Yes.. for about 5 minutes.

I have been following the A6 and A8 boards for quite some time. I know about your entire saga with the A6 4.2. I really feel for you, but it looks like things turned out really well for you, judging by those great pics. However, I will not comment on the new wheels. Actually, I am using the picture of your "lemon" A6 as my wallpaper (it would be even better if it did not have the Ford F-150 in the background!) I do not tell people about all the trouble you had. I get positive comments all the time about it the A6, not the Ford). It is the same color combo as the one I have on order, so it keeps me company as I await delivery. I know you have answered this before, but I want to ask you know as you have more time behind the wheel of the A8. How is the STOCK A8 compared to the A6 4.2? Power, comfort, quality, design, etc? What are your thoughts on the melange exterior color? Did you test drive the A6 before you purchased? Please comment on anything else I may have omitted. Thanks in advance.

Sorry, but Audi doesn't make a truck!! Do you want a big picture of that A6? Like 1280x1024? I have a big one I could send you.

An A6 4.2 is a really great car, I loved it and missed it because it felt small and nimble and very powerful. It was visually captivating too, more so than the A8. But, the A6 is not an A8 and will never be at that ultra-high level of refinement. You can tell the difference. You can feel it, people riding in the car can feel it. The A8 rides like a vault and has a solidity that few cars can match. I will leave it at that. Since I put on the new tires any longings I had for the A6 4.2 have been erased. The cars weigh the same and perform the same but the A8 has a more powerful feel to it because you are moving a larger mass. To be in a largish car that moves so gracefully and effortlessly is really wonderful. I won't detract from the A6 4.2 any though, because until I spent time with the A8 it was one of my favorite cars ever.

I like the Ming Blue better WHEN it is clean, which is about an hour after you wash it. It shows everything. I don't care for Melange on the A8 but on the A6 4.2 it is gorgeous. It is very easy to care for which is nice and a big plus. I wouldn't trade my blue A8 for a Melange one though. A6 4.2 definitely Melange. I would prefer either car in dark green though. But of course, colors are all opinion. (Like wheel asthetics.)

What can a person say, both are really great cars and both would make any sane person incredibly happy. I desire the A8 more and I should because it costs more and has more to it. But I didn't cry myself to sleep either when I was driving the A6 4.2.

One other thing, I am tall and big (6' 04" 235 lbs) and I my lower back always hurt a bit in the seats of the A6 4.2 no matter how I adjusted them. 15 minutes in the car and I was sore. I could not fix this problem no matter what I did. This issue is gone in the A8, that is important. But, my hair, just before a haircut, will rub the ceiling in an A8 and it did not in the A6. That bugs me. No sweat though, I just put on my ball cap.

Your info was fantastic. A big picture would be great! Can you just post it here? If not, I can provide my e-mail address. Thanks once again. You are invaluable on this board.

These are really big but with 20:1 compression they are pretty distorted. If you want the BMP files, which are perfect and several megs each, contact me privately.

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What options did you get on your A6? Should I regret not getting the warm weather package. I live in Southern Ohio. I do know, however, that your A8 is loaded.

On the A6 I had 17" wheels, all the air bags, CD Changer, and Xenon. I do not care one way or the other about cold weather packages because I love the cold myself. My passengers all enjoy the heated seats more than I in the A8. Mine is always on 0, everybody else's is always on 6. So, I didn't care that it wasn't in the A6 and it doesn't really impress me either that it is in the A8. Do get the Xenon though for sure. I would also get the sport suspension but it wasn't available when I got my A6 4.2

Yes, I considered both the 4.2 and the 2.7T, but frankly speaking, there was no comparison with the A8. The A8 just screams class the moment you step into it. It has a much more solid and refined feel to it and yet seems just as nimble, if not more so. Both the A6 4.2 and 2.7T were great cars, but the A8 felt like another class of vehicle altogether and thus I went with the A8.

The A6 4.2 was a lot of fun to drive. It is smaller so you could "toss" it about when driving hard. I felt the A6 4.2 gave more of a "muscle car" feel.

The A8 is pure luxury. It has presence. You feel like you are on the way to the boardroom everytime you get into it.

I also considered the Merc E-Class (430) and S-Class (430). They gave similar impressions, but the A8 is rarer and sportier. Where I work, Mercs are dime a dozen.

So I picked the A8.