angrypengu

That's awesome. Thank you! It seems like I'm not the only one scouring the web for as much info as possible ahead of these upcoming 2019 models. Danke!!

TheTurtleBoy

Bitte. I have read everything I can on the A7 and A6. I hate to say it but the more I read the less I am inclined to get one. Have to wait until the US version is here and we get some reviews of that. Definitely would not buy one since there are too many unknowns but leasing is still an option. Unfortunately it seems like Audi has been raising their money factor higher than any other manufacture I have seen so leasing may not make financial sense. We will have to see of course how things look after introduction. It could be that they after an initial surge, the sales will go down to normal, low sedan levels. I would expect the incentives and MF to come down then also.

angrypengu

Can you please share what about these reviews have left you more and more unsure? As you know, my primary vehicle I'm looking at is the D5, and quite frankly, the main concerns that I have are still present and no review has added to or taken away from that main concern, which is reliability.

I'm probably going to wait until next summer and do a factory order and wait for those incentives. That will also give time for Audi to work some of the things they need to out of these cars, but I can't say that any review has made me go more in the direction of the S class (which is a great machine but I'm not madly in love with it) - whole other story.

Curious what has been pushing you away with respect to what you are learning as each day passes? Like you though, I'm going to place the majority of my decision making process until after I physically drive one of these cars myself.

TheTurtleBoy

If I had to put one attribute to each one I would say road/cabin noise for the A7 and ride quality for the A6. Of course the reviews I have read are not for the spec cars we will be getting on this side of the ocean so definitely can't make any decisions on them. It really is more of an overall feeling I get and could be 100% wrong. Until I get behind the wheel and do some driving I will not really be able to say for sure.

As far as not buying, that is just a personal preference of mine. I don't think it is a good idea to buy a car in the first two years of production of a new design. Leasing isn't bad since you are going to turn it in. Just a personal preference.

angrypengu

Road noise and cabin noise are the top things I look for in a car. I believe you're from the US, so please take note for this info. When car reviewers test the A6/A7, they don't usually even know what acoustic side glass is, and they don't even notice or talk about it. It makes a BIG difference. Since you're in the US, you have the ability to pay for an upgrade to get acoustic side glass in the A6. I know that because I was very upset that I don't even have this option in Canada, and based on that info alone, I decided to abandon the A6 and consider the A8.

I'm fairly certain with the A7 you can buy acoustic side glass as well. I know in Canada only the A8 and the Q8 have this as standard, and there is no option to buy acoustic side glass for the other models.

All this to say that all hope is not lost for you. When you do your testing, make sure you test a model with the acoustic side glass. It cuts out the majority of the wind noise, and a lot of the tire noise.

As far as ride quality goes, my thoughts are = air or nothing. I'm so tired of steel springs! That said yes there have been concerns raised about transmission of certain feelings with the air springs on the A6, as I believe you noted upthread. That I don't have anything to add. The A8 - nobody has made those comments yet so it hasn't factored into my decision making matrix.

TheTurtleBoy

Dual pane acoustic glass is standard on the Prestige model, whether that is side or just front I do not know. I think every review I have read was about the top model so I assume that it had acoustic glass.

There will also be no air suspension available in the US for the A6 and A7 as far as I know. All of the press say there will only be steel springs but the features listed (not the Build or Order Guide) has active dampers at least.

angrypengu

Damn it. Sorry. I was pretty excited to reply to your post hoping that I may have managed to address some of your concerns. It seems like to me you really know your stuff here and have figured out what you're looking for and what features and such are coming.

Good luck in your car buying process! Just so you know though, on the 2019 Audi A8 in the US, acoustic side glass is an option, even for the top line one. So I believe the acoustic glass you're referring to on the A6/A7 is on the windshield, which is normal for Audi. I'm still fairly certain the side glass is an option. Anyways, just passing that info along in case it helps you in any way

TheTurtleBoy

I appreciate your info. As far as I can tell from the order guide, build and features list, there is no option for side acoustic glass for the A6 or A7. Best of Luck with your purchase also.

angrypengu

That may be my bad. I may have mixed up the Audi UK build sheet/info with Audi US. I've been on a rapid pace when it comes to learning this stuff.

That said I would still ask a dealer. Why? Because in the United States, the E class, as an option, can be ordered with the Acoustic Comfort Package, which gives side acoustic glass and doubles the insulation in the doors and floor pan. I'd be shocked if Audi didn't either build this into the car (so maybe you're right, and it is built into a package) or it didn't offer it as an option.

In Canada, it's not an option because the BMW 5 and Merc E do not have the ability to specify acoustic glass.

Anyways, all this to say, it's a 2 second check once you take your car out for a test drive. Just stare at the window pane with it down, it's obvious, as you know

Dustin Fennell

I have a 2019 Ram Truck with the eTorque engine. It has the 48v battery system in it. I can tell you the stop/start virtually unnoticeable. I have not experience any lag when taking my foot off the break to apply it to the gas. It works absolutely beautifully. So much so, I don't disable the stop/start feature. I would imagine Audi's implementation would be even better than Ram's.