Review
We delighted in the fact that, after a quick visit from Flying Colours and a bill of £55, the car was as good as new again.
Talk about tempting fate. No sooner had the ink dried on our pages than some more scratches appeared, not exactly in the same place but in roughly the same area.
Quite what this demonstrates I’m not sure but on both occasions the damage was caused while the car was driverless and stationary in a car park. It’s a big car so perhaps the nose pokes out too far for some incompetent drivers to negotiate their way round it. The lesson learned is to park the car at the far end of the car park so hopefully there’s less chance for it to be scraped by another vehicle.
It’s heartbreaking when something like this happens to a car like the A6 – it’s just too good-looking to be spoiled in any way. And the fact it is fairly obviously a company car probably means the perpetrators are quite content with not owning up, assuming the driver’s company will pay to put it right again.
Since taking the keys three months ago, the Audi has proved to be a brilliant car with the huge amount of traction from the quattro system making it great fun and, importantly, safe to drive.
It was recently called on to help transport Fleet News staffers to the 24-hour race in Le Mans and carried four adults in optimum comfort, the large boot easily swallowing the mountain of baggage associated with four days of camping in France. And, as it was a stag do, we managed to fit in the odd case of beer in the boot too.
Model: Audi A6 3.0 TDI quattro SE Tiptronic
Price (OTR): £31,930 (£37,025 as tested)
Mileage: 15,060
CO2 emissions (g/km): 229
Company car tax bill (2005/6) 40% tax-payer: £328 per month
Insurance group: 16
Combined mpg: 33.2
Test mpg: 33.6
CAP Monitor residual value: £12,250/38%
HSBC contract hire rate: £630
Expenditure to date: £55 (bumper repairs)
