[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

Agreed & touchwood !

Just some inspiration for what i expect to see next on the A6

You want him to take a picture of his A6 in front of a BMW showroom?

Though seriously, I expect to see mods on his 5 before anything else. And upload some pictures to your thread of the new rims bro

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

You want him to take a picture of his A6 in front of a BMW showroom?

Though seriously, I expect to see mods on his 5 before anything else. And upload some pictures to your thread of the new rims bro

That'd be nice too wouldn't it ? Right in front of the BMW showroom..why not. lol

My threads been inactive long enough so honestly didnt bother.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

You want him to take a picture of his A6 in front of a BMW showroom?

Though seriously, I expect to see mods on his 5 before anything else. And upload some pictures to your thread of the new rims bro

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

That'd be nice too wouldn't it ? Right in front of the BMW showroom..why not. lol

My threads been inactive long enough so honestly didnt bother.

I have to say Akshay is spot on - if everything works out and I get the E60 as a daily drive, I would love to do that up first. But until then - please focus on the white Lau which is the current daily and highway car.

Just getting the Audi's tyres changed actually - one tyre has got a bad puncture and given the rest are also 3.5+ years old, thought it would be a good time. Even though your A4 alloys look wicked good, no upsize as its primarily a chauffeur driven car bro. Each new bump that will be felt by the passengers might be inflicted on me if I am not careful
Because of the odd size (225/55R17) options are limited. Trying out Conti PremiumContact 2 as I am very happy with the ContiSportContact 5 on the E60.

[Mission_PGPX]

I have a query to A6 owners. I am looking to upgrade from jetta and has started to research on various available attractive options, though all pre-worshiped. I have noticed and its a common voice from friend circles that the air suspension mostly needs repairs and least reliable part. I am really attracted to the pre-worshiped A6 options which are about 20-25K driven with price tag of 25-30 L. Cant imagine the value it brings. I believe that these germans if treated and maintained nicely will serve you for over 1.5 L kms easily and nothing much comes as maintenance. whats your view on this?

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by Mission_PGPX

I have a query to A6 owners. I am looking to upgrade from jetta and has started to research on various available attractive options, though all pre-worshiped. I have noticed and its a common voice from friend circles that the air suspension mostly needs repairs and least reliable part. I am really attracted to the pre-worshiped A6 options which are about 20-25K driven with price tag of 25-30 L. Cant imagine the value it brings. I believe that these germans if treated and maintained nicely will serve you for over 1.5 L kms easily and nothing much comes as maintenance. whats your view on this?

Hi,

To be very honest - aside from the Air Suspension, the vehicle will be around as reliable as the Jetta (which I assume is very similar to the Laura we own), with equally poor service, and expensive parts. This A6 in the review is driven by either myself, or an experienced driver (single, not multiple drivers) who babies it - so no question about it being maintained poorly. Any part failure / service visit has been detailed in this thread as well. With the car completing 4 years in a couple of months - should give you an idea about reliability.

Things to remember are that:
- parts will be more expensive
- there is a wait for parts. I am not sure how the Jetta fares, but the Laura also has spent weeks waiting for a particular part to come. The Audi/BMW is no different.

In general, the reliability is quite decent as it shares the same engine as the Jetta, with a much more reliable gearbox (CVT v/s DSG). Service costs too are quite reasonable and not too much more than what you spend for the Jetta, but if something does go wrong - it will definitely cost more owing to the Audi badge.
Before you pick up the car, do a thorough check on the service history to see if the car is known for problems with suspension and sensors as these are most likely to go kaput, along with the AC.

In comparison, I personally found the BMW to be much more reliable, with its first expense coming up after 7 years of use! That aside, I do not see why the Audi will not run for an equally long time barring a few niggles. The higher quality interiors, and more refined nature might just be worth the odd niggle.

My recommendation is to find a vehicle with the 5 year extended warranty. It's fine if it doesn't have all the gizmos (LED headlights, Bose audio system, etc.) - the peace of mind is worth it.
Also, please do check out the 520D. After the Jetta, the Audi will feel lifeless thanks to its steering feel and CVT gearbox - even though I find the ride/handling balance to be superior to that of the 5 series.

[Mission_PGPX]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Hi,

In comparison, I personally found the BMW to be much more reliable, with its first expense coming up after 7 years of use! That aside, I do not see why the Audi will not run for an equally long time barring a few niggles. The higher quality interiors, and more refined nature might just be worth the odd niggle.

My recommendation is to find a vehicle with the 5 year extended warranty. It's fine if it doesn't have all the gizmos (LED headlights, Bose audio system, etc.) - the peace of mind is worth it.
Also, please do check out the 520D. After the Jetta, the Audi will feel lifeless thanks to its steering feel and CVT gearbox - even though I find the ride/handling balance to be superior to that of the 5 series.

Thanks lamborghini for your valuable inputs. Initially i wasn`t even considering audi since it belongs to the same family and shares parts and engine itself. I completely ruled out audi when i saw those four rings on the disc brakes of jetta. But then took a test drive of 320d, was blown away by 8-speed ZF and 184 bhp, but the sound of bmw at idle (i felt it like swift, no hard feelings to bmw owners, the car is a jem) let me down. Also voice from friend circle made one thing sure that BMW without BSI is like a white elephant with their routine maintenance. So i was back to looking for options and then we went to udaipur in my friends A6. What a silent ride it was. I did drove her for about 50-60 kms and found it great. within those 3 days i fell in love with A6 and since then whenever i spot one, it makes my heart beat faster.

I believe usual service costs for audi is also less than that in BMW, being a performance oriented car mainly. I may be wrong in this case. Anyhow, the search is on and with yesterday`s launch of A6 matrix, i am again stumped and feel i should be more patient and with jetta just 2.5 yrs old, i definitely can wait and should wait. There is a lot more in store. But one thing is for sure, it will be a used one as my next change.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by Mission_PGPX

Thanks lamborghini for your valuable inputs. Initially i wasn`t even considering audi since it belongs to the same family and shares parts and engine itself. I completely ruled out audi when i saw those four rings on the disc brakes of jetta. But then took a test drive of 320d, was blown away by 8-speed ZF and 184 bhp, but the sound of bmw at idle (i felt it like swift, no hard feelings to bmw owners, the car is a jem) let me down. Also voice from friend circle made one thing sure that BMW without BSI is like a white elephant with their routine maintenance. So i was back to looking for options and then we went to udaipur in my friends A6. What a silent ride it was. I did drove her for about 50-60 kms and found it great. within those 3 days i fell in love with A6 and since then whenever i spot one, it makes my heart beat faster.

I believe usual service costs for audi is also less than that in BMW, being a performance oriented car mainly. I may be wrong in this case. Anyhow, the search is on and with yesterday`s launch of A6 matrix, i am again stumped and feel i should be more patient and with jetta just 2.5 yrs old, i definitely can wait and should wait. There is a lot more in store. But one thing is for sure, it will be a used one as my next change.

I definitely agree with you on the poor NVH in the BMWs. It isn't much different in other markets also - rented a 730, and X5 (don't you love upgrades ) while travelling - and both of them weren't a patch on the A6 (even the rental).
However, if you get a V6 under the hood - the engine noise is like music!!

Personally, I am surprised that your friends find the BMW to be a white elephant. Maybe the service support isn't that great. It is the complete opposite in Mumbai - and a lot of my friends who own a BMW, typically end up buying another BMW / owning multiple BMWs. I don't think the cost of service is significantly higher also.
Do check out pre-owned 530Ds - they might just change your perspective entirely.

As for the A6 facelift coming out - I drove a rental facelift A6 while in Ireland, with the same engine and gearbox that was unveiled here. Posted a short review of the car as well (link here)
If you ask me, it doesn't make sense to replace the Jetta while it is so young, but on the other hand - prices of pre-facelifted pre-owned A6's should drop. Might make more sense to pick one up now than wait 2-3 years for the FL A6 to enter the pre-owned market (because then - an all new A6 will be in offing, and not a facelift). If you do decide to make the switch, do try finding a V6 Quattro example. Alternately, you can even consider one of the older BMW's (E60 530i?) as a fun second car while retaining the Jetta as a primary daily drive.

[lamborghini]

5 years are nearly over, the Extended Warranty is ending soon too.

In a matter of two months, we're going to have two VWAG vehicles in the garage without any cover from the company (Laura @ 60Kkm and 4 years; A6 @ 33Kkm and 5 years).

Dad and I are already getting nightmares on this front, because it's clear that the A.S.S. isn't going to be a patch on BMW or Mercedes.

What's made it worse are the two recent services the vehicle has undergone (in the past one month) at Audi Mumbai East.
The first was to replace the brake pads and discs (as required) which took a total time of over 2 weeks (including waiting for nearly a week for a service appointment, and 5 days to diagnose and rectify the issue at a cost of apprx. INR 60,000).

Sadly, just after being delivered back, we noticed a suspension noise over bad bumps, only to be told that both the front suspension bushes are cut and worn out (incidentally, the car was fine prior to service), and the cost for fixing this is a whopping INR 1,00,000!
Having used Germans for a while (W211 E270CDI, E60 525D), we know that the maintenance will be expensive (but IMO this is another level of high maintenance), but what is bugging me is:

- Why wasn't this noticed when the brake pads were changed? The car has barely done 600kms since it last left their workshop, and the service appointment was made when the car had done less than 200kms from leaving the workshop.

- Isn't this too early for a vehicle that has been driven very carefully and mostly over good roads? (We take other cars out to areas with poor roads)

- The service centre sent the estimate today, a full 3 working days after the car was sent to them. This is absolutely ridiculous for a premium brand!

A lot of my BHPian friends are annoyed that I am considering shifting back to Japs, but to be honest - this is why! After owning VWAG products, peace of mind becomes so much more important than all the perceived attributes of these German elephants. Lexus - We need you!

Audi India is fighting hard for first place in the luxury car segment, but if they continue behaving like this - it is only a matter of time before WOM spreads. I for one will never recommend an Audi.
Interestingly, we were contemplating replacing our over 8 year old E60 525D with a Camry Hybrid, but I wouldn't be surprised if this gets the boot first. I believe the maintenance cost and down time for both vehicles have been on par over the last 12 months, with the BMW being nearly twice as old and having run 2x the amount the A6 has run.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Sadly, just after being delivered back, we noticed a suspension noise over bad bumps, only to be told that both the front suspension bushes are cut and worn out (incidentally, the car was fine prior to service), and the cost for fixing this is a whopping INR 1,00,000!

I think it is possible that the car hit a speed hump at high speed during or after recent service. 1 Lakh seems way to steep for that job even for a car in this segment. Can you share the break up? Just curious.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by androdev

I think it is possible that the car hit a speed hump at high speed during or after recent service. 1 Lakh seems way to steep for that job even for a car in this segment. Can you share the break up? Just curious.

I wouldn't be surprised if their driver hit a bump on the way to their workshop, as the roads that side are terrible in patches.
We dropped the vehicle to the service centre next to our office (Sewri), and their driver took it to their other service centre in Navi Mumbai (around 30kms away) to get the brake work carried out.

I say this because since the vehicle is back - the noise was reported within 24 hours to me, and the vehicle has not really traversed on poor roads or at high speeds. Dad, the primary user, hates speeding and is very particular about his car, something his long time driver is very well aware of.

Attached is a screen shot of the email, and of the estimate w/ irrelevant information (owner details, VIN, etc.) blanked out.

[coolboy007]

Am surprised that the bushes gave away so soon, if i remember correctly, you also had a shock absorber or some thing changed in warranty. VW/Skoda do not cover suspension bushes or any rubber parts (like gearbox mount) under extended warranty and seems this same policy is being carried forward by Audi.

If your car is going out of warranty soon, why do you want to get the repairs done at the authorized workshop? Mumbai would definitely have a lot of local garages who can do such a work as A6 is a good seller and the cost of doing this repair would be less than half of what Audi is quoting you. It is a well known fact with these germans to find a good local garage when the warranty runs out.

How much is the suspension warranty on A6? I have bought a 5 year/60k kms warranty with my 3 and as per the dealer, the entire suspension is covered in that tenure, what are Audi's terms and conditions. I do not even take my Vento to the authorized workshop since the warranty is over now as they give astronomical quotes for every thing.

Get the bushes yourself and get the work done outside, you would easily get oem lemforder/sachs suspension parts and any experienced garage would do it for you at half the cost and 1/3rd the time Audi quotes.

[androdev]

So typical of these workshops, make a long list of tiny expenses to run up a huge bill! Was this covered under warranty? By looking at this, you can see that Audi imports a lot of these suspension mounts and can only mean that this suspension goes kaput under Indian road conditions:
https://www.zauba.com/import-KN+MOUN...Y-hs-code.html

And also why do they have to replace so many nuts and connector links, etc. instead of reusing the old ones? Ideally only the mounts need to be replaced.

[Luv_Jaiswal]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Sadly, just after being delivered back, we noticed a suspension noise over bad bumps, only to be told that both the front suspension bushes are cut and worn out (incidentally, the car was fine prior to service), and the cost for fixing this is a whopping INR 1,00,000!

I suspect something really fishy here. If you have taken so much care of your car and even if we assume that either one or more of the many drivers there at the service centre drove your A6 roughly, the bushes can not start making noise all of a sudden. For the bushes to start making noise the struts and the bushes take on a lot of beating and then start to give up. And man, at 33,000 kms? Seriously? The bushes on my A4 are wearing out for the first time near the 49,000 kms mark and that too due to it facing quite some spirited driving.

Originally Posted by coolboy007

Get the bushes yourself and get the work done outside, you would easily get oem lemforder/sachs suspension parts and any experienced garage would do it for you at half the cost and 1/3rd the time Audi quotes.

Yes, that is anytime the best thing to do. According to my experience I have saved literally 5 times the cost when compared to the A.S.S. quotes.

Originally Posted by androdev

So typical of these workshops, make a long list of tiny expenses to run up a huge bill!
And also why do they have to replace so many nuts and connector links, etc. instead of reusing the old ones? Ideally only the mounts need to be replaced.

Yes I agree with you.
And about getting the extras changed, this is so common with the A.S.S.
They change everything that is even slightly connected to the part in question by saying that they do not want to compromise on the quality! A BIG at that!

[halfbytecode]

I think I should comment on the nuts, bolts, clamps, that are usually changed. There is some truth to it. VAG is known for using stretch bolts and nuts almost everywhere on the suspension. Torquing them down involves stretching the threads, for a firm "hold".

Even VW's Polo uses stretch bolts and nuts everywhere on the suspension.

It can be very dangerous to reuse such fasteners. They will no longer hold and can go loose eventually. There have been numerous fatalities around the world, due to the reuse of such fasteners.

Technicalities aside, FBI has published some investigation reports regarding some of the vehicular crashes in the US. They have found evidence linking the crashes with reused stretch bolts.

P.S. Refer to the service manuals in VAG's ELSA if you want to be absolutely safe in this regard. Every individual fastener that should be replaced with a new one, has an indication reflecting the same.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by halfbytecode

I think I should comment on the nuts, bolts, clamps, that are usually changed. There is some truth to it. VAG is known for using stretch bolts and nuts almost everywhere on the suspension. Torquing them down involves stretching the threads, for a firm "hold".

Thanks, that is good to know and makes sense. In that case mounts, nuts, bolts require changing. Why do they also change connecting rods and plates?

Here is how I would explain the Rs Lakh bill:

Actual part requiring replacement:
One side suspension mount: Rs 15K
Bolts and nuts and labour: Rs 10K

Unnecessary parts replaced:
One side plates and connecting link rod: Rs 15K
Bolts and nuts and labour: Rs 10K

Total cost for one side suspension job: Rs 50K
Other side suspension job as bonus: Rs 50K

My only explanation for this type of repair is that Audi engineers don't expect the suspension to go bad this soon. The mounts they use are fancy and provide excellent ride but can not take the abuse of Indian driving conditions with unexpected speed breakers, potholes, etc.