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Old 2nd January 2012, 12:28   #16
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

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Originally Posted by lamborghini View Post
All the models come with the same level of kit, barring the Quattro which is available on the more powerful 3.0L variants.
However, I have seen 2 A6 sedans on the EEH, sporting test plates, and more importantly, larger rims. Any idea what models these could be?

Given that both , the 3.0T & TDi come with plain jane alloys unless one opts for the exotic ones, i would assume the ones you spotted could be the..wait for it.....Audi S6 ???
They are launching it at the expo so i wouldn't rule out the possibility.
Then again, why would they move around with 2 ???
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Old 2nd January 2012, 21:36   #17
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

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Originally Posted by lamborghini View Post
All the models come with the same level of kit, barring the Quattro which is available on the more powerful 3.0L variants.
However, I have seen 2 A6 sedans on the EEH, sporting test plates, and more importantly, larger rims. Any idea what models these could be?
I too have seen those 2 test cars before at Dadar! The fab looking rims were the first thing that caught my attention in that partcular A6.
And the second test car turned out to be the facelifted A4 (without any camouflage). The rear is exactly like the A6.
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Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo View Post
Given that both , the 3.0T & TDi come with plain jane alloys unless one opts for the exotic ones, i would assume the ones you spotted could be the..wait for it.....Audi S6 ???
They are launching it at the expo so i wouldn't rule out the possibility.
Then again, why would they move around with 2 ???
I doubt it would be S6 as it did not have quad exhausts.
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Old 6th February 2012, 21:28   #18
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

Waiting for the clearer pictures !
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Old 17th February 2012, 17:52   #19
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

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Originally Posted by lamborghini View Post
- Love the DSG!
I thought 2.0 TDI comes with CVT (multitronic). Can you please confirm?
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Old 17th February 2012, 22:24   #20
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

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I thought 2.0 TDI comes with CVT (multitronic). Can you please confirm?
Good to see someone read the review properly
My bad, think I got it confused with the Passat I had taken a TD on before. Will check it out and update if its actually a DSG.
But whatever it is, it works well! Especially after driving the ever so slow 5 speed Mercedes auto.

Edit: Pics hopefully this weekend.
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Old 17th February 2012, 22:43   #21
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

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Originally Posted by lamborghini View Post
Good to see someone read the review properly.
i'm looking to part with my life-savings to buy a near perfect 40-50L car so I was reading every word :-)

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Especially after driving the ever so slow 5 speed Mercedes auto.
I liked the w212 build quality, I did not pick it up because of the 5 speed in the entry level trim. Just curious, why are you critical of w212 build quality?
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Old 17th February 2012, 23:58   #22
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

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i'm looking to part with my life-savings to buy a near perfect 40-50L car so I was reading every word :-)

I liked the w212 build quality, I did not pick it up because of the 5 speed in the entry level trim. Just curious, why are you critical of w212 build quality?
Personally, I feel the best all rounder in this segment is the new 5 series. Sure, i hate the way it looks, it isn't as driver friendly, and every Tom, Dick and Harry has one in Mumbai affecting its exclusivity; but as an all rounder it is great. The A6 though is the newest, and has the best interior and useable kit (give me an air suspension over a god damn TV/GPS any day). The engines are almost as good, and the car is superb from the inside. The only reason it isn't an all rounder is because the rear seats were too low for taller people - but that aside, it would still be my pick. I took it for a drive, and cornered at decent speeds - speeds at which the Merc would show some significant body roll - and came out quite pleased.
About the W212, I am not critical of the build quality, just not as impressed by it. As a W211 owner, even though the new W212 has better space (apparently), and better engines; I do not find anything else appealing. I found the W211 interiors to be nicer looking, the quality of leather used felt much better on the W211, and lastly, the W211 felt a lot more solid.
Don't get me wrong, the W212 comes with lighter but stronger metals - making it lighter, but it doesn't feel the same as the W211 in terms of sturdiness.
Heck, my mom's reaction on seeing the new W212 that her brother bought: "My mother (my granny) can open the doors of the W212 so easily, but these doors are so much more solid that she needs someone else to open it."
While there is no doubt that the lighter doors and stronger body is a great combination, it didn't fly with mom - and as far as I am concerned, I didn't want the W212 E250 CDI at all! Not with the 5 speed gearbox, poor equipment levels, and poor interior ambience - compared to the W211.
Also, the ride wasn't as good apparently, so it was out before even a test drive. Another big turn-off was the fact that even after shelling out close to 50L, I couldn't customize the interior/exterior colour. If I want a black E Class, with brown interiors, mercedes should allow me to do it - just like BMW and Audi do.
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Old 18th February 2012, 07:39   #23
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

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Originally Posted by lamborghini View Post
Personally, I feel the best all rounder in this segment is the new 5 series. Sure, i hate the way it looks, it isn't as driver friendly, and every Tom, Dick and Harry has one in Mumbai affecting its exclusivity; but as an all rounder it is great. The A6 though is the newest, and has the best interior and useable kit (give me an air suspension over a god damn TV/GPS any day). The engines are almost as good, and the car is superb from the inside. The only reason it isn't an all rounder is because the rear seats were too low for taller people - but that aside, it would still be my pick. I took it for a drive, and cornered at decent speeds - speeds at which the Merc would show some significant body roll - and came out quite pleased.
About the W212, I am not critical of the build quality, just not as impressed by it. As a W211 owner, even though the new W212 has better space (apparently), and better engines; I do not find anything else appealing. I found the W211 interiors to be nicer looking, the quality of leather used felt much better on the W211, and lastly, the W211 felt a lot more solid.
Don't get me wrong, the W212 comes with lighter but stronger metals - making it lighter, but it doesn't feel the same as the W211 in terms of sturdiness.
Heck, my mom's reaction on seeing the new W212 that her brother bought: "My mother (my granny) can open the doors of the W212 so easily, but these doors are so much more solid that she needs someone else to open it."
While there is no doubt that the lighter doors and stronger body is a great combination, it didn't fly with mom - and as far as I am concerned, I didn't want the W212 E250 CDI at all! Not with the 5 speed gearbox, poor equipment levels, and poor interior ambience - compared to the W211.
Also, the ride wasn't as good apparently, so it was out before even a test drive. Another big turn-off was the fact that even after shelling out close to 50L, I couldn't customize the interior/exterior colour. If I want a black E Class, with brown interiors, mercedes should allow me to do it - just like BMW and Audi do.
I totally agree with your observations on w212. We have the new 5-series (black with brown in their cheapest 52d trim) and E is more expensive, less modern and without options. Its biggest advantage for me is its ground clearance (it is a big deal in Bangalore) . So I wanted to check the under-body of the new E class in the workshop and while doing that I felt w211 has much better under-body protection where as w212 has just paper-fiber for most part - definitely due to their obsession with weight reduction. Due to unavailability of their 200 CGI test drive vehicle (gone for servicing) they asked me to TD a 200 CGI from their pre-owned section and it had rattles while driving it and it was just 4K on the odo! I read similar comments on the internet.

My concern with Audi is that unless you buy their top spec (3 liter, quattro), you get totally different platform at a lower spec. I mean transverse vs longitudinal, DSG vs CVT, FWD vs quattro and who knows what. So A4 and A6 have two platforms. In this respect BMW does a much better job. Even Merc is acceptable (mainly transmission difference 5 vs 7G)

Another observation you made that their sales experience is below par is spot on. Merc sales experience is far superior. BMW is fairly OK. I had a bad experience with Audi and I have heard of a not-so-good experience with an A8 customer as well.


Does Audi A6 2.0 TDI trim come standard with wood inserts in the dash? Because I saw brushed aluminum (hate it) inserts in some photos on the net?

Last edited by androdev : 18th February 2012 at 07:56.
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Old 18th February 2012, 10:08   #24
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

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Originally Posted by androdev View Post
In this respect BMW does a much better job. Even Merc is acceptable (mainly transmission difference 5 vs 7G)


Does Audi A6 2.0 TDI trim come standard with wood inserts in the dash? Because I saw brushed aluminum (hate it) inserts in some photos on the net?
I would take the 8 speed CVT over the ancient 5 speed slow shifting tranny of the Merc. My Accords transmission has faster shifts than that for gods sake.

I've seen this very 2.0tdi pull, and its not slow by any means, will give your 520d a good run for its money.

The trim and leather is all customizable upto a certain extent. Like lambo said a big + for this car is the air suspension.

If the W212 also has only that paper-fiber underbody protection then how is it any better than the Bimmer?
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Old 18th February 2012, 10:29   #25
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

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I would take the 8 speed CVT over the ancient 5 speed slow shifting tranny of the Merc. My Accords transmission has faster shifts than that for gods sake.

I've seen this very 2.0tdi pull, and its not slow by any means, will give your 520d a good run for its money.

The trim and leather is all customizable upto a certain extent. Like lambo said a big + for this car is the air suspension.

If the W212 also has only that paper-fiber underbody protection then how is it any better than the Bimmer?
Will be TD'ing A6 in person soon. Just that recent bad experience with their dealership is still fresh in my mind. Let us see.

W212 has better GC so that itself is a factor of safety compared to BMW. Also F10 only has protection below the engine. W212 does marginally better by protecting the transmission area, etc. Where as the W211 covered everything pretty much like the Laura I had. But I agree the biggest deal breaker for W212 was its 5 speed transmission especially when mated to 220 CDI. The 200 CGI was acceptable with 5 speed, dont know how 200 CGI with 7G drives (say in C).

If I can get A6 2.0 TDI with leather, wood, top-end MMI package within my budget, it will be a candidate for TD. I can live with FWD + CVT if the TD turns out to be decent. Lambo mentioned that rear-seat of A6 is not its strength - need to check it myself.

Last edited by androdev : 18th February 2012 at 10:49.
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Old 18th February 2012, 13:48   #26
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Air suspension as good as it sounds has the worst failure rates, and when it fails I can close my eyes and see my past, I'm sure things have moved ahead a lot in last few years but still I'd prefer a normal suspension,

Also E lags a lot but is the best at weight savings, and the upcoming facelift should make a lot of improvements but I don't see the E breaking any grounds until the next model,

Regards,

Last edited by S350L-E240 : 18th February 2012 at 13:59.
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Old 18th February 2012, 19:10   #27
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

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Originally Posted by androdev View Post
But I agree the biggest deal breaker for W212 was its 5 speed transmission especially when mated to 220 CDI. The 200 CGI was acceptable with 5 speed, dont know how 200 CGI with 7G drives (say in C).

If I can get A6 2.0 TDI with leather, wood, top-end MMI package within my budget, it will be a candidate for TD. I can live with FWD + CVT if the TD turns out to be decent. Lambo mentioned that rear-seat of A6 is not its strength - need to check it myself.
Trust me, the 5 speed gearbox is possibly the worst I have ever used! My 2002 Mitsubishi Galant had a nicer 4 speed! Even in tiptronic, the lag between shifts is too much!
About their dealers, I wasn't much impressed with mine either, and even BMW was fairly ok, especially compared to Mercedes! Still waiting for a follow up call from BMW to take a TD.
About the interiors, what you see in the pics is how it will look with regards to the wood and aluminum distribution. The beige has a lighter dashboard shade, than the black and brown interiors. Any further changes, and you will have to pay a premium for Audi Design Selection and choose from what is available there - and there is a lot of customization available.
Since you aren't a spirited driver, the 2.0 with the CVT and FWD will be good enough. Apart from the push when the car is being floored, you will not miss anything about the driving experience, at least compared to the Mercedes. However, I am still to drive the 3.0TDi which I believe is a beast!

Since GC is an issue, any reason for not considering SUVs?
Alternately, the XF?

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Air suspension as good as it sounds has the worst failure rates, and when it fails I can close my eyes and see my past, I'm sure things have moved ahead a lot in last few years but still I'd prefer a normal suspension,

Also E lags a lot but is the best at weight savings, and the upcoming facelift should make a lot of improvements but I don't see the E breaking any grounds until the next model
Personally, I thought that the A6 would be the best at weight savings, as I believe it is the lightest of them all.
About the air suspension, that was a big problem on the S Class IIRC. Lets hope Audi has a far more reliable model.
At the moment, Audi is still not tried and tested with regards to reliability - an area where Mercedes is quite low ranked, and BMW is the best in the german trio.
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Old 18th February 2012, 20:33   #28
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

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Originally Posted by lamborghini View Post
Since GC is an issue, any reason for not considering SUVs?
Alternately, the XF?
The little bit of TD'ing of SUVs I have done on, I felt that sedans are a lot more comfortable and relaxing - in terms of NVH, fit-and-finish. Sedans also seem to offer much better equipment level for the same price. And I would like to see myself in a Sedan. Would like to stick to the Germans for now.

I am little concerned about the robustness of the CVT and air suspension. Audi has a philosophy of "vorsprung durch technik" - I want these in MMI sort of things but as far as engine and mechanicals are concerned I would prefer old-school.

In fact, I am very worried about crazy techniques being employed to win the fuel efficiency war - engine start-stop, small ORVMs, air-suspension (for less drag), regenerative-braking, low rolling resistance tires, no spare-wheel and tons of other things. And then there are emission control things. How can one hope to buy a car that lasts for a decent number of years!

Last edited by androdev : 18th February 2012 at 20:40.
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Old 18th February 2012, 22:46   #29
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

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At the moment, Audi is still not tried and tested with regards to reliability - an area where Mercedes is quite low ranked, and BMW is the best in the german trio.

I know your car is still fairly new but ill be very surprised if your Audi troubles you with regards to reliability. Cut off from reality or not, iv personally never really heard Audi ownership horror stories as such. Have you ?
Lastly you could take my car as an example. In a little more than a month sh will be turning 2 and its been 35k+ km of hard driving (like she is meant to be driven) and i have faced no trouble whatsoever.
Should be smooth sailing for you IMO
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Old 18th February 2012, 22:58   #30
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re: 2011 Audi A6 2.0 TDI. Update: Sold at 9 years and 55,000 km

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Personally, I thought that the A6 would be the best at weight savings, as I believe it is the lightest of them all.
Lamborghini, (how you been?)

Do look at the charts below, with all the talks of aluminium and being in the market 3 years after the E the weight advantage is not much, in fact when it comes to petrol models the E in certain variants has an advantage,

Yes In diesel there is some difference but still I think a lot gets spoken of Audi and it's aluminium weight saving, but I see little in the real world, and below are the figures, all taken from their German Market brochures, Have compared all Quattro Models with Mercedes 4Matic,

Regards,

And please don't anyone start a brand war here, I'm not dissing Audi, just saying there is not much to brag about, and I am not sure how much weight does additional 15L of fuel tank matter but over all I am not so impressed,

E250 Kerb Weight : 1650, A6 2.8 FSI : 1685!
E350 Kerb Weight : 1825, A6 3.0 Q : 1815! (10 Kgs not a huge diff)

Note, Fuel Tank in the A6 is 65L and E350 4 Matic is 80L.

E350CDI : 1845 4Matic : 1900, A6 3.0TDI Q : 1795!
E250CDI : 1735, A6 3.0TDI 150Kw : 1720!

In 350CDI am also including the normal car weight as thats the car we get in India.

Last edited by S350L-E240 : 18th February 2012 at 23:07.
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