Will probably have to place order as I demand sport seats. Specs will be:
nightblue/amaretto
sport seats
prem., convenience, and cold pkg.
nav - unsure
I live in a rural part of Maryland with good open roads and travel mostly mid atlantic. The choice between 3.2 and 4.2 is tough. Surely this thread has been posted before but your input is appreciated. The 4.2 is hard to come by. Will I get killed on resale with the 4.2 or will its rarety be a plus?

I went with the 3.2. Its power is more than sufficient for my needs in a "family friendly" car--I've decided to save the V8 for my toy (perhaps an S4 in a couple of years). The increased efficiency is also a positive in my book.

Best I can tell you is to drive both and get what you like better.

if your driving a car that is not VERY fast, like let's say the A6 3.0, then the 3.2 would make you very happy.

If your coming out of a BMW 540i then the 8 cyl is the way to go.

I have an Allroad which has the 2.7T engine so I am having a tough time making a decision as well. The 3.2 is no slouch from what people have reported back.

Think about it...What's the price difference when you're comparing a fully equipped 3.2 to a loaded 4.2? Nearly insignificant.

And of course, you get the proven 4.2 engine.

I also believe the transmission hunt problems only occur on the 3.2.

The 2005 A6 3.2 is my wife's car; she loves it and would never consider a V8 because it is too much engine. My car is a Jag S-Type with a 4.2 V8. Both cars can go fast but the difference is that the V8 does it effortlessly while the V6 is pushing hard, or at least that is the way it feels. I also find that I drive her car differently than mine when it comes to merging onto a highway. Many times I won't merge onto a highway with her car when I would have with mine. I would admit that once you are at highway speed both cars will go faster than you should if you don't watch your speedometer.

Tom

I felt the same tip lag in both the 4.2 and the 3.2. The difference was, once the car shifted, the 3.2 displayed smooth power, while the 4.2 attempted to fling me onto the road through the trunk. I'm not saying I didn't like it, but, in the end, it was more than I decided I needed. As I said, I'll save the big, fun engine for my little, fun car.

BTW, the price difference is about $5K (probably a little different now that they've unbundled the sports package on the 4.2), plus a slight loss in negotiating power.

There's definitely truth in what AF-RX8 says: I'm coming out of a B5 A6 2.8. I'm looking at a 33% increase in HP, a 25% increase in torque at considerably lower RPMs, and a relatively insignificant change in weight. So, to me, the 3.2 is huge...but, then again, even my wife's B6 3.0 Cabriolet seems quick compared to mine.

And not buying more car than you need? You can't go wrong, both are great. I have found my 3.2 to be very quick, though I am a little sad that I'm below 20mpg. I'm okay with that, but would like to be a good citizen. Will have to make up for it in other ways...!

Southwind,

I don't think anyone can speculate on the resale value of the 4.2 (or the 3.2 for that matter). I would suspect they would both be similar. The 4.2 would indeed be more unique but one can theorize that for resale purposes, you would like a larger market of interested buyers, and the 3.2 has 80-90% of current sales (reportedly) so your resale market of interested buyers may be larger.

Bottom line, I wouldn't let resale concerns affect your decision as to which car to get. I agree with the above suggestions...test drive both and get whichever you like the best. If they're similar to you, get the cheaper one.

Best of luck!

I have the C5 4.2 and average between 18 and 19.5 mpg, mostly highway. If you want respectable mileage, get the Lexus 430. With the A6, you'll be lucky to get 16mpg city, I'm betting...

And still the car goes from 0-100km/h in 7 seconds. It's a fast and efficient beast, limited at 155mph. I'm getting great range with this car, at best about 1200km on one tank. Unbelievable.

Don't know if I converted correctly. 6.5 litres/100km = ~36mpg (US gallons).

Diesels ROCK! :)

The feel and sound of the Audi V8 are beyond description. Once you experience it, no V6 will do.

as new fuel standards (lower sulphur) to be implemented uniformly across North America (happening now).