Audi A6...or...

Uriel.

So my now 10 yr old Astra once more passed the NCT without any bother, but nonetheless I am thinking of leaving her behind after 6 years and stepping up the ladder a bit.

I have a strong pull towards the A6. I love the look of it, especially the interior such as this particular version

I wouldn't mind getting an automatic, after driving on various holidays in the States in the last two years, I found it to be such a pleasure.

I am not in a major hurry to dip my toe in the market, as whatever i decide to purchase will likely have to do me for 6 - 8 years and as such I might decide to wait another 12 months while the Astra is still tipping along grand.


But to get a fuller picture of options, I was wondering a) what you guys think of the A6 and b) could you provide any other suggestions for similar style/class cars as the A6. I have looked at the S80 and the Passat, but in my view they don't seem a patch on the Audi linked above.


Generally I'd be looking for the following:

• Saloon
• 2 - 3 years old (but might look beyond that for a special purchase
• Around 2.0l
• I used to do about 1,500miles a week average but in the 2 years since the last NCT only did 17,000miles (Diesel or petrol may not be such a big factor)
• Preferably up to max €25,000 price range - might stretch to €29,000 if there was good reason (I know the A6 above is €34,000) - I have a relatively decent sized mortgage, so the lower the price the always better.

Any suggestions very welcome

mickdw

For similar class cars, you should be looking at BMW 5 series, Mercedes E class, Jag xf. The cars you mention are a class below.

I took an extended test drive in an S line version of that A6 and it was terrible to drive. Now coming from a 10 year old astra, it would feel fantastic no doubt but I felt the steering was terrible, weighting up strangely entering corners and just not a nice feel to it. I thought the interior on that particular s Line was very basic. Sure it has a slide out screen but no nav, no reverse camera, the climate functions did not even show on the screen so although it was the focal point of the dash, it was a bit of a lame duck.
Perhaps the non s line drives better but I would advise that you try one out thoroughly and test drive other cars too.
A manual diesel for me is also an absolute pain in the ass. I also got rather sick of how the diesel gets you used to all that torque when just cruising around yet feels rather gutless when trying to overtake at speed although I have to say the 177 bhp diesel is far from slow.
Dont get me started on the silly lights that act as fuel gauge.

_Kaiser_

Well I just recently bought a 2005 A6 myself - 3.0 TDI Quattro with Tiptronic auto box - having come from a 06 2.0 TDI Passat before it.

The Passat is a very nice, comfy car and I gather the newer one (B7) is nicer again but really there's no comparison between the two in terms of comfort and quality IMO

Key things I'd advise is that as with all VW/Audis, the options are key and vast. I pretty much lucked out as my A6 has pretty much everything but it was only one of 3 I looked at that had a similar spec. Essentials for me would be cruise control, xenons, full leather, full MMI/computer, full climate system, multi-function steering wheel and parking sensors (it's a big car!)

The multitronic unit in them is best avoided I gather, so I'd recommend getting the tiptronic version if you can.

Other options... E-class? BMW 7?

_Kaiser_

mickdw wrote: »

For similar class cars, you should be looking at BMW 5 series, Mercedes E class, Jag xf. The cars you mention are a class below.

I'd consider a 5 equivalent to an A4 these days, no?

ofcork

Id still say the 5er would still rival the a6 even though the a4 has grown like all cars and is bigger than the 3.

HandsomeDan

A GS rivals a 5 series; an A6 pretends to.

The A4 is just a slightly less **** passat.

mickdw

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

I'd consider a 5 equivalent to an A4 these days, no?

No chance.

So you would consider a 7 series = A6

I would add that the older model A6 while not a very sharp drive is a nicer everyday drive than the new model as discussed here as doesnt have the strange characteristics I found in the new S Line

George Dalton

mickdw wrote: »

For similar class cars, you should be looking at BMW 5 series, Mercedes E class, Jag xf. The cars you mention are a class below.

The A6 is a direct competitor for the 5 series, E Class and XF no matter what way you look at it. The S80 and Passat are a class below for sure.

_Kaiser_

Slightly O/T and at the risk of being unpopular (because I know how the BMW is revered around here!)

I really don't get the love for the 5 series .. I had an E39 (530d) and an E60 (520d) for about a week each recently and I found them slow, noisy (reminded me of a old 80s Dublin Bus) heavy steering (albeit not as bad on the E60), and very badly laid out in terms of the controls... plus the left-hand drive wipers and slightly left-angled dash (on the E60) just seems a very cheap cost-cutting exercise for a "premium" car

This compared to a B6 2.0 TDI DSG Passat and a C6 3.0 TDI Quattro A6 which are a lot bigger, responsive and comfortable as well as more logically laid out - especially when comparing the MMI to the iDrive system.

Just my opinion mind but I certainly didn't find anything "ultimate" about either "driving machine". Maybe the F10 is better? Certainly looks it from the look-over I gave several variants when buying my A6 .

Another option would be an E-class. I had a 06 E320 diesel a few years back for the day and it was a very nice, extremely comfortable and refined machine that definitely struck me as a "premium" car.

My 2c mind.. OP, you should probably drive all the cars mentioned and see what suits your own tastes best.

George Dalton

I agree on the E60, I drive a W211 E Class and when the time comes to change it the 5 series will not be on the list of potential replacements. I do like the E39 though, I think they are a modern classic.

_Kaiser_

George Dalton wrote: »

I agree on the E60, I drive a W211 E Class and when the time comes to change it the 5 series will not be on the list of potential replacements. I do like the E39 though, I think they are a modern classic.

Exterior styling I fully agree, and to be honest an E39 was on my list at one stage but maybe that's why I was so disappointed with the interior because when that car was built/sold a BMW still WAS a premium car - not the default diesel choice the E60 and F10 have become.

Maybe it was just the spec of the one I was given because it did seem pretty bare on features but I thought the layout what with the central locking in the middle, the headlight controls split either side of the wheel and just the noisy unresponsiveness of it (for a 3L diesel) and heavy steering let it down, and the continental wipers was just insulting I thought!

ucdier

Haven driven an A6 (2012) for past year couldnt fully recommend it anymore. I think it has the right combinations of class, looks, economy and feel. If money weren't an issue, would defo consider BMW or Merc, but bang for buck, and bit more luxury than VW it ticks all the boxes for me. Guess it comes down to your own requirements and specifications.

wersal gummage

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

I'd consider a 5 equivalent to an A4 these days, no?

No!

What do you consider an A8 is equivalent to if you think an A6 is equivalent to a 7 series by the way?

rocky

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Slightly O/T and at the risk of being unpopular (because I know how the BMW is revered around here!)

I really don't get the love for the 5 series .. I had an E39 (530d) and an E60 (520d) for about a week each recently and I found them slow, noisy (reminded me of a old 80s Dublin Bus) heavy steering (albeit not as bad on the E60), and very badly laid out in terms of the controls... plus the left-hand drive wipers and slightly left-angled dash (on the E60) just seems a very cheap cost-cutting exercise for a "premium" car

This compared to a B6 2.0 TDI DSG Passat and a C6 3.0 TDI Quattro A6 which are a lot bigger, responsive and comfortable as well as more logically laid out - especially when comparing the MMI to the iDrive system.

Just my opinion mind but I certainly didn't find anything "ultimate" about either "driving machine". Maybe the F10 is better? Certainly looks it from the look-over I gave several variants when buying my A6 .

Another option would be an E-class. I had a 06 E320 diesel a few years back for the day and it was a very nice, extremely comfortable and refined machine that definitely struck me as a "premium" car.

My 2c mind.. OP, you should probably drive all the cars mentioned and see what suits your own tastes best.

Your problem was going diesel in the first place 530i meowwww

And you didn't drive the direct equivalent of your car, the E60 530d. And probably the E39 wasn't the best example, but I agree the cabin looks quite aged.

Dash angled the wrong way? can't say I've noticed. And the 5 series is proper wheel drive (rear)

OP, for that money you should be able to get an F10 530i, although probably have to go to the UK for one.

My next car will be a 535i (F10) or 550i (E60 or F10). In a couple of years...

Uriel.

Thank you all for you insights, suggestions and discussion on the topic.

Hmmm, I think I might be in over my head a little on this one having ready the very useful posts. I am not a strong car enthusiast, so there's plenty I don't know/understand when it comes to comparisons etc...

Never thought of a Jag, for some reason in my head I'd figure them to be well out of the price range. But I'll definitely do some research on it.

I like the look of an "executive style" car and I love my tech, so music system is important to me but I would also hope to have as much as those extras (cruise control etc...)

Thankfully, I am not in an immediate hurry, and as it will be a long(ish) term investment I want to make the right choice, so I am very happy to weigh up all the options.

bazz26

I drove a 2010 A6 S Line Le Mans recently and to be honest I wasn't gone on it myself but it could have been that particular car. Test drove a 2011 Passat CC yesterday and didn't find it in any less way lacking over the A6 except in maybe a little less interior space and rear headroom. Found it more comfortable and nicer to drive too. I liked it so much I bought it.

MuppetCheck

Congrats on the purchase:)

mags1962

Whatever you choose, mine's an A6, go for the best spec you can afford and then a bit more as you will regret buying a premium car with a bog standard spec, I did have a C6 A6 SE spec and while nice my current S-Line C7 is on another level. Perhaps if money was no object I would have a Bi-Turbo 3.0 l as that has silly performance, eats Porsche's.
Really drive all your options and not just a spin around the block as it is a lot of money to spend on a car and the last thing you want is to regret it.

bazz26

MuppetCheck wrote: »

Congrats on the purchase:)

Thanks man.

RedorDead

wersal gummage wrote: »

No!

What do you consider an A8 is equivalent to if you think an A6 is equivalent to a 7 series by the way?

Think he might be just referring to how far downmarket BMW are pushing the 5er. They are basically making the 3 Series redundant. Lowering pricing, adding in underpowered engines? Prostituting the car being honest.

R.O.R

RedorDead wrote: »

Think he might be just referring to how far downmarket BMW are pushing the 5er. They are basically making the 3 Series redundant. Lowering pricing, adding in underpowered engines? Prostituting the car being honest.

Outselling it's rivals quite a bit at the moment. Presume BMW are still making money while they give away stuff for free.

Shame they've put a rubbish engine back in. Merc still have one but Audi had just got away from selling most A6's with a rubbish engine - wonder if they'll have to put the 136 in the A6 to compete?

bear1

Here is some food for thought

For the Jag XF you will struggle to find a 2010 one under 30k

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/jaguar-xf-2-7-d-premium-lux-a-/4756936

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/jaguar-xf-portfolio/5107076

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mercedes-benz-c-class-200-cdi-elegance/5360388

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/audi-a5-tdi-quattro-se/5197844

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volvo-s60-d3-r-dseign/5355292

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-mondeo-2-0-tdci-5dr-titanium-x-aut/5355128

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/hyundai-i40-1-7-crdi-style-136bhp-119co/5043020 something quite nice about this car

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/audi-a6-2-0tdi-auto-s-line-12-month-wa/5012341

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-mondeo-titanium-x-sport-2-2-tdci/3683373 personally this one is the most unique i think

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/alfa-romeo-giulietta-veloce-1-4-multair/3986280 Adore this car

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/alfa-romeo-159-1-9jtdm-lusso/5171509 probably not what you're looking for but this is the car you would always look back at when you get out.. trust me

As you can see work is slow at ther moment

Uriel.

You're all feckers

have been scouring the net looking at the XF. Phew, she's an absolute beauty alright.

As bear1 says, difficult to find one (with reasonable mileage and not too old) under or close to €30,000.

If I was to pursue that option, I'd definitely need to wait 12 months and at that stage be looking at a 2010 (at 4 years old at that point) version.

hmmm

EDIT:

As a matter of interest, looking at say a 4 year old XF or a 3 Year old A6 (diesel and automatic) and bearing in mind I'd want it to be going good for 6 - 8 years (making the car 10-12 years) what would be the ideal (realistic) starting point on mileage and what would be the absolute breaking point (i.e. don't even think of looking at something over X miles).

bear1

I would want it to be below 60k for me personally. Although a FSH would be my first port of call and then the mileage

Uriel.

bear1 wrote: »

I would want it to be below 60k for me personally. Although a FSH would be my first port of call and then the mileage

just to avoid (my) confusion, 60k miles or KM?

bear1

Sorry, KM

Tea 1000

RedorDead wrote: »

Think he might be just referring to how far downmarket BMW are pushing the 5er. They are basically making the 3 Series redundant. Lowering pricing, adding in underpowered engines? Prostituting the car being honest.

BMW aren't pushing the 5 downmarket. The A6 is only recently after losing it's 136bhp entry level engine, which was far below the 5's. The entry 5's 184 is ahead of the A6's 177, and FWD is a cheap-ass solution for a premium saloon. A basic A6 is no better equipped than a basic 5-series.
And basic A4's and 3-series are miserable places to be.
There's a lot more to a car that puts it in a given class than what buttons it has on the dash.
Also, the E39 is an epic car! E60 and C6, not so much.
And you can't compare 14 year old diesels, the technology has moved on so much.

Chimaera

@OP: If I were you, I'd consider buying in the UK, particularly if you have time to do your research beforehand. Higher spec, better maintained cars and a much bigger selection in a buyers' market that's not skewed by VRT.

Uriel.

Chimaera wrote: »

@OP: If I were you, I'd consider buying in the UK, particularly if you have time to do your research beforehand. Higher spec, better maintained cars and a much bigger selection in a buyers' market that's not skewed by VRT.

Thanks,

TBH, I wouldn't even know where to begin by looking in the UK, in terms of ensuring i don't get a dud.:o

Marcusm

There's a low mileage 2.2D Jag XF 2011 on a private sale on carzone fr 30k. Same engine as Freelander and Mondeo; 163bhp iirc.

Uriel.

Marcusm wrote: »

There's a low mileage 2.2D Jag XF 2011 on a private sale on carzone fr 30k. Same engine as Freelander and Mondeo; 163bhp iirc.

The Offaly one? Not sure if legit, seems under priced compared to similar (in my very amateurish knowledge of XF's)

bazz26

Tea 1000 wrote: »

BMW aren't pushing the 5 downmarket. The A6 is only recently after losing it's 136bhp entry level engine, which was far below the 5's. The entry 5's 184 is ahead of the A6's 177, and FWD is a cheap-ass solution for a premium saloon. A basic A6 is no better equipped than a basic 5-series.
And basic A4's and 3-series are miserable places to be.
There's a lot more to a car that puts it in a given class than what buttons it has on the dash.
Also, the E39 is an epic car! E60 and C6, not so much.
And you can't compare 14 year old diesels, the technology has moved on so much.

Well they just introduced the 518d (143bhp) so in that sense they kind of are watering down the 5 Series in order to capture additional fleet sales. I recently drove an F10 520d auto and was far from impressed with the performance of the engine. The F10 is a big and heavy car, I'd hate to think what it is like with only 143bhp.

Marcusm

Uriel. wrote: »

The Offaly one? Not sure if legit, seems under priced compared to similar (in my very amateurish knowledge of XF's)

The 2.2D engine will lead to a serious drop off in second hand prices IMO. No idea about the particular car.

bear1

I dont think I would head over to the UK with such a big budget as any case of warranty work wont be recognised here (correct me if Im wrong)
Take your time OP, its a lot of money for a car. Or save up some more and wait for the 141 plate?

Uriel.

bear1 wrote: »

I dont think I would head over to the UK with such a big budget as any case of warranty work wont be recognised here (correct me if Im wrong)
Take your time OP, its a lot of money for a car. Or save up some more and wait for the 141 plate?

Thanks Bear.

I think in all honesty, I will wait another year and see how things lie. I am not in a panic to buy, my not very flash Astra is keeping me ticking over for now.

I won't be able to buy a brand new car, nor not sure that I really want to to be honest.

The very very max I'd go to is €30,000 (and I'd prefer to stay around mid €25k if it was possible) , as I am trying to reduce as best I can my mortgage. At the same time, I'd hope the car would be long(ish) term investment, so do want to get something a bit "flashy" etc... to keep me happy for a good while.

Might look at a 2011 or 2012 model (XF, A6 or other) in mid-2014 to see what is the best road to take.

bear1

If it was my money and I'd want something "flash" then I'd probably drop down the years and use the extra money on tax and fuel.
Exhibit A:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-7-series-730-d-sport-newer-2006-sha/5357807

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-7-series-se/5010585

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-7-series-730ld-stratus-exclusive-ed/4922633 - now thats flash!

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/chrysler-300c-3-0-litre-diesel/5358353 these seem to be getting good reviews

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/saab-93-aero-ttid-180bhp/5167678 TTID = Twin Turbo Direct Injection

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volkswagen-scirocco-2-0-tdi-r-line-140b/5004406 or if you want to really stand-out

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/audi-a6-3-0-tdi-v6-quattro/5055096

I probably should stop teasing you now which one tickles your fancy then?

Tea 1000

bazz26 wrote: »

Well they just introduced the 518d (143bhp) so in that sense they kind of are watering down the 5 Series in order to capture additional fleet sales. I recently drove an F10 520d auto and was far from impressed with the performance of the engine. The F10 is a big and heavy car, I'd hate to think what it is like with only 143bhp.

They did alright, Merc have a direct competitor and Audi may well follow suit.
While the F10 520d might not set the world on fire, it's not exactly terrible. It's really only a little more than a passenger heavier than a Skoda Superb 170bhp, which everyone seems to rave about the performance of.
It's not all that long ago when everyone loved the performance of their 90bhp Passat!

Uriel.

bear1 wrote: »

If it was my money and I'd want something "flash" then I'd probably drop down the years and use the extra money on tax and fuel.
Exhibit A:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-7-series-730-d-sport-newer-2006-sha/5357807

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-7-series-se/5010585

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-7-series-730ld-stratus-exclusive-ed/4922633 - now thats flash!

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/chrysler-300c-3-0-litre-diesel/5358353 these seem to be getting good reviews

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/saab-93-aero-ttid-180bhp/5167678 TTID = Twin Turbo Direct Injection

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volkswagen-scirocco-2-0-tdi-r-line-140b/5004406 or if you want to really stand-out

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/audi-a6-3-0-tdi-v6-quattro/5055096

I probably should stop teasing you now which one tickles your fancy then?

OH STOP!!!

The 7 Series looks great, but well out of my price range unless going back 8 years and a lot of miles, and I am not sure if that would be such a great idea.

great looking job though.

Funnily, the A6 you linked, didn't do it for me there. I forgot about the Chryslers actually, I do like them, but didn't like the particularly one linked in the above - I drove one for half a day a couple of years ago, but the interior was different (better) than that one above...

bear1

I just didn't want to go through pages and pages looking at cars I cant feckin buy

Although I'm saving up for 2 possible cars:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201307077690625/sort/default/usedcars/maximum-age/up_to_4_years_old/model/159/make/alfa_romeo/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/radius/1501/postcode/e46aa/page/6?logcode=p

Or if I could ever find one in Ireland:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201306157307847/sort/default/usedcars/maximum-age/up_to_4_years_old/model/giulietta/make/alfa_romeo/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/radius/1501/keywords/cloverleaf/page/2/postcode/e46aa?logcode=p

Oafley Jones

Marcusm wrote: »

There's a low mileage 2.2D Jag XF 2011 on a private sale on carzone fr 30k. Same engine as Freelander and Mondeo; 163bhp iirc.

I've always read that the 2.2 is best avoided as it just doesn't have the performance for the car. Some great Premium luxury and portfolio editions 3.0D in the UK for silly money. VRT ****ing kills it though.

RedorDead

R.O.R wrote: »

Outselling it's rivals quite a bit at the moment. Presume BMW are still making money while they give away stuff for free.

Shame they've put a rubbish engine back in. Merc still have one but Audi had just got away from selling most A6's with a rubbish engine - wonder if they'll have to put the 136 in the A6 to compete?

True - its still a clear class leader and best all around car in the segment. When you compare price and equipment for Ireland vs Germany and take taxes into account they must be bordering on losing money in Ireland+UK. Its incredible!

Dont think Audi will be following suit with that engine. Minimum needs to be around 180BHP.

Tea 1000 wrote: »

BMW aren't pushing the 5 downmarket. The A6 is only recently after losing it's 136bhp entry level engine, which was far below the 5's. The entry 5's 184 is ahead of the A6's 177, and FWD is a cheap-ass solution for a premium saloon. A basic A6 is no better equipped than a basic 5-series.
And basic A4's and 3-series are miserable places to be.
There's a lot more to a car that puts it in a given class than what buttons it has on the dash.
Also, the E39 is an epic car! E60 and C6, not so much.
And you can't compare 14 year old diesels, the technology has moved on so much.

Tea 1000 wrote: »

They did alright, Merc have a direct competitor and Audi may well follow suit.
While the F10 520d might not set the world on fire, it's not exactly terrible. It's really only a little more than a passenger heavier than a Skoda Superb 170bhp, which everyone seems to rave about the performance of.
It's not all that long ago when everyone loved the performance of their 90bhp Passat!

Take off the ol blue and white bavarian tinted glasses there now They are clearly moving 5er downmarket with this engine and IMO cheapening the car giving away so much free stuff at a point in its lifecycle where they dont need to. A C segment saloon should have around 180HP - BMW clearly just chasing fleet business with this engine. Think Audi and MB made a mistake offering it before and am sure Audi wont make same mistake again.

Tea 1000

RedorDead wrote: »

Take off the ol blue and white bavarian tinted glasses there now They are clearly moving 5er downmarket with this engine and IMO cheapening the car giving away so much free stuff at a point in its lifecycle where they dont need to. A C segment saloon should have around 180HP - BMW clearly just chasing fleet business with this engine. Think Audi and MB made a mistake offering it before and am sure Audi wont make same mistake again.

I don't have blue and white tinted glasses! The 5-series is a decent car. The last A6 wasn't. The new one is. In any case, I'd be off to Stuttgart for my purchase if I had that kind of money to spend on a German saloon. Far too much love for all things Bavaria and Ingolstadt in this country.

RedorDead

Tea 1000 wrote: »

I don't have blue and white tinted glasses! The 5-series is a decent car. The last A6 wasn't. The new one is. In any case, I'd be off to Stuttgart for my purchase if I had that kind of money to spend on a German saloon. Far too much love for all things Bavaria and Ingolstadt in this country.

The E Class is by far the poorest car of the three. You must be pushing on a bit if you fancy the Mercs over the other two?

Tea 1000

RedorDead wrote: »

The E Class is by far the poorest car of the three. You must be pushing on a bit if you fancy the Mercs over the other two?

That's not correct at all. The E-Class is the only one of the three that knows what it wants to be, which is a comfortable long distance cruiser. It excels at that. It has a fairly decent range of diesel engines, nice steering, comfortable cabin and excellent at soaking up poor road surfaces. Granted the poverty spec ones look sparse, but the well appointed ones are excellent inside.
The 5-Series is trying to be the Sporty-Executive. They pulled it off nicely with the E39, but have been failing since. Now it's like that 48 year old boss who plays squash and wears trainers thinking he's still sporty!
The A6 is trying to be a 5-Series beater, but it's FWD, has no feedback, and seeing as the 5-Series has lost it's way slightly, the Audi is following it not knowing what it wants to beat anymore.
Nope, the way to go is an E-Class for ferrying the family in lots of comfort, and an MX5 for the weekends to unleash the driver side! Not this half-assed, fall between stools effort that excels at nothing.
And the old Irish shyte of "Mercs are for old men" is the same as the Irish mentality that "VW's are class, Civics are for boy racers, Massey Ferguson still build the best tractors and Fiat's are the worst cars on the road". If you believe those 4 statements, you don't belong on a motoring forum!

George Dalton

I could not agree more with the above post^^

The E-Class doesn't have the "cool factor" but as a car it is hard to beat IMO.

mickdw

Yes current A6 is a pig of a drive imo.
Bmw has zero class these days.
A well speced E Class is a nice place to be, can handle west of Ireland roads and has a presence that the others don't have. It's just a shame that 95% are now 4 cylinder.

Uriel.

Hi again,

this might be a difficult question to answer, but in terms of service and maintenance cost between a Jag XF and the A6 - how much of difference is there likely to be. It seem from my small bit of research that the XF is particularly expensive to service (might be expected), particularly brakes and tires (also seems like a smaller interval between services).

Any ideas on the average cost of both cars for services?

having looked here, it's difficult to get a real feel. Expected to be relatively expensive but I am wondering if there are other factors I need to consider. These guys give a full service of €176, but that's way too good to be true clearly.

Tea 1000

mickdw wrote: »

Yes current A6 is a pig of a drive imo.
Bmw has zero class these days.
A well speced E Class is a nice place to be, can handle west of Ireland roads and has a presence that the others don't have. It's just a shame that 95% are now 4 cylinder.

Actually, the 4 cylinder thing doesn't bother me as much as the fact that 95% of them are f**king silver... it's the worst colour by far in them.
Saw a lovely E350 CDI recently, which as you say is rare these days, and friggin silver. Why?

Uriel. wrote: »

Hi again,

this might be a difficult question to answer, but in terms of service and maintenance cost between a Jag XF and the A6 - how much of difference is there likely to be. It seem from my small bit of research that the XF is particularly expensive to service (might be expected), particularly brakes and tires (also seems like a smaller interval between services).

Any ideas on the average cost of both cars for services?

having looked here, it's difficult to get a real feel. Expected to be relatively expensive but I am wondering if there are other factors I need to consider. These guys give a full service of €176, but that's way too good to be true clearly.

I'd say George who posted two posts ago is your man to talk to about good value and decent quality servicing for a Jag XF.

RedorDead

Tea 1000 wrote: »

That's not correct at all. The E-Class is the only one of the three that knows what it wants to be, which is a comfortable long distance cruiser. It excels at that. It has a fairly decent range of diesel engines, nice steering, comfortable cabin and excellent at soaking up poor road surfaces. Granted the poverty spec ones look sparse, but the well appointed ones are excellent inside.
The 5-Series is trying to be the Sporty-Executive. They pulled it off nicely with the E39, but have been failing since. Now it's like that 48 year old boss who plays squash and wears trainers thinking he's still sporty!
The A6 is trying to be a 5-Series beater, but it's FWD, has no feedback, and seeing as the 5-Series has lost it's way slightly, the Audi is following it not knowing what it wants to beat anymore.
Nope, the way to go is an E-Class for ferrying the family in lots of comfort, and an MX5 for the weekends to unleash the driver side! Not this half-assed, fall between stools effort that excels at nothing.
And the old Irish shyte of "Mercs are for old men" is the same as the Irish mentality that "VW's are class, Civics are for boy racers, Massey Ferguson still build the best tractors and Fiat's are the worst cars on the road". If you believe those 4 statements, you don't belong on a motoring forum!

I think we should just agree to disagree because i couldnt disagree with you more. Customers of these cars are interested in more than armchair comfort, loads of wood, boat like handling and poor plastics. I have driven all three extensively and i found the Merc so far behind (admittedly it was the pre facelift version).

Mercedes positioning and advertising and car styling over the past number of years have led to them being the default choice for the pipe and slippers brigade. They only have themselves to blame and are now recognising this by launching overly aggressive models that will age very quickly - namely new A Class and CLA. I honestly dont think Mercedes know what they want to be anymore.

Tea 1000

RedorDead wrote: »

I think we should just agree to disagree because i couldnt disagree with you more. Customers of these cars are interested in more than armchair comfort, loads of wood, boat like handling and poor plastics. I have driven all three extensively and i found the Merc so far behind (admittedly it was the pre facelift version).

Mercedes positioning and advertising and car styling over the past number of years have led to them being the default choice for the pipe and slippers brigade. They only have themselves to blame and are now recognising this by launching overly aggressive models that will age very quickly - namely new A Class and CLA. I honestly dont think Mercedes know what they want to be anymore.

My point still stands, and you still miss it.

RedorDead

Tea 1000 wrote: »

My point still stands, and you still miss it.

What - that the E Class aims to be a comfortable cruiser and because it achieves that its better than the other two?