I have recently had a new shape A6 2.0 Tdi S-Line Multitronic on a 5 day extended test drive and here are my thoughts.
To put a bit of background to this, my company car is due for renewal and I had originally short listed a Merc E and a 5 series for test drives. Unfortunately the E has now been removed from my list so although I wasn’t that keen, I decided to drive an Audi as a comparison to the BMW 5 series. My ‘anti’ Audi stance stems from a new 2004 A4 Sport I had in the past. The suspension on that car was rock hard and I hated the car because of it. From what I have read, Audi S Lines and very hard suspension go hand in hand together so I have never considered them. That and the fact most Audi’s look boring in my eyes….
Anyway, I phoned the lease company and asked for an S-Line as I wanted the worst ride possible; to really see if this car can be acceptable for a family of four and be comfortable doing 30,000 miles per year.
The car was delivered to my home address and looking around it for the first time was a bittersweet moment. It looked fabulous; it was ‘muscular’ if that makes sense and much nicer up close and personal than photos or passing one on the motorway suggested. The ‘bitter’ part was the fact that the car had been delivered on optional 19” alloys rather than the standard 18”. This really would test the ride.
Anyway, once in the car, the quality just oozed throughout. Nice leather on very supportive and comfortable seats (manual rather than electric adjustment though) and a beautiful tactile feel to all the controls. I liked the way the sat-nav popped out of the dash but some of my friends didn’t. Each to their own.
Judgement time - driving it. Popped it into D and away we went.
The car was very quiet and very refined. Just what is needed on a long motorway drive. Surprisingly, it also handled considerably better than I was expecting for a big FWD car. Pressing on (dry roads admittedly), I felt no signs of under steer, something I was expecting from an Audi. The steering feel was poor but I think that is synonymous with all modern cars with electric power steering. I also think that all cars that I could get would also suffer with this lack of feel.
The ride was extraordinary. It just rode over the bumps and ridges. Yes, it was firm but never uncomfortable. Far more comfortable than my current Subaru Legacy diesel.
A definite tick in the box for ride, handling and NVH - what I need in the real world.
Performance was adequate I would suggest. In normal driving it hardly ever got above 2,000 RPM and always felt that it wasn’t even trying. On the motorway 80 MPH was a tad under 2,000 PM. However when you floored it, it was acceptable, nothing more. However, one big caveat that I would like to add is that the car had only done 500 miles and it did feel very tight. I would expect performance to improve as the miles pile on. Likewise economy was poor to average at an indicated 39MPG over 500 miles. This should also improve as the engine loosens up.
To those that think 39MPG from a large car with an auto box is good, please consider my driving is mostly motorway and I normally get very close to the official combined figure for most cars.
All in all, I was very impressed with the car. It is certainly high on my consideration list with the BMW 5. It is better equipped than the 5 SE spec that I can get but I suspect it won’t drive as well. However I think the driving experience between the two cars will be a lot closer that I initially thought, so the extra kit that the Audi comes with may well swing it.
A BMW 520d SE is delivered at the end of the month for a four day test so I’ll let you know my thoughts.
If you have any questions about the Audi, please ask and I’ll try to answer them.
Thanks
a900ss
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Good contribution, '900, and I promise not to hijack this one for my own ends (although it's indirectly your fault that we now seem to be heading towards Stuttgart rather than Gothenburg.)
Very interesting what you say about the ride. My recent Audi experience is limited to older A6s that occasionally collect me from Heathrow, and are noticeably less comfortable than the equivalent Mercedes, Volvo and even BMW saloons on the same route. I wonder if someone at Audi noticed that they were selling cars that weren't really suited to UK conditions and got the engineers to make some changes.
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>> Good contribution, '900
Seconded, WdB.
I appreciate the time and effort that you took, a900ss, in compiling an interesting and informative report. Thank You!
I was really surprised to hear that an S-line on 19 inch wheels can ride as well as you say. Last time that I tried an s-line it was horrible.
Your conjecture that fuel economy would improve once the engine loosens up is very shrewd. I too started around the 40 mpg mark on my A5 Multitronic, but after 14k this is now up to 47 mpg, and on a long motorway run I easily get low fifties. (I drive like Miss Daisy, mind you, keeping to the speed limits).
I love my car, so would tend to defend Audi, but I would be amazed if you don't find that the BMW 520d SE thrashes the Audi to within an inch of it's life - especially if it is fitted with the trick suspension. It's a superb car, and regular forummers will know that I am not usually so full of praise for BMW! :-)
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I drive like Miss Daisy...
In the back seat?
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>> I drive like Miss Daisy...
>>
>> In the back seat?
>>
I humbly apologize for obviously misusing a popular phrase. It obviously has backfired on me and made me look an idiot, so I'll stop trying to be clever and rewrite it in plain language:
"I drive very carefully and within my limits, almost as if I am on my driving test".
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And in fairness to the 39MPG I got from the A6, I am a typical company car driver and drove it like I stole it!!!! On the motorway I don't really go above 90 as I need my licence but I do 'press on' when I safely can.
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>> On the motorway I don't really go above 90
Don't go above 96mph on the motorway (real and not indicated on the motorway) and the worst will be 3 points and a £60 fine. Get to 97mph and get caught and you'll have to go in front of the magistrates.
I did 97mph in 1998 and got caught. Never gone nearly as fast again on the motorways. That year I was doing about 30000 miles so the extra speed made a difference and I got away with it for a while. It was why I got cruise control on the replacement to the Vectra... a Golf GTi 1.8T.
Annoying I got caught in South Wales on an empty M4 on a Sunday afternoon in the sun... So the danger was only to myself.
Sorry for thread drift.
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>> I was really surprised to hear that an S-line on 19 inch wheels can ride as well as you say
My car has only 18" wheels but I am surprised it rides as well as it does. Maybe partly to do with adaptive dampers but even on sport it rides well.
Good to hear about the A6 - all Audi's in S-Line spec are meant to be very firm. But sounds to me if comfortable enough.
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Was the A6 fitted with the optional adaptive air suspension by any chance?
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Despite being an Audi fleet car and having over £6k worth of options, it did not have the air suspension.
All A6's come with some electronic trickery (Drive Select or something like that) but without the air suspension it cannot adjust spring/damper rates. Supposedly it adjust steering weight, speed of changing auto gears and at what engine speed it changes up/down. I really couldn't be bothered with all that as if I did get an A6 I'd never use it anyway so I just left it in auto setting.
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Good point about the demo car having adaptive suspension (or dampers?). I am sure my car without the adaptive dampers would not be so good. Lowered sport suspension and 18" wheels.
Perhaps making sure all the options you like on the demo car are standard. Demo cars often come with extras.
I think the only extras on my demo car were bi-xenons (helped me choose them as they were costly) and folding/dimming door mirrors (cheap option anyway and the car is quite wide).
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Very enlightening - many thanks a900ss.
As I've often said, the Audi v BMW comparison is a matter of personal preference and the way you like to drive.
BMWs need to be driven to the limit to get the best out of them, and they are at their best on twisty B-roads, which for some reason most road testers seem to think is the only way to judge a car's handling. Steering 'feel' seems to be the holy grail.
Audis suit a more laid-back style of driving and the controls are lighter if not quite so precise. I would choose an A6 over a 5-series personally but it'll be interesting to see what you think of them when you've tried both.
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>> BMWs need to be driven to the limit to get the best out of them,
>> and they are at their best on twisty B-roads, which for some reason most road
>> testers seem to think is the only way to judge a car's handling. Steering 'feel'
>> seems to be the holy grail.
I would disagree with that. There's a lot you can appreciate about the way BMWs drive without getting them sideways. RWD gives steering that is uncorrupted by power, and has beautiful accuracy. The front wheels are pushed well forward towards the nose, ich gives a very reassuring sense of the driver being the central point around which the whole car pivots. Then you have the driving position which sits you low, and very much 'in' the car rather than 'on' it. And a gearbox which is short and sweet shifting, with a lovely direct, mechanical feel. There's a driver focus which instantly makes you feel confident and at ease with the car, even in normal A to B motoring. Of course, when you do push them, they respond beautifully, but I don't believe you need to do this in order to enjoy them.
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>> The front wheels are pushed well forward towards the nose
But not so far forward they couldn't have 4WD. Otherwise the 4WD versions of the 3 and 5 series would not be possible. Not that we get those in the UK (yet).
>> Then you have the driving position which sits you low, and very much 'in' the car
Why is that anything to do with FWD, RWD or 4WD?
I assume all the other points are BMW related then? Gearbox in my Mazda6 was like a Mazda MX-5 and lovely... until it stopped shifting without effort ;-)
Last edited by: rtj70 on Sun 11 Mar 12 at 23:55
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Why is that anything to do with FWD, RWD or 4WD?
I don't think DP meant it was, RTJ. A line break might have helped, but I think he was just listing aspects of BMWs that can be appreciated at moderate speeds, some of which derive from a RWD layout.
Incidentally, it hadn't occurred to me before that 'power corrupts' could be applied in engineering as well as political philosophy.
}:---)
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I personally wouldn't get a car on the expectation that the fuel economy will improve - especially if your company pays an HMRC 'flat rate'. I did this with an A4 B7 PD and it never improved to better 40mpg even driven like the accelerator was made of glass.
Whereas my BMW 330d bettered the expected fuel economy in all circumstances, if the A6 didn't deliver on your test then it probably won't deliver when you get one.
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The A6 is a big bus - I doubt a 2.0l engine will give good economy or performance.
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>> The A6 is a big bus - I doubt a 2.0l engine will give good
>> economy or performance.
It's a 177PS 2.0l engine though - ok the 57mpg combined might not be achievable, but the 8.7s 0-62 should be, which I wish my Focus could do :)
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...which I wish my Focus could do :)...
Find a steep hill and start at the top.
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I am sure if I drove at the speeds used in the official emissions test and accelerate gently I'd get a lot more mpg out of my 2.0 diesel. But where's the fun in that? I might as well have got the 140PS engine if that's the case.
My car is probably heavier than the A6 so I would imagine it's fine with a 177PS engine. But you'd have to drive carefully to get the official figures.
Around town with short journeys I have no chance of getting anywhere near. On motorways etc. then I could. But as a percentage of costs I'm not missing out on much.
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Iffy's (not meaning to pick on him personally) statement about small engine in big car is an oft-repeated article of faith here, but how much scrutiny does it bear?
Official mpg figures are obtained from a simulation of low-stress driving conditions - regular town driving and extra-urban cruising. That will use a higher proportion of a small engine's capabilities, so that should give it a better chance of achieving that in real driving. A larger engine offers the temptation of power to use, so will require more self-restraint to achieve good economy.
Of course, a big engine driven gently can give good fuel economy - my 2.4-litre Volvo has consistently bettered 45mpg in mostly motorway use. But I suspect 'small engines work too hard to be economical' is a canard put about by those who want a bigger engine and are looking for a justification.
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Incidentally (although I've promised this thread isn't about me) 2.1 litres and 170PS seemed quite adequate in the E220 we drove on Saturday. That starts about 200kg heavier than the equivalent Audi, and was carrying about 330kg of bodies as well. Can't comment on fuel consumption but plenty of E220 owners on the MB Club site report better than the official 39mpg. E280 owners generally report something similar, which says to me that driving style matters more than the size of the engine.
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>> I personally wouldn't get a car on the expectation that the fuel economy will improve
>> - especially if your company pays an HMRC 'flat rate'.
I put the MPG in there purely for peoples reference. I take a company fuel card that pays all my private mileage in return for a set income tax payment.
That's why the CO2 output is very important to me (and therefore BIK) rather than the actual MPG.
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>> I put the MPG in there purely for peoples reference. I take a company fuel
>> card that pays all my private mileage in return for a set income tax payment.
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>> That's why the CO2 output is very important to me (and therefore BIK) rather than
>> the actual MPG.
>>
Fair enough, my employer no longer offers fuel cards due to what most people of my acquaintance thought were punitive tax implications and a consequent very high degree of opt-out. In fact I would express some surprise that a fuel card is seen as a viable option these days due to a long-standing stated government policy of taxing them out of existence.
What's the break-even for private miles these days - I'm sure it used to be more than 12K pa ?
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>> What's the break-even for private miles these days - I'm sure it used to be
>> more than 12K pa ?
>>
'Free' fuel for this Audi will cost me about £130 a month in income tax. So I reckon just under 10k private miles is break even point. I do about 12 to 13k private PLUS it means no admin to get my business mileage paid back through expenses.
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FWIW HJ gives the A6 5 stars:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/audi/a6-saloon-2011/
"... The 2.0 TDI model with 177PS averages a claimed 57.6mpg with CO2 emissions of just 129g/km - an exact par with the BMW 520d. It doesn't hang around either and has plenty of torque giving a great turn of pace.
It's so good, it's right up there alongside the 5 Series in leading the executive class..."
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I've just picked up my new F30 320d ED this afternoon, and the computer, after 55 miles of mixed driving, is showing 59.1 mpg!
I look forward to confirming / disproving that over the next few weeks.
Will post my thoughts on the car when I've spent a bit more time with it, but cannot believe the economy from what is still a very tight engine. Fairly shifts as well, even sticking to the 3500 RPM running in rule.
Bodes well for the latest 520d, which is why I mention it here.
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Well I'm the OP and the BMW 520 dSE Auto has arrived today for a three day comparison test drive.
Initial thoughts after only driving for an hour - underwhelmed.
I hope it grows on me over the weekend and I'll update you all after I've spent a reasonable amount of time behind the wheel.
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Which version of the 2.0 engine have you had ?
Did it have enough diesel in it !?
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>> Initial thoughts after only driving for an hour - underwhelmed.
Having driven 3 diesel 5 series including a 530 that is my impression as well.
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Audi - My test with a new shape Audi A6 - WillDeBeest
