Jack88

There is quite a bit of difference between them. IIRC, the 2016 S6 has an air suspension and the V10 S6 has a traditional setup. That means that not only are the 4.0t variants monumentally faster, but more comfortable as well. The V10 models ride like my old IROC, which is to say quite stiff.

Dusty280z

Hell, that could be better with no air suspension stuff to crap out

Jack88

Everything is still buttoned down quite tight, it is an Audi, after all. It does kind of get jittery over rough pavement, however, and the seats aren't as close to an A8's as they are in the more recent versions of the S6. In short, your test drive of a new S6 does little to nothing to tell you what to expect in the older one. Test drive it, that'll clear it up. That said, it may be worth noting that for what you're looking at spending, a 2007 A8 with the FSI is an option, and realistically not a whole lot slower than the S6 in the corners, and it's very close in acceleration.

dvs_dave

The C6 S6 is pretty lardy. It's actually heavier than a D3 A8L 4.2i. What that means is the S6 has only around 30hp/ton more than the A8, and is only 0.7s quicker in the 1/4 Mile.

A lot of trade offs for a marginal performance gain. And living in the US it's not as if we're carving the twisties all day long, more like dodging pot holes and expansion joints. So stiffer, sportier suspension is not a desirable attribute for US roads in my book.

Hannibalacp82

First glad everyone is OK. That is the most important thing.

Second. S8 > S6. If you are willing to deal with the v10 you might as well get the S8 and enjoy being the big boy on the block with all the bells and whistles. Air suspension is nothing to be afraid of!

Jack88

I guess I was mistaken, the 4.2 FSI is a lot slower than I thought. I had a hard time finding anything other than Audi's usually conservative performance numbers, but this morning I did and they are not dazzling. The S6 is in fact a fair bit quicker in a straight line, matching the S8. The S6 is a much more performance orientated ride than the A8/S8 siblings, but at the cost of day to day livability. The S8 will let you forget it's capabilities when you're not using them where the S6 is always switched on, without really having a handling edge over the S8 or even a NWB A8.

Dusty280z

I don't think a 2006 or newer S8 will fit in my budget. If money was no object I would very quickly pickup a new S6 arguments be damned. I suppose something to be considered is if I get a newer car I could probably afford to spend a little more due to having a longer repayment period. I know that if I'm looking at 8-10 years old I can only get a 4 year loan and $16k is my limit. I don't know how that translates to a car that I could get a 6 year loan on.

Hannibalacp82

Have you talked with your insurance company yet? Between what you can afford and what your new premiums potentially are going to look like an S6/S8 might not be in your immediate future.

Jack88

About $23-24k would have comparable payments on a 6 year loan to what you're looking at for a 4 year one(depending on how this affects your interest rate and your available down payment.) I guess most of the caution thrown your way about an S6 is that it is so different from what you are used to, and so different from the one you drove. That and the example you are looking at is a high mileage one. Properly maintained, not a big deal, but remember the savings now will cost you in resale later. Buying a lower mileage example will mean you will be able to sell it for more later, while also having less wear on everything. In any case, you will want to test drive one before setting your mind to it.

dvs_dave

You might want to double check your sources/model variant as a V10 S6 isn't that much quicker.

C6 S6 (V10), 4,530lb, 1/4mile 13.5s
D3 A8 4.2FSI, 4,321lb, 1/4 mile 14.2s
Only 0.7s in it so only a little bit quicker.

C7 S6 (V8TT), 4,486lb, 1/4 mile 12.1s
2.2s faster, now that I call a lot quicker, but not 0.7s

Although it is interesting to see just how porky the S6 actually is compared to the A8. Hardly the best platform for "sporty" handling.