Aftermarket upgrade for A6
 

What is the most worthwhile aftermarket upgrade for a 2010 A6?

Intelligence and common sense. And both can be had for nearly no outlay of cash.


Turborusty

Everyone raves about upgrading rear sway bar. I've been trying to order one but there isn't one available in North America. I've been told it's been backordered from H&R until March or April. If you have 3.0T engine, you can add aproximately 100 horses for $1,500 with a new chip.

dadicated set of summer tires

Make that WINTER tires.


Turborusty

Chevy V-8 lol!!!

Ask a thousand owners and you will get answers ranging from "why would you change anything from stock?" to "I've changed everything except the gas cap and I'm looking into that"

Obviously, mods and "upgrades" are a personal preference, but I can give you my 2 cents.

One upgrade that I would suggest for anyone is to put a clear shield on the front of your car. It is a great way to prevent paint dings and doesn't detract from the appearance of the car in any way.

I like tinted windows and I think they look great on these cars. A good tint job can be had for less than $300 and looks great.

If you have the 3.0T engine, you can get the ECU flashed giving you a ton of extra horsepower and torque. I had my 2011 done at Stasis and it is amazing. I can't begin to tell you how much of a difference this makes.

I also had the Stasis exhaust done. It sounds great and is nice to look at. It's going to cost you nearly 2K after installation, though.

I used a company called Ocarbon to change my interior trim from wood grain to carbon fiber. I am waiting to get my trim back, but I think this is a very cool mod.

If you live in a place that gets snow, I would definitely recommend a set of dedicated winter tires and wheels. You can use all-season tires all year round, but snow tires are better and you can get some flashy summer wheels, too. The choices are endless there.

Other mods that I have considered, but haven't done are:
1) Lowering the car with a sports suspension and putting on sway bars. This would be a necessity if you want to track your car, but not as important if you are a normal driver.
2) Changing the current grill with the S6 or RS6 grill. These can be had for around $400, but you have to take the bumper off to install. I'm definitely going to do this sometime this summer.
3) I like the RS6 sport pedal kit. I think you can do this for around $350, but I'm not sure it's worth it for something most people will never see.
4) Aluminum mirror cover caps. These are from the S6 and look very cool, but an OEM set is over $600. Probably won't be doing this one.
5) Big brake kits. If you want to track your car, these are a must. The Stasis version is over $4000 with installation. Brembo hasn't made a kit for the new A6 yet, but they will do one if you want. Probably around $4K as well. If you don't want to track your car, I wouldn't recommend this one.

That's about all I have done or considered. Hope this helps.

I'm seriously considering this. I know the chip is around $1,500. How much did the dealer charge for the installation? Did you already have the exhaust or can you comment on the chip's performance with stock pipes? Would appreciate more description on your experience (i.e. performance & fuel economy). Thx!

I had the exhaust and ECU upgrade done at the same time. You would have to check with your dealer to see what installation costs are. I can tell you that the difference is VERY noticeable. Fuel economy has been about the same, but I have probably been driving a bit more aggressively since I got my car back. It is very fun to get from 0-60 in less than 5 seconds! I would HIGHLY recommend this!

Also, to the OP, I see that you have the sports package, so you wouldn't need to get an aftermarket sports suspension obviously. I would like to know how you feel about the sports suspension. Is the ride smooth or do you feel every bump in the road? I have a friend that has an S4 and he purposely avoids some roads due to the fact that they are bumpy and it gives him a headache to ride on them.

Quick question about the Stasis exhaust for 3.0t. I have emailed Stasis twice to get a sound clip but no response from them.at4iowa, would you happen to have a video or just a sound clip of your car? I am considering their exhaust for my 09 3.0t A6 but would like to hear it first. Does it drone at low rpm? Thanks.