If you could receive the full purchase price of your A6 or somewhere close to that number(i.e. insurance claim), what would be on your comparison list. I am targeting the A6's that are 1yr old or greater because obviously if you just purchased your A6 in the last year you have already stated your choice or preference and may still be on the new car honeymoon.(not exclusive to Audi)

It has become more difficult to compare because many models that would compete with the A6 are considered to be in a different category due to size. Their price is in the neighborhood but they are generally smaller.

When you compare vehicles against the A6 by size you jump up in price especially if you throw in performance criteria. I am subtracting any brand loyalty from the equation. I am excluding factors such as first year vehicle QA ? etc... What should the vehicles have in common?

*Sedan or Wagon (saloon or estate)
*AWD
*If no AWD than a superior Electronic system to assist with traction and stability
*Combination of luxury and performance
*Similar amenities
*Similar roominess can be slightly less or more
*within $10K +/- invoice
*Available within the next eight months

My list at this time and before additional input:

(not in order of priority)

A6 4.2
Jaguar X type
BMW 330xi
A6 2.7T ('01.5)
S4 Avant
Volvo T6 AWD
Infiniti Q (stretching the $ criteria)
A8 (used)
Audi Allroad
Volkswagen Colorado (W12)
BMW 530i
Lexus (?)

I know I may have left some out and have stretched the price criteria with a couple choices. Thats why I am asking. My goal is to use the collective market awareness of this forum to compile a comprehensive comparison list.

I intentionally left out the Lexus model because I am not quite sure which slots in the best. Thanks in advance for the input and this is not intended to be the impetus for a brand war. Just gathering information.

Brian

As I understand your priorities, I would quickly suggest elimination from consideration: Jaguar X (overdesigned, and overpriced, and 1st year)
Volvo: I just don't like them, and their AWD is not the same as Audi. Fit and finish not near Audi standards.
Q-45: Very pricey, and no soul.
Allroad: High price, and I don't like SUV's (even by Audi)
VW Colorado: Isn't there still a question if this will be built at all? Or see these shores?
Lexus: Same as reason on Q-45

I humbly suggest that you define your priorities more closely so you can somewhat narrow your choices. The vehicles you describe are all over the ballpark in attributes.

Either one of the Audi wagons. they are rare, high performance, anti-SUV (which is going to be a big trend next year), and interesting technically.

Why not do a used 740iL? or old S Class MBZ

I know I don't fit your >1 year requirement, but thought you might be interested some ramblings on the current Audi-competitive offerings. I thought long and hard about a number of the vehicles you mention (admittedly, longer and hrader about some than others), and in the end I agree with J. Orr post on just about every point he makes.

"No soul" is hard to describe/articulate, but it is unquestionably true (IMHO) for Lexus and Infiniti (and, hey, who needs their car to TALK to them, for heaven's sake! That's what women are for...among other things.) BMW's "soul" is devalued in my view by their ubiquity here in Chicago (feels like you're in Munich!) Saab's are just odd. Volvos, too, although better in recent model years (Thank you, Ford marketing?) Mercedeses(?) are like BMWs in my view regarding ubiquity and their very distinct "image" as "rich old guy's cars" (versus BMW: "Rich not-that-old guy's cars").

Yes, I know I am still in the "sunny glow" of recent purchase, but I am very much savoring my 4.2. Performance,looks (ah, those fender flares!), ride, quality of build, relative exclusivity (admittedly declining...two of us followed one another down the expressway this morning...both shiny new cars). The very first Audi I bought in 1884 put a smile on my face back then, and this new one did it again. You gotta like that from an inanimate object (versus, say, an animate--read "female"--"object.")

In the end, yours will of course be a personal decision. No way 'round it.

Good luck. Drive on.

Are you in MA? I'm assuming so because of your sreen name. So whatever you choose will need to handle winter conditions.

Before I bought my S4 last year I went through a similar list (not including those models that were not yet available). High performance was an absolute must, along with 4 doors and good winter traction.

I quickly crossed off BMW after talking to owners about winter driving. A few said they were fine, most said they were not very good in the snow (particularly the 540i, which was the model I was interested in). Ditto for a used 740i which I also considered. I'm sure with snow tires they'd be okay, but after driving through a bad winter with quattro there's no turning back.

Which really narrowed it down for me.

I decided against a used A8 because of potential body work repair costs due to the aluminum body. It may or may not be a real problem, but it's worth looking into.

I never considered a Volvo (and am unlikely to do so).

Which left the S4, A6 4.2, and the A6 2.7T.

It was mighty close! If I could have seen an A6 2.7T with a sport package and the BBS wheels I may very well have bought one, but I ended up getting the S4 and have been very happy with it. If the 4.2 was available with a 6 speed that would have been a very strong contender as well.

Guess I just like Audis.

I went through this same exercise twice in the past year and a half. The first time there were very few AWD decent performance sedans and I didn't think I cared much about AWD (I had a Lexus RX300 and I had never owned an AWD car). I bought the 2.7t simply because I liked the performance and feel. After owning the 2.7t for a year I had the option of getting a new one for free or getting all my money back (lemon). I have never driven the 2.7t in the snow (I have an RX300 remember) but I still feel the AWD is a huge safety feature in all kinds of weather. So when looking at my options I gave a very large preference to AWD.

I considered the Subaru WRX but it seemed a bit small and cheap. Looked a BMW 330 and 540, I felt the 330 was kind of cheaply built and didn't have the performance of the Audi. The 540 was nice but no AWD and quite a bit more money with virtually no discount. My dad had a Saab many years ago and that thing could really go in snow but it just didn't hold up in the real world. In the end, even after my lousy experience with the first 2.7t, I opted for another 2.7t but this time with PST.

I would also consider an S8 but that's a lot more money. The S6 was not a contender for me both since it is not available and because it is a wagon, excuse me, I mean avant.

A6 4.2:
Jaguar X type: too small, too much of a girl's car, way too feminine
BMW 330xi: excellent car, way too common, BMW stigma, way too common, did I say way too common
A6 2.7T ('01.5) obviously a good choice
S4 Avant if size doesn't matter much, the feel from behind the wheel is the best of any Audi
Volvo T6 AWD : what's this?, you mean the XC?, definitely outmatched, outclassed by the allroad, not an option, FORD, FORD, FORD
Infiniti Q (stretching the $ criteria): not bad, should be able to negotiate within a few months, new or not the new Q will draw only a few more buyers than the old Q, nice, a bit of a land-yacht though
A8 (used) if you want size and a used car this is great, but I'd go new
Audi Allroad : excellent, excellent, excellent, but its gas mileage sucks more than my 4.2
Volkswagen Colorado (W12) what?, when?, ever?
BMW 530i: excellent car, interior feels cheap, no AWD, common, common, common, but really handles nicely if you can get over the commonality and any bad, snowy, etc weather.
Lexus (?) : GS300/400, both excellent, a little bland, but really smooth and reliable, common, but not too much, a little goofy looking, but that is OK also

Add:
MB E430: pushing the price envelope, common looks, but the 430 is pretty rare compared to 320 (the blue hair car with a sweet 6cyl engine)
MB C55: pushing the price envelope if you can get your hands on one, but fast, fast, fast
Saab 9-5 Viggen: pretty fast, build quality not as good, but can get one relatively cheap if you don't mind having a tough time selling it a few years from now. Not as solid as the Audi, but pretty rare and fun. Interior is borderline.
Jaguar S-Type: see X-type, although slightly larger and too expensive, too damn feminine
S6 Avant: this is it! This is what I want, the perfect car!
S6 Avant
S6 Avant!
S6 Avant!!!!!

MB E430 4MATIC
Infiniti Q45
Subaru Legacy GT H6 3.0 VDC (soon?)
BMW 530ix (next year?)

A. Money is NOT an issue:
#1. E430 4Matic
#2. A6 4.2

B. Money IS an issue:
#1. E320 4Matic (about $5K savings vs. A)
#2. A6 2.7t (about $7k saving vs. A)

IMO, in both above cases the B. option savings over the A. option is insignificant in this market segment, and I would not consider B. at all.

I will not even touch subject of A6 4.2 vs. 2.7, but E430 is definitely worth every penny (plus some) more then E320.

was pleasantly surprised. Even more so was my wife, who has always been(somewhat irrationally) anti-front wheel drive, so we have been limited to Audi/BMW/Merc. But the Volvo is v. nice and drives very well. It comes in 3 configs, so make sure you try them all before you decide. No AWD yet.

Your point about the A6 being bigger than comparable cars is true, I'm sure they did that on purpose. It's a selling point, along with quattro.

either hop into a 2.7T with a 6 spd (if you don't mind rowing yourself) or pick up a slightly used 540i.
I really don't consider much else to be worth the money. Perhaps an MB E430 with the sport package will fit the bill.

But don't switch! :-)

I like the 430 but it is rear wheel drive. Not an option if you live in snowy climate and don't have a backup.

for comparison sake but it appears that the list is fairly complete. I definitely want to drive the '02 2.7T. It deserves the first shot. Although the list is diverse, all of the vehicles meet the criteria I mentioned. All of them execute a criteria very well and other things satisfactorily.

I am a little leery of the Lexus because I just don't like the bulbous NASCAR body type overhangs in the nose, wheel area, and tail. In contrast I view the A6 as artful in it's design (I call it sensual as weird as that sounds). This is really petty but the MB evokes Soprano's images and near my office I see so many MB's driven by T-shirt wearing, backwards baseball hat driving, baggy muscle pant types with the electric tan in full effect. That sounds ridiculous but it's real and it conjures up images that are really unpleasant for me. I just don't see myself in a MB and my opinion is paramount even if it is a little ridiculous.

One car I did leave off was the S6. I meant to throw it in but figured someone would follow up. I guess it's still not on the radar of most people for various reasons. The S8 would be my vehicle of choice but I am not paying the current premium for a model which will have a radically new body style in as little as 12-18 months. The new A8 body style is very exciting in my opinion and should prove to be very popular. I just don't want to pay a premium, experience the normal 1st year depreciation for an $80k+ car, and then get hit with an unusually high second year depreciation factor due to the body style change.

As far as rear wheel drive in this climate, vehicles today have sufficient technology to move the car through all but the most severe weather. Not as good as an Audi or AWD in general, but safely ableit at a miserly pace. I have owned and lived with a 325is in Michigan and Massachusetts winters. It was not necessarily a joy, but it got me going where I needed without any traction assistance other than snow tires. I lived with a Porsche 944 in Washington (Seattle) and Michigan winters and had the same experience. Granted Seattle winters mainly consist of rain but Michigan was a different story. The rest of the 300+days, they were a blast to drive and fun, fun, fun. The 2.7T is too, don't get me wrong. No flames please.

So I am not as worried about living with the car for the 14-21 snow/ice days compared to the rest of the year when the roads are cold/wet-cold/dry-warm/wet-warm/dry-hot/wet-hot/dry. I would not be able to blast around with the confidence and security one gets with AWD in the snow/slush however.

Therefore, I am not tossing out rwd simply due to that factor. I am going to test the new Q today and although the older models may have had no soul (I Agree) this one appears to have received some life.

It is beautiful in person and is reasonably priced. The drive will be telling however. They just received their demo this week I think. It still had the protective covering on. Obviously from my list Audi has much to offer but I said before I don't include brand loyalty, emotion, or the need for validation into my car buying analysis. The car either meets the criteria and receives appropriate support after the sale or it does not.

My BMW was somewhat maintenance intensive but that was in part due to my almost religious practice of fixing malfunctions. The upside is that when I did take it to get it fixed, it was fixed as expected. This is not the case with all BMW owners, I was lucky in that case. The Porsche never saw the dealer except for scheduled maintenance and many times I received service perks. I was lucky again. My stray into SUV land could not have been better(and it was US made). In 36 months I only needed to visit the dealer twice for warranty items or non-scheduled maintenance. In both instances I was given a loaner, no questions, and the car was repaired in one day (because they did not have me come in if the parts were not there). I don't care as much about a loaner as I do having the repairs done correctly (or at all).

My other car experience was with Mazda and also as hassle free. One non-scheduled visit in 39 months and that was for a new transmission at "their" suggestion. I did not even ask for it. They noted a problem during a scheduled maintenance, brought me a car, took my car, brought me back my car, and I was a low end model buying kid at the time. I was lucky again.

I throw this minutae in because it appeared from some of the posts that some may believe I was looking for a critique of my list. Rather, I was looking for objective additions to it. Actually, if I lost all of my sensibility I would have long ago positioned myself to obtain a GT2. Yeah right.

Thanks again,

Brian

4Matic is definitely not awful even next to a Quattro. Maybe not as good, but not awful either. What is awful is a RWD next to Quattro in the snow/ice, but not a 4Matic. With its permanent 35/65 front/rear power split it may not be as good in snow, but is close in the rain, and at least as good in the dry.