My 2005 A6 3.2 Quattro
Discussion
Well some 12-months on I thought I would give a little update for anyone considering buying one of these. There were a few things that needed to be put right when I bought the car, such as a faulty parking sensor and rear wiper motor. However the garage I bought the car from picked up the bill - which was very nice of them! So, I was just left to put a set of tyres on all four corners after changing the alloys.
Initially the car felt very big, however within a few days I had adjusted to the size of the car, and it soon wrapped around my peripheral vision. I was also worried about those quick trips into town on a saturday, and if I would ever get a roadside parking space big enough... Which again proved not to be an issue at all. Yes the car is long, but I've never not been able to park the thing in town, or a multi-story. So there have actually been no negatives to the size of the car. Just positives! Long family weekends away, road trips and family outings - all made so much easier and more comfortable due to the space and great layout of the interior. And the boot.. the boot is enormous, and with the rear seats down there is a huge amount of usable space for moving furniture, dump trips and building materials. Which is ideal when refurbishing your house!
I was initially attracted to the car because of the spec, and to be honest I didn't realise just how good it was until after I had bought it. Things that have made a real difference to my experience are the auto wipers, auto lights, digital radio, electric seats and the sunroof. I would have liked heated front seats and Bluetooth - but I was prepared to sacrifice these. Although I am still looking into some kind of BT retrofit. Overall it still feels modern, the satnav system is very good, the multi-fiction steering wheel works really well and the centre console navigation is easy to use and quick to get the hang of.
Petrol vs diesel was of course a big debate in my mind too. Certainly as I was coming from a 520d that was returning a regular 45mpg. While looking for my A6, I was also looking at 530d and 535d's. In truth I liked the idea of performance and economy. However due to my short journeys I was concerned about dpf and turbo failure - which we have experienced before on our BMW X5 3.0d. So I decided to go petrol on the basis that a £1500 turbo replacement bill would rule out any saving in fuel over the first 12-months and 10k miles. Actually, the A6 has regally returned 22/25mpg on my short run to work, and 35mpg on extended journeys - which is really good considering the size and performance of the car.
So overal, it has exceeded my expectations in every area. It cost less that £300 per year to tax, returns 30+ mpg on a run and has cost nothing in the last 12-months. It also passed it's MOT yesterday with no issues at all. The performance is great, the engine note is wonderful and the quattro system really adds to the overall driving experience. Particularly when you want/need to exit a junction quickly in the wet without any fuss or drama!
Here's a few images following a recent clean;
All in all, a lot of car for the money, and I would really recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, practical car.
Initially the car felt very big, however within a few days I had adjusted to the size of the car, and it soon wrapped around my peripheral vision. I was also worried about those quick trips into town on a saturday, and if I would ever get a roadside parking space big enough... Which again proved not to be an issue at all. Yes the car is long, but I've never not been able to park the thing in town, or a multi-story. So there have actually been no negatives to the size of the car. Just positives! Long family weekends away, road trips and family outings - all made so much easier and more comfortable due to the space and great layout of the interior. And the boot.. the boot is enormous, and with the rear seats down there is a huge amount of usable space for moving furniture, dump trips and building materials. Which is ideal when refurbishing your house!
I was initially attracted to the car because of the spec, and to be honest I didn't realise just how good it was until after I had bought it. Things that have made a real difference to my experience are the auto wipers, auto lights, digital radio, electric seats and the sunroof. I would have liked heated front seats and Bluetooth - but I was prepared to sacrifice these. Although I am still looking into some kind of BT retrofit. Overall it still feels modern, the satnav system is very good, the multi-fiction steering wheel works really well and the centre console navigation is easy to use and quick to get the hang of.
Petrol vs diesel was of course a big debate in my mind too. Certainly as I was coming from a 520d that was returning a regular 45mpg. While looking for my A6, I was also looking at 530d and 535d's. In truth I liked the idea of performance and economy. However due to my short journeys I was concerned about dpf and turbo failure - which we have experienced before on our BMW X5 3.0d. So I decided to go petrol on the basis that a £1500 turbo replacement bill would rule out any saving in fuel over the first 12-months and 10k miles. Actually, the A6 has regally returned 22/25mpg on my short run to work, and 35mpg on extended journeys - which is really good considering the size and performance of the car.
So overal, it has exceeded my expectations in every area. It cost less that £300 per year to tax, returns 30+ mpg on a run and has cost nothing in the last 12-months. It also passed it's MOT yesterday with no issues at all. The performance is great, the engine note is wonderful and the quattro system really adds to the overall driving experience. Particularly when you want/need to exit a junction quickly in the wet without any fuss or drama!
Here's a few images following a recent clean;
All in all, a lot of car for the money, and I would really recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, practical car.
Interesting write up.
We had a 2008 3.0TDI 233bhp A6 a couple of years ago. We also had a failed parking sensor and rear wiper failure. The biggest negative we found was the size, especially parking in town centres and driving on the narrow country roads where we live.
There was never a problem with the DPF, we used it for a mix of urban short journeys and motorways. In the 2 years we owned it, the OBC showed an average of 34mpg. On a long motorway run, it would read 41/42.
We used it for a couple of Euro trips to the Alps for which it was in it's element IMO.
I wouldn't call it fun though, more like efficient and practical!
We had a 2008 3.0TDI 233bhp A6 a couple of years ago. We also had a failed parking sensor and rear wiper failure. The biggest negative we found was the size, especially parking in town centres and driving on the narrow country roads where we live.
There was never a problem with the DPF, we used it for a mix of urban short journeys and motorways. In the 2 years we owned it, the OBC showed an average of 34mpg. On a long motorway run, it would read 41/42.
We used it for a couple of Euro trips to the Alps for which it was in it's element IMO.
I wouldn't call it fun though, more like efficient and practical!
We test drove an A6 3.2 petrol back to back with a 3.0TDi and there was no comparison in my mind. The petrol felt like you were driving with the handbrake on compared to the diesel.
That said, I've since found that big (auto) diesels are terrible in town for mpg. I sat in traffic the other day and the average mpg dropped to less than 10mpg.
On the motorway (and at UK speed limits) I can get about 44mpg indicated, but I don't care enough about it to actually see if that's correct (I suspect not).
All other points about the car I fully agree with. We've also used ours on three trips to the Alps and as said above, it was ideal. Four adults and one 11 year old last time and there's still room and everyone's comfortable.
That said, I've since found that big (auto) diesels are terrible in town for mpg. I sat in traffic the other day and the average mpg dropped to less than 10mpg.
On the motorway (and at UK speed limits) I can get about 44mpg indicated, but I don't care enough about it to actually see if that's correct (I suspect not).
All other points about the car I fully agree with. We've also used ours on three trips to the Alps and as said above, it was ideal. Four adults and one 11 year old last time and there's still room and everyone's comfortable.
Nice Car & Spec
I'm interested in your comments about Derv v Petrol & while I agree the DPF doesn't like short journeys & requires an occasional blast, I can't see why short journeys affect the turbo unless you mean extended oil changes?
On the brake light & wiper failures, I had a C5 before the C6, and its inexcusable for Audi to be aware of these issues on the previous incarnation and then do nothing on the follow up model to rectify a premium model - needless to say I had both faults on both cars.......
I'm interested in your comments about Derv v Petrol & while I agree the DPF doesn't like short journeys & requires an occasional blast, I can't see why short journeys affect the turbo unless you mean extended oil changes?
On the brake light & wiper failures, I had a C5 before the C6, and its inexcusable for Audi to be aware of these issues on the previous incarnation and then do nothing on the follow up model to rectify a premium model - needless to say I had both faults on both cars.......
Well I thought I would conclude this post after selling the car a few months ago. During the two years of owning the car it was just perfect, never breaking down or suffering any major issues. I used it for lots of short runs to work, into town and long weekend breaks with the family. At the weekend it would also be used to transport building materials for our current house project, yet a £15 car wash was always enough to make it look great again. And, the shape never felt dated - the car has aged well.
When I advertised the car on online I received a lot of calls, and sold it within weeks. And, for more than I paid for it two years earlier. I only sold it as I fancied a change, and as I do a few more miles now I went for a diesel. So keep an eye in this section for my new addition.
Overal, a brilliant car. Good looks, performance, running costs and drive. If your considering one, go for it!
When I advertised the car on online I received a lot of calls, and sold it within weeks. And, for more than I paid for it two years earlier. I only sold it as I fancied a change, and as I do a few more miles now I went for a diesel. So keep an eye in this section for my new addition.
Overal, a brilliant car. Good looks, performance, running costs and drive. If your considering one, go for it!
Edited by AudiSport on Thursday 6th July 21:27
AudiSport said:
Will I just need to change the back boxes? I fear that honorific drone noise that you get from bad set-ups..
I have a 3.2 A5 which sounds very quiet; it has a pair of silencers up near the cats, a resonator behind these and another silencer at the back 
. I've also been looking at 'improving' but the 3.2 petrols weren't big sellers in the UK so there aren't too many exhaust options for them.Alternative back boxes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQFfEeTJi40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0Bg_AgqmMI
Back box delete
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZfpxaLLxw4
Straight pipe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCeHWI4nnkA
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