Audi A6 - Five Seater??

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Mon 10 Jan 2011 21:21
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - fredthefifth

Hi All, this would be on a model at least 3 or 4 years old.

The HJ review says that the A6 is not a genuine 5 seater due the middle rear seat being poor. Most of the time that would not be an issue but five or six times a year I transport three twenty plus daughters plus wife on trips of a couple of hundred miles to uni, grandparent visits etc.

Any real world views of this observation on the part of HJ please?

Regards, FTF.

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Mon 10 Jan 2011 23:50
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - Avant

There's plenty of room for legs in the back of an A6 (albeit with a transmission hump which is there as it's needed for the quattro models): but the middle part of the sewat is raised in order to provide more of a shape to the two main seats.

The only answer is to go and look at one in a showroom and sit in it. If it isn't comfortable, other cars in this class are little better and you might find it worthwhile to look at a Ford S-Max.

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Tue 11 Jan 2011 19:27
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - fredthefifth

ok, thanks.

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Tue 11 Jan 2011 23:57
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - Steven Quas

I have an A6 Avant 3.0TDI Quattro and I find it makes a very good 5 seater in terms of space. The middle person does have to put their feet either side of the transmission tunnel but the width is very good.

The only issue my rear seat passengers have is with the hardness of the ride, which doesn't seem to bother those in the front. I do have the optional sport suspension though, which may be a factor. Occasionally someone has said there isn't enough air flowing to the back and the vents there are too weak, but it seems OK to me.

That said I am in the process of switching it, probably for a Jaguar XF, more for the sake of style and fun than functionality. I rarely carry 5 people these days.

Steven Quas , Hamburg

Edited by Steven Quas on 11/01/2011 at 23:58

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Sat 12 Feb 2011 08:06
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - Brit_in_Germany

Steven, when pricing up your XF, do look at the UK dealers. I bought mine from Marshalls and saved a substantial sum compared wih the German prices.

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Sat 12 Feb 2011 10:01
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - Collos25

Probably Steve needs a LHD living in Hamburg so any price comparison with the UK is irelevant.

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Sat 12 Feb 2011 10:13
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - Lygonos

>> Steve needs a LHD living in Hamburg so any price comparison with the UK is irelevant.

Not true. Any European dealer can supply RHD or LHD versions of the cars they deal in.

Whether they want the hassle is a different matter. Maybe the dealers nearest to Hastings would be a good place to ask ?

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Sat 12 Feb 2011 20:41
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - john96

Lygonos, should the UK dealer order a LHD vehicle, would it be at a comparable price to the RHD version? I too live in Germany and find that prices here are very expensive compared to the UK.

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Sat 12 Feb 2011 22:25
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - Lygonos

I can't say for certain but I imagine it would be no more than list price - you'd need to ask some dealers I guess.

6 or 7 years ago when the pound was strong against a weaker Euro, many Brits bought RHD cars from dealers in mainland Europe (usually Holland where they have punitive car tax rates ~40% leaving manufacturers to keep the base cost of the vehicle as low as possible).

Savings at that time were of the order of 20-25% below the list price of the same vehicles here.

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Sun 13 Feb 2011 10:00
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - Steven Quas

john96 - the standard specification can be a little different between Germany and the UK. Many years ago the standard equipment was higher in the UK so those ordering in Europe had to be very careful that the specification was equivalent. I'm not sure if that is still the case, particularly now the situation has changed.

Steven Quas , Hamburg

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Sat 12 Feb 2011 10:24
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - Brit_in_Germany

AndyB, my XF is LHD, german spec., and for all purposes identical to those available in Germany.

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Sun 13 Feb 2011 09:51
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - Steven Quas

Thanks Brit_in_Germany, I will certainly get quotes for the LHD XF in the UK. I believe that The Treaty of Rome applies here and as you say they are unable to refuse selling a particular car anywhere in Europe. Previous colleagues have bought new RHD cars in Belgium, Holland and Germany so I should be able to buy a LHD car in this way.

I believe I can remember many years ago that Volkswagen were fined a huge amount by the EU for preventing Germans and others buying their cars in Spain.

Steven Quas , Hamburg

Edited by Steven Quas on 13/02/2011 at 10:00

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Sat 12 Feb 2011 00:37
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - mozza01

Hi we have a A6 Avant. Best car we have driven also own a merc and previously BMW. Bought the car to take three car seats along back seat. We go away on holiday with roof box, bikes, 3 kids, dog and wonderful drive. Unfortunately kids are now out of car seats and the middle seat is unbearable. I recently travelled home from the video shop "in the middle" less that 2 miles and my back was sore. It is awful. We have now started trawling the garages looking for our next car. We are really disappointed but as we do like to go away in the car at least 6-8 times a year to Scotland we just cannot keep this car. This kids have complained and brought pillows etc with them but until the other night I thought they were making it up. They are basically sitting on the ridge of the upholstery with an armrest down their backs. This means if it was an adult they are blocking visability as they are higher in the middle than the two other seats. The gear housing in the middle also means that the person in the middle has to sit with their feet apart in the foot space of the other two. Disagree with other blogger this is not ok. On a long journey this hurts the knees. Other than trying to fit 3 people in the second seat it is truely a fantastic car and hard to beat. Tried XC 60 Volvo today - felt good and middle seat comfortable but boot not big enough for us and the dog. Good Luck

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Sat 12 Feb 2011 13:57
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - fredthefifth

Thanks, had come to the same conclusion.

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Sun 13 Feb 2011 09:56
Audi A6 - Five Seater?? - Steven Quas

mozza01 - I have to admit to never travelling in the rear of my own A6, but nobody has ever complained to me about the middle seat. Clearly the transmission tunnel is an issue, but that is there in most cars of the size which tend to be RWD or in this case have a 4WD option.

Steven Quas , Hamburg

Edited by Steven Quas on 13/02/2011 at 10:00

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