Hi, My wife and I are in the market for a new car. We were looking at the A4. Test drove it, liked it, then drove a Lexus is 250awd and liked that a little more. I am now looking at the A6 Quattro. I have a feeling the IS and the A4 may be a tad too small for us. We would like to start having kids in the near future so fitting a car seat in the back is very important. These are the things we MUST have on the car.

1. AWD
2. Nav. system.
3. Xenons headlights

We would like to stay under $30k and would like the newest year with the lowest miles of course.

My questions for you gurus. How is the reliability long term with these cars? We would be looking to keep it for a good 10 years probably. I take very good care of my vehicles. I had a 2000 VW PAssat years back and it was a total lemon and got bought back. I really like the Lexus being it is Toyota quality and reliable. Please let me know if this A6 will suffice us for what I described above. I guess I am looking for something sporty and luxurious at the same time. Any and all information is appreciated! Thank you

 

The newer A6s have had real good quality ratings from Consumer's Reports. You'll have no problem finding quattro and bi-zenons, but I personally never saw the value in a built-in GPS. Especially on a long term car or if you have more than one car, a portable is more useful and can be used when walking around a city, too.

My A6 is going on 6 years old and just turned 127k miles. It's been chipped and that lead to the replacement of the clutch and flywheel 14k miles later -- I think I busted them driving it at 150 mph. Other than that, the only unexpected repair was an alternator that failed after hitting a pot hole at 70k miles. Otherwise she is all OEM suspension and shocks, windows all work, no missing pixels on the dash, etc. If anything, the newer A6s with the 3.2l engine should be more reliable since you don't have to worry about turbo failure.

I also have a 2003 A4 3.0 MT6 that I bought this summer for my daughter. It rides great, is fairly peppy but lacks the "push back in the seat" acceleration of the turbo, and has all the cabin creature comforts. The front is very comfortable for two although the seating is closer together than the A6. As you would expect, the rear is more cramped but access is good. Trunk space in both is real good: 2-3 hockey bags of room.

You should test drive both. Final advice if you buy an Audi: do all the recommended maintenance and treat it well, and it will last. Hammer it through pot holes and off curbs, accelerate hard when it is cold, etc and you will break things and have problems.

 

Thanks for the reply!

 

Anyone else?

 

I was just about to say "Did you think of test-driving a Hyundai Genesis?" (Even the lower trim 3.8LV6 has 86 more hp than an IS 250, and it starts $ 2,500 cheaper...; The 4.6V8 has 375HP), but then your AWD requirement stands out. On top of that Hyundai is still viewed as a "pauper" manufacturer by many. Please consider the Hyundai mentioning as a joke, not as an insult.


I think the Must AWD/Navigation combo limits your options.

Navigation comes standard mostly only in Limited models for most manufacturers, or as a Premium Package offered for a just a few other models - or just trims in the lineup.

AWD is a feature that not too many sedan/sw manufacturers offer.

In your shoes, probably I would go with the Lexus

 

Kids are expensive. SO are Audis. Sounds like you want a Toyota.

Bob

 

I agree with Bob. Don't get me wrong. My A6 drives beautifully, extreamly safe, built like a tank and comfortable like no other cars. BUT read my signature. It WILL break down on you and like any other luxury cars, it is not cheap to work on.

It is a known fact that Toyotas and Hondas have less failure compared to German cars. If you are really concerned with reliability, I would choose the IS. Yet, IS is really small compared to A6. (My buddy has one which I drive regularly.) And I still like driving my A6 around compared to his IS.

If space is a concern, have you considered a wagon? Yes I know most people think a wagon is boring, but I like it better than the sedan. It is practical and there is no difference in performance in comparison to its counterpart when it comes to european sports wagons. I drove 1999 BMW 528iT and my current car is 2001 A6 Avant. I will never go back to a sedan.

In addition, $30K will open a lot of doors for you. Pretty much everything under 2006 if you ask me. You may want to also consider BMW 5 series and volvo S60 or V70. Whatever you decide on, make sure to look at the maintenance history, and if you end up with an european, a good extended warranty is a good idea.

 

The best of the both worlds (performance and maintenance) =>Subaru Outback.

 

I think there's some good feedback here, and the diversity of opinions gives you something to think about.
I have a 2007 A6 Quattro and would highly recommend it. As you asked for, this really hits the spot between "sporty" and "luxurious" (although more towards the sporty side). You can find what you want at the price you want, and don't be surprised if there are some low mileage '07's out there in your price range, given the economy. Now's the time to buy. You'd still have factory warrantee coverage (I think it extends its to successive owners), not that you'll need it much with the later models- I haven't had one problem with mine. Personally, I'd go for- in fact, I did!

 

LOL All these Audi owners are telling the guy to purchase something other than an Audi...


First don't get an A4 - too many tickets LOL -oh that's a different thread.

Second owning an Audi is a religious experience - You quickly learn to pray that the new noise is not going to be too expensive.

Third sport and luxurious are not usually on the same page - sport and economy vehicles can be if you you put a lot of money on the table for modifications but luxury usually means leather and weight not light and nimble. A6= luxury

Fourth I have an Audi A6 Avant with over 200,000 miles that is driven over 100 miles a day. But some people think I'm crazy but I love it...

Fifth People without a passion for Audi's don't have a clue

Damn -- Buy the thing and join the cult.. Just don't drink the coolaid...