Hi all. I am brand new here and brand new to Audi's. I have driven a '93 Acura Legend Coupe L (230HP, 6-sp MT) for the last 9 years and it is about time to upgrade. Having been a huge Acura/Honda fan (wife drives an '04 Accord EX 3.2L 240HP) for a long time, it's a leap to jump on board with Audi's. Being in Colorado, it will be nice to have AWD for the occasional winter blizzard and I am really looking forward to a little more interior room and some more torque. So, I think the A6 will be a great move for me. I drove an '04 S4 yesterday and liked it quite a bit... but it is just too dang small inside.. it is smaller than my Acura (and almost a foot shorter outside)... but I did like the car a lot. So it will have to be an A6.

As far as the 2.7t vs. the 4.2, I think I want to go with the 4.2. I am very hesitant about buying a 5-8 year old car with twin turbos.. I want instant throttle response and good grunt from the low end without having to spool up or get rev-happy.

So that brings me to a A6 with the 4.2, which I believe narrows my model year choices to '02, '03, and '04. Since I have time on my side and won't be buying the Audi for another 6 months or so I can be picky... My question is this: Between the various years and trim levels of a A6 4.2, how do the different model years/trim stack up? If I am patient and willing to pay a little more, is there a particular model, trim level, or even color that is rare or especially desirable?

Thanks in advance... and if I stated something ignorant, please realize I am a total noob here... feel free to correct me and I won't take it personally. Thanks! -John

 

the 2.7T is quite aggressive on power where the 4.2 is a luxury car but still has the power but a lot less sutle in the feed back ( you need to keep an eye on the speed ) because it will catch you out because its so quiet, both a good choice in cars ( Honda make good cars also )

 

You don't have to get a twin turbo car that is 7-8 years old...They made the car until 2004. I'm getting one today with only 20,000. The same dealer has a 2003 ming blue with grey interior in a 6 speed with 21,000 miles and a variety of automatics if that's your choice. I went back and forth A LOT on whether to get an auto 4.2 or 6MT 2.7. I just can't live without the manual and it gets better gas mileage. BTW, 2.7T max torque is around 1,500 - 3,600.

 

I have an 05 4.2. It is a great highway car and is still pulling when the governor shuts her down at 135 mph.Because of its weight it is not a red light racer. From reading this and other forums, it appears that the 4.2 is more reliable than the 2.7. However, the 2.7 has more MODS available.

 

Thanks for the feedback. After talking to a couple of auto enthusiast friends up here a mile above sea level, they feel that I should get the 2.7t as opposed to the 4.2. Anyone that lives up here knows what fun it is to take their car down to sea level to unleash whatever power it has... the thin air up here just does not let engines perform as they do at sea level. Well, from what they tell me, turbocharged engines aren't nearly as adversely affected by altitude as normally aspirated engines. Most of my driving is around 5,000-6,000 feet although I usually have a few trips with elevations over 9,000 feet (and steep hills!) Anybody have any comments with regards to turbos vs. NA at altitude? I am wondering if a bone stock 2.7t would outrun a bone stock 4.2 up here(?)

I drive a 6sp MT now and would love to keep a MT. So now I am leaning towards getting a 6sp 2.7t and getting it chipped.

Were the A6's all about the same (besides powertrain) from 2000-2004 or is there something I should look for? (or avoid?)

 

No , before 2002 - Pre-face lift, 2002- 2004 Post-face lift , as for the differences you can read it up here - http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/index.htm?id=24Hope I helped,

Enrique

 

Regarding the difference in altitude, engines do "de-rate" as altitude increases. It depends on the engine. Turbos and superchargers counter this fact by stuffing more air into the engine thus they do not lose as much power.

That being said, you don't lose much between a turbo and non-turbo engine. Probably not more than 6% but I don't know for sure. I used to work in the midstream gas industry and we're setting compressor stations at 6000+ feet. Turbo engines are preferred as they don't de-rate at as low of an altitude as non-turbo engines.

That being said, turbos DO derate at a given altitude.

I'm going to go test drive a 4.2 today (and a 3.2 TT, go figure). I have determined three things in my car search:

1. I don't want a humongous SUV or car
2. I want AWD (I'm in Denver also)
3. I don't want a turbo

Why don't I want a turbo? More maintenance, more oil changes, more moving parts, etc. increases the chance of failure in the future. To properly take care of a turbo you are going to have to change the oil more frequently unless you make sure you cool off the turbo every time you drive, or add something that will circulate the oil after you park. I'm new to the Audi side of the world, but this is what I've read at BMW forums regarding the new 335i.

 

You don't have to circulate the oil after shutdown. But you don't want to go from all-out racing to shutdown without some period for the engine to cool a little. I drive mine at pretty high speeds (70-90) on the highway and the oil temp rises toa little over 225o but the water temp stay right on the mid-line. A mile or two after I exit the highway, oil temp is down to just under 225o and stays there.

Everyone says the 4.2l is a bulletproof engine with lots of torque, but I don't think you can get an MT6 in it. The 2.7T with the manual is a blast to drive, especially after chipping it. It is a luxury touring car with sportiness and decent acceleration. They are NOT particularly fast off the line because of the AWD and weight, but I'll take one any day over a 3-series in a blizzard. The A6 also has plenty of interior room and a big trunk.

I saw an awful lot of A4s and A6s when I was in Boulder earlier this year, so they must work well at altitude. You should just walk up to an Audi-owner in CO and ask. I'm sure they'll be happy to talk about their car...unless it's a little old lady.