Hi guys, as you can see I am new to your forum. I am currently on the market for a new car and the Audi A6 is a very strong contender. Its competition right now are the BWM 535i, Infinity M37x. I have been with Acura for the last 12 years and have had 4 cars in that time span ( three TL's and one RL ). My current car is a 2006 RL and it has been nothing but a good car, if not great. The one thing I keep hearing about Audi is that if you are gonna lease it, then great, but don't buy. People keep saying that Audi's are in the shop all the time after 70k, anyone have that experience? Also I might be waiting a little longer until the 2012 comes out, since I have been told the differences will be significant. Hope to hear back from you guys, I am very interested to see what you think.

 

I got my 2002 A6 at 70k and it has seen the shop quite a bit. Just did the ABS module, did the timing belt at about 80k, recently the alternator went, just had major work done because the turbo sprung an oil leak, replaced turn signal relay a bit back. Now I'm at about 100k.

The good/bad news is that each time I have an issue I turn to the forums and typically find a sentence of "that's a pretty common problem" somewhere in the discussion.

I'm not sure that I would say it breaks more often than an average car (but what do I know), just that the fixes are a lot more expensive.

 

If money isn't an issue (and from that quote I got the gist that's exactly the case) and you don't mind losing some when the trade-in time comes, then go with a BMW - $ 0 Maintenance for 4 years/50k miles.
However, it sounds like the average time span for you keeping a car is 3 years. You're the perfect candidate for leasing.
By the way: isn't the TL known for transmission problems? Did you keep all those TLs out of shop after 70k, or you didn't have them that long?
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I think the main problems with the Audis are related to....drivers/owners. It may be a sense of "entitlement" that comes with the 4 circles and people drive them like there's no tomorrow. The way they drive it, the same way they have it.
It is true that these cars may have areas that leave something to be desired - like rubber and plastic parts + certain design related to functionality -, but if well maintained they can be as reliable over 70 k miles as any other car.

 

The reliability ratings for Audi/VW have been steadily improving but still below the Acura. A new vehicle with warranty takes away a lot of worry, but you'll pay for that priviledge. I bought mine in 2005 with 37k miles and now have 184k. I have had to replace a few things (alternator, clutch, flywheel) and there are minor things wrong (headlight washers failed), but generally it has been trouble free. I do all scheduled maintenance as well as a little extra (like changing the differential and tranny fluid every 60k), and it has been a solid, enjoyable car. I remember under warranty it had the rear transmission seal and the rear brake pads replaced, as well as the scheduled oil changes. IMHO, these cars have a lot of features and accessories and there is just more opportunity for things to go wrong compared to a basic car, like my old Saturns.

 

Money is not a huge issue, but getting a good deal is always worth looking for, wouldn't you agree? As for the BMW, it is near the top of my list, but the the one thing that bothers me is the local dealers around here, they aren't very good. The TL's, especially the before 2002 did have some transmission issues, but I haven't heard much about the newer ones. As for getting to 70,000 miles, I have never gotten that high, mostly because these are my weekend cars, during the week I use a company vehicle. I do tend to trade in after 3 years, but I have had this RL for 5, the TL before that I had for less then 1 year, so it just depends. Audi has always been one of my favorite cars, especially the style and design, but customer service around here is just bad, same as BMW. I don't know if I just have to high of demands, but I can tell you guys the Acura has always been top notch when it comes to taking care of their customers.

 

The one thing that bothers me about these cars is that you basically get nickeled and dimed on the options, where as at Acura you don't seem to see it that much. For instance, my RL is pretty much loaded and came with all the normal things, like XM radio, heated seats, SH-AWD and many many more, no extra cost. Now I went to Audi and BMW and you get the basic car, add a package for audio and so on, but then you pay separately for some of these options you want. I guess if you want to drive a German car, it is something you have to deal with, but it kinda sucks. I really do love the design of these cars, so it will be something I will just have to accept.

 

I am also in the same spot. I have driven some form of an Acura for 10 years and I am ready for a change. I have test driven and BMW 535 xdrive and Infiniti M37x. The 2012 A6 looks beautiful. I just spoke to my dealer last weeks and he showed me an invoice for 6 new 2012 A6s arriving the week of 6/13. No prices were shown yet. They are all Prestige models. At the very least they probably have the Drivers Assistance package. He could not tell me if any of them had the Innovation package that I was looking for. I paid a $1000 on my credit card just to reserve one ( silver with black interior). Hopefully, it will be in next week and I'll update you after the test drive. The BMW is nice though just in case the A6 falls through ( test drive or price).

 

The A6 is one of the safest cars on the road.

http://www.iihs.org/externaldata/srdata/docs/sr4605.pdf

 

My 1996 A6 2.8 was great. Very reliable and I kept it for 160K.

My 2004 A6 3.0 Q is entirely different after 75,000 miles. In the last 15,000 miles I have had multiple significant part failures that should not have failed: Both catalytic converters, the radiator, the power steering pump, the air conditioner compressor. This does not include run-of-the-mill wear items which I expect and ignore. I never had to replace these parts on the 1996 model. There may be something about the 3.0 or so I have been told. Longevity clearly engineered to be shorter or perhaps quality control is off and they accept inferior parts from their supplier

The first 50,000 miles (warrenty) are trouble free. After that better watch out. Lease it for 50,000 miles and get out. I think they have have problems they should not have.

 

You hit it dead on. This is the main reason that I drive one.

Also, as everyone said, if you are planning to keep the car for a few years only, then don't worry about it. A new Audi will be trouble free for a few years for sure. Not to mention that they get you a pretty nice loaner if your car goes for a service...

Let me just say that the new 3.0T has been on my radar for a couple of years for now. It sure beats the modified Bangle butt... except that the Bangle butt can be had with a 6 speed...