A5 or A6

[TheWineLake]

Finding it really tough to choose between A5 sportback and A6 Ultra 2.0TDI. Wondered if I might get some help here.

I think the A6 is the "better" car, but the A5 (even the sportback, albeit to a lesser degree) is SO sexy to look at. I think I'd like the SE grade trim - shame that's an option in the A5 - upgraded audio (it'll be my primary "music room") and metallic paint, but that's all the luxuries I can justify...

So, the benefits as far as I see them:

A6 - Drives better on the motorway, Option for S-Tronic (any good?), £1,000 cheaper, reasonable (business) leasing deals available that offer reduced purchase risk, 117 gram emission (114 for S-Tronic)

A5 - Sexier, Rarer (might make private resale easier?), 109 gram emission

Given that I've been considering Focus/Golf/A3, I suspect that both cars will have plenty of boot space in comparison.

Things I don't know, that might be important:
- Which has the better audio system? The A5 B&O system sounds quite reasonably priced. Suppose the A6 Bose is better, but v. pricey (forget the A6 B&O!!!!)
- Is there any difference between satnavs?
- Is the real world MPG better in the A5?

The biggest issue is depreciation - which will be worth most for private sale in 3 years time? I get the impression that A5's are rarer and that might keep their value higher...

Anything else?

Then the question is - do I go for a DtD deal or can one pretty much match it if asking "normal" dealers?

- A related question - if DtD find me a dealer that's quite distant, is that important? When there are teething issues, will Audi Whetstone (just down the road) look after me? Grudgingly?!

[St3veM]

I've come from an A5 Sportback SLine into an A6 and the difference is big. Depends on your size but for me (6'4) there is more height and width to make it a lot more comfy.

Spec wise they are on par on paper. I had a manual in the A5 and multi in the A6; I prefer the multi now I'm used to it.

The BO system in te A5 is better than the bose IMO.

Mpg actual tank to tank; 42 in the A5 plays 36 in the A6.

Finance was a better deal for me direct through audi and you can be serviced anywhere...

Hth


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Allroad_2013]

Finding it really tough to choose between A5 sportback and A6 Ultra 2.0TDI. Wondered if I might get some help here.


What are they saying on the A5 forum?

If all things were equal (e.g. cost) I'd probably go for the A6 - higher quality cabin, (assuming you're thinking of an Ultra) more power.

But then again, I've not driven an A5.

[TheWineLake]

Fortunately I'm a bit of a shortarse compared to you! If A5 B&O better than A6 Bose, that might seal it...

Higher quality cabin seems to be the big thing about the A6. Will go and sit in some at the weekend and see how much nicer it is.

Don't think I'm too fussed about the power. I guess the A5 is a touch lighter, so the power difference might not be THAT significant?

[Whippy53]

The cabin is much nicer, to be honest, the standard sound system is enough (for me) the ultra is no quicker 0 to 60 than the 177ps. The discount on the A6 are or were better.

[jbaker]

I had a similar decision a year ago. The A5 is fantastic but there was a fair bit of tyre noise. The A6 was quieter. That said I do get a lot of road noise in my A6 through the chassis as my local roads are rough (A4 in Wiltshire).

On the A6 you can add the heat and sound (double glazing) option. I have it on the front and privacy glass in the rear. It makes a big difference for wind noise.

I also find the stock stereo in my A6 to be adequate for a car.

Try driving the two cars (assuming you have not done so)..... It will probably be a very quick decision afterwards.

[johnsimcox]

The A6 is "current generation" and although it is due a facelift in near future (late this year?) it will still be the current car. The new generation A4 is due in 2015 and the A5 will follow thus the A5 will quickly become "old generation" even if the Sportback is not replaced for a couple of years

[rickerby]

Finding it really tough to choose between A5 sportback and A6 Ultra 2.0TDI. Wondered if I might get some help here.

I think the A6 is the "better" car, but the A5 (even the sportback, albeit to a lesser degree) is SO sexy to look at. I think I'd like the SE grade trim - shame that's an option in the A5 - upgraded audio (it'll be my primary "music room") and metallic paint, but that's all the luxuries I can justify...

So, the benefits as far as I see them:

A6 - Drives better on the motorway, Option for S-Tronic (any good?), £1,000 cheaper, reasonable (business) leasing deals available that offer reduced purchase risk, 117 gram emission (114 for S-Tronic)

A5 - Sexier, Rarer (might make private resale easier?), 109 gram emission

Given that I've been considering Focus/Golf/A3, I suspect that both cars will have plenty of boot space in comparison.

Things I don't know, that might be important:
- Which has the better audio system? The A5 B&O system sounds quite reasonably priced. Suppose the A6 Bose is better, but v. pricey (forget the A6 B&O!!!!)
- Is there any difference between satnavs?
- Is the real world MPG better in the A5?

The biggest issue is depreciation - which will be worth most for private sale in 3 years time? I get the impression that A5's are rarer and that might keep their value higher...

Anything else?

Then the question is - do I go for a DtD deal or can one pretty much match it if asking "normal" dealers?

- A related question - if DtD find me a dealer that's quite distant, is that important? When there are teething issues, will Audi Whetstone (just down the road) look after me? Grudgingly?!

A5 is now a very old car. Its platform sister the A4 is due for replacement later this year so a new A5 will probably arrive next year. Its virtually obsolescent so you need to factor that into any depreciation assessments.

[rickerby]

The cabin is much nicer, to be honest, the standard sound system is enough (for me) the ultra is no quicker 0 to 60 than the 177ps. The discount on the A6 are or were better.



On paper the Ultra has similar performance, on the road it feels much quicker, particularly in the mid-range - which matters more in day to day driving than 0-60

[TheWineLake]

Yes - in the old days, one used to see mid-range acceleration figures (eg. 50-70) but I rarely seem now.

Interesting that the "Twin pane heat and UV insulating glass with privacy glass" is cheaper than the twin pane on its own. I could easily see that it would be a nice option (and cut down to some extent the requirement for a more powerful audio system). I wonder how possible it is to audition the two audio options on the A6?

I feel I'm veering one way and then the other on this! I am hoping to get some kind of plug-in hybrid in 2-3 years time, which is why depreciation is important (otherwise I'd do what I normally do and run the car into the ground age-wise).

[jbaker]

But the cheaper option only has the insulating glass at the front, not the rear.

Depreciation......there are several threads on this topic.

[C172s]

I was in a very similar situation last year. I liked the lines of the A5 and always wanted one. I had an A4 SLine, but knowing that they were essentially the same car I thought the A6 was more of an upgrade. However the A4 is/was a lovely car and I assume the A5 sportback is the same, but better looking.

I'd love to have the B&O but my Bose is Ok. I use my car as my music room... Have you read the honest John comparison between the A5 and A6. They are comparing the 3 litre versions but it helped me decide as I went for the 2 litre Multi.

Depreciation is painful on the A6. In saying that my a4 depreciated massively and I thought the A6 would be better. If it wasn't for the large Audi contribution, I'd be worse off with the A6 now...it's as if they knew...

Honest john comparison link below....

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/our-cars/audi-a6/a6-or-a5-sportback/

[TheWineLake]

Yes, I've seen that - which confirms my own thoughts and those of the cognoscenti here...

I can see that depreciation for the A5 will take a knock when the new technology car comes out in 2016ish. Maybe in 2017 they'll do a decent plugin hybrid A5 etron (and hopefully won't change the classic lines too much). Until then, an A6 may be a solid choice.

Have the £7k discounts (with cancellable finance) been around for a long time?

[Passatier3]

Finding it really tough to choose between A5 sportback and A6 Ultra 2.0TDI. Wondered if I might get some help here.

I think the A6 is the "better" car, but the A5 (even the sportback, albeit to a lesser degree) is SO sexy to look at. I think I'd like the SE grade trim - shame that's an option in the A5 - upgraded audio (it'll be my primary "music room") and metallic paint, but that's all the luxuries I can justify...

So, the benefits as far as I see them:

A6 - Drives better on the motorway, Option for S-Tronic (any good?), £1,000 cheaper, reasonable (business) leasing deals available that offer reduced purchase risk, 117 gram emission (114 for S-Tronic)

A5 - Sexier, Rarer (might make private resale easier?), 109 gram emission

Given that I've been considering Focus/Golf/A3, I suspect that both cars will have plenty of boot space in comparison.

Things I don't know, that might be important:
- Which has the better audio system? The A5 B&O system sounds quite reasonably priced. Suppose the A6 Bose is better, but v. pricey (forget the A6 B&O!!!!)
- Is there any difference between satnavs?
- Is the real world MPG better in the A5?

The biggest issue is depreciation - which will be worth most for private sale in 3 years time? I get the impression that A5's are rarer and that might keep their value higher...

Anything else?

Then the question is - do I go for a DtD deal or can one pretty much match it if asking "normal" dealers?

- A related question - if DtD find me a dealer that's quite distant, is that important? When there are teething issues, will Audi Whetstone (just down the road) look after me? Grudgingly?!

If you want sexier, what about an A6 Avant BE! :D

Seriously, buying and deciding on a new car and options can be difficult and has its highs and lows!

[C172s]

Yes, I've seen that - which confirms my own thoughts and those of the cognoscenti here...


I can see that depreciation for the A5 will take a knock when the new technology car comes out in 2016ish. Maybe in 2017 they'll do a decent plugin hybrid A5 etron (and hopefully won't change the classic lines too much). Until then, an A6 may be a solid choice.


Have the £7k discounts (with cancellable finance) been around for a long time?


The 7k discount has been on for quite a while. The discounts were certainly on last year when I started looking and have remained throughout. I was under the impression that it was a great deal not to be missed, but it's just rolled over and over.


The other thing for me is that the interior of the A5 was/is very similar to the A4 and although it's well built and a great place to be in, the A6 takes it to a new level which was yet another reason for me to go for the A6.


I think it'll be a good 2-3 years before we see the new A5 sportback by which time I may reconsider the A5 and hopefully will be able to do a deal then using the A6 once all the numbers settle. In saying that I'm not sure how much the newer tech Ultra has knocked the 2.0 Multi, and as a new 3 litre unit is about to take over as well..who knows...it's a gamble,


Though not as sleek as the A5, the A6 is a very nice looking car and different wheel/tyre options and colours alter the looks ranging from the elegant conservative look (SE in Ice Silver) to something more luxurious( S Line in Daytona Grey) and then of course there is the black edition that makes the a6 look sleeker and aggressive due to the tinted rear windows.




Good luck with your decision.

[Whippy53]

There simply is no "right time" to buy a car, the ultra may or may not affect residuals on the 177, but the facelift comes out next year, then in three years people will be worried about whether to buy because the C8 is just around the corner. Then it will be Euro 6.5 compliant power trains, it just goes on and on. My thoughts are to find a car you like and assuming you can get a deal that makes sense on the front end, buy it. Lifes too short to worry about what's going to happen three or four Years down the line. You may not even be here.

[TheWineLake]

Actually, I do find the avant sexier than the saloon - Honest John's right about the A6 saloon's bum looking big in this...

[NewAudi]

But the cheaper option only has the insulating glass at the front, not the rear.



According to the factory (I enquired when I did my factory collection), the front uses a double glas and the rears (all from B to B pillar) uses a thicker glas, but not double. They told me that if I had gone for the more expensive option of insulating glas without the tinting, the glas has exactly the same thickness as the tinted version. They went on further to say that the tinted glas + insulating glas option is cheaper as it's all about sales volumes and better price from the glas manufacturer (style I would think as well).

Either way, I am very pleased as its considerable quiter than both the 3.0 Tdi (204) loaner I had and the 535D which was my previous car.

[jbaker]

Thanks for the info about the glass. You learn something every day.

[rickerby]

I was in a very similar situation last year. I liked the lines of the A5 and always wanted one. I had an A4 SLine, but knowing that they were essentially the same car I thought the A6 was more of an upgrade. However the A4 is/was a lovely car and I assume the A5 sportback is the same, but better looking.

I'd love to have the B&O but my Bose is Ok. I use my car as my music room... Have you read the honest John comparison between the A5 and A6. They are comparing the 3 litre versions but it helped me decide as I went for the 2 litre Multi.

Depreciation is painful on the A6. In saying that my a4 depreciated massively and I thought the A6 would be better. If it wasn't for the large Audi contribution, I'd be worse off with the A6 now...it's as if they knew...

Honest john comparison link below....

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/our-cars/audi-a6/a6-or-a5-sportback/



The only depreciation that matters is the difference between what you pay and what you get for it when you sell. Residuals against list price are completely meaningless. Understand that and A6 depreciation is not painful at all. In my case 75% retained value against the price paid. Watch the options though.

[TheWineLake]

Exactly. 75% would be after 1 year?
Options are mainly for keeping. I think that variants such as auto/estate retain value. Possibly metallic paint might aid resellability? Audio upgrades I suspect will have to earn their keep while in one's own ownership.

Talking of which....

I do think the estate is prettier than the saloon. More practical, too (I'd get a few cases of wine in the back of that!). But is it much noisier than the saloon? A little bit thirstier, but not enough to notice, I guess - and still in the same 110-119 band for emissions.

[Nemo78]

Interesting thread...here is my 2p worth...

Had a 2006 A4 S-Line SE Quattro. That had Bose and that I still think to this day is far superior to my A5 SB B&O. I loved the A4 and miss it.

However also love the A5 - that has the S-Tronic box in it and it's brilliant. The car itself is super with plenty of space and has a big advantage of boot space and accessibility due to being a hatchback really.

My only gripe when I bought it was that it was only avail as a 4 Seater. But I don't well didn't need the 5th seat :). I know people don't see the point of the SB but it's functionality and space is great.


Anyway we have on order an A6 Ultra S-Tronic. The A5 was my first auto. The A6 is a bigger car as has already been said and has a lot more bang for your buck.

Now things to watch out for as it think already mentioned. The A5 is due a major change with new B9 chassis due imminently (well next 6 months on A4 and no doubt not far off for the A5)

The A6 later this year is due it's facelift....

Residuals at a pure guess would've been better on the A5 had the new chassis not been around the corner as the A6 is a big car and not the car for everyone. Heck we only walked in to buy an A3 saloon and walked out with the A6.

I believe in all
Intents and purposes the sat nav is the same in both at the moment but the A6 carries a bigger screen (which pops in and out when it likes to vs the A5 fixed in to dash)

More than happy to answer whatever q you have on the A5 - it's a great car touch wood no issues at all in 3.5yrs of ownership and even my 4 seat gripe isn't really one...

[TheWineLake]

Cheers - may I ask what options you've gone for on the A6 and what your thoughts are on saloon vs avant? The A4 right now is a no-buy due to the looming upgrade. I used to have an A4 avant - lovely car, and I suspect the next version will be a cracker. Maybe even a plug-in hybrid? I get the impression that Audi's e-tron is not a patch on the upcoming VW Golf, which I hope will give the whole industry a long-overdue kick up the backside.

[Bash D Bishop]

I bought an Allroad through DtD in June last year. The only extras it had was metallic paint although I had a towbar and privacy glass fitted after. I paid c.@£35k for a 3.0 V6 245ps flying machine. The air suspension is superb and I love the dual clutch auto. So long as I dont hammer it 40-45 mpg is easily achieved.

Out of curiosity I checked out a valuation on WeBuyAnyCar and they would pay £29k. That is 82% retained value after 11 months and 15,000 miles.

I find the standard stereo to be more than adequate.

Each to their own but I would rather spend more on a bigger engine and better suspension than buy a 2.0 with lots of toys.

I do around 16,000 miles a year on a mix of country roads and motorways. Last year I did a mega journey in a single day from the Dordoyne to East Lothian. We were 3 up (me, my wife and 5 year old son), fully loaded and a towbar bike rack.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/22/4equ8y2y.jpg

Other than a new Range Rover, I can't imagine any car that would be so comfortable to do that length of journey.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[Nemo78]

Cheers - may I ask what options you've gone for on the A6 and what your thoughts are on saloon vs avant? The A4 right now is a no-buy due to the looming upgrade. I used to have an A4 avant - lovely car, and I suspect the next version will be a cracker. Maybe even a plug-in hybrid? I get the impression that Audi's e-tron is not a patch on the upcoming VW Golf, which I hope will give the whole industry a long-overdue kick up the backside.

For me if it had been my car I'd have gone for the estate but the wife thinks it's just too big hence the saloon for us. But he boots is plenty big enough to carry little ones pushchair etc and a few bags.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[johnsimcox]

For me if it had been my car I'd have gone for the estate but the wife thinks it's just too big hence the saloon for us. But he boots is plenty big enough to carry little ones pushchair etc and a few bags.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
When I went from my C5 Saloon to a C6 Avant the sales person commented that the price of the C5 was lower because it was a saloon, it was a manual (although being a 1.8T I suspect most were manual) and it was petrol. I'm not complaining about the price I got as it was fair especially looking at the overall cost of change, but the view from this would be that Avant's hold their value better than saloons. I also remember when looking I had an A6 as a company car that the leasing company included metallic paint for free and charged a cost for non-metallic paint even though it reduced the overall price because of the impact it had on residuals. If you can get sight of a leasing company's price list for an A6 that would probably answer all of your questions. Options where the monthly payments over the duration of the contract are less than the cost of the option are worth considering, options where the cost matches or exceeds their overall contract cost are not worth considering from a financial perspective although they may still be seen to be "nice to haves".

[TheWineLake]

Interesting idea, but I doubt I'll get to look at such a list!

Funny how it goes with these things. Having started considering saloon ultra base model, I'm now looking at:
Avant (because it's prettier and has great residuals)
Metallic (prettier, saleability)
Bose (because I like nice sound, probably money down the drain in terms of residuals)
S-Tronic (actually not sure why I want this, but people seem to like it!)

At least I'm still on the 2.0 ultra engine!

This all combines to get a £8398 discount - I now understand what it is to be woman buying shoes!

[johnsimcox]

Interesting idea, but I doubt I'll get to look at such a list!

Funny how it goes with these things. Having started considering saloon ultra base model, I'm now looking at:
Avant (because it's prettier and has great residuals)
Metallic (prettier, saleability)
Bose (because I like nice sound, probably money down the drain in terms of residuals)
S-Tronic (actually not sure why I want this, but people seem to like it!)

At least I'm still on the 2.0 ultra engine!

This all combines to get a £8398 discount - I now understand what it is to be woman buying shoes!
Not sure where your £8k discount figure is coming from the current Audi finance offer seems to be just a £4000 contribution from the Audi Centre (aka Dealer) meaning there will be a limit to what they will give you on top

[Whippy53]

Probably dtd or similar. Use the quote to pressure the very nice and attentive salesperson.

[TheWineLake]

Yes, DTD

Wowcar have come up with a dealer not so far off that.

[Nemo78]

I got within a few hundred pounds off that from my local dealer


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[TheWineLake]

Cool! Where are you based?