Review
It came on, ironically, on the way back from the Audi A4 launch so the next day I took the car into local dealer Peterborough Audi. Collecting it later in the day they said it was a faulty ECU. I was told a new one had been ordered and would take a week, and that they would give me a call. Two weeks later, I’ve heard nothing.
I could do with the dealer ringing to say it’s in, because the car is filthy and Peterborough Audi always valets the cars inside and out, even if they are in for just one day with a minor problem. At this rate I’m going to have to wash it myself.
The reason the A6 has changed from a nice bluey-silver to a muddy brown is because it has been doing some very hard miles, hard on the heels of a BMW 535d, across some of the finest driving roads rural Leicestershire has to offer.
We’ve been trying to settle a score about whether the new BMW 5-series is streets ahead of the competition, and in the winter (or come to that, the summer, spring and autumn as well), when the roads are muddy, grimy and wet, there’s very little between them. The quattro system gives the A6 huge amounts of traction, which the rear-wheel drive BMW just cannot match, although the Beemer is more fun, despite the constant efforts of the traction control.
Add in a more relaxed, compliant ride, quieter engine, a better quality and much more spacious interior and I’d choose the A6 as my daily drive.
However, motoring editor Simon Harris thinks the opposite.
I’ve got one gripe with the A6, among the plethora of platitudes. The exhaust pipes, which are rather drab diesel downpipes, are going rusty already. What will they look like in three years’ time? Steve Moody
Model:Audi A6 3.0 TDI quattro SE Tiptronic auto
Price (OTR): £31,930 (£37,025 as tested)
Mileage: 3,526
CO2 emissions (g/km): 229
Company car tax bill (2004/5) 40% tax-payer: £328 per month
Insurance group: 16
Combined mpg: 33.2
Test mpg: 30.9
CAP Monitor residual value: £11,975/38%
HSBC contract hire rate: £627
Expenditure to date: Nil
