Hi all, I'm currently comparing the new A6 with the BMW 535 as a possible new car to take me into my retirement.(A6 Premium Plus) The reviews I've read so far put the A6 in the lead in just about every category but as I found out too late with my 2009 Z4, the forums can tell what the real story is on a new car. I loved my '98 A6 but the love affair it had with the shop kind of dampened my spirits so as soon as the warranty was up, it was gone.

Are there any known issues with the new ones, if so, please tell me now so I can avoid the 21 page service record I had with my first one.

(The standing joke around here was that my wife knew ALL the Audi mechanics on a first name basis and I had driven every model and colour of A4 as a loaner. The car was rock solid and a dream to drive so I think the real issue was the techs servicing it.)

 

I have no experience with a BMW. My previous car was a Lexus GS300 which I owned for nine years and put 140k miles on it. The reliability was so good that it did not require any repair other than scheduled maintenance for nine years I owned it. I traded it in on a 2010 A6 prestige and I had some concern about the reliability of the Audi being as good as the Lexus. So far I have 30k miles on the A6 and it has been flawless and a lot more fun to drive than Lexus. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks JW, I like the word flawless....

 

I think Audi and BMW have the same reliability, which is not as good as the Japanese brands. But they don't look like much fun to drive, either. I think the advantage goes to Audi if you live in the snowbelt, even with the 535xi. For the record I will have 200k on my A6 tomorrow and it has been generally reliable, given that I do all required maintenance. Issues have been alternator (70k), clutch/flywheel (after chipping at 85k), left control arms, tranny rear seal (@40k), rear differential seal (@190k), and cat converters (last week). Seems like a lot, but not really for nine years and mileage. Still running original suspension and battery, all gauges work, windows work, etc. She's a keeper.

 

Another positive is the 3.0T engine has been out since the 2009 model year so it has 4 years now that it's been in existence. One unknown is what the superchargers life expectancy is. The only other area to consider is there is some new technology with this 1st year run of the new styling. I personally don't like getting any car in it's first run of changes and there are always bugs that get worked out. If you were leasing then it's much less of a concern as you wouldn't be keeping it long term anyways.