kabert

And ended up with a 2006 A6 4.2 S-line. I drove the RS6 and the E55 - -both are beasts in a straight line. I particularly liked the exclusivity/rarity factor of the RS6 (they have similar performance). But, they both had significant downsides:

RS6: Dated interior; hard to find one with nav; DRC, etc. mechanical issues

E55: Only available with RWD; smallish backseat (for kid-carseats, backseat is barely bigger than the 1998 BMW 3-series I was replacing).

In the end, I couldn't get past the many complaints on this board about mechanical problems -- it scared me off. I still got an Audi, but a 2006 with free maintenance.

malinco

I have read all of mechanical issues on this board as well and it does have me worried. I do not want to buy a car and have to worry about replacing DRC, or bad turbo's etc.

Obviously this can all be avoided by the correct research etc.

Does the certified warranty cover any of these problems?
what exactly is not covered under the warranty for the rs6?
after the 100k warranty has expired, is it possible to purchase another warranty package that covers the same range of fixes?

MARKNMTT

Its not a cheap car (parts). Turbos are rather reliable. Few failures i know of. Transmission and torque converter however are a weak link. DRC go aftermarket but Audi is now going to fix it per a recent letter. I'll let others cover the warranty question but most everything seems to be covered.

malinco

transmission and torque convertor replacement would be covered under warranty?

Randy Welch

With nearly 84K on the clock I have to say my RS6 has been quite solid.

well minus the drc.. ;-)

JPQuattro

I am contemplating the E55 VS RS6 option also. I really do like the RS6 but from looking at both forms issues the E55 seems to be a bit more reliable over all & a bit quicker stock. Its a very tough call

samjvail

I'm a recent RS6 owner and also have or have had 07 A8, 05 A8, 05 A6, 04 A4, 07 Q7 and 98 A6. I am a true Audi fan even with the problems that come about. I have 71k on mine and need a transmission but with the fun I have with the car it's well worth the headache (I do have an extended warranty though).

Enzeru

is more dependent on mileage than model year. I work in a Jaguar/Cadillac store and was just discussing this topic with our Finance Director earlier this week. The RS6 is an expensive, sophisticated car so prepare yourself for the Extended Warranty's (more accurately known as an Extended Service Contract) price tag. That being said, the better service contract underwriters will allow you to customize the contract's duration, deductible, and extent of coverage. Ergo the most expensive plan will cover more systems, for a longer period of time, with the least amount of money coming out of your pocket. If your vehicle of interest is purchased from a dealer and you're financing part of the purchase, you'll have the option of folding the Service Contract's cost into your loan. This can provide a relatively painless way of protecting your investment and with money available at 3% on pre-owned cars at the moment, it's the smart thing to do too.
As far as your RS6 vs E55 AMG dilemma goes, it's simple: If live where the roads are wet or wintry on a regular basis, go with the RS. If you live in the Sunbelt, go for the AMG; there's nothing quite like power sliding a 469 horse, $80k sedan around!
While I don't have any direct experience with the RS6, when I owned an independent dealership I had an E55 AMG in stock for a while and became quite familiar with it. It is truly an amazing car. While mine had higher than normal miles (70k), I had no problems with it whatsoever. The one thing I didn't like about the E55 (all W211 Mercedes really) is, as others have noted, a back seat that is not nearly as accommodating as that of the C5 A6.
While my version of "The Dilemma" was a little down-market from yours (A6 vs 545i), the same principles still apply. Living just 30 miles from the crest of the Washington Cascades and realizing that my wife would be getting quite a bit of seat time in the car too, my decision was easy. Had the car been solely mine, I'd probably be driving the Beemer with a stick and pussyfooting around in the snow.
In any case, good luck with your search and enjoy your new car...whichever one you choose. If it's the Audi, I'm sure we'll see you around the forums.

MARKNMTT

yes

JimtheDentist

For pure driving the mb seems more responsive/nimble. Since this is my dailiy driver, I wanted AWD for midwest winters. The bigger sales point for me was my pre-teen kids didn't fit well in the rear seat of the mb. The rs has just a bit more room in the front and rear cabin

Jim
Kansas City
rs6 avis/black