Considering a C7 A6 (general thoughts and PPI recommendation)

"Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs" (yowen) 12/12/2018 at 13:59 • Filed to: None

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Hey Opponauts, the SHO is something I think I’d rather not be burdened with anymore. I elected to keep buy it back from insurance, but I have however had some good offers on it, so I will probably sell it as it sits. Running, but ugly, lol.

So within my budget and my tastes, the C7 A6 has jumped out, I’d love to get the S6 with the 4.0T, but it’s just a bit outside of my budget, while the A6 is well under my budget and still has decent power with the 3.0T (especially APR tuned, which will be in the budget since this car is under budget) and decent transmission in the ZF 8-speed slush box.

From my extensive forum and reddit reading, it seems like a reliable car. I’d love to roll the dice on an older V10 S6 or something with the 4.2 V8, but YIKES.

I’m also still mulling over the Jaguar XF 3.0SC AWD.

I’m thinking of looking one in the Elmhurst IL area (Chicago burb), any recommendations on a place where I could get a PPI done?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 14:25

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If you want a pleasing interior, the Audi will be the nicer, albeit  more common car.

Tripper > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 14:25

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I had a C7 S6 for about a week it was awesome, but numb. One of the few negatives I took away from just over 3 years with an S3 is that a lot of the excitement of driving is killed by how good the car is at doing things on its own.

The S6 exaggerated that even more. It’s impressive when you whip it around a corner but you’re like “hmmph, I thought that would be more fun. ” Super nice car, just not exciting. 

As far as reliability, a  colleague has a 2012 or 2013 3.0 A6 and has had very little trouble with it. Couple of flats, but that is it.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 14:28

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I was researching this a few months back. Seems the 3.0T and ZF is solid, can’t speak to the rest of the car. Audis have started becoming reliable, especially A4s and A6s after 2015.

NKato > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 14:39

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I looked up your post. That’s damage similar to what I suffered on the Queen. I’d say you could probably replace the damaged body parts by buying replacement components from Ford or a junkyard, and having a mechanic do the work.

You can also shop around at body shops that don’t do insurance work ( shops that revolve around issuance, their rates are usually higher).

Chances are, if your SHO doesn’t need any sensor fixes, it’s going to be easy. But you can sell it to someone who will do it.

As for the Audi, I have my doubts. Jag sounds like a better bet because AWD.

Alternately, you could check out Chicago Motors Inc, they buy used fleet and police vehicles across the nation and resell. They have Caprices, Crown Vics, Taurus, Impala, Tahoes. You could consider those, but inspect thoroughly.

way2blu does a rev update > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 14:41

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Not sure what these cost pre-owned, but here’s something the size of an A6 with the engine of a C7:

Tripper > NKato 12/12/2018 at 14:55

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You’d rather have Jag’s AWD than Audi’ s?!

WiscoProud > way2blu does a rev update 12/12/2018 at 15:18

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They cost a lot. Well in excess of a used A6. 

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > NKato 12/12/2018 at 15:24

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I did consider the Caprice, but it’s just a bit too bare-bones for my liking. And not quite the aftermarket support as other LS powered cars. Although I imagine with enough research I could find parts that cross over.

You’d pick a  Jag’s AWD over Audi’s Quattro AWD?

NKato > Tripper 12/12/2018 at 15:25

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Maybe, I haven't driven them before. I just consider jaguar to be a less asshole brand. 

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 12/12/2018 at 15:25

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Yeah, the interior on both looks fantastic to me . I do like that the XF is a bit more unique.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 12/12/2018 at 15:26

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Yeah, exactly what I’ve found. I think the most major concern would be the MMI system.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Tripper 12/12/2018 at 15:27

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Yeah, I imagine I could wake the A6 up a bit by getting it tuned. But these are more highway cruisers than anything else. Made for comfort, luxury. So I am not expecting a highly connected and engaging driving experience a-la-Miata.

NKato > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 15:28

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You could just get a Spartan Barge (Crown Vic) and throw on some bolt-on upgrades from ADTR, they’ve got a supercharger, coilovers, and so on.

I never really cared for luxury. And as for Jag vs Audi, I've never driven them before but I consider the Jag brand to be frequented by fewer assholes than Audi. 

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > way2blu does a rev update 12/12/2018 at 15:28

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Yeah, I have a feeling that’s going to cost a whole lot more... I’m shopping right around the $20k mark.

Tripper > NKato 12/12/2018 at 15:33

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Oh. The Audi is definitely the better product, particularly their AWD system. Muted as the Audi is, I can’t picture the Jag being more fun. They’re a fancy Buick to me.

Tripper > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 15:35

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Gotcha. We’ll I like the A6 leaps and bounds over it’ s competition, and I’ve driven them all (5 series, E class, Tesla (I guess). I definitely like it over the Jag, even though that’s a great green.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Tripper 12/12/2018 at 15:36

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Yeah, I’m like wuuuuut?

On the Jag the semi-concerning thing is that since it wasn’t initially setup for AWD they actually have a shaft going through the oil pain to achieve AWD.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 15:42

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I personally swore off VAG products after my B5 Passat , and now I have my first Jag (also 3.0 SC)  so we’ll see how that goes.

The XF is a good-looking car for sure.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Tripper 12/12/2018 at 15:44

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*fancy RWD Buick with cats

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Tripper 12/12/2018 at 15:46

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Yeah the green is amazing looking on that car, sadly that one sold, it was already sold when I went to look at it. Currently none are for sale within 500 miles of me in that color >_<

If it were your ~ $20k to spend, what car would you be after, if it were your only car (which in my case it will be).

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 12/12/2018 at 15:47

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Haha, I mostly ignored VAG until I got to reading about the 3.0T and the ZF 8- speed. None of the nightmarish stories that come with the 2.7T or the 4.2 V8 .

Andrew > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 16:19

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What about a Lexus GS350 of a similar year? 

Tripper > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 16:20

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If it was my 20k and my only car I’d be in the market for a well looked after E39 M5 with around 80k miles, haha.

If I had to have something newer or cheaper to maintain, I’d be in a WRX or STi.

However we’re in the market for different cars. I need 95% fun

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 16:38

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The 3.0T is a great power plant. I had one in my ‘12 S4 and it was great. As for a PPI, I’d go to an Audi dealer to have them give it a look over. Might cost you $150, but worth it for a good inspection.

And you have to get a new intake as one of your first mods, let that blower whine out.  So much fun.  Mine was a MT, but the ZF trans is very good.  I’ve got a 6speed ZF trans in my S8 and I don’t miss the stick too much.  At least I have flappy paddles to play with if I want.  

Shab > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 16:38

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My mother owns a 2014 model with the 2.0T , and over the last 4 years/60k miles or so, it has been absolutely bulletproof with only scheduled maintenance and tire changes. I have driven it a few times and it is pretty punchy IMO but with very light steering sadly

bmil128 > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 18:23

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I have a B8.5 S4 with the 3.0T, it is a pretty bulletproof engine. Add an APR stage 1 tune like I have and you will benefit from additional torque higher in the revband to make passing a delight. You don’t want to mess with replacing OEM  rotors or air suspension on the S6, as you said it is more of a muscle cruiser.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Andrew 12/12/2018 at 19:15

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decent suggestion, they aren’t really my thing though, and I’d rather have either forced induction or a V8 (or both).

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Tripper 12/12/2018 at 19:16

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Fair enough! I wish I could shop for RWD cars. But I’m just held back by the hassle of dealing with swapping snow tires on and off every year.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc 12/12/2018 at 19:21

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hey! It’s my friend that I discussed the S6 with. I’m wimping out of that one, haha. I briefly had a line on a carmax one and was inquiring about the warranty cost, but then it disappeared .

As for intake, I definitely want to hear the supercharger! I’m also planning on cutting out the center muffler, I’ve read removing that doesn’t add any drone or (much) noise at cruise speeds. And I’d certainly like to get a tune for it!

Some day maybe I’ll get my hands on a 4.0T S6.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Shab 12/12/2018 at 19:24

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awesome, glad to hear it!

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > bmil128 12/12/2018 at 19:25

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Ha! I wish I were getting into the S6, that would get me a 4.o twin turbo V8. However, the A6 has the 3.0T and I bet that APR tune will be awesome!

I’m coming out of a ‘10 SHO (tuned) , so I’m well used to the “muscle cruiser” vehicle type, haha.

Edward J. > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/12/2018 at 23:19

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I picked up a 12 A6 3.0 T P restige back in February for $13K (complete steal imho). It was high mileage 97000, but meticulously maintained.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-Audi-A6-3-0T-Prestige-/332552942364?nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2349624.m43663.l10137#vi__app-cvip-panel

The motor mounts and water pump are good until about 100K miles. I replaced those, a transmission mount, th e seals, and main vacuum; all of that for about 3500. So, $ 16,500 is what I’ve put in, and pretty much what they’re going for now for 85K+ miles. Granted, I’m at that number AFTER the repairs.

Other than that, I’ve had no problems with it. I’ve put 15 K miles in the car (unusual for me, but I did a lot of driving this year). The APR Stage 1 tune is down to $ 1K and boosts from 310HP to 445HP at the crank, and I plan on getting that early 2019. My other car is a ‘15 Corvette Z51, so if I want stage 2 performance, I’ll just drive that.

Edward J. > Edward J. 12/12/2018 at 23:22

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merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/13/2018 at 00:12

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I was thinking of an exhaust mod for my S4, but then I heard a few and wasn’t impressed. The intake  was an excellent upgrade though.  And if you go with the APR tune and pulley, that will be one badass sleeper.  I would’ve gladly held on to my S4 except I couldn’t cart my three boys around in it. 

pip bip - choose Corrour > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/13/2018 at 02:24

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set fire to all your cash, it’ll be quicker

Tripper > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/13/2018 at 08:41

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Yea I can understand that, so can the 3 sets of wheels in my basement, haha. I put snowys on my Audi too, easily the best performing and most fun snow car I’ve ever owned.

I’ve got a really nice jack and and a corded electric impact gun that make the wheel changes a breeze. Still, you have to store them somewhere.

Honestly if you’re looking for something nicer than a Subaru, and are looking for a bigger car that A6 is probably what I would choose. M y S3 was awesome, I loved it. Easily the best all around car I have ever owned, it just didn’t make me warm in the pants and I wanted 3 pedals.

So I sold it and bought a BMW from 1975, haha.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Edward J. 12/13/2018 at 09:38

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Looks great! Thanks for your input! I definitely want to do an APR Stage 1, an intake (so I can hear the supercharger) and I want to remove the mid muffler (most cost effective way I found to get a little more noise out of it without drone).

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc 12/13/2018 at 09:39

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Yeah, kids will for sure dictate car decisions, haha.

Here’s a link to the exhaust video that convinced me it it was a pretty decent sound, it’s a little raspy on the high end, but overal l I like it :

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > pip bip - choose Corrour 12/13/2018 at 09:41

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You are possibly the first person on the internet I’ve encountered to say this about this particular generation of A6 (C7 with 8spd ZF and 3.0T).

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Tripper 12/13/2018 at 09:44

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oh yeah! You are the guy that bought it from the Netherlands. Fascinating story so far. I used to live in the Netherlands (for 14 years) and I go back regularly and I am always ogling cars and taking pictures of them.

Tripper > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/13/2018 at 09:55

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I’ve been once before, just for a few days but loved it. I could definitely live there if I ever had the opportunity.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Tripper 12/13/2018 at 10:47

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Ah nice, I do miss the place! I still contemplate moving back at some point, I’m a dual citizen.

Did you manage to get your translations? I’ve done side-work as a translator over the years if you still need some help.

Tripper > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/13/2018 at 10:50

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I did, I just did it manually via google translate. Although I’m still waiting to hear if I need to have it professionally translated in order to get a US title.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Tripper 12/13/2018 at 11:14

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Yeah, that may happen, in that case unfortunately I have no official accreditation. I should get on that, Haha.

On another note, just got my bonus for the year, that means go-fast-bits for the Audi potentially, haha!

Tripper > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/13/2018 at 11:21

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Nice! I’ll be using my bonus to pay the shipping costs, duty, and tax on the 1502, and hopefully putting some in my pocket so I can get the carbs properly tuned in the spring. (assuming that I’ll need to do that)

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Tripper 12/13/2018 at 13:53

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Ah nice, it’s a good thing at least that you are at a similar altitude (I recall from reading your adventures) , but I bet a tune-up is a great idea/investment either way.

Tripper > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/13/2018 at 14:14

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Yea I’m not sure that I’ll need the tune up, but this is my first carbureated   engine. So I’m hoping to be present for tuning and learn a little something.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Tripper 12/13/2018 at 14:26

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Yeah, that’d be an awesome learning experience.

Edward J. > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 12/15/2018 at 14:25

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And by early 2019 for the APR tune, I meant last Thursday . I went to talk to the guy at Covert Customs (APR installer in Huntsville, AL) about scheduling my car in the future. He was like, “I can do it now if you want. It takes about an hour.” Unfortunately it’s been raining here since, but what I’ve been bold enough to test on the road has been AWESOME. It’s dry today . As for the exhaust, I think my next install will be this:

Things to note: if you go past stage 1, a lot more heat is generated. The recommendation (especially at stage 2+) is to have a second intercooler installed along with the pulley upgrades.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Edward J. 12/17/2018 at 12:31

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Ah nice! I just picked up my Audi on Saturday, loving it so far! It drives and looks like new. I’m also very impressed with the Chassis, coming from a Taurus SHO. So much more composed.

It also feels really fast! So I’m still getting used to that, although I’m sure eventually I’ll want to get an APR tune. I think I’ll start with stage 1, pricing goes up quite dramatically from there. Especially considering you the intercooler you mentioned. Do you think you’ll be doing it?

For the A6 particularly I’ve heard a lot of reports about how hard it is to get a drone-free exhaust system. Is that one of your concerns with this Magnaflow? It sounds pretty good to me in the video.

Finally, I’m thinking I’ll pull the trigger on today:

https://rsnav.com/collections/standalone-smartphone-interface/products/3g-mmi-3g-mmi-apple-iphone-video-interface-kit?variant=43929174480

So I can have Android Auto.

NELSON GEL > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 01/10/2019 at 06:57

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WOW!!! Really great looking car dear!!!