess i need to ask the dealer about that.

Thanks for that stats, sounds like the 4.2 is the better choice for me since im not modding

If you stick with that decision, not to mod, then the 4.2L seems like the better ride. More torque/HP, equivalent performance to the twins (stock) and less maintenance and repair liabilities. At least, that was the rationale that I followed.

It is your choice brother...Remeber that you are stepping up in the Car department by going AUDI or any German manufacturer. The cars require a lot of attention and since they are more sophisticated, theyrequire more maintenance. But, don't let this throw you off. Just follow the dealer reccommendations and the maintenance book and you will be fine. But, if you think you are going to just throw oil in it and drive it worry free for 100k, you need to choose an Acura or Lexus. Here's my .02 cents on non-certified vehicles. For one, a non-AUDI dealership doesnt know about the cars. They aren't trained on them so if something goes wrong, I can see you having a nightmare of an experience and a big run-around. I bought from an AUDI dealership so I knew the car was looked over properly. Take the car to an independent AUDI shop and spend $2-3 hundred on what I call a full workover. They lift the car, take the wheels off and inspect EVERYTHING. This is just as good as a certification from the dealer IMO. Definetly, buy an extended warranty. You can shop around for the best rate on this. If you get the car checked out and it's cool..buy it.

Check this out:
http://www.audiworld.com/news/04/b6shootout/content.shtml

I'm going to recommend the 4.2 but I own one... Really, they are very fun cars to drive. If you are on the highway, you get so much more out of them. They really feel great when you punch them at 65. They are very reliable as well. Good luck.

4.2 V8 hands down.They seem to be rare. I've only bumped into1 or 2 in my neighborhood and see the V6 version all the time. For an example on Ebay if you search for A6's you'll see only about 10% are 4.2's You can't beat the look of the wider stance and flared fenders.People are in disbelief that aV8 is crammed into a midsize sedan.Just a muscular looking car.
I've had the car for a year and I've never had a car with so much character. Just a timeless looking vehicle that still can keep up withthe current vehicle designs.

ORIGINAL: cary12

I'm going to recommend the 4.2 but I own one... Really, they are very fun cars to drive. If you are on the highway, you get so much more out of them. They really feel great when you punch them at 65. They are very reliable as well. Good luck.

+1, i'm gona go ahead and say the same thing, and i own one as well. granted i've only owned the car for a few weeks now, it's a great car to drive and hasn't given me a single problem. definitely a great car on the highway, it's hard to tell how fast you're going because the car is just so smooth and accelerates quite quickly.

Wow, thanks for all of the replies. Seems like the 4.2 is the choice to make, and i just ordered ROUNDTRIP plane tickets to go check it out (that way i have NO obligation to buy it at all). I don't think getting a dealer inspection right away will be possible, but there is a 1 month, 3,000 mile warranty on it. so as soon as i get it home assuming i don't find anything wrong with it prior, it will get a full inspection. The dealer said they did a full inspection, and they do deal with german cars, but they probably don't know very much about them. it is a small dealer.

So, reliability speaking, is this car more reliable than an 02 Dodge Stratus (that is what i am upgrading from)? Surely it must be!!! All of this talk about the warranties though, what is the deal. is there a series of common issues with the car? And I have read that thetiming belt and water pump should be replaced from 60k-70k miles, is this accurate? I must assume it has not been replaced. The carfax shows no services, and the dealer said they dont have the service records. where else might i find them? Thanks again for all of your replies. And i will consider the extendo warranty, but I generally drive 100 - 150 miles a day (weekends too),so that will burn up a warranty pretty fast

done. here's what i bought for $17,400 (hopefully not too much)
http://www.autorevolution.com/inv/vehicle.cfm?vid=182378&refby=dealersite

After driving both, i did like the v8 better. :)

i like my 2.7T just fine. both can go fast, but the V8 will eat more gas

I'm a 4.2 fan, I love mine.

A 2002 A6 4.2 will allow you to take advantage of APR's power chip which is reliable (per general info available on web), inexpensive (ca. $700 or so), and adds around 50 hp to stock. 4.2 has meaner, more agressive look, especially if you get the sport version (which is somewhat rare) that lowers the car even more than the 4.2 is already lowered.

i would get the 4.2 when those twinturbos on the 2.7 goes bad,there about $1600 each

4.2. Great highway car and better reliability/durability.

I'll basically say the same thing everyone else has. The 4.2 is more reliable, and you don't have to worry about the turbos failing. Additionally, the timing belt does not have to be replaced until 105k, whereas the 2.7 is a much shorter mileage span. The 4.2 has better highway pickup, but the 2.7t has better 0-60 pickup. (Probably due to the fact it is lighter, and sportier gearing.)

The 4.2 usually comes with almost all available options, whereas the 2.7 may or may not. The 4.2 also has the additional fender flares, and slightly adjusted design. (Like a longer nose, to accomdate the bigger engine)

The fuel mileage figures vary from site to site you look at. As someone else said, it makes a huge difference how you drive it. Generally, it's accepted the 4.2 gets *slightly* better mileage, but not good enough to factor in your choice.

Personally, I purchased the 4.2 for around the same price the 2.7t's go for. The 2.7 is indeed easier to modify for power, but if you are leaving it stock then the 4.2 is certainly the one I would go with.

Plus, the roar of the 4.2 at wide open throttle kicks butt! :)

One reason I picked the 2.7T is the M6 transmission. Shifting gears is a big part of the driving experience for me, and the 4.2 does not offer that option.

ORIGINAL: kloubek

Generally, it's accepted the 4.2 gets *slightly* better mileage, but not good enough to factor in your choice.


Whaaaaa???? I would strongly disagree with this - especially since I own a 2.7T and can consistently pull 26mpg on the highway at 75mph. I know of no 4.2 owner that could make such a claim.... with a straight face anyway.

ORIGINAL: Costner

ORIGINAL: kloubek

Generally, it's accepted the 4.2 gets *slightly* better mileage, but not good enough to factor in your choice.


Whaaaaa???? I would strongly disagree with this - especially since I own a 2.7T and can consistently pull 26mpg on the highway at 75mph. I know of no 4.2 owner that could make such a claim.... with a straight face anyway.


Your right, I own a 4.2 and I could never say with a straight face that I only drove 75 mph on the highway :D. At a higher highway speeds my 05 4.2 does 24/25 mpg.

Four Ring Circus: True, I wish my 4.2 had a true manual. But it does have the tiptronic, which sucks in in 1st and 2nd, but works quite well after that point. And it does a good job of holding a gear if you're anticipating a need for power coming up.

Costner: I know it seems like a silly claim. A 4.2 engine using less gas than a 2.7. But take a browse through the reviews of these cars, and you'll usually find the same thing... the V8 using slightly less gas. But again, the difference is so little between the two it doesn't really matter.

Hmmm, Kevin - if you're traveling in excess of 75 mph and getting 24/25 mpg, I'd like to know your secret. The physics and the economy are at odds at speeds in excess of 55-60mph, so perhaps a reality check is in order here......http://www.audiforums.com/micons/m11.gif

BTW - my 2000 2.7T is currently putting out close to 350 hp (thanks to a GIAC upgrade and some super-duper super secret stuff and I'm not telling and you can't make me!). While I can pretty much STOMP anything comparableout there at will, I freely admit that I don't get 25 mpg while pushing triple-digit speeds, but I can safely affirm that my baby turned in 29.7 mpg at between 60-65 mph (father-in-law at the wheel), drafting my Excursion (7.3 Powerstroke, 23.1 mpg, wife at the wheel), drafting my 36' Fleetwood motorhome (me at the wheel, getting considerably LESS mpg!). It's about drag and friction and engine rpm, etc.

BiTurbo,

Are you serious, the gas mileage numbers you are bringing to the table are drafting a motorhome. Well let me tell you about the gas mileage I got drafting the Space Shuttle [sm=gears.gif]

I have a 4.2 S6 and it's a manual 6 speed :D

I feel so lucky.... Anyone interested in buying it?

Well sorry, it's not for sale.... ;)

ORIGINAL: BiTurbo Pilot

It's about drag and friction and engine rpm, etc.


2005 4.2 - 335 hp, top gear ratio of .69, dragcoefficent of .29, frontal area 2.26

2000 2.7T 6M (as purportedly modified)- 350 hp, top gear ratio of .68, drag coefficient of .32, frontal area 2.18.

Sorry BT Pilot, your highway gas mileage is no better than my4.2. You are pushing5.71% more air and air is thename of the game on the highway. This 5.71% air handicap offsets the 1.45% RPM savings you have because ofgearing.If my math is correct I would have done approximately 30.9 MPG draftingyourmotorhome, not that such a scenario is "real world".

But don't feel bad, I am sure that with your4.29% hpadvantage you will "stomp" my stock car. Thoughwith your extra 4.29% in HP you are pushing an extra 5.71% in air, so I am guessing that while you may pull away from me at a stoplight, I am going to stick with you, or even pass you on the highway. After checking around, according to the MTM website with the governor removed my stock 05 4.2 tops out at 175 mph. The stock 2000 2.7T without governor tops out at 154 mph. Even with a "mid-level" MTM upgrade to 345 HP, comparable to your "top secret" 350 HP upgrade, your modified2.7T without governor tops out at 165 mph.

Confirming that air is the name of the game on the highway, when gearing is comparabale, I note that my air advantage is 5.71% and my top end advanatage is exactly the same at 5.71%. I suspect that on the top end your 4.29% HP and 1.45% gearing advanatge (total 5.74%) is negated because you achieve those numbers at lower RPMs and then tail off at higher RPMs. If the "mid-level" MTM upgrade to 345 HP is comparable to your "top secret" 350 HP upgrade,the peak HP in your 2.7T is generated at 6,200 RPMs, while my peak power comes on at 6,600 RPMs, or 6.06% higher. Myextra 6.06% in usable top end engine band allows me to get an extra 400 RPMs out of my car and negateyour extra 5.74% in power and gearing.

With ourpowertrains within 00.32% of each other for highway use, my car wins out on the highway because of the 5.71% air advanatge.With a 5.71% air advanatge my car wins on highway MPG and top endMPH. But don't worry, you and the WRX STi crowd will beat me off the line every time.

hmm, i have 2.8 and seriously, i missing power :( But i was chosing btw 2.8 and 2.7 and that twin turbo make me scared. One turbo cost 500-600 aprox. I know, nobody here dont drive with turbo normaly. When u stop the car, u need to wait for 2-5 min to get turbo cool. Hmm, nobody do that. That's make turbo les durability.

My next AUDI ill A8 with 4.2.

With regards to turbo cooling, their are devices that will keep the engine running for a period of time after you switch off depending on the temperature to ensure that your turbos are cooled, and not cooked when you switch off.

The make nice party tricks too.

i just bought a 2.7t 6spd and love it but i got it on craigslist for a great price (7500) clean title

I just traded my 02 2.7t in on a 05 4.2 and can tell you the V8 will get slightly better milleage overall. I loved my 2.7t and put 114,000 miles on it. It had its quirks and at times I said I would never have another Audi. However, after one drive with the 4.2 in a sport suspended new chassis, I knew it was for me. The bonus was getting increased fuel milleage to boot. I can get 29 on the computer which is an actual 26.5 on the highway running about 70. My 2.7t would never do that. best it could muster was 23 on computer and 21.5 actual. Average running around for me was 20 with 2.7t. With 4.2 its about 22. I don't understand the window sticker rating on my 4.2 being 17/23 if it does better than my old 2.7t which was 17/24.

Congrats on your newly aquired 4.2.
I held out over a yearsearching formy 02 4.2 blk/blk, sport pkg.
I couldn't afford the low mileage cars and settled on 94K miles for $14,100 with Certified warranty until 100K miles. Not much, buta littlebuyer security. I have been through the timing belt change on my 2001 4.2 with 104K miles with almost everything else changed out while the front end was removed. Read up on timing belt change on the Forum and you can save some bucks. Audi recommends the timing belt change at 105K miles for the 4.2 but I would do a little sooner if dealer coded records show it hasn't been done yet and you can do the work yourself.

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