My Audi search; '99 A6?

[Sean Ford]

For those that don't know, my 1992 Audi 100CS (the I-95 Autobahner) is
deceased, http://community.webshots.com/user/audi_92_100cs , which
brings me to my new car search...

Today I took the family to the local VW joint and test drove an '03
Passat with the 1.8t and 5-spd. The car is big enough for the 4 of us,
the engine is engaging enough, and overall the car is very nicely
turned out. Unfortunately, I'm not completely comfortable in it. I
could live with it, sure, but it's not a replacement for my 100CS. The
front seats are on the small side, and overall the car is a softer and
less substantial than my 100. Maybe I became used to the Bilsteins, but
I was a bit surprised at the float in the Passat on the highway.

Then we stopped at a local used car dealership, it's a more upscale
used car joint, nothing but top shelf stuff: Acuras, Audis, BMWs, Jags,
MBs, Rovers, Porsches, etc. We test drove a '99 A6q and it was
substantial to say the least. It was softer, larger, quieter, and more
luxurious than my 100. The automatic transmission is absolutely boring,
but I think that's the price I have to pay for a new A6q (Andrew
Duane's experience doesn't appear to be something I can repeat :-< ).

The A6q sort of reminded me of my father's Town Car; it was big, heavy,
soft, and ultra quiet. I felt disconnected from the road, but this is
all in comparison to an older car with Bilsteins and a stick. I can
still definitely see myself in the A6, because I'm an Audi guy at
heart, but I'm worried that I might get bored with the auto tranny
after the new-ness wore off.

I'm sorry to say that I have not followed the new A6 as closely as I
should have; I know the '98's had some issues, but were they worked out
for '99? Should I be concerned at all with a '99 A6, are they reliable?
Thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated.

PS - for all those that helped me out with your A4 opinions, you were
spot on: the A4 was too small for my needs, though I can see that car
being a great vehicle for a single person or for a couple with
occasional backseat needs.



=====
Sean Ford
'92 Audi 100CS | '01 Triumph Daytona 955i | '89 Suzuki Katana 600
http://community.webshots.com/user/seanmford

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