porksoda

Hi,

Old time VAG owner/enthusiast - this very well could be my first post in the last decade or so. As an owner of a 5 series my time is up for the vehicle and I was looking into the benz (e550) and the a6 (3.0t). Both 2012 and ignoring the obvious hp differences I find the A6 to be a very good contender.

I like the exterior of A6 better,
I love the interior with the layer wood better,
I honestly loved how the car handles in dynamic better than benz and even better than the comparable bmw,
Navigation and overall electronics are atleast a decade ahead of the benz,
I find the seats to be a lot more comfortable than the benz,


What I did not like about the audi was the...

Mechanical engine noise,
reliability from what I have been reading here.

Other things are insignificant to me like the trunk does not have a one button press close function etc.

From the reliability standpoint (main reason I am not purchasing another 5 series) I am a bit reluctant, I understand all three german cars require lots of money for maintenance but I want to do due diligence and make sure the 55-60k I will be spending goes to a car that is not going to see the workshop a lot.

From what people have been posted here I have found:

Fuel rail recall
Timing chain tensioner rattle issue
AC pressure switch failure.
OIL consumption and possibly cat failure from rings issue which cause the oil consumption.
Interior rattle issues
Gas cap solenoid issue
Trunk Lid issue
MMI Failure
Leather seat wrinkle
Carbon buildup and other supercharger related issues.


In any case I am in this dilemma where the car I like may have me going to the dealership a lot vs a car that's a bit muted maybe a bit reliable. Main concern would be after the warranty runs out how much money would this beauty cost me. I have also read that some folks feel it is like pulling teeth to get things done from an Audi dealer even if it is under warranty.

I suppose what I am asking is comments form C7 A6 3.0T owners, that after owning the vehicle for 3ish years what are their thoughts on living with the vehicle and dealing with maintenance and reliability woes.

thanks

Maverick61

I take posts of issues on any car on any board with a big grain of salt unless you see a consistent theme.

People will post when they have an issue. If people don't have an issue, they don't post about it

Maybe I missed it but I do not recall seeing large numbers of people posting those issues above. Once or two here or there does not make a problem. that goes for any vehicle

Plus some things are pretty subjective - like
interior rattles???
leather seat wrinkles ???

Shoot some folks here believe any tire made by Pirelli is evil incarnate. Yet on Tire Rack, the P7 All Season Plus is the top rated tire in its category loved by nearly everyone who buys it.

Different people have different opinions. Keep that in mind

snagitseven

Keep in mind that you will read more about problems in the AW forums mainly because "I love my car and it has had no problems" threads would get old very quickly. I would venture that in total, most of the issues represent a small fraction of A6s on the road. If you look for problems, I'm guessing you will them with any brand.

Have I had any issues with my A6? Yes, a couple of minor things. The A6 is my 4th Audi and aside from it being the best of the bunch by far in so many ways, after 3 years I can say it has also been the most trouble free. I've experienced none of the things in your list except the extended 100K mile warranty for the 3.0T second air injection ports that addresses possible carbon build up. In fact, as a moderator I spend a lot of time in the forums and have seen very little of most of the items in your problem list.

I doubt you will find the 2012+ A6 to be any less reliable than the other German brands and perhaps more so.

snagitseven

Note to Maverick: looks like we agree on this one.
As to the Pirellis, if you agree to stop referencing the haters, I agree to stop espousing the hate and we can move on from a tire brand. So many other more important things to discuss.

KevinGary

OP,

Consumer Reports published an article on oil consumption just two days ago. They found the 3.0t in the 2012 A6 to be one of the "worst offenders" with 22% of the owners reporting the need to add more than a quart of oil between oil changes. That number is staggering when you consider that the average for all 2012 cars was only 1%. Of course there can be various reasons for oil consumption, but is does appear based on the CR survey that oil consumption is an issue on the 3.0t in the 2012, as well as a few other years.

Maverick61

We do agree on this one.

And sounds good to me about Pirelli. Just an FYI, I was simply trying to use that as an example of how opinions can differ drastically in differ places. And anyone, like the OP, should not take a few posts here or there about issues as gospel and that it if a few folks post an issue, that doesn't mean the majority of people have the same issue or feel the same way.

porksoda

thanks Maverick61, KevinGary, and snagitseven.

Btw i love love love that colour Maverick61, have a thread with more photos of the vehicle?

I did many searches on various forums under the C7 section to compile a partial list. The rattles one i stated i also found on a few dealer vehicles. One vehicle was shaking at idle that i commented to the dealer and he claimed it was normal.

In any case absolutely right all cars have problems and don't i know it. I was just trying to find a vehicle with less maintenance and or less overall annoyances - i suppose thats a pipe dream unless i want to buy some soul crushing vehicle with little to no luxury.

I also find it interesting that most A6's i find whether 2012 or 2013 have had a lot of kms on it.

What would people suggest? To stick with 2012 or 2013?

snagitseven

The advantage of buying the second year of a new series (MY2013 in the U.S.) is a lot of the bugs will have been worked out. To your question though, I'm guessing you are not in North America where the A6 was introduced as a MY2012. If you are in, say, Europe, the MY2012 will be the second year there as the new A6 was introduced in ROW as a MY2011.

tenspeed

The big difference between the two years (2012-2013) is that the warranty is four years from date of service. Some 2012's do not have a factory warranty even with a low mileage.

There have been updates that should have been performed to either model. Check the "CarFax" and Audi dealer service history on any car that you are seriously interested in.

Garnet red pearl wasn't a popular color and not many are on the used car market. The nougat brown interior was not offered with that color in 2012.

snagitseven

I believe the OP is maybe not in the U.S. which moves everything back a year with the A6.