Worldwidebeagle

Both cars I drove had sports suspension - which I feel is a huge improvement over the stock. I would not get a C7 without sports suspension. And the Sports suspension in the A7 has the larger two piston front calipers and larger discs. Not sure about the A6 C7.

Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, why else would there be so many models and so many colors. Having read a dozen reviews on the A7 from US, UK and Euro reviewers, you are the first to say the rear on the A7 is droppy and the first to say they have a visceral reaction to the A6. Every review says the opposite. But you are the one buying and owning the car, not the reviewer. its your car and all that matters is that you like it. As a 20 year Audi salesman told me: NO ONE has to buy an Audi. You do it because you want to. If you do not LOVE the Audi you are buying, you are nuts to spend the money and time.

I do think that you would leave Audi for what you perceive is a better tush on BMW says legions. My BMW friends lament the constant issues with their newer Bimmers and frequently say BMW "has lost the plot" - and that BMW are not the driving machines they once were - going for the cushy Mercedes?lexus ride.

In Denver, I have only seen one woman driving an A7. And i have seen two women driving R8s. I certainly know of no value of anecdotal observations. If such observations were of any value, we could say only old white bald men drive new 911s.

What I find disconcerting in this and many threads, is the quickie, instant search for what is best. There is no "best." Its all up to each persons values. And we can hardly criticize someone else's values - just acknowledge that they are different. Several friends love their Lexus'. I find them soulless and pretentious -- but these friends love the fact that Lexus' take far less care than an Audi. I will happily trade more maintenance for soul.

The A7 and A6 are different cars for different demographics. Neither one is better. If you like the look of the A6 and how it handles, then my god, buy it and enjoy it. The A6 sedan look does nothing for me, both in style and practicality. The A7 does a lot for me in both styling, handling, practicality and JUST PLAIN FUN. But if I had to drive an C7 A6, I would be fine and certainly would not leave Audi for BMW.

Worldwidebeagle

If you need the efficiency, actually drive the miles and can justify the Diesel tax AoA imposes. In the US, AoA charges a $2.5K premium for a 2.5 TDI over the 3.0T. In Europe, Audi's with the 2.5 TDI are CHEAPER than the petrol 3.0T, in part because people demand diesels. Its all marketing and "what the market will bear."

Several on this forum claim that you need to drive 12500 miles or more to break even.

Fuel is a very different story in the UK and Euro. Petrol is almost $10 a gallon - thats why 70 percent or more of Euro passenger cars are diesel, compared to a few percent in the US.

VA/Audi makes great TDI engines; drove one while living in the UK. And recently drove the 3.0 TDI in 2014 C7 A6 REAL allroad - now that will knock you socks off and pull stumps.

Worldwidebeagle

Great info Noah.

There is another reason for more metal: the A7 door windows are frameless, no B pillar. You would think that lessens weight, but requires more metal in the A and C/D pillars, roof and doors. I ran into this decades ago with a friend who was a structural engineer at GM. I noticed that certain coupes were hundreds of pounds more than sedans. He explained how much work and parts go into coupes/frameless windows to make them safe and to work - and the precision required to make it work. IIRC, Porsche convertibles were always heavier than the hard tops.

Geez, when you mentioned: heavier, wider and lower, and not cutting through the air as swiftly, I thought you were talking about my physique.

NoahWeb

Diesel Tax that AoA imposes?? What tax is this that you speak of?? There is a $2,400 difference between an A6 3.0T and similarly equipped A6 3.0 TDI; yes. But that is far from a "tax."

AoA will have customers sign a 2 year non-export agreement at the time of purchase as the 3.0 TDI is priced cheaper here than in other markets. This makes me doubt the claim of 2.5TDI vs 3.0TDI pricing overseas when taken in context of the American market.

All told, after 11k miles with my TDI, my overall cost per mile is .095 cents. Most of my driving is around town. This means that $2,400 difference is about half paid for in fuel savings as my wife's GMC Acadia runs about .18/mile. The actual mileage point to hit for diesel to be cost savings is around 25,550 miles, assuming diesel prices remain consistent and fuel mileage remains consistent. In reality, diesel has dropped about .30 cents this week here, and my fuel mileage is trending up.

So this leaves us at the same point as most other discussion on diesel vs. petrol here...buy either the 3.0T or TDI...you'll be pleased either direction you take.

Worldwidebeagle

Good points Noah and you have done your homework. By tax, I was simply and inartfully referring to Audi AoA and Audi AGs sometimes hard to understand pricing differentials between US and EU. Sometimes the US gets a break, when Audi wants to penetrate new markets. Some times not.

And it appears I was comparing different TDIs. I apologize for my mistake. In the UK, they have 3 TDIs to choose from and its the 2.5 that is the most common. In the UK, the 2.5 TDI and 3.0T are about the same price, and the 3.0 TDI does cost more than the 3.0T.

Fascinating about the non-export agreement - first I have heard of it.

And I agree, Audi has done a great job where either the 3.0TDI or 3.0T will bring a smile to your face.

uzee

A6 and A7 are both built on the same chassis, the only difference is that A6 is a saloon and can accommodate 3 adults at the back seat while A7 is a hatchback (sportback) and only two adults in the back. Audi has tried to squeeze more boot space out it hence the less space for the rare passengers. i test drove both and finally chose to go for an A6.

NoahWeb

Same chassis (platform really), but the A7 is longer, wider, shorter, heavier and lower to the ground.

The more practical vehicle, from a perspective of how much stuff will fit and carry, is the A6. The A7 looks better, but the A6 is more functional/practical.

NoahWeb

Wish we could get the 3.0 BiTDI here. Stupid Federal Gov't and it's laws!

The non-export agreement...I was as equally surprised as you! Oh well, I'm planning on keeping the TDI for a bit. Though I suspect there is a market for those willing to export in 2 years...likely some money to be made!

irenesbob

Worldwidebeagle-

I am replying to those sections of your recent post regarding my post:

“Both cars I drove had sports suspension” – this wasn’t clear from your earlier post.

“…we could say only old white bald men drive new 911s…” – well, that wouldn’t be far from the truth would it? lol

“What I find disconcerting in this and many threads, is the quickie, instant search for what is best” – I did not intend to say or suggest that I was looking for the best. Sorry if I gave that impression. I was responding to a post that was looking for an explanation of the differences between two models (which I really didn’t do) and went on to elaborate on my personal preference. The best (to me) I couldn’t afford – lol

“I found the A7 with sport suspension/brakes far more fun to drive. The A6 has far more body roll” - Even with the sport suspension you found the A6 to have far more body roll – that is interesting and a plus for the A7.

For the last 10 years I have leasing instead of buying (four Audi’s since 2004). I am probably more tolerant of a specific model not being close to the best or ideal (whatever that means) for me. I wholeheartedly agree that there are so many choices “out there” for a reason and that each owner/driver has compelling reasons for their choices that simply might not match someone else’s. The leasing thing probably explains why I could conceive of a switch to BMW (M-B, Infiniti, Lexus, Volvo, Mazda Miata for that matter) since any mistake can be corrected in two or three years and there is always the chance that another brand might pleasantly surprise me in some areas.

A7_TDI

+1

Steady state cruise on highway shows 40+ mpg on computer. But car is a rocket especially from rolling start.