Ride, quality components, diversity of options.

None, really.

Excellent car, excellent fit and finish and overall quality. Drives like a dream, no squeeks, rattles or breakdowns with over 28K miles on odometer. Would recommend it to anybody looking for a nice, safe quality car.

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Saab 9-5: My neighbor has one and has had nothing but breakdowns, electrical problems and trouble.

Volvo: A good car, but too boxy for me.

I have owned around 25 cars, and this car is the best among them. It is a near perfect example of classic German automotive engineering, with great attention to detail. The AWD Quattro system is fantastic on dry, wet, or snow covered pavements. It handles and rides extremely well, and is very fast with the biturbo 2.7 V6. The car does everything excellent --the interior layout and design, ergonomics, performance, etc. The dealer has an outstanding sales and services staff as well. The car has the best brakes of any car that I have ever driven. The upgraded 200W Bose sound system is also the best manufacturer's sound system that I have ever heard.
When I first bought the car, I actually pulled over to the side of the road
because of some strange noise coming from the rear of the car -- it was actually music from a CD I was playing!

The cupholders need to be bigger. I don't believe that the Audi engineers overlooked this fact -- just a reflection of the German culture implying that this non driving accessory is not important.

I would highly recommend this car because of its' overall design, build quality, and dealer sales/services staff. Everyone who rides in the car is very impressed with it.

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This car is by far the best in its class -- compared it to BMW 5 series, Lexus GS 300, Volvo S80, Mercedes C/E classes, and Jaguar C Class. Although all fine automobiles, the A6 distinguishes itself because of its' AWD, and the maintenance/warranty policies. Everything except tires is covered on the cars for the first 50,000 miles, including brakes, wiper blades, oil changes, etc. No other manufacturer offers this to my knowledge.

The luxurious interior, the Germans think of everything. The attention to detail is obvious everywhere in the car. Love the sound system (like being at a live concert) and the heated seats. The ride is smooth, rough curves are a breeze in this car. The exterior styling is sleek and beautiful. I am happy with the engine and it's acceleration. One has a sense of security once inside the car. I like the three headrests and the legroom at the back.

The signal lights malfunctioned. The clock cannot be seen by the passengers. Glove compartment could be bigger.

The price is well worth for the A6. My husband and i both drive this car, both short and tall people alike can get a comfortable seating position. This is definitely for people who appreciate luxury and comfort. Those who wish for a very sporty drive the Audi A6 2.7t or the 4.2 will be a better choice.

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Audi, BMW, Toyota.

The car is well balanced and extremely capable car. I especially enjoy the 2.7T bi-turbo engine. Very smooth and quick. With a simple chip upgrade I now enjoy supercar performance while still transporting 4 adults in comfort. Outstanding fit and finish and great attention to detail. To give you an idea the jack is made of aluminum to save weight. Quattro (all wheel drive) means the fun doesn't have to stop when bad weather tries to limit it. Great in snow and rain. So far fuel mileage has been better than expected too.

The car is loaded with standard features and I highly suggest the purchas of the Xenon (HID) headlights. The optional Bose system is very good and a in dash AM/FM/Cass/CD is standard this year with an optional trunk-mounted changer. Of course you get Audi's excellent warranty free maintenance thrown in to make take care of everything for you as well.

If driven very agressively even the optional sport suspension could use help. Its a good compromise though if you have to deal with snow or rough roads like those here in Minnesota. I hate the looks of the stock wheels. With the sport package I think I should have had 17" wheels and tires.

It is apparent why Audi is having month after month of record sales. You get a lot of car for the money. Audi does not sacrifice safety for performance either. This is one of the few cars that I have owned that I truly look forward to driving every day even regardless of conditions or commute.

It is a sports car when I want it to be, an SUV when its snowing, a family hauler when I load the kids up and generally a great place to pass the miles. I still enjoy the looks of the car but the stock Audi wheels are plain ugly. It is a shame I had to buy aftermarket wheels to truly complete the car. With 3 engines choices in this model its tough to go wrong.

If you live at high altitudes the 2.7T is THE ENGINE to buy. It will maintain its rated horsepower much better even when climbing moutain passes. If you haven't driven Audi lately you should. I had a friend drop me off when I went to pick my new 2.7T up and he now has an A6 in his garage too...he bought it while I was driving away in mine! If you want or need a car that can do most anything and take you almost anywhere there are roads of some fashion, then the A6 is the car for you. It will do it in a stylish, safe, fun and comfortable manner with a low TCO (total cost of ownership).

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Actually no comparison to any other car in its price range. I currently have BMW M5 acceleration and overall performance yet incredible inclement weather capability. If you are looking for the performance of a BMW but want Mercedes luxury coupled with a healthy dose of all weather capability it is tough to beat this car.

torque, interior appointments, foul weather handling

fuel consumption, cup holders, highest wiper speed is more like "medium"

After having driven over 10k miles mixed evenly among city, highway, and twisty mountain roads, I thoroughy love this car. The dealer is very helpful with free maintenance (although 30 days from my call was the soonest I could get the maintenance visit), answering questions (yes, there is only supposed to be ONE rear fog lamp!), and expediting maintenance as I waited. I had a memorable experience driving over a twisting mountain road I take frequently. On that day it was raining really heavily, with frequent and deep streams crossing the road with poor visibility because of spray and darkness. The A6-2.7T cornered like the road was dry. And it was NOT due to the magic ESP (when it comes into effect there is a warning light) -- it simply had fabulous grip. On dry roads, the tires show that they are the weak link. But you can push them far beyond the squealing onset and still get a good line through the turn.
I am 6'6" and one of my priorities is headroom. Even though it has a sunroof, there is plenty of headroom in front, less in back. I can easily drive it without even putting the seat all the way rearward. I love the programmable remotes which move the seating position for a second driver. Trunk space is very good. With a third of the rear seat down, I can put my mountain bike (disassembled) in the trunk!

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MB E320, Nissan Maxima, VW Passat, Ford Crown Victoria. I am in sales, so on one hand I want a good car because I spend a lot of time in it and I carry customers whom I don't want inconvenienced. On the other hand, if I drive too expensive of a car, my customers will think I get paid too much. The A6-2.7T is the car that is good enough for me but not ostentatious like the Mercedes. It draws little attention to itself, including that from police officers. Oddly, the Passat's headroom seems to be significantly less than A6's.

Style, power, all-wheel drive, nice interior (only the Jaguars seem to have nicer materials)

Intrusive center console, visability out rear, use of chrome in interior, exterior styling starting to blur with Passat

While this is by no mean an inexpensive car, it (relatively speaking) is a good value. It's fun to drive, has all wheel drive, has safety features galore, has nice styling (to me) and has a great interior (second only to the Jaguars). I wasn't as impressed with the Xenon lights as I thought I would be, but the package, which includes auto dimming mirrors, is worth it. A few minor annoyances are the intrusive center console that will limit your right leg (didn't really notice it until after purchase, but pretty easy to ignore). Also, the interior has nice brushed aluminum -- why use tacky chrome on the shift plate and door hanles. Finally, visibility out the back is poor, given the high trunk deck and the pillors behing the rear windows.

I didn't consider BMW 5 series, Mercades, or any Lexus since they are rear wheel drive only. I would have liked to consider the new Jaguar Type X, which may be a better value, but it wasn't out yet and I really needed a car (and I don't like being the Guiny pig for new models). The Volvo S80 seemed to have too many reliability problems to consider

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I test drove the following.
Toyota Camry V6 - nice car, but not in the same class.
Honda V6 - nicer than Camry, but again, not in the same class.
Toyota Avalon - exterior OK, except for the tail - what were they thinking? Better accelaration than 2.8, but not as fun as 2.7T. Interior materials inferior.
BMW 330xi - I actually drove the 330i, but would not consider a rear-wheel drive car. Fun to drive, but seating position is lower, clutch is heavy and hair-trigger (would be a pain in traffic), back seat is tight, too expensive, interior not as nice, exterior reminds me of a Civic, and 328 reliabilty seems to be hit or miss based on the ratings on this site.
Passat - peppy and fun to drive, but exterior styling not as nice, particularly tail, no turbo, no Xenon lights (I think), and reliability seems to be hit or miss, at least based on the ratings at this site.
Acura TL - I wanted to buy this car given its relative value (lots of standard equipment, good pickup), but a few major problems for me. I'm not quite 5'10", and my head was rubbing the roof and would bump into the moonrood well if I moved foward. The breaking was a bit weak, and the ride was a little too bumpy.

Looks, safety equipment (side curtain airbags, abs, front and rear airbags)
overall perception of quality

TRANSMISSION PROBLEM; TRANSMISSION DEFECT; TRANSMISSION NIGHTMARE...
This vehicle has nearly gotten me killed on several occassions I no longer drive this car because of a serious defect in the transmission.
Audi, immeadiately, offered to refund me. However, I have yet to see their check, just a few letters telling me how much is going to be deducted from the buy-out! ZF transmission tech came out from Detroit and ommitted certain problems with the car. Even stated that audi has known about the problemS for some time. Should you consider this vehicle, BEWARE!

Dangerous transmission problem, resulting in several near fatal situations on the freeway!
Have not driven the car for a few months (sits in my garage) while I wait for Audi to keep their promise to reimburse me. So far alot of promises but no reasonable offer for a check....Incidently, Audi's regional manager offered to buy the car immeadiately without me asking.....What does that say? Also, been told by various Audi technitions, advisors and ZF's own engineer that the A6 4.2, has a transmission flaw!

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None

speed, exterior and interior design, interior room, 6 speed manual transmission, ride quality, exterior looks, really good value for the money, good customer service, just a good car

could use larger tires and wheels, steering and ride quality a little too cushy and soft, had a gas gauge sensor recall, slight turbo lag

My 2000 Audi A6 2.7T is a car that I ended up getting after I got tired of waiting for an S4. Well, I'm glad that I did, because I think that I should have been wanting to get the A6 in the first place!

This car is much bigger and more luxury-oriented than either the S4 or my old BMW 328i. I thought that the old Bimmer was a great car, with truly great handling and very good performance. Only drawbacks were the fact that it was rather cramped in the back seat, and the interior was somewhat primitive and basic for its $37 price tag.

The A6 2.7T is a fast cruiser type when it comes to performance. Doesn't feel as sporty or as responsive as the Bimmer, which was actually better than the Porsche. The A6 is the kind of car that has you looking down and shocked that you're going 80 mph. It does a great job of insulating the driver from the actual high speeds he is achieving. This is both a good and a bad thing. Good from a luxury standpoint, bad from a traffic citation one. It's engine responsiveness isn't quite as good as a normally aspirated engine, especially when you consider the large weight that it has to carry around, but when the turbos soon spool up, this car is deceptively fast. Fast, but not quite as quick as the old Bimmer.

Handling could also be better served than the current 215 55VR16s. Not enough tire for a car of this size and weight. I can get them to squeal long before actual control is lost. Maybe due to the quattro? Great handling car considering its size otherwise. Steering is a bit light, not as communicative as the Bimmer, which had the best, most communicative steering in the WORLD.

The previous poster complaining about the six speed manual transmission may have a minor point, but is exaggerating about the drawbacks of having relatively short gear ratios. I think that the ratios of the six speed are well chosen to exploit the torque and power curves of the engine. May make for a bit more 1-2 shifting than your average motorist may like, but it allows me to really enjoy driving this car. Overall, I can't imagine anyone choosing the automatic over the manual if they like driving fast.

Interior is luxurious and spacious. This alone almost totally justifies getting the 2.7t over an S4. Five people fit fairly easily, with plenty of headroom. Once again, this is a large car, I think at least a foot longer than a BMW five series (!). But the exterior design is so good that it hides this fact quite nicely. I think that this is a great looking car that is finally served by a higher performance engine!

Overall, this car is a great fit for me, and anyone desiring speed, comfort, refinement, and value in a luxury sports sedan. Considering what BMW wants for the 540im, this car is a bargain. After all, how many companies are offering four door sedans with manual transmissions anymore?

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97 BMW 328i, 87 Porsche 944s, the Audi overall compares favorably to both

Smooth, effortless power at all times. Passing power and smoothness is incredible. Extremely stable at high speeds, 100mph seems like 60. Seems strange to be able to throw a car this big around this much, but it can take it. Absolutely the finest materials in a mass produced motor vehicle today: plastics of the dashboard (dense and heavy with a solid almost rubbery feel), the fine grade leather and stitching of the steering wheel and seats (all around the seats, not just seating surfaces) and doors, the aluminum surrounds of the vents front and back, the fine wood of the dash and doors, the controlled smooth opening of cupholders, handles above the doors, coat hooks, and storage bins, the beautiful red glow of the dash, switches, door handles, etc, the tightness of all the seams inside and out, comfort of the sport seats, tight, solid feel, powerful brakes (although a bit non-linear), incredible grip in all weather. In rain the car behaves as if it is a dry sunny day-it's oblivious to adverse conditions. Quiet, comfortable ride--not tomb-like, but very pleasant.
Beautiful wheels, lower, more aggressive stance, widened wheel arches, more striking grille.
Relative uniqueness. Won't see one on every street corner. Several compliments to the effect of "That is the most beautiful car I have ever seen."

A little heavy up front and a little body roll even with sport suspension.
Slight windshield distortion.

I will make this short.
Overall, the A6 4.2, for me, is the best combination of power, excellent handling, all-season and all weather abilities, luxury, comfort for 4 people, fine materials with the highest build quality, and relative uniqueness that is available today. There are other cars that can beat the Audi in one or two of the above categories, but when the total package is looked at based on my priorities, the Audi won by a wide margin. After 3 months with the car, I am only more confident of my choice. Others with different priorities might choose any of the other cars as they are all excellent in many ways.
Specifically, main reasons against the other cars were: BMW: appearance outside is too plain and boring, somewhat unpleasant and the interior is again less pleasing to the eye and the back seat is too small. Additionally, handling in bad weather is more of a challenge than it should be. Most of all, these 5-series cars are way too common. Less important but significant is they have a social stigma to them which some like some don't, I don't. Also, price/value is less.
MB: Dated, underwhelming exterior, overdue for update/revision. Interior is a quite stodgy and abrupt. Materials not as nice as Audi. Also very, very common, tend to be the car of blue-hairs, and is overpriced, significantly.
Jaguar: great new car, styling, however, too feminine, great for 50 year old women, interior as stated above, handling and ride much less impressive than any of the others. Back seat is much too small, cargo capacity also too little. Social stigma is not bad, but not right for me, either. A bit overpriced for the size of this car. Additionally, and significantly, the transmission is made by Ford as well as other parts. I don't want a $55k Ford.
This Audi A6 4.2 makes me smile everyday I see it, get in it, think about it, or talk about it. It is the finest blend of many attributes of any car built today. No car is perfect, but this one rubs up against perfect all the time.

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Obvious comparisons to BMW 540, Mercedes E430, Jaguar S-Type 4.0 of which I drove each several times. BMW was better in overall balance in somewhat aggressive maneuvers, linear steering, and off the line acceleration (6spd). MB performance was overall fairly similar although had more body roll. The Jaguar was a couple steps behind any of the others, much more roll and just felt less "stable" overall. The Audi feels the most comfortable of the 3 in rainy weather (didn't drive the Jag in the rain). As earlier, the Audi is oblivious to rainy conditions, just as rock solid, best grip, most confident feeling.
The Audi outshines all others by a wide margin with regards to interior material quality, overall appearance, ergonomics of the majority of controls, and most importantly, the integrity and tightness of joints and seams. Everything seems perfectly matched, coordinated, and integrated even though some parts (wiper stalks) are shared with other Audi and VW, even Porsche products (transmission shifter and gate). The MB while solid and well coordinated and integrated was less pleasing to the eye, harsher, more abrupt and most of all the material quality particularly the plastics seemed of a lesser grade. Cheaper overall finish (eg. crappy plastic vents among other things). The BMW has good quality materials and leathers but overall appears aged, tired, and dated. Controls and switches feel cheap. Overall a less luxurious feel although has tight seams with minimal gaps. The Jaguar looks real luxurious at first, but the lack of tight seams and overall poorer fit and finish makes it finish last (although still quite good when compared to most cars).

Classy Looks and build. Beautiful interior. Seats comfy. Heated seats (four of them) a plus x 4. Ride is gallent and smooth. Quiet ride. All scheduled work paid for. Quatro a plus x 4.

Doesn't handle tight. Too soggy and wishy washy around turns. Paint is too soft. Have squeek in driverside left vent area (very anoying)

A car for $ 37700 in NY for a quatrro drive is very tempting. It is very classy, built well. Could learn to handle better, after all Germans make Porsche, MBs and BMW. These other cars seem to want to be driven and this car wants to be "riden". Rides better than the others though... interior very beautiful. Solid build (except for squeek in vent area-I tried to fix ng). Great creature features.
Wish paint was as good a Mercedes Benz. They have the finest paint in the business!
I seen the new 2003 A6 and it looks even better than the A6 4.2!
It is a x between a TT four door and a Lexus GS400 fat body. Nice even nicer x 4.

End comment: Nothing is perfect, and this car is as close to that concept for the money than anyother car out there...so buy it cause you love it or spend alot more and get something that has other things imperfectly perfect also. Confused? Me too. But I own a car wash and see and drive them all. No car is perfect. But I bought this..and love it. Would buy another....

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540, 320e, es 300, A4q 2.8, 2.7 a6, lexus gs300