Shopping for an A6, is the post 2016 worth the increased price?

[Dave D.]

I have been enjoying my B6A4 USP for over 8 years now and now looking for something a little newer. My commute to work is about a mile, so in nice weather I either walk or ride a bike. However when I do get out, its all highway( I play ice hockey and the rinks I play at are from 1/2 hour to an hour away 2 to 3 times a week), plus I would just like a nice car that we can go out in and fit 4 adults (something the back seat of a B6 lacks). I feel the C7 chassis/drivetrain would be a great choice for me as the 3.0 and 8 speed give me the desired performance of the B8S4 without the potentially problematic DSG while giving me a usable back seat for adults in a great looking package.
This brings me to the question, there is quite a bump in price for the C7.5. What are the true upgrades and are they worth the price bump for my use? The engine got the second set of injectors, so does that mean there should be no future issue with carbon clogging? My annual mileage is less than 6k.
I am an ex GM dealer Tech and own my own shop, so maintenance and repair is easy. I have been road racing for over 20 years, so I am a little picky with chassis dynamics ie:steering, handling,braking feel. I don't want a race car on the street, but my B6A4 USP with added Recaros and S4 brakes feels really nice to me on the highway and I really appreciate this little car everytime I take it out, however she's getting a little worn around the edges in the body (previous owner wasn't kind) so it's time for and upgrade.
Sorry for the long intro, looking for constructive input to help with my decision.
Thank You in advance................

[choy188]

The newer V6 has significantly more power potential out of the box and I believe it can run e85 without anything big, not 100% sure on that one. Pulley swaps are easier since it's just bolted on, different transmission, slightly more efficient, imo better headlights and taillights, newer infotainment that can have carplay/Android auto added, new shifter, I think that may be it other than the sport diff being available

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[Spitfire007]

With all due respect to everyone here:
Given your racing background, I feel it is important you know a few things.
These are MY PERSONAL OPINIONS:

The steering feel is nonexistent.
Brake feel is AWFUL. I hate it. Very low initial bite. And you really have to mash on the pedal to get a response. (Yes I've changed fluid and pads and rotors....it's a common thing with this car)
The car is fast. Yes. It sticks like glue. Yes.
But it has a weird understeer-oversteer feel to it in a curve depending on acceleration.
Also, it leans. A lot, and the seats don't have bolsters for thinner people. Probably great if you're a weeble-wobble-body.

Car is an excellent tourer. GREAT for family.
Supremely comfortable, steady, great gas mileage and power. Very reliable, interior is of a gorgeous build quality.
But try to use it or see it for what it's not, and you'll be disappointed.

If you want spirited, stick to old school..."BMW and stick shift" comes to mind.
I'm coming from 4 of them: 1974 2002, 740iL, 135/328....3 of them manuals.
This is my first Audi, behave driven Q5, Q8, A5, and A4 loaners. They are devoid of soul.

I like the Audi, I just don't love it. Great for family, safety, comfort, but NOT a sporty car.


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[Dave D.]

WRT chassis dynamics, I'm not looking for a fire breather of a street car( nothing would come close to the race cars I've had in the past), and def not looking for a stick. I haven't driven a C7 A6 yet, so a few test drives are in order, thank you for bringing up the steering feel, I'll have to wait and see for myself. Most likely only a stage one with or without a pulley. Seats can be changed out to S6 as I really like the Recaros in my B6.

[Audibot]

If it's more for hauling/touring, you could consider a TDI as well. Last year was 2016 so it is a facelifted model.

[Spitfire007]

I think intercoolers and other engine things were upgraded for c7.5


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[MattyMarkey]

In short; yes, it’s most definitely worth getting into a MY16+ A6 if you can.

Specifically for the port injection and not having to perform carbon cleaning every 30-50k miles. More reliable and better/upgraded technology.


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[sepheroth86]

Yes, unless you want to push power output.

The CREC seems to be a little limited in modifications at this time.

[WatchMeSpend]

With all due respect to everyone here:
Given your racing background, I feel it is important you know a few things.
These are MY PERSONAL OPINIONS:

The steering feel is nonexistent.
Brake feel is AWFUL. I hate it. Very low initial bite. And you really have to mash on the pedal to get a response. (Yes I've changed fluid and pads and rotors....it's a common thing with this car)
The car is fast. Yes. It sticks like glue. Yes.
But it has a weird understeer-oversteer feel to it in a curve depending on acceleration.
Also, it leans. A lot, and the seats don't have bolsters for thinner people. Probably great if you're a weeble-wobble-body.

Car is an excellent tourer. GREAT for family.
Supremely comfortable, steady, great gas mileage and power. Very reliable, interior is of a gorgeous build quality.
But try to use it or see it for what it's not, and you'll be disappointed.

If you want spirited, stick to old school..."BMW and stick shift" comes to mind.
I'm coming from 4 of them: 1974 2002, 740iL, 135/328....3 of them manuals.
This is my first Audi, behave driven Q5, Q8, A5, and A4 loaners. They are devoid of soul.

I like the Audi, I just don't love it. Great for family, safety, comfort, but NOT a sporty car.


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WRT brakes. My 2006 was known for touchy brakes, mentioned in reviews. When I had them done by my indie that cares, I had to move the seat back a notch to stay away from the pedal because it was too touchy. A year later, I put the seat forward a bit and then put it right back. When I test drove my 2016, I told them my brakes in my 2006 were superior. I knew they put cheap brake parts on the car as well. In one and a half years I would have to swap out their cheap brake pads and rotors. The car was better, but not by much. I started to get a groan about 7 months later during light braking. Turns out the caliper was hanging. Put 2 new calipers on the car and the braking is way better, more comparable to the 2006 but without being touchy.

WRT handling. I agree the seats aren't as supportive as sport buckets, but my 2006 had the rare sport bucket seat option and it was killing my ass on long hauls. So I have a dilemma. If I add the rear sway bar to stop the car from leaning, I'll just roll out of the seats further...

[Bike_Pilot]

I suspect it's probably worth the price for the newer version if you are getting the gas v6. If you are getting the diesel v6 then the only real difference are minor cosmetic tweaks and a better infotainment system. Likely not terribly material to the purchase decision.

[Spitfire007]

Don't get me wrong. The car flies as is...it's a rocket.
But I feel like just a few little things would have improved it by a lot:
Better seats, better brakes, quicker trans.



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[Valpo A7]

Myself I like the look of the 7 over the 6 but they are both basically the same car. Backseat on the 7 is a bit tighter for an adult because of the roofline though.

My 12 has 300 hp, plenty of power but certainly no canyon carver, the 6 and 7 are both heavy pigs.

Many will upgrade the sway bars for better feel. Brakes can be upgraded for better feel as well. Stage 1 tune will get you over 400 hp.

This A7 was our first venture into anything European and I really enjoy it. I could deal with picking up another Audi once we decide to ditch this one.



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[JWebb_C7_Comp]

I have been enjoying my B6A4 USP for over 8 years now and now looking for something a little newer. My commute to work is about a mile, so in nice weather I either walk or ride a bike. However when I do get out, its all highway( I play ice hockey and the rinks I play at are from 1/2 hour to an hour away 2 to 3 times a week), plus I would just like a nice car that we can go out in and fit 4 adults (something the back seat of a B6 lacks). I feel the C7 chassis/drivetrain would be a great choice for me as the 3.0 and 8 speed give me the desired performance of the B8S4 without the potentially problematic DSG while giving me a usable back seat for adults in a great looking package.
This brings me to the question, there is quite a bump in price for the C7.5. What are the true upgrades and are they worth the price bump for my use? The engine got the second set of injectors, so does that mean there should be no future issue with carbon clogging? My annual mileage is less than 6k.
I am an ex GM dealer Tech and own my own shop, so maintenance and repair is easy. I have been road racing for over 20 years, so I am a little picky with chassis dynamics ie:steering, handling,braking feel. I don't want a race car on the street, but my B6A4 USP with added Recaros and S4 brakes feels really nice to me on the highway and I really appreciate this little car everytime I take it out, however she's getting a little worn around the edges in the body (previous owner wasn't kind) so it's time for and upgrade.
Sorry for the long intro, looking for constructive input to help with my decision.
Thank You in advance................

Dave, obviously, it’s your money and you should spend it as you see fit. As others have mentioned, the newer A6 have a few upgrades making the engines more durable for the longer haul. Also in later years Audi had the Competition package that add upgraded S like seats, suspension bits and sport diff. All those go toward a sportier road experience. I came from - and raced - modified BMWs. My 2018 A6 Comp is not that. But. It’s quiet, comfortable, fast and handles pretty well for a 4200lb car.

Only 38k miles but zero problems. Regular maintenance.



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[Dave D.]

[QUOTE=JWebb_C7_Comp;14676055]My 2018 A6 Comp is not that. But. It’s quiet, comfortable, fast and handles pretty well for a 4200lb car.

This exactly my feelings too. I don't want or need a race car on the street, but really can appreciate a well engineered car when I do get out on the road. With my commute and usage, most would just get an Accord and be done with it. After driving my B6, I couldn't stomach driving a plain vanilla appliance like that.

[Alabama]

are they worth the price bump for my use?

As you know, when purchasing used one is not comparing classes of cars but rather specific cars with prior history, mileage, etc. A kindly previous owner is worth more money than that previous owner who was not kind. You seem to be more interested in street driving/handling than drag strip performance; let us know your impressions of your test drives. And, you can put your hockey stick in the ski sack!

[choy188]

With all due respect to everyone here:
Given your racing background, I feel it is important you know a few things.
These are MY PERSONAL OPINIONS:

The steering feel is nonexistent.
Brake feel is AWFUL. I hate it. Very low initial bite. And you really have to mash on the pedal to get a response. (Yes I've changed fluid and pads and rotors....it's a common thing with this car)
The car is fast. Yes. It sticks like glue. Yes.
But it has a weird understeer-oversteer feel to it in a curve depending on acceleration.
Also, it leans. A lot, and the seats don't have bolsters for thinner people. Probably great if you're a weeble-wobble-body.

Car is an excellent tourer. GREAT for family.
Supremely comfortable, steady, great gas mileage and power. Very reliable, interior is of a gorgeous build quality.
But try to use it or see it for what it's not, and you'll be disappointed.

If you want spirited, stick to old school..."BMW and stick shift" comes to mind.
I'm coming from 4 of them: 1974 2002, 740iL, 135/328....3 of them manuals.
This is my first Audi, behave driven Q5, Q8, A5, and A4 loaners. They are devoid of soul.

I like the Audi, I just don't love it. Great for family, safety, comfort, but NOT a sporty car.


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Afaik, my car is the only I know of that has been able to disable DSR without setting off any codes, the steering feel is actually kinda meh now, plus no more on center notchiness and with my new tire setup it's quite a bit heavier and has half decent feel, about the same weight and feel as my old Lexus IS300

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[Dave D.]

Yes, the important "Hockey Equipment" fitment test!
Long gone are the days where you could put your sticks in sideways and the bag just fell in! Now I have to put the sticks in the ski pass through and squeeze the bag in/out! And this is why I am also open to looking at A7s with their hatchback? So, any hockey playing A7 owners out there with feedback on how equipment bag fit??

[widebodyfx]

Facelift cars gets dual pane windshield, bumpers and lights(fringe but dynamic blinker is at least possible), newer MMI capable of CarPlay/Android Auto, isn’t the pop out screen slightly larger?, 3G data will eventually not work very well, map in the cluster, shifter change, facelift black optics 20s are decent looking stockers. CREC engines, Performance model RS versions, competition editions in the A’s.

The C7 facelifts were a successful round of updates in my opinion, I’m on my 3rd.

[Valpo A7]

I am not a hockey player but with the package shelf out you can fit the plastic front bumper for an Eclipse in the back end of an A7. But at that point you have no back seat though. I had to shift the front passenger seat as well to get that monster in.

[christianb5s4]

Went through this decision myself when I bought my 2016. There are a ton of changes that to me make it well worth paying a bit extra. The top three reasons IMO are:

- Facelift styling, lighting etc is a big update and looks more modern/timeless
- More powerful MMI is meaningful
- CREC motor is a big jump up after driving both back to back and doing research

All in, it's a more significant update than other mid-life model refreshes Audi has done.

[jrubio96]

As someone who pushed the CREC past its intended, limits, I'll weigh in. The updated looks, MMI are nice but of course it's subjective to you if you don't mind paying a little extra dough for those. The CREC is capable of making good power with fewer mods, throw on a 57mm upper pulley, a tank of E85, and you're at 500+ hp. The car has a much lower ceiling before it becomes a royal pain in the ass though with tuning. Car feels nice with some coilovers set fairly stiff so you get more feedback, only thing I hate is the brake feel. I just recently traded in my record holding C7.5 A6 for a C7 S7, but if I did had to do it over again I'd just throw in some quality suspension, a pulley, some E85 and call it a day.

[A665]

OP said he drives very little (i.e., under 6K miles per year), digs driving pretty hard when he does, and wants more room to accommodate his lifestyle. Based on that, if I'm the OP, I want to get into a nice, easily modified but VERY AFFORDABLE ride that fits my lifestyle requirements. We're not talking about a premium car to be a road warrior in ultimate spec.

My recommendation is to get into a clean, lower-mileage C7 with Sport suspension and give her a decent Stage 1 ECU tune with TCU tune on top. That's the best bang for the buck for someone who doesn't spend hours in the car each and every day.

[janhe]

Yes, the important "Hockey Equipment" fitment test!
Long gone are the days where you could put your sticks in sideways and the bag just fell in! Now I have to put the sticks in the ski pass through and squeeze the bag in/out! And this is why I am also open to looking at A7s with their hatchback? So, any hockey playing A7 owners out there with feedback on how equipment bag fit??

I drive an A6 C7 sedan and while I don’t find it problematic to fit hockey gear inside the trunk, there are minor quirks. I have B&O sound system and the subwoofer is on the parcel shelf and limits the vertical space. Sticks I put to the back seat. A7 might be better in this sense but grab your gear and go to the dealer to test fit. 😂