olliev

I just got my new A6 Avant, and I bought snow tires. The typical thing to do according to the dealer is to downsize the wheels to 15" to put a higher profile narrower tire on the car, which is better for snow. Well, is seems like the brake calipers have been enlarged, replaced with the 2.7T calipers in the fron, cause the 15" wheels don't fit anymore, and they say they have been doing this for a long time. Anyway, just trying to say the brakes have been improved.

olliev

Agree with you Gary. Plenty of power on my A6 Avant also. They are fabulous cars!

Kenny

The adaptive transmission does a good job downshifting when you want to drive more aggressively...

phred

The forum consensus was, when the A6 first came along they just upsized an A4, and kept those brakes. Not good.

Griff

They are all (A4, Passat, A6) built on different versions of the same basic B5 platform. The A4 is the basic B5, the Passat has a lengthened B5 (that explains the extra 3" in the back seat!) but is the same width as the A4, and the A6 is lengthened and widened. They all share the same front & rear suspension (ever looked under the rear of a Passat 4Motion? Identical to the A4's) but use different springs, bushings, struts, etc. to provide differing ride characteristics.

The differences, IMHO, are in the interior. A Passat 4Motion is a great bargain if you like the cheaper interior. I happen to think that the A6 (and by extension the A4) interior is the best in the business for it's class of car. I find that the A4 rear seat is too cramped for me & my family so I went with the A6 (but I almost got a Passat GLX 4Motion!).

Bottom line - check out all three as they're meant for different buyers.

...just my $0.02!

Steve's 3.2 TT/Avant

about 99% of the time. The 2.8 didn't do real well from stops, but its 70-90 acceleration is really good. I like the broad torque band for the 2.7, and it is more fun to drive, but I really don't feel like the 2.8 is an underpowered POS. It's not.

Brakes, however, are definitely better on the 2.7 than the 2.8. While I could live without the 2.7's torque and boost, I wouldn't want to go back to the 2.8's brakes.

grove

. . . Audi has developed a 6-speed Tip; either that or the CV tranny may show up on the A6 2.8 (but not with Quattro IRO the CV); either would make the 2.8 a slightly better performer off the line. The 3.0 probably won't show up until 2003 or later (due to the long, long process of getting EPA certification).

Alec

No the 2.8 is not underpowered. Between 20 to 60 the power is adequate- for 2001 it will run down a typical family of four in a parking lot from stop,
at 60 to 90 200 hp means it is a fast car (ah, blashemer, sinner), it will cruise between 95-110
mph all day long. Lots of people seem to like to justify thier choice of A6 by saying that the 2.8 is underpowered. Underpowered has a specific meaning not "I want more"- that's not what it means.

Bob W.

my mileage has been about the same, w/o the a/c compressor on, so far.

April

anybody see the show on the telly ? They said FWD was superior to RWD in a wide variety of road and weather conditions. Wooohoooo !!!!!