I'm in the market for a new car and I previously owned a 97 Max ad have rented a few 02 Max SEs for long trips, so I'm confident in what an 02 Max can offer. The cars in question are as follows: 2000 Audi A6 2.8 quattro w/ leather, Bose, heated seats, xenon, moonroof, 5-sp manual, 32500 miles OR 2002 Max SE, auto, cloth interior, moonroof. I live in the Chicago area and it's hard to find a 6-sp Max, let alone a Max w/ leather. Definitely want leather...cloth is kinda turning me off. Which would you buy if the prices were pretty similar?? Any owners w/ cloth regret having cloth seats?? Wifey really wants the A6, but I'm not sure about that 2.8 engine (200HP, 206 torq). I would rather have the more powerful VQ. All input is greatly appreciated.

 

Take it easy buddy!! How about deleting the other copies of this!?!?

 

Sorry about that..had some computer problems. How do I delete the other erronious posts??

 

7! That's a record.

 

Go into the other ones and down toward the lower right of your post, there is an edit/delete option.

 

Deleted.

 

 

The Audi A6 2.8 is a sharp sedan. Against its chief competitors (E320 and 530i), it doesnt have quite the prestige you'd think it might. But there's no denying they do come pretty well equipped. IMO, I'd rather get a 2.7T, if not the 4.2 V8; both of which have straighline acceleration numbers equivalent to the 2K2 Max.

As for the Max, it appears the the 2K2 you're eyeballing is similar to mine. I have no regrets about cloth upholstery as the SE Max has very high-quality, tastefully designed cloth seats.

 

Thanx Y2KevSE for your help in getting rid of those error posts.

 

Well my little friend, I may be able to help on this one.

Ive got an 02 6sp max loaded.
I got my wife an A6 quattro Avant with 2.8 VERY loaded.

I believe the audi handles better, and the interior is a lot nicer. Lets face it, its German, and they just know how to engineer things.

However there is no substitute for the Max's power. Her Audi is so slllooooww compaired to my max.

So, though the Audi is a little nicer on the interior side, the Max holds its own, and the max is definately my choice.

 

This is true for the Bay Area in CA so it may not apply to your locale. Audi's generally do not hold their value as compared to BMW or MB. People I know who've owned Audi's have had many more problems than I have had with my 02. Reliability appears to be a big issue for Audi, although its arguably an issue for Nissan now as well.

Getting service is also a big problem with Audi's (as well as BMW and MB). Several people I know claim that it can take weeks to get parts and weeks just to get an appointment for service.

Personally, I was seriously considering an S4 before the Max but after seeing all the problems a friend of mine had, I gave it up.

 

SHIFT_bias

 

I agree with you on the 2.7T or 4.2, but the situation is what it is. What I'm afraid of is what yuo hinted on...that the 2.8 won't be near the 2K2 Max in power and I'll regret it. The Audi is enticing due to the quattro, but I'm not sure if the AWD will overcome my lust for power.

 

Lust away......get the max. Or an S6

 

Thanx for your input..this helps out a lot. I was afraid the Audi would feel verryy slooow and that would irk the sh*t out of me. I go to see the Audi tonight for a test drive and will post my commentary tomorrow.
Damn it's hard finding a sedan better than a Max..for the same amount of money. It seems as though the only way to get a better car than a max is to spend MUCH more money than you would for the Max. Best bang for the buck indeed!

 

 

The Audi's have a more substantial aftermarket than the Max though. Something to consider.

 

Reeaaahhhhhhllllyyyy?!?!?!?!?!!

Elaborate my dear friend....I know what aftermarket means, but how much better are the options for Audi?? Wouldn't mind mods to regain some power...

 

While it may be true for Audi's as a whole, if you look closely the options for upping that particular car are rather limited.

 

The Audi is financial suicide. I don't care what anyone has to stay, VW and Audi are prone to utter electrical nightmares. It's more refined in the brand name, that's where it ends. The turbos are fun too, but this isn't a turbo.

Go with the Max for two reasons; 1 - No electrical stupidities & 2 - The additional power.

If you're for show, or the wife is going to beat you to a pulp, go with the Audi (but quite frankly I'd rather recommend a 323/325Ci or something else German).

 

Remember, the 3 series BMW is smaller than these 2 cars. I think he wants a midsize sedan. 5 Series is too expensive, then again so is an A6. If you can squeeze out a little more money, keep the Acura TL-S in mind. It has the same power as us but it's more refined. That should make the wife happy and make you happy as well with it's 260 hp engine. It doesn't have low end grunt like the VQ though but it's still a fast car. It has it's case of problems but so do we.

Just go take a look at that car while you are car shopping.

 

I forgot to mention this car. The G35 Sedan. It's a very nice car and you will get the same VQ engine that we have in our Maxima but with more hp/tq

Depending on your location, you should very well keep this option alive. By location I mean if you live in an area that snows or rains a lot or contains many mountains this car may not be for you because it's RWD. For FWD and this price, defenitely the TL-S.

 

AAhhhhhh G35

You could probably get one for a nice price 'bout now.

 

Get the Max the 02/03's have a nice material for the cloth very high quality and you cant beat the seat design. The thing I have with leather is that it cracks and doesnt look good after a while no matter what you do from my experiences with it.

 

There are several places in the bay area that mod audi's and VW's. The place I get my dyno's is one of these shops. Check out www.vwturbo.com for example.

 

There are several places in the bay area that mod audi's and VW's. The place I get my dyno's is one of these shops. Check out www.vwturbo.com for example. How much better I probably overstated.

 

my girlfriends mom owned a 99 audi A6 with the 2.8, and its had lots of problems. its also slow as heck. 4 wheel drive is great tho - especially if you live in more arctic climates, like i do. but i own a 2k2 maxima, and i would pick this car over the audi any day. at least the audi with the 2.8. but mechanically, i know that the audi was quite a dissapointment, and repairs were everything but quick.

 

www.audiworld.com would be more direct to audis

 

Don't go for the Audi.
Guy at work has a '97 A4, 2.8L.
Nothing but problems, he's spent $5G in the last year just keeping it alive.
I thought they were good cars but not good enough.
Too expensive to buy and maintain
Plus it's too slow, this engine is slow in an A4 body, so imagine in an A6.

 

you guys have to remember that this is not only for himself but also for his wife. I don't think she cares for a high performance car, she just wants something that has luxury and will turn heads.

your wife wants a Maxima GLE

If you only want a stick car, Maxima SE 6-Speed is the way to go. Make sure you get leather though because it's sooo comfy.
If you want a really smooth ride, GLE--because the suspension in the GLE is softer than the SE. Then you will be forced with only auto.

Also, if you sell/trade cars every 4-5 years.....go away from the 03 Maxima. The resale is horrible and a new body style is coming out soon and that will hurt it some more. If you are keeping this for over 100,000 miles...then it's for you.

 

My neighbor has an 02 A6, a 3.0 litre I believe, I have ridden in it, very nice interior, quality, but I can tell the power is just not there, every time we are going somewhere in separate cars, I leave him in the dust on the highway. May be my aggresive driving, but I believe the max is just more powerful.

 

I'm not a fan of German cars, so I'd definitely say get the 02 Max. From the specs, the A6 has a lot less power and weighs more. Also, if you were to get a 2K2 Max, you'd likely have a lot more of the warranty left. The Max's basic warranty is 3/36K and powertrain warranty is 5/60K whereas the Audi's is 3/50K for the whole car.

Also, I'm sure the reliability on the Max is superior and the Max would be cheaper to maintain and fix.

 

Thanx for all of your input. Wifey has been big on the Audi because she wants that "prestigious" feeling of a German car (read: luxury), and she likes the look of the A6. While I think the A6 is nice, I cannot deal with paying a car note on a car that is slow. Now that so many have mentioned the disappointments with the Audi, I'll be looking into finding the best Max I can find. Wifey is pretty mellow, but she can get aggressive in her driving at times...I'm a banshee behind the wheel, albeit a civilized banshee. I've seen some of these other prices people are paying for 03 Max's and I'm hoping I'll be able to work out a similar deal. I'll post when I make the purchase. Again, thanx so much for the input.

 

Just out of curiosity, have you guys considered getting a BMW 328/330. It has a good blend of luxury and performance.

 

And of the three is the smallest. Ick!

 

Yeah, I thought about a Bimmer, but the 3-series is too small for my needs/likings and the 5-series cost too much, even in the used markets.

 

Don't get 2.8
I love Audi's. My next cat is going to be a new S4(V8).
My frind has a 2001 S4 and loves it. No problems at all. He has a chip too.
Get A6 2.7T it fast, AWD. you want faster, get a chip.
Also, there is a big aftermarket support for 2.7T's

 

did you forget to think of the most important factor herer?? $$$

 

I personally think you're looking more for popular opinion than anything else. I am alot like yourself, any car that I buy from now on will have to be at least as fast at my A6. Granted, that's not a whole lot of cars, but I think that I can shop wisely. (my next car will be the Magnum SRT-8)
I also feel that if you're willing to pony up the dollars for a 99 A6, 2.8, you can wait just a bit longer and pick up a car like mine for about 4-5k more. I don't know the exact resale on my car, but I would venture that it should be worth about 24-25k on the private market.
While an 03 Max is a very nice car, it's not an A6. Just in the same way that while an A6 is a very nice car, it's not a S500. My 00 has been relatively trouble-free, a little more dependable than my 95 GXE was. It's been the shop for service, but nothing serious (the most serious was a CE light at 50k, and that was for a bad 02 sensor)
It's got plenty of get up and go, and it's a car that will make you happy each time you get behind the wheel.
As far as performance, bone stock it's pretty darn quick, expecially since it weighs almost 2tons (no driver)
Come springtime, I'll be chipped and exhausted, and I should be running low 13's.

 

Have you baselineds your A6 and/or ran it at the track? If so, how much WHP and/or what's your 1/4 time. (Just curious.) If not, you may want to dyno or run your A6 at the track just to get a feel for your baseline.

I had a runin with an A6 2.7T on the highway a few months ago and was pretty impressed with how quick they are.

Peace.