2001 Audi A6 2.7T Quattro review from North America

Window track (passenger front) replaced at 58k.

Turbos, diverter valves, all hoses replaced (with K04s) at 60k.

Timing belt done at 60k.

Clutch upgraded at 63k.

Control Arms replaced at 74k.

CV joints replaced at 74k.

Coolant reservoir replaced at 74k.

Washer fluid tank line keeps popping off, giving a low washer fluid light, I think the barb on the tank fitting must be worn/broken.

Intermittent check engine light, always a random misfire code. Pops up randomly from time to time, though I have never felt/heard the engine misfire. So far it seems to be benign and easily escaped by simply unplugging the negative lead of the battery and resetting the computer.

The passenger rear window sometimes sticks down in cold weather (55 degrees or less outside seems to be about the threshold) and requires some help getting up.

The front center cupholder is sticky and also has to be helped up, but this is not really even an issue as the cupholder itself still works fine.

Passenger door pop open compartment sticks closed and then pops open sometimes, though this is a result of being kicked accidentally once, the driver side one functions as it should.

This is an incredibly unique and efficient car, I've never experienced anything like it. The 2.7T V6 and 6 speed manual with K04 turbos and GIAC software make it a force to be reckoned with. The biggest thing people new to driving it notice is the incredible, freight train like torque it produces. I can punch the throttle in 6th gear at 80mph and accelerate almost as fast as if I had changed down to 4th or 3rd and done the same thing. It is also unbelievably surefooted with the AWD, and when it breaks traction it's smooth and predictable in its understeering.

Don't be fooled though, this is an extremely fast car (I'd conservatively estimate it now makes 320-350 horsepower at the crank, and probably more torque than that, so it must be maintained as such. It does seem to have a habit of wearing front tires fast, but I suspect the control arms, which were worn before, contributed to this, and it might be gone with the next tire change. At 60k miles it was very expensive, requiring new turbos and other gear to the tune of $6k or so. At 74k miles the bill ran around $2k. That is expensive, but it had to be done and the car has many more trouble free miles ahead now. It also requires premium fuel and 7 quarts (a hell of a lot of oil capacity for such a small V6 if I do say so myself) Mobil One 0-40w oil, the latter of which can be tricky to find at times.

The interior quality on this car is spectacular. I drive a lot and use the interior features a lot, and have only had minor problems (see above). This really surprises me for all the gadgets this car has (power everything, heated seats, moonroof, HVAC system, optional premium sound with Bose subwoofer, cruise control, memory and lumbar equipped power seats, auto dimming mirror, f/r defrost, central locking with keyless entry, tons of lights etc). Material and build quality seem to be top notch too, everything fits together nicely and is well designed. The only low points are the shifter knob (pops off sometimes as a result of a press fit design, should have just used a bolt) and the placement of the rear cupholders (in the front/thigh area of the center seat, makes them useless when the backseat has 3 in it).

I said I thought this car was amazingly efficient, and I do. I manage 20.5mpg all around on average, something I consider absolutely unheard of for a two ton AWD 300+hp luxury sedan. I do think the 6spd manual has a lot to do with the good fuel economy, it enables super low rpm cruising in situations where you don't need to take advantage of the surplus of power under your right foot. I've done as well as 26mpg on extended highway trips at 80mph or so. I still have been unable to find a car that can match the space this thing provides with the excellent economy and stellar performance. It is a downer to that I have to put premium in it, I think the only way I could like this car any more is if it was a hopped up diesel I could run on veg oil to save fuel costs.

Finally I appreciate the low profile the car carries even with its reserves of power. Mine looks nearly stock with the ubiquitous Bright Silver Metallic/Black Leather combo (just has BBS rims, Kamei grille and Hella smoked taillights) and with stock exhaust a muted rush of air from the turbos is all that's audible, even under hard acceleration.

If there's anything to really dislike about the car it's mainly for lack of option packages. My car is especially rare (but I doubt ever a collector car) because it is an ultra rare 6 speed to start with, but then is equipped with the Comfort interior rather than the almost always on manual cars Sport interior. In this case, I wish my car was more common. I love the interior, but the extra bolster of the Sport seats is well needed. Mine also lacks navigation, which would have been nice to have, but as of 7/15/07 I've never seen a manual 2.7T A6 equipped with navigation. Maybe I should just get a TomTom or something.

I plan to keep this car as long as it practically can be run. And with the engine real strong (I've never been able to catch it burning one drop of oil, not even after almost 4000 miles between oil changes and 100+ degree weather. I think it's a real strong unit and will be boosting up hard to its 7150rpm (thanks GIAC!) redline for many years to come.