Kris Hansen

We have always had a strong love for the Audi A6, and the current version – the C7 - is truly exceptional. Outwardly it presents as a buttoned up sedan, with taut creases and elegant lines, and just a hint of edginess in S-line trim. Inside it is luxurious and comfortable, with an attention to detail that is unrivaled in the industry. This is an awesome place to spend long hours on the highway.

Interestingly, our A6 was fitted with what appeared to be a set of S6 wheels (20 inch) with some meaty snow tires. The build sheet for this specific car indicated that it would have had the Titanium finish Rotor wheels, which we happen to like very much on the A6, but we were very happy to have snow tires regardless of what wheels they were wrapped around, and the S6 wheels are very nice on this car....

Read the Full Review.

Richard Solomon

Nits:
"the tendency do gel up "
" it became routine to steer with the ."

But in truth I would like you to do a review of the box.... I've been seriously thinking about doing a box this time around instead of ski racks. That looks like Thule base bars too?

TIA!

Kris Hansen

wow, thanks! Fixed those. I think I need to take the editor out behind the woodshed.. oh wait.. =)

I am working on a special writeup for the rack system. Yes Thule AeroBars, and box. The whole system is really nice, fits the car PERFECTLY and is a snap to set up and mount.

If you choose one of the boxes with the rapid mount system, it literally takes more time to carry the box to the car than it takes to secure it to the racks. This particular box is nice unless you have long skis, and is in all honesty overkill unless you also plan to carry luggage or other large items in the box as well. One or two pairs of skis look lost in this thing.

Grapeking

system, which we love".

Not according to the Audi USA web site, which still shows that "Premium" level cars do not get the Advanced keyless system (which, I agree with you, is really nice).

Sorry Kris - not looking to "pile on", just want the story to be accurate!

Richard Solomon

Cool, I'll be looking for the writeup! I'm a bit conflicted on the base bars - I like the idea of the Thule Aeros but I "trust" the Audi feet as much as it's possible to trust any of them. An aftermarket foot/bar seems just a bit more risky - I'm sure Audi would still blame the user for any issues, but at least one could say "I used *your* base bars!" as opposed to those warranty-voiding aftermarket parts.

Yeah, I forget which model I was looking at, but needs to be longish to hold skis and poles plus other crap. With 2 kids, more cargo space is always good! (But I don't want the ginormous size either... Tardis anyone? )

Kris Hansen

Thanks GK, fixed. For whatever reason, even though I know better, I keep associating the keyless go with full advanced key.. And truth be told, I've never seen one of the base model cars.. yet. =)

Kris Hansen

I have been using Thule racks for 20 years.. never had a problem. The feet are very specific to each model, these have the correct pin to fit to the car.

in2dwww

I agree with the stealth factor. I sold a Mercedes AMG and got the TDI because I was tired of making a lot of noise whenever I wanted to have some fun. I would consider the A6 TDI a great all-rounder, all year.

Some nit pick I have is with the seats. Audi really should allow us to get the comfort seats with massage functions, as I get fatigued after about 3 hours behind the wheel. And although the A/C is great, I think it's a little too noisy. Because the TDI is really quiet on the highway, the loudest thing is the air vents!

Steve95628

Kris - thanks for the write up. I've been reading posts throughout this forum as I'm in the market for a new car and the A6 has caught my eye. My only real concern was an ability to quickly transport my road and mountain bikes (have an SUV with hitch rack now).

Can you provide some details on how long it really takes to install and remove the Thule base? I won't leave it on the car, will only install when needed and remove. Will have at least one if not two bike racks installed on it.

Also, it looks like the base feet come into contact with the paint. True? If so, Would it be possible to put the clear bra material on the paint at the mount points?

Thanks!

Kris Hansen

Once you set the feet up on the crossbars, it literally takes minutes to mount them. The Thule kit comes with 4 pieces of clear plastic film to cover the areas where the feet would sit on the roof. This film is much thicker than the standard clear bra material, but still flexible enough to install cleanly.