[GTO]

Putting in some thoughts as a 5-Series owner.

• I LOVE the styling. If I had an A6, every Sunday morning, I'd go down with a cup of tea and admire its lines for an hour. This has got to be one of the most handsome sedans ever made (equally, I HATE the E-Class' weird lines).

• Really like the dynamic sweeping blinkers & the fact that it has one tailpipe on both sides (instead of both on one side) .

• Spacious backseat is a big plus over the 5-Series. As you've seen in my 530d review, it offers poor legroom at the rear. @ Ajmat: IIRC, you were recently stuck in the back of a 520d and found it hard to get out?

• Cars from this segment just have to have a 6-cylinder for that '50 lakh' experience. Shocking that a 60 lakh Audi shares its engine with a 15 lakh Jetta. Sure, it might have more power, but the A6 also weighs a lot more than the Jetta. Won't be any difference in the power to weight ratio.

It's like going for dinner to the Zodiac Grill and then, not having desert to save $$$ . You'll enjoy the experience, but you will find it incomplete.

• Happy to see a fitting gearbox. The CVT was depressing.

• To an enthusiast, the difference in dynamics & feel of a RWD vs FWD will be very obvious (not so much to the layman).

• 5 year extended warranty at 75k is at a throwaway price. BMW's pricing is much higher.

• One thing that turns me off about Audis is their lifeless, dull steering. The A6 has the worst steering in the segment.

• Spare wheel well is a major advantage over the 5.

[Strella]

Nice review. Covers all the important points. Wish You could also request Audi for a 1.8 TFSI review also. As mentioned by a few others, the engine output is not good enough for such an expensive car.

On a lighter note, did you by any chance check the emission of the car while it was on the road.

[katchkamalesh]

I agree with you Ajmat, these headlights are super expensive to replace in case of an damage.

I read that each unit cost around AUD 5,800 for Audi A8.

However, these headlights offer staggering benefits in terms of safety and convenience for road users.

source

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Audi 100 C3

Brings back memories of the Audi 80 (I think it was the predecessor of the A4) that I owned in UK during my college days.

[anish5225]

The matrix headlamp technology concept doesn't seem logical to my indian mindset. Why would a car buyer pay big bucks for protecting other drivers eyes? And when majority drives on high beams all the time. The concept doesn't sound fundamentally correct from an indian driver's perspective....

[maven]

Originally Posted by anish5225

The matrix headlamp technology concept doesn't seem logical to my indian mindset. Why would a car buyer pay big bucks for protecting other drivers eyes? And when majority drives on high beams all the time. The concept doesn't sound fundamentally correct from an indian driver's perspective....

Agree completely. Such advance lighting system would obviously be very expensive.
From the time I heard about the feature, it didn't make any sense purely from the view that driving with full beam is a national sport.

[viren83]

That’s a great and a detailed review for a facelift.
I’ve one question for you Ajmat: what percent of that 530d drive smile was there when you drove the new A6? 😀

Must say, the A6 provides the best designed interior in the segment.
But, this so called matrix edition is nothing but a mere marketing gimmick to support the new gear box and feature combo to boost the sales before AUDI(and the other 2 germans) launches the next-gen A6. As much as they are promoting the awesome headlights in their ads, they should've focused on the new gear box and that classy wooden trim as well. I even like the new bumper without the fog lamps. The vacant fog lamp dam makes the car look muscular compared to the prev-gen model.

Are you sure the model you reviewed supports touch based input as I see numbers 1-6 marked near gear lever which are all assigned different user tasks. The touch based setup doesn't feature numbers on the trackpad.

The A6 has got everything what a Skoda Superb's owner would expect during an upgrade. Fact is, when it comes to interior design, quality and the layout, the A6 blows away the 5 series and E-class. The A6's back seat Comfort along with leg room is the real icing on the cake. A6 gives a feel of baby A8.

Off topic, need advice from fellow BHP-ians. I'm forcing my uncle, who loves driving, to get the 5 series instead of the CLA. His current drive is a civic and he's quite happy with it. Does the A6 makes a case here considering both 520d and A6 would more or less offer similar experience in city. The difference in steering responsiveness and chassis feedback would be negligible during in city drive where his commute to work would be less than a km in crowded area.
The only thing tilting towards the 5 is its driver oriented setup, cash discounts of 6L and the brand name, which my uncle prefers over Audi.

As much as I love the driving dynamics of the bimmer, I hate it for its back seat and the useless small ORVM. Moreover I've experienced some crude shocks in 520i even at small humps, Even the thick layers of paint meant for reducing speed are felt badly in the bimmer.

Hope Audi can throw some good discounts(3-8L) before the festive season starts.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by viren83

That’s a great and a detailed review for a facelift.
I’ve one question for you Ajmat: what percent of that 530d drive smile was there when you drove the new A6? ��

Honestly - let's not compare apples to oranges. The A6 with its lifeless steering, average performance is no where close to the BMW as far as driving experience is concerned.

Are you sure the model you reviewed supports touch based input as I see numbers 1-6 marked near gear lever which are all assigned different user tasks. The touch based setup doesn't feature numbers on the trackpad.

That is how it is in the A6. The models without the touchpad have physical buttons that need to be pressed.

Off topic, need advice from fellow BHP-ians. I'm forcing my uncle, who loves driving, to get the 5 series instead of the CLA. His current drive is a civic and he's quite happy with it. Does the A6 makes a case here considering both 520d and A6 would more or less offer similar experience in city. The difference in steering responsiveness and chassis feedback would be negligible during in city drive where his commute to work would be less than a km in crowded area.
The only thing tilting towards the 5 is its driver oriented setup, cash discounts of 6L and the brand name, which my uncle prefers over Audi.

As much as I love the driving dynamics of the bimmer, I hate it for its back seat and the useless small ORVM. Moreover I've experienced some crude shocks in 520i even at small humps, Even the thick layers of paint meant for reducing speed are felt badly in the bimmer.

If he enjoys driving - look at the E Class. SInce you find the BMW too stiff, the E is a perfect balance between comfort and handling - specially on Indian roads. The A6 engine and steering are no where close to that of the 520D or the E250CDI.
Plus the E Class backseat is a few notches higher than that of the A6.

Yes - you lose out on air suspension, and nicer interiors, but with the huge discounts and peace of mind that you would get in exchange - make it worth it

And honestly - I find the A6 a little cumbersome to navigate in heavy traffic. Yes, it has a light steering but the visibility is no where as good as that of an E-Class.

Lastly - for such a low running, look at the petrol options instead. Your uncle will waste more time idling the engine before and after the drive than actually driving it.

Originally Posted by GTO

Putting in some thoughts as a 5-Series owner.

Perfectly summarised!
We have an A6 pre-FL in the garage, along with an E60 525D - and your views are bang-on.
Just one observation - the A6 rear seats are quite low making it difficult for tall people to get in and out.
Lastly - the extended warranty is worth every penny! I believe ours has already paid for itself with the AC, Air Suspension, and an engine bearing going bust!

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by GTO

• Spacious backseat is a big plus over the 5-Series. As you've seen in my 530d review, it offers poor legroom at the rear. @ Ajmat: IIRC, you were recently stuck in the back of a 520d and found it hard to get out?


• To an enthusiast, the difference in dynamics & feel of a RWD vs FWD will be very obvious (not so much to the layman).


• One thing that turns me off about Audis is their lifeless, dull steering. The A6 has the worst steering in the segment.

Wrong, it was a 530d which was worse. The A6 is a rear passenger car. I enjoyed the ride back in the rear. An E class has the better seat and ride but the A6 has a great ambiance

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by viren83

That’s a great and a detailed review for a facelift.
I’ve one question for you Ajmat: what percent of that 530d drive smile was there when you drove the new A6? 😀

.

5% - it was more of a raised eyebrows when it would not willingly go into a corner

[viper_711]

Originally Posted by ajmat

There is a 20 mm difference. The suspension does not adjust with speed



Thanks, discounts will make it a chauffered VFM package

I hate cricket so never got dates right. Will make corrections

Suspension does not adjust to speed? are you sure? My 2012 A6 automatically lowers the car when the speed crosses 100 km/h. The steering too stiffens appreciably after crossing 100 km/h. It then does not come up automatically when you slow down and has to be raised through the MMI interface. The 20-25 mm difference makes a world of a difference in avoiding speed bump scrapes in BLR city!

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by viper_711

Suspension does not adjust to speed? are you sure? My 2012 A6 automatically lowers the car when the speed crosses 100 km/h. The steering too stiffens appreciably after crossing 100 km/h. It then does not come up automatically when you slow down and has to be raised through the MMI interface. The 20-25 mm difference makes a world of a difference in avoiding speed bump scrapes in BLR city!

Actually - when you raise the car height, it automatically reduces to normal once you cross 40kmph.

[viper_711]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Actually - when you raise the car height, it automatically reduces to normal once you cross 40kmph.

My car doesn't. I can't comment on other year models. My car lowers only after crossing 100. I drive it in raised mode in the city and often cross 40km/h but it does not lower at this speed.

[rishi_kapoor]

Agree with Viper. It only lowers if you cross 100 and yes 25 mm does make a lot of difference.

I don't agree with lifeless steering comment. I have a A6 C7 (current gen without matrix LED) 3.0 V6 and if you change drive mode to dynamic the steering is a notch lower than my BMW E90 (yes bimmer's steering is better). But Quattro with V6 puts such a smile on your face that a RWD 530 cant match, again this is my personal opinion having extensively driven a 545i and now E90.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by rishi_kapoor

Agree with Viper. It only lowers if you cross 100 and yes 25 mm does make a lot of difference.

I don't agree with lifeless steering comment. I have a A6 C7 (current gen without matrix LED) 3.0 V6 and if you change drive mode to dynamic the steering is a notch lower than my BMW E90 (yes bimmer's steering is better). But Quattro with V6 puts such a smile on your face that a RWD 530 cant match, again this is my personal opinion having extensively driven a 545i and now E90.

The quattro is a different ball game. Rear driven wheels makes a big difference