High_Noon

New member here… I am a long time Mercedes owner, but I have been thinking of adding a 2011 S6 sedan to the stable in the next 12-18 months. I was considering a ’11 Mercedes E550, which is a great vehicle, with a great 5.5L naturally aspirated engine, but it does not match the performance of the S6. I like the '11 S6 - mainly due to Lambo derived V10 engine and the performance nature of the S6, as well as the relatively reasonable cost - as relatively low mileage, well-maintained examples are currently available in the $26K - $29K range, which is in my price range. IMO this seems like a helluva deal for a helluva vehicle.

Although I have read a few reviews, I wanted to get opinions from those that own or have direct experience with the 2011 S6. I am a bit hesitant, because I dislike a plethora of electronics, which this car seems to have. I also have serious concerns about maintenance costs with this vehicle, as I have read about expensive repairs – particularly with the Lambo derived V10. Being a 2011, I would have no warranty and I don’t want to get involved with expensive, continuing maintenance and repair costs.

Any advice or opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.

High_Noon

High_Noon

Anyone?

FL C6.5 Avant

you might try audi revolution. seems to be where the v10 people go.
I don't have the v10. If there was an S6 avant in the states I would probably have gone for it. but i wanted the avant more than the v10, so.....
what sticks in my mind the most about the S6 is a quote from a member a few years ago:

"The S6 is not a kind mistress, but she's a lot of fun when she's happy".

High_Noon

Thanks for the reply FL. That quote pretty much sums up my thoughts on what S6 ownership would be like, in other words, it likely requires lots of maintenance - not sure I want to deal with that, but the fun factor might be worth the hassle.

raj99

This question has been asked and answered on numerous threads, but essentially the v10 is an exotic motor, hence and maintenance related to it has exotic car pricing associated with it. If you are willing and able to do a lot of maintenance items on your own it might be OK. But there's a reason why these and other halo cars depreciate like they do... Maintenance costs can be a killer. Fwiw, i would highly recommend a secondary warranty, since there was a guy on here awhile back which accumulated over $25k in maintenance issues during just 18 months of ownership!

High_Noon

Thanks raj. I expected that was the case. Although I am able to do a lot of maintenance and repairs myself, I suspect that the complexity of the V10 is beyond my capabilities - I don't think I want to get into a bunch of expensive maintenance issues.

lliejk

I own a '08 S6 (have owned a Coupe Quattro, currently own a '95 90 Sport Quattro and a '95 S6). It has 146K on it and other than alignments, brakes, front upper control bushings, tires, oil, gas, accessory belt and air filters nothing has been done to it. I drive it hard when I want to, which is more often then not, and I believe that is why I have not experienced the carbon build up issues others have experienced. I do my own brakes, interval service and suspension work, so other than alignments and inspections, I have not paid Audi service for anything. I am expecting to see some issues show up soon, and I know I need to replace the water pump, but based on my experiences with Audi, I do not consider this vehicle to be overly burdensome to own. At the same time, I may be the exception to the rule, but my Coupe had 335K on it before I sold her and the 90 has 186K and the S6 over 200K. None of my Audi's have been expensive to own. If you are willing to do the normal things (interval service and brakes) you can keep the ownership costs reasonable.

Ed

High_Noon

Ed, Thanks for the reply. I could definitely handle most of the work you described, but I suspect you may be the exception to the rule based upon what I have read about the S6. The $25K in 18 mo. comment above may have scared me off, I'm afraid, but it's good to know there's at least one S6 owner out there who has had a relatively trouble free ownership experience.

haloguy628

If the car has good maintenance records then buy it. The V10 is a bulletproof engine if you do the required maintenance and use synthetic oil. After five years all the bugs should be taken care of and there is only a small chance of major failure.

If you get Ross-Tech VAG-Com cable you will have the same capability for diagnosing problems just like the dealer has. I believe that VAG-Com is a necessity for saving money and knowing what's wrong even if you chose to go to the dealer for any Audi or VW owner.

I suggest you do things like brake rotors and brake pads yourself with parts you buy from web tuning shops. The work is really not that complicated and the price will be very low. YouTube is full of how to videos. I changed front and rear rotors and pads recently on my 2007 S6 and the parts cost me around $500. The rotors and the EBC Red pads are top notch. FYI for the rears you will need VAG-Com. Ross-Tech has all the procedures posted on their website.

I also bring Mobil 1 0W-40 oil and oil filter to the dealer for oil changes. Get the M1 in WalMart where you can get 5qt jug for around $22. You need two as the engine takes approx 10qts of oil. OEM specified Mahle filter I buy from Amazon for around $17. Then go to VW dealer. They have lower labor rates or change oil yourself you will be charged only for 1/2 hour labor..

Also remember. These $25K stories may or may not be true, but also you will almost always find negative experiences on the forums. People who have no problems do not tend to go and wax and vane about their cars and that they run flawless.

So again. Find out if the car was maintained. Get the VIN and go to Audi dealer. They can pull service history. Then make your decision.

Oh, and coming from MB, the dealer rates and the parts cost is lower for Audi.

High_Noon

haloguy628: Thanks for the reply. All your points are well taken. I would not purchase a vehicle without all maintenance records, I use Mobil 1 in all my modern vehicles and I am able to complete the repairs and maintenance you described. I do as much of the maintenance and repairs on my vehicles as I’m able. The Ross-Tech Vag-Com would indeed be helpful.

This is difficult to describe, but what I am struggling with is finding a vehicle that meets my standards. EPA mandates, as unrealistic and unnecessary as they are, have resulted in auto makers relying on creative work-arounds at the expense of well-proven methods that are simple by comparison. Many of today’s vehicles are also very difficult to work on and are fast approaching the point where the ast majority of work required can only be preformed by dealerships. I do not at all care for Eco Stop/Stard systems, smaller, turbocharged engines or the complex and expensive electronics and software in today’s vehicles. I also do not care for vehicles that need to be plugged into a computer to diagnose a problem. In my opinion, all these systems accomplish is adding unnecessary complexity, expense and wear on vehicles (Eco Stop/Start and ethanol as an example).

To try and give you an idea of what I am looking for in a vehicle, take my mid 90s E420 Mercedes as an example. These vehicles were well known for being ridiculously over-engineered, as having excellent driving characteristics, and as being exceedingly safe and reliable if maintained properly. I can certainly vouch for this as in my 22 years of ownership, this vehicle has not stranded me once. Not once. Of course, I maintain it very well, which has a lot to do with that track record, but the fact remains that it has been an exceptional vehicle and that is relatively inexpensive to main and repair. I have read horror stories about BMW, Audi and Mercedes’ obscene repair costs and I am loathe to get into a situation of continuing maintenance and expense that I am not able to handle myself. As a previous owner of both a late model Jaguar XJ8 and an Infinity Q, tI can tell you I do not want to go through a situation like that ever again – both vehicles were a nightmare from day one.

Like my E420, I am looking for a vehicle that is known for being very well-engineered, reliable and that can be reasonably repaired and maintained by the owner. As I mentioned, I don’t want to deal with all the electronic crap, EPA crap, etc. At this point I do not know which direction to go. The newish Mercedes E550 has its issues as does the S6. I am not interested at all in BMW, English, I-talian or domestic vehicles. When I purchase a vehicle, I do so with the intention of keeping it for a decade or more. What does that leave me? I’m not sure. Perhaps a 1995 E500 :-)