nyi37

Pretty much same thing as my other thread the TL V. BMW 5. Which do you guys think drives better, value, handling etc.

Actuary

handling. A6s are heavy but it's got quattro.

interior - I think A6 interior is outstanding except cup holders extending from dash.

design - simply amazing with all chrome inserts and beautiful LED tailght/turn signal

value.. lol u gotta be kidding... in the end of day I think A6 is too expensive for what you get. I think M45 will be better

a4b5

As a current Audi owner (2004 S4) I'm a bit biased towards Audi interiors, as I think that they're some of the best around. That being said, the TL interior is pretty darn close to Audi's. Some of the other cars that I've been looking at (Nissan, espessially) are just too "GM" for me. Not the case with the TL, which is why I'm looking into getting one.

Performance wise, the A6 is big, and not too nimble. Quattro = a huge plus in the handling department, but it comes with a couple of big tradeoffs: milage and price.

I agree on the value perspective ... that's one of the reasons that I'm not looking at getting another Audi. They're WAY too expensive, both up front and long term.

yohan81718

you must love comparing TL with bunch of other $$$ cars =)

Actuary

Troll inside

Brettg

All I can say is after all the problems I had with my Passat, I would never get another VW/audi product again.
I loved the car itself, I think the inside of the car was better than the TL, but I had so many serious problems in 2 years I had to get rid of it.

From what I read, all the German cars are very trouble prone.

Brett

a4b5

Another reason I don't think I want another Audi ...

HuKaShI

Yeah, why is it that most Audi's and VW's that I see have some sort of electrical problem.

The tail lights are almost never working properly. I would figure that if they can't get the electrical right in the car in all these years, then there must be other problems.

Some of my coworkers have VW's and they have had problems with the windows falling down and the igntion coils cracking and headlights and tail light problems.

They say they will never buy a VW product ever again.

Although, they say that the cars perform really well as long as it is running.

autoPhreak

Interesting question. I traded a 2001 A6 2.7T with sport package for a 2004 TL with Nav (and A-Spec wheels and tires). Here are my thoughts:

Those who question the reliability of the Audi's have a point -- though in my case, given that *all* maintenance is included for five years/60k miles, it never cost me a cent. The TL, on the other hand, has only had one problem: a defective trunk latch that was quickly fixed by the dealer. Still -- point to Acura.

Interior: sorry guys -- hands down, VW/Audi products are the best in the business. The TL is way above average, though. If I hadn't owned the A6....

Electronics: tough to beat the TL's Nav/Bluetooth package. Add a trip computer to the nav, and it would be perfect. My A6 wasn't even in the game here -- tho I hear the new models are better.

Styling: well, if we're comparing my TL to the 2001 A6, it's a draw. Personally I'm no fan of the new Audi corporate grill, so the nod goes to the TL. On the other hand, if you're talking about the 2004 A6 4.2 -- that one really works well for me.

Engine: well, the TL has a bit more HP than my 2.7T (at least by manufcturer's ratings), but it feels about the same to me. And 0-60 times are very similar. A draw.

Chassis: FWD vs. Quattro? Sorry. The TL is probably the best chassis in a fwd car on the market, but hands down, this one goes to Audi.

Price: TL

I love my TL, but when the time comes to trade, it will be a tough choice -- if Audi just didn't have that stupid grill....

Maybe a Cayman.

ttliang

are u actually gonna use the info here for your car buying or u r just bored? they are not exactly yesterday's new cars so people's mind are already set. not likely cross shop either. hm....

Brettg

VW and audi share many parts, and some of them have very high failure rates, I think the 2003 Passats with bad fuel pumps list on the vortex is up to 32 cars, average failure was at 36,000 miles, low was 14,000, mine failed at 25,000 miles.
Loads of abs ecu failures, comfort ecu failures, water leaks into the cars (computers are under the rugs and NOT waterproof), suspension problems, oil leaks, plastic water pump impellers that fall apart, etc.

When they run, they are great cars, some things like the leather and (real) wood are very high quality, the paint is good, if you live in the rust belt, they have a 12 year unlimited mile rust proof warenty, strong sturdy cars.

What it costs to repair or maintain does not count, who wants to have to take the car in for repair every month, and get a neon loaner car (rental), or no loaner
(VW). How much fun is it when your fuel pump dies 500 miles from home late at night, even if VW/audi will fix it for free?

Everyone I talked to before getting the Passat warned me about problems, but I thought VW had fixed most of the problems...wrong!

On the B6 forum (new Passat), there have been turbo failures, ac system failures
(condensor leaks, bad compressors) radio display problems, and many transmission complaints (bad shifting after about 5000 miles), and many other problems reported.
I hope VW gets its act together as I love their cars, but it dont look good so far...

Brett

direk_04TL

not a flame, merely for informational purposes only ... IMHO the TL does not have the best FWD chassis on the market -- not with the strong torque steer, and the sometimes unpredictable handling (sometimes its great, sometimes its wobbly) -- i think the TSX chassis is a better platform. -- again, thats IMHO.

Bplayer

I rented a 2005 A6 3.2 Quattro for a week last year. It had less than 6K on the clock and was an absolute joy to drive from Phoenix to Grand Canyon and Vegas. Rock solid, comfortable, rattle free, no vibrations, torque steer issues, or drifting.

I enjoy my 2006 TL (no rattles, vibrations, or torque steer) and considered the A6 but could not justify the 50% premium for a comparably equipped Audi (Canadian pricing differences).

These cars appeal to two different classes of buyers.

Brettg

They seem to start t about $42,700.00 for something close to the TL, not sure if another $10,000.00 for the A6 is worth it...

Just think what you could get for the TL for another $10,000.00 if they offered more options...

You can not get a manual transmission on the A6 at any price...

Brett

nyi37

Yep, i sure do! I really don't know, what are the TL's true competitors?

nyi37

Apparently i didnt mention im 15! not buying just yet. But am looking forward to it. I just liked the thread. Personally i think the TL is the best value car on the road. ANd for most of the people in america and canada the best attainable car.

Nykor

I think an Acura TL vs Hummer H3 would be a great next thread for you given the current trend. If that falls through, an Acura TL vs Chuck Norris may be the ticket.

nyi37

thanks for the sarcasm. apparently other people thought this topic was worth commenting on...even if it was in a negative way they still took the time to do it.

Brettg

Its a rough crowd here. I like talking about cars, and I like reading about cars.
I also like driving cars and working on cars.

In my book, the TL is a good car for the money. Its not the worlds best car, but it looks good and gives a big bang for the buck.

Brett

TLyoung'un

A6 is so beautiful. The only cars I associate the word "beautiful" with are Audis. They're simple yet so elegant..

ILLustriousUA6

iTrader: (2)

could not have sid it any better.. i'm loving the TL and very satisfied with it..

Actuary

I said "TROLL INSIDE" .

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=troll

autoPhreak

Less torque steer would be a big improvement -- but don't you think that's more a result of horsepower differences between the TSX rather than chassis tuning? As for the wobbly issue -- I, personally haven't noticed it. But then, I don't do track days, so I can't say I've pushed the envelope.

klkl

Coming from a 2003 A6 2.7t to the TL IMHO the TL doesn't compare nor was it intended to. I certainly don't think it compares to the even better current version of the A6. My A6 was essentially trouble free for 42,000 miles as was the VW Passat I owned before, but not the A4 I owned before that.

I am very happy with my new TL except for the rattles. By the way my Audi had none even at the end of 3 years. My 2003 A6 was a better car that the TL and the new model is even better, but they cost between $10,000 and $15,000 more, so they should be. THe TL is a very good car and an excellent value for it's segment. IT is however, not in the league of cars costing $10,000-20,000 thousand dollars more than it and who would expect it to be.

direk_04TL

i read in Car and Driver magazine that the previous generation TL (in Type-S configuration) had a better tuned chassis. less torque steer and less wobbly. sorry i dont remember which exact issue it was, but it was in response to a reader's question.

Wobbly = ever noticed when you hit a not so paved road, the car tends to "float" or "bounce"? granted, this problem can be fixed with the A-Spec suspension kit, i think acura was really just trying to find a good balance between good handling performance and a luxury ride.