[autobahnjpr]

I recently bought a used Audi A6 35 TDI 2018 model.

Here is the link to the thread on buying dilemma.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/luxur...-guidance.html (Planning to buy a pre-worshipped Audi A6 | Need advice and guidance)

After the purchase, I made a 2000+ km trip to Vaishno Devi in the Audi. The plan was as follows

Day 1 - Jaipur - Amritsar (750 km)
Day 2 - Amritsar - Katra (250 km)
Day 3 - Darshan at Vaishno Devi
Day 4 - Katra - Attari Border - Amritsar (350 km)
Day 5 - Amritsar - Jaipur

Route - We took the tried and tested route ( jaipur->manesar->wpe->sonipat->ambala->amritsar) instead of experimenting with NH 152D which was planned to opened the same time.

Day 1 - We started at 7.30 am and reached Amritsar by 5.30 pm. We took only one break at Zhilmil Vaishni Dhaba at Karnal as everyone had done heavy breakfast and kids slept. Also being a weekday the traffic was not much and a heavy foot helped us cover the distance earlier than expected. We stayed at the TAJ and after reaching had a nice swimming session will all the family members. Then we went for dinner to taste the famous amritsari kulche chole, daal and kulfi at Bharawan da dhaba.

Unwinding at the pool


Dinner at Bharawan da dhaba


Day 2 - After breakfast, we paid obeisance at the golden temple. It was hot and the queue was long. it took about an hour for us to reach the darbar sahib.

Golden Temple


On route to Katra, we stopped at nice and scenic Coral Resort for lunch. River flows next to the sitting area and the food is ok. After crossing Lakahnpur border we were advised to lower down our window sun shades for security reasons.

Coral Resort Madhopur


We reached before sunset and it was raining there. After settling down we went to collect our passes and had nice dinner.

Day 3 - We started climb to bhawan at about 8 am and reached by 12 pm. After having darshan etc. we are free by 1.30 pm. We had lunch at Sagar Ratna at bhawan itself and by 2.40 we started climb down and reached katra by 6 pm. Everyone was tired after the climb and we just had dinner in the restaurant and slept.

Kids went in a stroller


At Bhawan


Day 4 - Started at about 10 am from Katra as everyone was tired from previous day exertion. While coming back also took a halt at Coral Resort for lunch. Reached Amritsar by 3 pm and checked in Marriott Fairfield which is near the railway station. I will not recommend this hotel due to location, parking problems and poor service. After freshing up, went to Attari to see the parade. Kids enjoyed a lot there.







After the parade, the ladies went for shopping and then we had dinner at the Makhan Restaurant which is famous for fish and has delicious veg dishes as well.

Famous Makhan Fish




By the time we went to bed it was 12 am and all were tired.

Day 5 - Started from Hotel at about 9 am and then stopped at HAVELI amritsar for breakfast. The service was very slow and we could start from HAVELI by about 10.40 am.

Haveli Amritsar


While returning it was a Sunday and there was heavy rush on the road about twice the traffic on the onward journey. In Ambala, we stopped at Sri Ram Chaat Bhandar for golgappe and aloo tikki. From Ambala the progress was even slower due to heavy traffic and diversions. We took one more break at Old Rao near Manesar before reaching Jaipur at 10.30 pm. It was a very nice journey specially for the kids before the school reopened.

Now for some car talk - The journey was very smooth and easy and no one including kids were tired due to the travel. 2 adults and 2 kids at the back were quite comfortable in the journey and time to time they took turns lying down and sleeping. As a driver, I felt no fatigue. 4 suitcases, many bags and other luggage pieces were easily accommodated in the boot. With apply car play, i could easily see navigation and listen to songs on apple music. During the journey, i took an office call for 30 minutes on the car bluetooth. During a call, if the person in the back said something, it was clear to the other person on the line. So family calls were like a conference calls. Matrix headlamps are powerful in the night and auto sensing wipers were useful in katra when it was raining.

Kitan Deti Hai - The onboard computer said 17.5 kmpl but tank to tank measurement came to 16.5kmpl. The range is about 1000 kms.

Here are some pics

[autobahnjpr]

(Continued...)
A6 is a beautiful car to look at. The front grill has chrome surrounding and the doors are also lined with chrome. Audi logo sits right in the middle at both front and back. At the back, you have the A6 and 35 TDI batching on the boot door. This is the MATRIX (so named because of matrix headlamps) edition which was launched in the year 2016, i guess, and it came in only one trim (Sline) with only one engine option, a 2 liter diesel. It produces 190 HP of power and 400 NM of torque. For a person like me, who does not set tarmac on fire or scorches the race track, it is more than sufficient. White color looks more elegant than other colors in my view.

Let the pictures do the talking now.

S-line badging on both the sides


The Sun roof is normal and not panoramic


However the roof glass is very thick and tinted so that even in full sunlight only a little sunlight filters through in the cabin. And the heat is not transferred inside.


Side mirrors have turn indicators, are heated and are wide enough to provide a nice view of the traffic behind.



Shark fin antenna at the rear part of the roof.


There are parking sensors both at the front and at the back. In the back, you have a wide angle rear view camera with dynamic turn lines and is a boon while reversing this car. In the front you have the headlamp washers on both the sides.


There are twin exhausts at the back with chrome mufflers around the tail pipes which enhance the look of the car.


Wheels are alloy wheels with all 4 disc brakes.


The central cap has a cover with AUDI logo.


All the nuts in the wheel are covered with a plastic cap and the cap has to be first removed before the nuts can be loosened. There is a tweezer type tool given to remove these plastic caps first. Also each wheel has a star nut which can be only opened by specific attachment. Maybe this is to prevent wheel theft, i guess.


The front glass has Audi logo


All the doors have sensors and the car can be unlocked with any of the door handles (there is a option to change this in MMI) when the key is near. The driver door has a key opener in case of any emergency.


The boot is large enough with about 530 liter capacity. It is more deep than shallow maybe to accommodate long items like golf kits. The loading lip is not high. The back seats can be also folded in 60:40 ratio or fully to increase the boot size. The entire boot floor and space is carpeted. However one speaker juts out and eats up some space. The two loose straps you see can be pulled down to produce hooks which can be used to hang loose items in the boot. Also the net with hooks is provided to prevent items from moving around in the boot. It is recommended only for small weight items however.


The boot lid is also carpeted and holds the safety triangle neatly tucked in it.


To the left in the boot is a covered compartment which when opened contains the BOSE amplifier.



To the right is a small space secured by net to hold small items or loose bags, newspapers etc. There is a 12V socket also provided there for any use.


The boot door side bars are also covered in good material and are not left naked.



A HANKOOK spare tyre with steel rim is provided albeit only for emergency use and has a speed limit of 80 kmph. There is a dedicated space for the same so it does not eat into boot space. The cap can be unscrewed easily to take out the spare when needed.


To aid the spare tyre removal, there is a hook provided which can be used to hook the floor space onto the boot so that both the hands are free.


Below the tyre is a foam placeholder to hold all the tools including the twizzers and the special attachment to open star nut.


Below this Foam lies the battery with all the wires and connections.


Both front and back wheel wells are carpeted to provide insulation.



The fuel lid is towards the driver side and has a nice cavity to hold the cap when the it is opened for fueling.



The washer nozzle is well hidden under the bonnet and the spray is forceful and even.


To aid matrix headlamp technology there is a camera mounted in front of the review mirror.


Matrix headlamps in the night

[autobahnjpr]

(Continued ...)

Now we continue to Interiors

The car screams luxury as soon as you step inside. Everything is top class. There are no hard plastic or sore elements inside. Everything is soft touch, wood finish or in leather.


The car is wide enough to accommodate three people but the third person at the back will have to contend with the long hump in the middle. In the front, it is all luxury and convenience.

The instrument cluster is wide and easily readable. There is an analog speedometer on the right and tachometer on the left with a digital display in the middle. It can show you all information depending on the context. All functions of audi MMI can be done through this screen and the steering wheel control which can otherwise be done through the screen and the central knob. There is a blank screen to start with.


The leather wrapped steering wheel is four spoked and the horn pad has the audi logo in the center. The horn does not extend till the steering (unlike maruti) so it take some time to get used to blowing horn.


You get this welcome screen initially


The car reminds you to press the brake pedal for shifting gears from parking.


In case you open the door without switching off the ignition, you get a nice warning message


On engine start, you get the display area showing information as set - I have set it to show digital speedometer. On the top you have the media playing and the range at the left. Below the digital speedometer there is a scrollable area which shows date, average fuel, kms covered etc since the current start.
Below this is the static section which shows time, outside temperature, trip meter and odometer. In the middle of this you see the current gear selection.
The engine temperature and fuel gauge are not dials but led illuminated indicators.


Above you have the console for front lights (all are LED), sunroof button and sunglass holder. I think it also house the microphone for telephone calls.


The car has four zone climate control with two zones each at front and back.
Knobs are nice to hold and operate. The passenger airbag switch off button is dummy and the one to its right is to operate the rear sun curtain. There is an ashtray with cigarette lighter in the covered area below.
The front climate control.


Both the front seats are electronically adjustable. Driver seat gets a memory function with two settings. I use it quite often. The memory function not only stores the seat position, steering position but also the side view mirror position. All four windows have one touch up/down function and the child lock are given in the driver door.




The steering wheel has MMI menu, selection and control and right click function on the left.
On the right, there is volume control, navigation and special button which programmable.



On the left, there are 2 stalks, the light and the cruise control. On the right is the washer wiper stalk. All are typical VW stalks.



On the right is the light switch so typical of german cars. Down below you can see the lever for opening the bonnet.


The rear view mirror is nice and is auto dimming.


The central console consists of gear level, volume switch, main knob for selection and browsing, the small touchpad, electronic parking brake, auto start stop button and all the MMI control buttons. The system is very intuitive and one can learnt it pretty quickly.


The rear doors have manual sun blinds, an arm rest and an ashtray plus the window up/down button.



The ashtray


Two climate control zones are back for the rear passengers. Below the vents is a USB port and a 12V socket.


There are AC vents also in both the rear doors.


Small hooks are provided in the rear door to hang small bags, items


The central armrest at the rear is wide and has a full fledged remote for operating the MMI from the back. Also it comes with two cup holders and some storage space.



Two led reading lamps at the back.


The rear passenger behind the front passenger seat has buttons to push the front seat forward.

[autobahnjpr]

Let's continue with the Interior...

There are coat hangers on both the rear grab handles


The front handrest is large and wide enough for both the passengers. It is leather covered but is not slidable. There are two cup holders just in the front of the handrest area with a lid to close when not in use.


There are two compartments in the handrest and both are felt lined and soft. The first floor is shallow and can hold some slim items like phones, papers etc.


The ground floor is deeper and has two USB ports and an AUX port along with coin holder. The lid does not close cover the handrest and there is little space in the front. So you can connect the phone to USB and make it jut out a little so that the lid need not be opened for accessing the phone. It can just be pulled out and then slide back in.


There is a 12V socket also along with the USB ports.


The boot open button is placed on the driver door near the bottle holder. The boot can be opened with swipe of the foot at well. However it needs to be closed manually.


The glove box is illuminated and also has two floors with nice compartments in the first floor. Ground floor is single compartment to hold large items.
In the first floor, the middle compartment has valet switch in some models which when pressed makes sure that trunk cannot be opened. The glove box opens gracefully and slowly and does not just fall down on pressing the open lever.


There is also a slider switch in the bottom section which when opened allows air conditioned air and cools the glove box.


A look at the thick and chunky headrest for the seats.


There is a slight protrusion in the rear seat where the seat belt is so that it is more comfortable for passengers.


The rear seats can be folded in 60:40 ratio and they fold flat.


There is some kind of sensor on the door but I am not sure what it is meant for.


At the back of both the front seats there is a netted magazine holder along with the ports for installing the optional AUDI entertainment package where you can fix tablets and have a nice business class travel experience.


ISO fix for child seats at the rear.


The AUDI MMI screen can be manually folded with the switch on the top.
The bottom switch resets the trip meter. There are 2 more trip meters in addition to this. One is short term which always stored details for the current trip after start of the car. The other is a long term which stores details since the last reset. The long term can be reset in the computer dashboard menu.


The lock to manually lock the seats so that they cannot be folded forward. Useful in valet mode.


The Ash tray in the front below the AC control switches. When not in use this can covered with the lid.


Another look at the rear climate control zone.


A look at the rear seats from the driver seat.


Audi MMI is a vast topic in itself and i will restrict myself to cover just some basics. It is basically an interface for setting and configuring car parameters including entertainment, telephone, driving modes, maps etc. Apple car play and Android auto is supported but it is not wireless and wire has to be connected for it to work. You can buy after market accessory to make it wireless. The screen is the interface and the rotary knob is for browsing and selecting. Car parameters can only be set through the central knob but telephone, music, maps and display can be controlled from steering wheel controls.

There are four driving modes - Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual


The car has dynamic suspension and the car height can be raised through the MMI interface with the press of the button. This is useful in rough roads or large bumpers. Till date, I have covered about 5K kilometers and the car has not scarped any bumpers without raising the height even with full load.


For multimedia entertainment, the car has CD player, 2 USB ports, 1 AUX ports, 2 SD ports and an inbuilt 10GB of hard disk to store songs and videos.


The AUDI MMI can play video as well but as a safety feature, the video playback stops as soon the car starts moving. The moment it comes to a stop, the video playback starts automatically.


The main menu of the MMI


It support both Apple Car Play and Android Auto



Normally the touchpad area remains a number pad to select upto 6 radio channels.


However in telephone mode it turns into a touch input and you can type letter which will then help you search a contact. Of course, you can do the same through voice control without typing.



Frankly speaking, I am pretty happy with the purchase. The brand value of the car is something which needs to be experienced. I have gone a notch higher in my neighbors eyes.

I feel it is the perfect sedan. For me the main thing is the sheer comfort and luxury it offers while travelling distances and how it easily accommodates people and luggage. That is what is most satisfying. The ride quality is excellent even at high speeds and the cabin is silent. I have driven long distances in single trip and everyone is quite relaxed and energized after the trip. The car has 600W 14 speaker BOSE system and plethora of options to keep you entertained during the journey. Rear Passenger have their own climate control, sun blinds at sides and rear, handrest with cupholders and remote to operate the MMI.

8 airbags and plethora of active and passive safety features makes the drive safe for you and your loved ones. You can travel full load with people and luggage and it will happily take you in comfort and luxury. I get a fuel average of 16-17 kmpl on highway and 13-14 km in the city and thus long trips are not heavy on wallet. For an average driver like me, it offers decent power and driving pleasure.

I can use SIRI/GOOGLE to play music or ask for directions. Use the car controls to attend office and personal calls (MS teams calls also), not get tired during long journeys and always get attention or preferential treatment which parking etc.

The steering is very light. In fact steering of my honda city feels heavy now. However, in dynamic mode, at high speeds, it weighs up considerably. Light steering helps in easy parking but due to the length of the car, it takes effort to park it properly. The rear camera is a boon and even in dark, the light next to the camera lightens up the area brightly. In spite of being a long car, it drives like a small car and sometimes I get a feeling of driving my old zen.

On twisty roads and curving flyovers, the cars corners well. I am yet to drive on hairpin bends and very sharp turns but it rides well on twisty roads. However you can feel the turn if you do it at high speed. Sometimes, I put the gear shift in manual and use paddle shifters for better control, specially on hilly roads.

The car cocoons you from outside world and noise and you can just imagine yourself sitting in your drawing room. Therefore, you have to be extra alert specially in city traffic when you have two wheelers trying to squeeze past every inch with helmets dangling from their forearms.

If the MMI screen is folded down, the minute you engage reverse gear, it automatically comes up and shows the rear camera view. The camera view stays on for some time even while moving forward upto some speed till the car senses that you have done reversing and then switches view to normal MMI view.

There is a parking button also given in case you want to manually view the parking view. The car does not have 360 degree camera but I find the rear view side mirrors and the rear camera combination to the sufficient. The bonnet is large and thus needs some time to getting used to.

Cruise control works like a charm and I have used to extensively on WPE. Once set, it gets disengaged when you press the brake pedal. But just pull the cruise control stalk towards you and it resumes with the earlier set speed. That time the acceleration is brutal till the set speed. It just rockets. Therefore it is recommended to use this only when the road ahead is clear.

I have read that the transmission is programmed such that when the car is idle, it cuts off and thus I do not put the car in neutral gear while waiting at traffic signal, a practice while I follow with my automatic honda city.

Auto sensing wipers work well. They are very helpful in rainy conditions. I have not got a chance to use them in heavy rains but in light rain, i have found that they work well. Windshield spray is even and forceful and wipes do a nice job of cleaning the windshield.

In spite of my initial fears regarding ground clearance etc. the car has not scraped anywhere so far. My honda city front mud flap would have scrapped at least few times on the same roads.

I wish it had ventilated seats and an inbuilt dashcam because already there is a 10 GB hard disk which could be used for recording. In today's times, I feel that dashcam is must.

I wish everyone safe and happy journey.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Reviews section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage tomorrow

[Porcupine]

Congratulations on your new ride! I owned the exact same spec, Matrix S-Line A6 in white with brown interior. I was surprised by its buttery smooth drive, and the light and nimble steering wheel. The way the car is set up and tuned, it feels faster than it should, which is a fun thing for a driving enthusiast.

Originally Posted by autobahnjpr

There is some kind of sensor on the door but I am not sure what it is meant for.

The sensor is a round red LED to let you know that your doors are locked and your alarm is set. When you lock the car and walk away in the night time, you can see the red light flash if you look carefully.

Amazing trip report as well. Hope you enjoy many more miles in your new ride in good health!

[sauravpat]

The dark wood trim is just amazing. Congrats on the ride

[ritedhawan]

You leapfrogged from a Suzuki Dzire to Audi A6 which has already gone through 60K km. Brave decision. You have driven it for a considerable time on the plains since you bought the car which should give you the hang of it. According to your own admission, this is the heart overcoming the mind's decision to buy A6.

If you have already set aside a set amount to take care of the future expenses that you may incur, the expenses which are part and parcel of a premium brand car that has already gone through 60K km, and if you are careful, sedate driver. Then who knows the long-term ownership of the A6 may bring joy to you. Do keep us posted as you keep driving the A6.

[GForceEnjoyer]

The interior is incredibly tasteful, great choice of car. Amritsar (The Golden Temple + food) and the Wagah Border are things everyone should experience sometime, amazing travelogue!

[Brumby]

Congratulations for your new car. Though mentioned its pre-owned, its a clean car and doesn't have any signs of a pre-owned luxury.

The travelogue about your journey to Mata Vaisnho Devi temple in Katra brought back memories of my town/village. Its been 3 years since I have been there.

The Coral river resort, Madhopur has been a stop for all the tourists traveling through this route for as fas as I can remember. It used to be owned and run by government of Punjab until late 90s. There used to be an ice-cream parlour and a milk-bar (yes you read it right, a "MILK BAR") in this resort. Spent my childhood and teenage years in these surroundings.

My village and a part of the cantonment is on the other side of the canal.

Wish you a happy ownership, miles & smiles.

Cheers

[Sanidhya mukund]

Congratulations on the purchase!

I am a big fan of this generation of the Audi A6. The exteriors exude a sense of understated elegance while the interiors are properly sumptuous and luxurious. In fact, I find the interiors to be 1-2 notches above the W212 E-class in terms of sheer premium feel.

I also like the fact that despite being a generation old, this car does not look or feel dated by any means due to its design being very similar to the latest model.

Wishing you thousands of happy miles with your new ride!

[sgmuser]

Great drive you have got there buddy. Very detailed write up on the car also. Congrats and happy mile munching.

[autocratic1107]

Nice and tasteful detailing of the car, got a feeling I was reading the first time Team BHP review of A6. Regarding the ground clearance, does it take time to get used to it, as I am planning for a similar sedan coming from a hatchback?

Congrats on your purchase and wishing you many more happy and safe miles ahead.

[Chimera]

Compared to a bmw 3/5 series is there any difference with respect to the reliability of audi A3/4/6. The A6 with its air suspension can have a big repair bill when it does stop working. Aren't there any workarounds to the air struts,can't a regular strut be fitted as a replacement or conversion kit?.

[autobahnjpr]

Originally Posted by autocratic1107

Nice and tasteful detailing of the car, got a feeling I was reading the first time Team BHP review of A6. Regarding the ground clearance, does it take time to get used to it, as I am planning for a similar sedan coming from a hatchback?

Congrats on your purchase and wishing you many more happy and safe miles ahead.

Ground clearance is more than adequate even with full load. plus you have the option to raise suspension if needed in emergency situations. I have no worries on that front.

Originally Posted by Chimera

Compared to a bmw 3/5 series is there any difference with respect to the reliability of audi A3/4/6. The A6 with its air suspension can have a big repair bill when it does stop working. Aren't there any workarounds to the air struts,can't a regular strut be fitted as a replacement or conversion kit?.

Not sure what you mean by stop working. most of the issues in air suspension is due to air balloon leakage or puncture. that is easily replacable. I am not qualified to comment on reliability but space wise , Audi A6 was more space than 5 series.