Took The Plunge
Discussion
After running a new A8 for 3 years and being very disappointed with the car and dealer and Audi I have been considering an Etron. I specced up what I wanted and it came out at a shade over £90k list. Then I got to thinking about just how much I had grown to hate Audi and whether I really wanted to hand them another £90k. So I just ordered the top spec Kia EV6 with every possible trimming and trousered the £40k difference. I suspect I can live quite happily without £40k badge.
Anyone feel the need to tell me otherwise as I value alternative and well argued opinions.
Anyone feel the need to tell me otherwise as I value alternative and well argued opinions.
Fair comment but what I immediately appreciated was that there was not £40k of difference, not even close. The materials, fit and finish on the Etron are not in the same class as the A8 but the price is. The tech on the EV6 is way ahead and the fit and finish is not vastly behind the Etron.
If the EV6 has all the good points of the Soul EV (64kw version) scaled up to it's price point and car class, it'll be a bloody good car.
The Soul has, bar the steering which is slightly too light and quick, exceeded all expectations we had for it - which were reasonably high based on test drives.
The Soul has, bar the steering which is slightly too light and quick, exceeded all expectations we had for it - which were reasonably high based on test drives.
Volvolover said:
Heres Johnny said:
If you wanted advice, then it's usually best to ask for it before you order.
If you can't appreciate the differences between a 90k car and a 50k, then sure, buy the 50k car. Well done.
There isnt £40k of tangible difference in those two though. Good choice OPIf you can't appreciate the differences between a 90k car and a 50k, then sure, buy the 50k car. Well done.
What an incredibly odd thread. Why would you even be considering an eTron based on your experience with Audi?
FYI a full loaded EV6 is a £55k car, £90k would get you a fully loaded eTron S so hardly comparable anyway. The S-Line 55 would be closer in overall spec, and that can be had for £75k.
If you can't feel £20k of difference between the 2 then fair enough, enjoy.
.TheDeuce said:
In what way is the EV tech more advanced?
Just for starters, it works.My A8 woes:-
The MyAudi app is junk. It tells me the car is black, sometimes it will lock/unlock the doors. If I want to log journeys I have to do it by hand!
I can’t open/close the windows
MPG.. no
Book a service.. no
Usually it simply won’t connect.
Handsfree boot, only if you crawl under the car and do an Irish jig.
Brakes sound like someone grating pebbles together, apparently that's a feature and anyway pads and disks are consumable, even at 1100 miles.
Wireless carplay, on all A8’s from may 2017 official announcement from Audi. Until you buy the car and find that it’s not there making you wonder why you payed for the wireless charger. Apparently wireless carplay doesn’t exist, hardware not fitted they told me. Weird how an audi independent could activate it in less than 60 seconds for free. Fully equipped for L3 autonomy as soon as it’s allowed.. Minus the driver awareness camera so it’s not fully equipped and without a week of disassembly to fit one (which does not exist) it can never be L3. In short a lie.
Manoeuvre assist that doesn’t work without a firmware fix that apparently did not exist until I bought an Erwin subscription at my expense and printed out the TSA bulletin for them.
Then the 1.5 second drive by wire throttle lag and the pre-sense panicking over cats eyes and lobbing out the anchor.
An HUD that looks like childs art homework, flapping subwoofer.
Having to pointlessly wiggle the steering to prove I’m still there every 10 seconds or the “advanced” lane keep and cruise turn off and the car stops, this is because the driver awareness camera is not there which leads me to think there was never the slightest intention of enabling L3 features.
Remote parking, with the app that simply doesn't exist. Even using in car auto parking with the in car button it’s so ponderously slow it’s embarrassing.
Voice control with about 3 functions if you can speak very slowly with and use exactly the right word sequence and intonation.
All in all, quiet and comfortable, lovely interior but in every other way it’s massively overpriced crap. That’s my 3 year owners review.
All of the above and more are working as they should an a Kia for half the price, except L3 which Kia don’t claim and the Audis don’t have. OK not sure about voice control but since that too doesn’t work in the Audi, who cares.
/end rant
EV6 is an impressive, bang up to date EV. Although whilst very nice and snazzy, it’s not a luxury product. The e-tron is these days old hat, and even when new wasn’t a great EV. It’s quickly showing that given the current competition.
However the e-tron GT (or it’s sister Porsche Taycan) would have been a far better option for you to cross-shop. Its much more aligned to the A8 price point and market, and is actually an excellent EV right off the bat. Either way I’m sure you’ll be happy with your EV6, but you’ve not made a particularly good like-for-like comparison and consequent buying decision.
However the e-tron GT (or it’s sister Porsche Taycan) would have been a far better option for you to cross-shop. Its much more aligned to the A8 price point and market, and is actually an excellent EV right off the bat. Either way I’m sure you’ll be happy with your EV6, but you’ve not made a particularly good like-for-like comparison and consequent buying decision.
dvs_dave said:
EV6 is an impressive, bang up to date EV. Although whilst very nice and snazzy, it’s not a luxury product. The e-tron is these days old hat, and even when new wasn’t a great EV. It’s quickly showing that given the current competition.
However the e-tron GT (or it’s sister Porsche Taycan) would have been a far better option for you to cross-shop. Its much more aligned to the A8 price point and market, and is actually an excellent EV right off the bat. Either way I’m sure you’ll be happy with your EV6, but you’ve not made a particularly good like-for-like comparison and consequent buying decision.
Can’t comment on the Taycan/GT as I didn’t consider them but my business partner bought a Taycan and returned it after 2 months. Not sure what the reason was, but this a man that rejected a c65 AMG for a squeaky seat so I don’t read too much into that. Still wonder about the tech they share with the rest of the upper Audi range though and my more general experience with Audi over 3x A8s in the last 7 years. I did like the previous 4.2 V8 TD but tech wise they really were old hat, though a nicer drive than the current one.However the e-tron GT (or it’s sister Porsche Taycan) would have been a far better option for you to cross-shop. Its much more aligned to the A8 price point and market, and is actually an excellent EV right off the bat. Either way I’m sure you’ll be happy with your EV6, but you’ve not made a particularly good like-for-like comparison and consequent buying decision.
fatjon said:
TheDeuce said:
In what way is the EV tech more advanced?
Just for starters, it works.My A8 woes:-
The MyAudi app is junk. It tells me the car is black, sometimes it will lock/unlock the doors. If I want to log journeys I have to do it by hand!
I can’t open/close the windows
MPG.. no
Book a service.. no
Usually it simply won’t connect.
Handsfree boot, only if you crawl under the car and do an Irish jig.
Brakes sound like someone grating pebbles together, apparently that's a feature and anyway pads and disks are consumable, even at 1100 miles.
Wireless carplay, on all A8’s from may 2017 official announcement from Audi. Until you buy the car and find that it’s not there making you wonder why you payed for the wireless charger. Apparently wireless carplay doesn’t exist, hardware not fitted they told me. Weird how an audi independent could activate it in less than 60 seconds for free. Fully equipped for L3 autonomy as soon as it’s allowed.. Minus the driver awareness camera so it’s not fully equipped and without a week of disassembly to fit one (which does not exist) it can never be L3. In short a lie.
Manoeuvre assist that doesn’t work without a firmware fix that apparently did not exist until I bought an Erwin subscription at my expense and printed out the TSA bulletin for them.
Then the 1.5 second drive by wire throttle lag and the pre-sense panicking over cats eyes and lobbing out the anchor.
An HUD that looks like childs art homework, flapping subwoofer.
Having to pointlessly wiggle the steering to prove I’m still there every 10 seconds or the “advanced” lane keep and cruise turn off and the car stops, this is because the driver awareness camera is not there which leads me to think there was never the slightest intention of enabling L3 features.
Remote parking, with the app that simply doesn't exist. Even using in car auto parking with the in car button it’s so ponderously slow it’s embarrassing.
Voice control with about 3 functions if you can speak very slowly with and use exactly the right word sequence and intonation.
All in all, quiet and comfortable, lovely interior but in every other way it’s massively overpriced crap. That’s my 3 year owners review.
All of the above and more are working as they should an a Kia for half the price, except L3 which Kia don’t claim and the Audis don’t have. OK not sure about voice control but since that too doesn’t work in the Audi, who cares.
/end rant
fatjon said:
dvs_dave said:
EV6 is an impressive, bang up to date EV. Although whilst very nice and snazzy, it’s not a luxury product. The e-tron is these days old hat, and even when new wasn’t a great EV. It’s quickly showing that given the current competition.
However the e-tron GT (or it’s sister Porsche Taycan) would have been a far better option for you to cross-shop. Its much more aligned to the A8 price point and market, and is actually an excellent EV right off the bat. Either way I’m sure you’ll be happy with your EV6, but you’ve not made a particularly good like-for-like comparison and consequent buying decision.
Can’t comment on the Taycan/GT as I didn’t consider them but my business partner bought a Taycan and returned it after 2 months. Not sure what the reason was, but this a man that rejected a c65 AMG for a squeaky seat so I don’t read too much into that. Still wonder about the tech they share with the rest of the upper Audi range though and my more general experience with Audi over 3x A8s in the last 7 years. I did like the previous 4.2 V8 TD but tech wise they really were old hat, though a nicer drive than the current one.However the e-tron GT (or it’s sister Porsche Taycan) would have been a far better option for you to cross-shop. Its much more aligned to the A8 price point and market, and is actually an excellent EV right off the bat. Either way I’m sure you’ll be happy with your EV6, but you’ve not made a particularly good like-for-like comparison and consequent buying decision.
The EV6 has been having some well documented teething problems, there's been a recall for the heating not working and there have also been a number of software problems.
I don't think it's a given that an EV6 is going to be any more reliable than an Audi, at least not until they've got the bugs worked out.
I don't think it's a given that an EV6 is going to be any more reliable than an Audi, at least not until they've got the bugs worked out.
Heres Johnny said:
If you wanted advice, then it's usually best to ask for it before you order.
If you can't appreciate the differences between a 90k car and a 50k, then sure, buy the 50k car. Well done.
You can really feel the difference in the battery supply chain in the end product, can't you?If you can't appreciate the differences between a 90k car and a 50k, then sure, buy the 50k car. Well done.
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