Sit in the lap of luxury

Author's Rating:

Pros: Interior, ride, overall build quality

Cons: Expensive parts and service, resale not quite as good as other german vehicles

The Bottom Line: 
Excellent car for the price if bought used.

Author's Review
I've owned my 2001 A6 for 6 months now. My previous vehicles were 2 Porsches and a twin turbo Nissan Z. This is definitely a different car than those.

The absolute best thing Audi has going for it on this car in the interior. You'd have a hard time finding another car that looks and feels this luxurious in any price range. Audi added the perfect amount of leather and wood-grain accents to the vehicle that make most Mercedes and BMW's blush with envy. Many of the controls and gauges are shared with their sister company VW, and when sitting in both, you recognize the similarities. The VW's also have excellent build on interiors, but Audi changes a few thing that are worth their premium price tag. Room is more than adequate for this size of vehicle. Even at 6'1", passengers sitting behind me have plenty of room. A neat design to also help out rear passengers it the design of the headliner. Most vehicles headliners come downward to meet the rear window. Audi built an indentation into theirs that gives the rear passengers a 1-2 inch premium on space. This is extremely helpful for very tall rear occupants. Another excellent addition to the interior is the stereo system. It's not the kind that will blow the windows out when cranked up, but and mid volumes, it will definitely surprise you. After looking at other models in the Audi line, the interiors are definitely their focus.

The exterior is also designed very well. This car is Audi's midsized car. It is slightly bigger than the A4 (the VW Passat's counterpart) and slightly smaller than the A8. My only gripe is that they designed the front bumper to stick out a little far, which (in my opinion) makes the front end look a little long. Obviously, it is something I could live with, because I bought the car. The rest of the lines are about perfect.

Trunk space is also above avg. I haven't taken a long trip in the car yet, but I'd think 2-3 large suitcases should fit in there pretty easily.

I opted for the 2.7T engine in mine. There is a little turbo lag, but being my 3rd car with turbos, this is something that doesn't bother me at all. In fact, this engine has less lag than the other two cars that had turbos that I owned previously. I also have the Tiptronic automatic transmission. It has been flawless. This car also came with all-wheel drive. So far, I haven't had it through a winter yet, but the upper midwest snowstorms will give it its first challenges on snow and ice. With all season tires, I have a feeling that this thing will handle almost anything mother nature can whip up.

My only real complaint with the car is repair costs. You must remember that you are driving a German luxury car, so be prepared to pay luxury prices for service. Parts are expensive, and labor rates will be high at you local Audi dealer. Look for a car with warranty, or buy an aftermarket warranty, and you'll be set to go.

Overall, I think it's a car worth the money. They are usually priced 10-15% less than a competitive german car new, and used are usually cheaper yet. I wouldn't suggest buying one if you plan on keeping it short-term. Their resale values aren't that good. But if you are looking at a car for a longer period, this one will likely fit the bill.