A6 TDI: Is it worth it?

Hello TDI enthusiasts,

My Golf is now for sale, see also the marketplace. I'm now considering doing something nice for the family and buying an A6. I've borrowed one and have to say: it's a great car, but...

Car:
- V6 TDI 180 hp with Tiptronic, brand new, only 7,000 km driven.

Experiences:
- Super quiet compared to my TDI PD.
- relatively high fuel consumption (12.4 and 10.7 liters per 100 km over a distance of approximately 1,150 km).
- The Tiptronic transmission subjectively reduces performance, and barely provides any acceleration above 180 km/h.
- The overall design is more similar to a golf cart, with switches and other components that are often identical.
- Due to the Quattro system, the trunk is very shallow, which is not ideal for strollers!

Community:
- Camshafts and rocker arms.
- Central locking and window lifters.
- LMM
- ...various other defects, especially in older engines (for drivers who travel long distances, it's crucial that the vehicle ARRIVES at its destination!).

A new model is coming out soon, what would you recommend?
- Is a TDI engine for the A6 even worth considering, or would a gasoline engine be better (given the high prices of premium gasoline)?
- 6-speed or Multitronic? Tiptronic, on the other hand, doesn't really shock anyone.
- I can easily do without Quattro.
- Which engine? Is 163 hp better than 180 hp, or does it not matter? From which year of manufacture or engine code onwards are there fewer problems?

I would really appreciate any feedback... Holger.

'I occasionally drive the A4 2.5 TDI Quattro 6-speed model from 2002 for work. It's a bit more compact than the A6, and unfortunately, only people with leg amputations can comfortably sit in the back, but otherwise, it's probably technically identical.'
I would only buy something like that if I didn't have to pay for the upkeep myself. Last week, I had the inspection done at 120,000 km (including the timing belt) along with the brakes (new rotors for the second time) on the front, and it cost €2,500. The junior manager almost had a meltdown.
Currently, this is the third set of summer tires being used, and one set of winter tires is also worn out. The light bulbs keep burning out constantly.
'Also, I find the low-end performance a little weak. However, it sounds very nice at higher RPMs and has good power.'
The creaking noises when maneuvering are awful, but probably not a cause for concern.
I find the high clutch engagement forces uncomfortable.
Conclusion: Quattro: expensive and heavy = unnecessary? V6 TDI: not exactly a fuel-efficient engine, but a nice motor, even though as an old TDI fan, you might expect something different.
Transmission: The 6-speed manual transmission, combined with this clutch, isn't really my thing.
The processing is quite good.

Take a look at a 1.9 TDI engine in an A6 with 96 kW.
I can definitely recommend it, even after a test drive with a 180 hp model.
Mine has a significantly lower fuel consumption, currently at 6.5 liters.

Best regards, D.

I occasionally drive the A4 2.5 TDI Quattro with a 6-speed transmission for work.

And that's exactly where the problem lies!
Company cars are often driven excessively and without regard for fuel consumption. This naturally leads to very high fuel consumption and significant wear and tear on all parts. Therefore, I don't think company cars should necessarily be considered reliable references. A good example is a 110hp G4 TDI from our fleet of demo vehicles. It was a brand new car with only 400km on the odometer! A colleague of mine drove it from Hamburg to Berlin and reported afterwards that the car only had 195km on it. My only comment is: stay away from used cars that were previously company vehicles.

Well, I used to think that too. The problem is, the car we wanted (with the specific features) was a former lease vehicle. The initial issues have now been resolved, and the car hardly needs any oil (after 5,000 km, the level hasn't dropped much). Also, high RPMs (as long as they are constantly changing) and stress are actually good for the new, properly warmed-up engines.

Source: http://www.passat3b.de/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11936

Best regards, WarLord.

I haven't heard that before! Well, everyone should drive their TDI however they want, I'll stick to my general approach.

If you're buying a V6 TDI, I would recommend getting one with a Tiptronic transmission. With that transmission, the sluggish initial acceleration isn't as noticeable because that engine speed is always skipped.

I can't entirely confirm what you've heard about company cars, as these vehicles are often driven long distances, which results in a completely different wear and tear pattern. My car, for example, doesn't have the usual problems, although it does have a different, less common issue.

My car now has 167,000 km (approximately 103,700 miles) and is 4 years old, and the bodywork is still in perfect condition. There are no creaks or rattles.

The annoying thing is only the issue with the control arms, and in some models, the problem with the mass airflow sensor (BOSCH mass airflow sensor). These two things are mentioned with absolute nonchalance by Audi.

Regarding fuel consumption: The car weighs 1.8 tons when empty (A6 Avant, Quattro, Tiptronic), so with me and fuel, it's almost 2 tons. Show me a car of the same class, performance, and equipment that can achieve a fuel consumption of 7-11 liters per 100 km and, optionally, reaches 240 km/h (according to the speedometer).

You won't find this at either Daimler or BMW.

If you opt out of Quattro and Tiptronic, you can further reduce the minimum fuel consumption.

I think that's absolutely fine.

Well, if I were to buy one (but this is just my personal opinion), I would choose the V6 TDI with a 6-speed manual transmission. The automatic transmission tends to be quite fuel-thirsty with these engines.

Best regards, WarLord.

First of all, thank you very much for your responses.

'Tiptronic is not an option for me; it just doesn't seem to fit with the engine. The Multitronic is supposed to be good, but it's quite new, which makes the cars very expensive. I think, if at all, I'll go for a 6-speed without Quattro, but that's only available with 163 horsepower, which is perfectly sufficient for me. I've read that there are hardly any noticeable differences between the 163 and 180 horsepower versions. The Tiptronic also has a poor acceleration, at least that's my impression. Unfortunately, my ideal candidate is not only expensive but also rare, as most people in this class tend to order an automatic transmission and Quattro... Good things take time!'

The 1.9 TDI engine is not an option for me; the one in my Golf broke down, and I don't want to experience that again.

Regarding the engines: I can't seem to find a correlation between the letter codes and the production years or power levels (probably I'm too dumb to use the search function or I'm using the wrong search terms). Can you help me with that?

First of all, thank you very much for your responses.

'Tiptronic is not an option for me; it just doesn't seem to fit with the engine. The Multitronic is supposed to be good, but it's quite new, which makes the cars very expensive. I think, if at all, I'll go for a 6-speed without Quattro, but that's only available with 163 horsepower, which is perfectly sufficient for me. I've read that there are hardly any noticeable differences between the 163 and 180 horsepower versions. The Tiptronic also has a poor acceleration, at least that's my impression. Unfortunately, my ideal candidate is not only expensive but also rare, as most people in this class tend to order an automatic transmission and Quattro... Good things take time!'

The 1.9 TDI engine is not an option for me; the one in my Golf broke down, and I don't want to experience that again.

Regarding the engines: I can't seem to find a correlation between the letter codes and the production years or power levels (I'm probably too dumb to use the search function or I'm using the wrong search terms). Can you help me with that?

Okay, I'm ready. Please provide the German text you want me to translate.

Hello,

I've owned an A6 Avant TDI with 180 horsepower, front-wheel drive, and a Tiptronic transmission for 8 months.
'I'm actually quite happy with it: It gets about 230 miles per tank, and uses between 10 and 12 liters (closer to 10 on the highway, closer to 12 in the city). It's now done 155,000 kilometers and runs like a dream.'
Platz ohne Ende...Bank umklappen...2 komplette Fahrräder reinhauen....Klappe zu und losfahren. Great!


'Low-speed stability issues are a known problem... but Mercedes and other manufacturers also experience them.'


He's expensive... The inspection also costs a good amount of money, but 6-cylinder engines are just more expensive than 4-cylinder ones.
I would only advise against using Xenon headlights... the bulb (the burner) itself costs a whopping 180 Euros!

The automatic transmission takes some getting used to, but once you're familiar with it, it drives well. However, it doesn't turn the car into a sports car.

Ah: The LMM (likely referring to a mass airflow sensor) is from Hitachi, not Bosch, and doesn't seem to have the same issues.
My A6 has an engine code of AKE and was manufactured in May 2001.

So... that fits quite well.

However, the Passat, with its 96 kW engine and manual transmission, performs almost as well in terms of acceleration. I can at least notice on the highway that I don't really start accelerating until around 200 km/h.
Before that, the Passat is similarly good.

Think about it.

My 96kW A6 reaches almost 230 km/h on the open road, according to the speedometer.

Best regards, D.

Hi,
To both, at the speed indicated by the speedometer / climate control or stopped / via GPS?

"10-12 liters per 100 km/h is definitely far too much for a car to ever replace my current one. Unfortunately, the 6-cylinder engines are usually bought with a Tiptronic transmission, so it's hard to say what the engine actually consumes compared to the mostly manually-shifted 4- and 5-cylinder engines."

However, the 1.9 PD engine isn't without its flaws: It tends to stall when starting, both in the Passat and the A6, which isn't exactly top-of-the-line performance. On the highway, in the Passat, it doesn't feel noticeably better than my old AAT engine in the upper RPM range, and it consumes roughly the same amount of fuel.

Evening!

My car, with a 6-speed manual transmission, averages around 7.1 liters per 100 kilometers in city driving (including frequent acceleration from traffic lights). On the highway, the instantaneous fuel consumption is about 8 liters per 100 kilometers up to approximately 180 km/h. At top speed, the engine consumes around 15-16 liters, but it's a lot of fun!

Marco wrote:

Good evening! My AKN with a 6-speed manual transmission averages around 7.1 liters per 100 km in city traffic (including various stop-and-go situations). On the highway, the instantaneous fuel consumption is about 8 liters per 100 km up to approximately 180 km/h. At top speed, the engine tends to consume around 15-16 liters, but it's also a lot of fun!

That's something you can live with.