BUYER’S GUIDE: Audi A6

FROM £12,000 Premium executive car is now tremendous value second-hand

WHILE the compact executive sector tends to dominate column inches and new car sales, move up a class to an executive model and things get even more enticing. Take the Audi A6, for example. Compared with its smaller A4 stablemate, it has more space, more equipment and more comfort – and when buying new, it also costs more.

However, on the used market, such large models can represent spectacular bargains, as they tend to depreciate at a faster rate. This means you get a huge amount of car for your money. That’s certainly the case with the A6, which offers fast and frugal motoring with refinement and comfort thrown in.

History

THE A6 Mk4 saloon launched in March 2011, with 175bhp 2.0 or 242bhp 3.0 TDI diesels or a 3.0 TFSI petrol. In November, the A6 Avant (estate) arrived with the same engine and transmission options, along with a 310bhp 3.0 TDI. In 2012, the 3.0-litre-only A6 Allroad estate appeared, along with the 415bhp V8-powered S6. October 2013 saw a 201bhp 3.0 TDI quattro join the range, four months before the frugal 187bhp 2.0 TDI Ultra superseded the regular (175bhp) 2.0 TDI.

A facelift in November 2014 brought tweaked styling, lighting upgrades, more efficient engines and a revised multimedia system. Further multimedia updates and extra standard equipment are planned for July 2016.

Which one?

ALL of the engines and gearboxes are excellent, but petrols are very rare, so it’s more likely you’ll buy a diesel in either 2.0 or 3.0 form. While the latter is smooth and very muscular, the 2.0 TDI is all you need.

The two key trim levels are SE and S line, although a Black edition was introduced at the end of 2012. The SE comes with bi-xenon headlights, a 6.5-inch colour display, DAB radio, 10-speaker hi-fi, power-assisted tailgate (Avant only), four-zone climate control, leather trim, cruise control plus auto lights and wipers. S line adds 18-inch alloys, LED headlamps, sports seats and a multifunction steering wheel. The Black also has privacy glass, 20-inch wheels, a styling kit and a Bose surround-sound hi-fi.

Alternatives

THE BMW 5 Series is the best driver’s car in the sector, with superb engines and boxes, great steering and fabulous quality. Offered in saloon or estate (Touring) forms, it tends to be priced a little higher than the Audi.

Also a bit more costly is the Mercedes E-class, which also has excellent engines and transmissions. The hi-tech Merc is spacious and comfortable, and comes in saloon, coupé, estate or convertible forms.

The Jaguar XF is available in saloon and estate forms and is stylish, well made and affordable, while the interior is beautifully designed, if now a bit dated. Further alternatives include the Skoda Superb and Lexus GS, both of which always do well in our annual Driver Power survey.

Verdict

IF you’re looking for an ideal family carry-all, the A6 should fit the bill perfectly. When it arrived in 2011, it was crowned Best Executive Car in our annual New Car Awards – a feat that it repeated in 2014, despite some very stiff competition.

The big Audi is relatively pricey when new, but depreciation makes it more affordable than you might think used; a three-year-old 2.0 TDI SE saloon with 35,000 miles can be yours for a mere £15,000. That’s less than half what it cost new, yet at this mileage it’ll be barely run in. However, while the A6 is hugely appealing, reliability can be an issue, so check any potential buy very carefully.

“A6 offers fast and frugal motoring with refinement and comfort; a huge amount of car for your money”

THE A6 Mk4 debuted at 27th in our Driver Power 2013 satisfaction survey, rose to 26th in 2014, slipped to 54th last year and most recently ranked 81st. Build quality (24th), practicality (45th) and seat comfort/in-car tech (both 56th) were its 2016 highlights. But 131st for reliability and 117th for running costs disappoint.

YOUR VIEW

STEPHEN Stowford from Kings Lynn, Norfolk, is impressed with his Audi A6 2.0 TDI. He says: “I’ve done 45,000 miles in it, and apart from a glitch with the front brakes it’s been reliable. It’s economical and wonderfully comfortable, but servicing costs are high and it’s only really a four-seater, as the middle back seat isn’t very roomy.”

Pa Parking brake

A SOFTWARE upgrade can be required in order to fix a fault with the electronic parking brake refusing to release.