Was browsing through autotrader over the weekend looking for a manual TDI when this particular 3 litre manual A6 S line with 19 inch wheels caught my eye.The car a Sept 2005 with 28k miles on the clock..
Not one of my thoughtful moments since I called up the Audi dealership and without seeing the car , paid a deposit on it, subject to my being satisfied at the time that I see the car and test drive it!
I have since then moused around on the internet and most reviews seem to not recommend the S line since its too firm in comparision to the SE spec!
My knowledge of tyres is fairly minimal,however I was wondering , since the previous owner has gone for larger 19 inch tyres , will that make the ride yet harder? or the other way around..
Still wondering what to do ??Will the car shake out all my dental fillings and damage my spine ,thats what most reviews seem to mention!
As always thanks for any advise,not only on the S line spec also whether I would be better off buying a similar spec 530d, which is much cheaper second hand.Or maybe a VW Phaeton TDI , which is probably even better.
(My Passat TDi auction car is running strong and I dont intend to sell it , not for the time being anyway)
On an aside, havent thought much and now have to shell out 22800 for this car!
On the other hand I think , if not now , then when?
All thoughts and advise welcome!
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 10/12/2007 at 17:36
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Go to the dealer, test drive it with an open mind, and base your decision re the ride quality and comfort from there. If it's too firm, get your deposit back and walk away, or see if they have an SE for you to compare.
I have never driven an A6, but considering the S-Line spec is "not recommended" there don't half seem to be a lot of them on the roads. I reckon over half of the recent Audis I see are S-Lines. That said, if I was a betting man, I would probably have a small flutter on 19" rims and "sports suspension" giving a somewhat lively ride quality.
Larger wheels will generally mean a harsher ride because of the ultra low profile tyres (35-45 section) usually fitted to them. These tend to have to run at high pressure and have ultra stiff sidewalls to prevent wheel rim damage over bumps and potholes. This means one "layer" of bump absorption (the tyres) has effectively been removed, and the suspension will have to work a bit harder on bumpy roads.
Most pundits reckon smaller wheels and higher tyre profiles give better ride quality and often more feelsome handling, but the problem is those wheels look so damn good! :-)
Cheers
DP
--
04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
Edited by DP on 10/12/2007 at 08:45
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I reckon it will be fiercely hard. Probably OK on most German roads, but will shake you about on UK roads. You could probably swap the 19" rims for something more sensible without too much trouble - they 'look the business' but are not very practical.
Since you paid a deposit 'subject to satisfactory test drive' then I don't see a problem - drive it , and if not happy then don't buy and recover your deposit. I guess the Audi dealer will try to lock you into another car, but I wouldn't think you are committed to buy anything from him.
There really is no need to put down a deposit on a car like this - they won't exactly be flying off the forecourts before you can get to see them!
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If you go to a garage and put down a deposit - you are committed to the car or lose your deposit.
If you have never visited the garage, put down a deposit you can later reject the car and ask for your money back. The garage have no reason to withold the refund under the "distance purchasing legislation"
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Thanks for the advise,have had a long hard look at the alternatives.
I guess I will drive and see how it feels before deciding on what to do..
Actually this car was priced at 24500 in one website then reduced to 23500 and my phone call took off 700 pounds more, hence part of the reason for paying the deposit!
I did a pricing estimation on this model i.e 2005,manual at 28000 miles gives the second hand price at 25000 , hence the price quoted does seem attractive..
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