2.7t opinion (long)

[Brad Wilson]

I've owned my A6 2.7t since the 4th of July. In that time, I've put about
7500 miles on it, though not yet up into the mountains. I live outside of
Denver, at about 6500 feet altitude. My commute it from my house south east
of Denver (Elbert County) to Colorado Springs. It's about 55 miles down
almost exclusively 2 lane roads.

Let me also preface this by telling you what my previous cars were:

    1988 5000 CS TQ (maintenance cost got the better of me)
    1999 Chevy Cavalier Z-24 (my wife drives this now)
    1997 Firebird Formula GT (310bhp 5.7L V8)
    1996 Chevy Camaro (200bhp 3.8L V6)

As an aside, does anyone else find it humorous that Audi can do in 2.8L of
space what requires 3.8L of space for GM, and the Audi is smoother and
better responding? :)

So, obviously, I've car hopped. At the time that I owned the Camaro and
Firebird, I lived in Michigan (no altitude), and worked at home primarily.
The snow worthiness of the car was a minimal concern. My roommate at the
time had a nice "safe" front wheel drive car that we could take to get
groceries if the world was snow bound.

I hopped from the Camaro to the Firebird in search of more power (when the
lease was up). I drove the Firebird out to Colorado in February of 1999. The
highway mileage dropped from 30 to 20mpg up here, 6th gear was useless, and
the 55 mile commute through 7500 feet up on I-25 (locals will know how bad
Monument Hill can be) was just out of the question. I drove the Cavalier
briefly until my wife and I sold the Saturn she was driving at the time, and
then I bought the 5000. $3000 and three months later, I opted out and into
the A6 (in retrospect, it's a bad idea to buy a car from a friend, just
because he really needs to sell it <grin>).

My first impression was: barely contained power. It took me a little while
to learn how to drive this car without making my wife nauseous. :) Denver
has a way of making every car you drive, need a flat pedal to get going from
a stop. Not this car! :)

In reality, it's simple to drive the A6 2.7t in such a sedate manner than
nobody else in the car would know the fire that lives under the hood. I'm
convinced that the drive-by-wire computer is responsible for this dual
personality. When you push it, it leaps right up and roars.

I strongly recommend the 6-speed manual. This car is unrealistically speedy
for something that is approaching the 4000 pound line. Here at altitude,
this car is quicker than that Firebird I sold. 6th gear is usable (I can
pass people going uphill in 6th gear at 7000 feet!).

I haven't had an opportunity to drive an S4, but I suspect it drives much
differently from an A6 (I wasn't interested in the extra insurance, with
less cargo/passenger space to boot). The A6 is very sedate, to the point of
feeling even mildly insulating. But it certainly takes everything you could
ever throw at it, and then some.

What I think I did right:

6-speed; leather; upgraded speakers; Xenon; cold weather package; color
(Cashmere Grey Pearl Effect exterior color, Melange interior color, Ambiente
interior effect); after-market all-weather floor mats, trunk liner, and mud
flaps.

What I hope will be right, done in the next 18 months:

After-market CD changer (at 1/2 the price of the Audi); 17" wheels and 3
season tires, using the stock wheels for snows; short throw shift kit;
exhaust.

What I think I did wrong:

no warm weather package (nobody puts them on the lots around here); no sport
package (for the seats, anyway); no ESP (would've had to wait for 2001).

What I wish Audi did better:

Offered the 2.7t in an Avant (without having to buy the allroad); offered a
Minidisc changer (pipe dream, I know!); 17" wheels; offered the sport seats
without demanding the suspension and wheels; multi-mode cellular phone
option (who wants a pure analog phone these days?); the styling is just a
touch too bubbled and conservative from the rear end.

Best regards,
Brad

2000 A6 2.7 biturbo quattro
http://www.quality.nu/bradw/audi/