im looking at getting a 2001 a6 with the 4.2 engine. what are the differences between the 2001 and the 2002? the 2001 has 75000 miles on it and is $6000 while the 2002 has 100000 miles on it and is $8100. the 2001 looks to be the better deal, im just curious as to what i would be missing by getting the 2001 instead of the 2002. also, when looking at the a6 in the lot and on the test drive, what should i be looking for as far as problems? thanks

 

the 4.2 is known for tranny failures. i believe they have made some mods to the tranny in 02 but there is still few problems.

other only differnece is the 02 has visible dual exhaust and newer style interior like radio and shiny steering wheel and dash. i would go with which ever has the most serive records. especially tranny fluids records.

 

what fails in the transmission? is it just to much power for it to handle?

 

im not too sure what fails exactly. but usually you know the tranny is no good once it starts losing gears. some people lose forward beacuse the car goes into limp mode and automatically gets into 5 the gear making it nearly impossible to gain speed. a code shows up in the tranny for incorrect gear ratio.

if you want power and good reliability get the 6 speed manual 2.7t. its faster than the 4.2 and can tolerate up to 400 hp.

automatic 2.7t is about the same quickness as the 4,2 but is less modable due to it being automatic.

2.8 is slowest but most reliable.

 

Keep in mind some other subtle changes in 2002 for the 4.2 V8 A6 model beyond the exhaust tip cutouts in the rear bumper. Here are a few that come to mind:
-The radio is different, Symphony II in 2002 which has the 6 disc chenger in the headunit vs. 2001 Symphony I which requires a changer unit in the trunk.
-The steering wheel in 2002 will have the tiptronic buttons (thumb buttons, not paddles) which can be easily coded to shift without moving the shift lever to Tiptronic mode.
-2002 has Sport mode for the Tiptronic (PRNDS) vs. (PRND321)
-2002 can easily accept RNS-E navigation unit, all you need is unit, wiring harness, antenna, microphone, antenna adaptor. The 2001 requires the above pieces, but also a CANGATE adaptor that is very hard to find now. Without it, the unit will not display proper trip time or arrival time, an may not power down with the car.
-2002 will have bi-xenon lights, which has a larger projector, and an internal shutter that works the hi-lo beam function.
-2002 has slightly thicker glass, so a bit more quiet on the highway.

That's all I can think of for now. Many of the above may not be important to you.

 

APR has a chip upgrade for the 2002 to boost HP to 352. Evidently they don't have one for the 2001. So there must be some difference in the engine

 

IMO there no point in doing chips mods on a automatic. it will make the tranny fail faster.

if you have a manual thats a different story. new clutch and your good to go.

 

just found out that the car i was looking at was already sold. i might even look at getting an a8. there is a 2004 with 93000 miles for 13000, but i dont know if they still have it. how is the a8 for reliability? i might consider a 2.7T with the tiptronic, but i dont know how they are for reliability, especially when modded.

 

cant say anything about the a8. might want to post that in the a8 section if your interested.

the 2.7 however is just as quick to 60 as the 4.2. 0-60 in 6.6 secs while 4.2 is rated 6.7secs
keep it stock and you will not have any major failures.

try to get an 02+ 2.7. that will have the new facelifted look. and dual mufflers and other goodies mentioned by boston driver except BI xenon. that is for the 4.2 only :@