Difficult to buy a speedy large Audi at the moment

[A3driverJohn]

Hi all,
I've been following this forum for some time and I'm a full on Audi fanboy and now I thought I might ask for some help.

I currently drive an S3 but we're expecting twins in January, so I would like to upgrade to an A6. But I'm really struggling with some things going on with Audi at the moment and not sure what the sensible next step is:

1) Right now, you can only use the online configurator to configure a small petrol A6 or up to 50 TDI. So there is no 55 TFSI nor are there a bunch of options / Vosprung model I might want. So do dealers have access to other data, i.e. could I order a 55 TFSI Vorsprung from a dealer at the moment?! I noted some chat in other threats that the 55 has come and gone within a month!

2) There are exactly 2 55 TFSI used approved Audis in the UK (vs. about 150 in Germany I noticed). If you went for one of those, will you have issues with support lateron as they are obviously no longer sold here? Also is the resale value of that car going to suffer as its a bit more exotic than the other engines? I guess it can't be worse than all the diesels with their bad press

3) Even if you were confident in the future of the diesel engine and went for a 50 TDI, that engine has two snooze seconds when you hit the accelerator... you might then wonder why buy a 50 TDI in the first place?

4) Alternatively I could get a Q7. But right now, its the last generation of the touchpad central console and all that jazz, which will be replaced soon. Also no petrol options.

5) Lastly, on the Audi configurator in Germany you can choose between a 2019 A6 and a 2020 A6. How is that possible, that car 0nly came out during 2018 so it can't be time for a face lift already?! No such option on UK configurator.

So, all in all, it feels like this is currently not a good time to buy one of the larger Audis if you're interested in higher spec / bigger engines.

Any thoughts / ideas what to do here?
Thank you all
John

 

[Zakalwe]

Congrats on your impending double incoming. I’m an Audi noob so take my comments with that in mind. I can’t answer most of your questions, so my limited perspective may be of little help to you.

I’ve just placed an order for the four-pot petrol Avant. Whilst my sales associate wasn’t really clued up about what’s going on with the limited options of engines and extras currently she was clear that I could only order what was on the configurator at this time - in fact the configurator she was using when going through my options was basically the same as the one on the website.

I pulled the trigger because like you I’m not keen on diesel and because as it’s primarily the wife’s car and will be on family duty, I suspect the power output will be sufficient for our needs. I also wouldn’t have specced any of the major options that are currently unavailable (e.g. I specced adaptive on my own car and never use it). It does seem inevitable that the “missing” options will be available in one combination or another at some point in the future, so it might be worth your while waiting if that’s feasible. I’m not so sure though that a more powerful petrol will be forthcoming as if it were, who’d be left wanting to buy the S6?

Final thought: me and the wife debated whether or not to go the SUV route. I don’t know about the dimensions but to my eye, the A6 Avant is only surpassed within the Audi stable in the practicality stakes by the Q7. But the equivalent Q7 is more than £10k more expensive at list, not available with anywhere near the same level of discount, worse looking (IMHO) and worse to drive. The facelift won’t change any of those metrics.

Best of luck.

 

[elan2s]

To answer your 2020 question. Audi is currently in the 2020 Model Year, their model year usually starts in May but seems a bit delayed this year. Hence why on the German site you see 2019 and 2020 as the 2019 cars will be stock that has already been built whereas 2020 will in therein be factory orders

 

[Zakalwe]

Vorsprung trim is on the configurator now. Comes with all the trimmings with a price to match. Adaptive suspension as standard, though there’s still no option for speccing air suspension.

 

[A3driverJohn]

Yes!!!!
All we need now is the 55 TFSI to resurface.

Thanks all!

 

[A3driverJohn]

Doddamnit that Vorsprung nonsense. Options worth about 5 grand in there I don't want but some I do want.
This lack of flexibility is uniquely bad amongst premium peers as far as I know.

 

[elan2s]

Vorsprung trim is on the configurator now. Comes with all the trimmings with a price to match. Adaptive suspension as standard, though there’s still no option for speccing air suspension.

If you go to the configurator on the website then 0n the Trim page it claims that Air Suspension is standard on the Vorsprung. However if you then look at the spec of the configured car it only mentions Adaptive Suspension. Also if you look at the App version of the configurator then Air Suspension is only included in the final spec for the 50TDi version all of the other engine versions only get Adaptive Suspension.

 

[cuke2u]

Doddamnit that Vorsprung nonsense. Options worth about 5 grand in there I don't want but some I do want.
This lack of flexibility is uniquely bad amongst premium peers as far as I know.

Quite, had a 'We want your car' email from my dealership this week, filled in the questionnaire as I was interested in a valuation of mine. However all that happened is a salesperson hassling me either on the phone or by email. Went quiet when I sent them this email:
"Thanks again for your email however it was a valuation of my car I was more interested in. But at the moment I cannot see myself in another Audi, after owning two since 2013, which I find quite disappointing.

The facelift of the A4, in my opinion, has ruined the marque, fake exhausts, S4 diesel's only, yet America gets petrol, the mmi touchpad being removed leaving a cheap looking black plastic compartment, has ruined what should be a premium vehicle.

I might be interested in the next generation A3, however that's not due until 2020 and my PCP on the A4 ends in November.

Audi have also made a very poor marketing decision in removing many options, or what I would call 'pick and mix's from their models forcing us to to purchase expensive Vorsprung versions.

It seems Audi did not consult the buying public in making these marketing decisions and has managed to alienate many of us Audi enthusiasts."

 

[Zakalwe]

Asking £65k plus for a boggo A6 seems somewhat hubristic.

 

[cuke2u]

We can only hope this guy https://www.autoblog.com/2019/09/14/markus-duesmann-audi-ceo-bmw-departure/ has a little more common sense....

 

[dave_ph]

I've mentioned it before, but I had an A6 on order and cancelled it as the dealer was incompentant and turns out, theiving gits as well.

Since cancelling my order, I've not regretted it once seeing the direction Audi are going in. I've had Audi's for years and loved them however as nice as their current range is, they are so far behind competitors when it comes to hybrid technology. Merc and BMW and especially Volvo are leaving them standing. Merc are the only ones to use diesel hybrids which make sense to me and the announced new GLE 350de has a WLTP range of 60miles on battery alone. Audi is just pushing this useless "mild hybrid" technology which all that does is improve their emissions for testing purposes (whos shocked!). Its real world benefits are probably zero.

The MY2020 changes were a complete farce - they removed a ton of options (4 of which I had specced, another reason for cancelling) and bumped the prices up despite offering nothing new!

I've gone ahead and ordered a Merc E300de AMG-Line Premium Estate which is a 194bhp 2.0tdi with something like a 120bhp eletric motor capable of realistically 25miles electric only range which is perfect for my around town stuff, and the town stints of my 160mile daily commute, while the diesel returns decent MPG on the motorway. The price for this hybrid was within a few quid a month of the comparable A6 40tdi. The specs are very similar, its a little more economical, and a lot faster accelerating. Plus the Mercedes dealer was hands down far more helpful and customer focused.

I'm sorry but Audi have lost it totally at the moment and are being very backward thinking.

 

[screeched]

Isn't the new RS6 available to order?

 

[A3driverJohn]

It is but thats not exactly practical on a day to day basis

Also I just realised you can now order the 55 TFSI in whatever trim you want! Defo will try that engine in the A6 now. X5 m50d almost had me but petrol would be so much sweeter!

 

[DaveW]

It is but thats not exactly practical on a day to day basis

Also I just realised you can now order the 55 TFSI in whatever trim you want! Defo will try that engine in the A6 now. X5 m50d almost had me but petrol would be so much sweeter!

So they've brought it back then, it was introduced for a short period a few months ago, then disappeared without trace. Back on the configurator for the lucky ones who can afford it.

 

[Vanderlust]

I've mentioned it before, but I had an A6 on order and cancelled it as the dealer was incompentant and turns out, theiving gits as well.

Since cancelling my order, I've not regretted it once seeing the direction Audi are going in. I've had Audi's for years and loved them however as nice as their current range is, they are so far behind competitors when it comes to hybrid technology. Merc and BMW and especially Volvo are leaving them standing. Merc are the only ones to use diesel hybrids which make sense to me and the announced new GLE 350de has a WLTP range of 60miles on battery alone. Audi is just pushing this useless "mild hybrid" technology which all that does is improve their emissions for testing purposes (whos shocked!). Its real world benefits are probably zero.

The MY2020 changes were a complete farce - they removed a ton of options (4 of which I had specced, another reason for cancelling) and bumped the prices up despite offering nothing new!

I've gone ahead and ordered a Merc E300de AMG-Line Premium Estate which is a 194bhp 2.0tdi with something like a 120bhp eletric motor capable of realistically 25miles electric only range which is perfect for my around town stuff, and the town stints of my 160mile daily commute, while the diesel returns decent MPG on the motorway. The price for this hybrid was within a few quid a month of the comparable A6 40tdi. The specs are very similar, its a little more economical, and a lot faster accelerating. Plus the Mercedes dealer was hands down far more helpful and customer focused.

I'm sorry but Audi have lost it totally at the moment and are being very backward thinking.

I think Audi are smart to dodge hybrids and work towards electric only platforms. That's the future. Hybrids are an awkward eco-conscious plaster over a festering wound. Sooner all models go fully electric the better for everyone.

 

[cuke2u]

Won't be long until another fad of 'carbon saving' and 'emission reducing' vehicles spring up and everyone will have wasted their money. Like diesels were a few years ago it is just another thing being pushed upon us. I have seen publications that suggest, if you take what energy is used to manufacture, an 'EV' is still producing 80% of harmful emissions compared to that of a petrol car with over half of that figure from the manufacture of the batteries. Plus there is the damage and exploitation in poorer countries where the battery components and lithium are mined.
Hopefully battery technology will advance but I remain very cynical that any current EV will do anything to reduce emissions and only make it worse once the batteries reach the end of their life cycles..

 

[Vanderlust]

Won't be long until another fad of 'carbon saving' and 'emission reducing' vehicles spring up and everyone will have wasted their money. Like diesels were a few years ago it is just another thing being pushed upon us. I have seen publications that suggest, if you take what energy is used to manufacture, an 'EV' is still producing 80% of harmful emissions compared to that of a petrol car with over half of that figure from the manufacture of the batteries. Plus there is the damage and exploitation in poorer countries where the battery components and lithium are mined.
Hopefully battery technology will advance but I remain very cynical that any current EV will do anything to reduce emissions and only make it worse once the batteries reach the end of their life cycles..

Those are all short term economics. It's not cynicism to point out that low volume next-gen tech is wasteful, it's common sense, but it is myopic. Up there with sleight of hand techniques used by climate change deniers and agriculture lobbyists.

 

[cuke2u]

I am not in denial about climate change at all, and neither are the facts I have seen from those either. But the fact is many do believe the hype shoved out by both politicians and those who are suggesting EV's are a solution when clearly they are not. Before we run headlong into a 'solution' without actually looking further than just some sales pitch we will, instead of doing anything meaningful towards climate change, just create another disaster.
Many of those promoting we are going headlong into environmental meltdown, such as extinction rebellion, are in fact contributing towards the very same thing and by the very nature of their protests only doing their cause a complete injustice.

We need to do something but everyone converting to EV's isn't a total solution as in a few years time there will be something else coming along that makes them redundant and the lies we are being told will be exposed...