2001 Audi A6

Over-engineered. Maintenance costs are high. Quattro system is unsurpassed for Alaska winters. Interior finishes are very nice. I just had to have the sport seats but they are not very comfortable on the seat for larger people (I am 6-2, 220 lbs.). I understand now why many Audi's are leased vehicles to begin with. Market value of vehicle drops significantly after four years. I got what I thought was a screaming deal on my eBay purchase, but immediately upon arrival of shipment I had to dump over $3,000 into the car, but most of it would have been scheduled maintenance including timing belt. Local mechanics have told me many people purchase an Audi then cannot afford to maintain them properly or pay for expensive fixes. I got the 4.2 liter V8 and would buy no other engine. Gas mileage compared to the 2.8 turbo is a non-issue.
I love the look and driving feel of the car, but will probably buy Acura or AWD Lexus next time for reliability.

This is my tenth Audi. Always ahead of the curve in technology, especially in useful areas, like quattro handling, electronic stability control, etc.

They are a bit finicky about maintenance, and the parts can cost quite a bit, but, if you are capable of working on the car yourself, most of the work is manageable.

That said, these cars are capable, comfortable, safe autos for cruising long distances or carving tight turns, and, when the weather turns bad, there is nothing like it in the market.

I was so impressed with the A6 my son purchased, I just had to have one. Got one with 70K miles on it because I didn't want to have to worry about the timing belt and water pump right away. From the moment I first sat in my A6 I have really enjoyed the entire ride experience. Smooth, quiet, comfortable and sporty to say the least, it's one of the best used vehicles I've ever purchased. I'm still waiting for the expensive repairs to start, but I went into this eyes wide open, so hopefully it won't be too much of a shock. I did replace the fog lights myself and that wasn't bad at all. When the weather gets better I may attempt changing the oil just to see what it involves. All in all, I'd have to say that the purchase experience has been a good one. I flew from the Midwest to Philly and picked up the vehicle in Allentown. The transaction was very smooth and the seller really helped in the overall process by being helpful and accomodating. The drive home gave me ample time to get acquainted with my new ride. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

While the vehicle ended up coming close to meeting my expectations, the whole purchase and delivery process was pretty involved and left a strong negative feeling. I'm not sure that I will buy through eBay again, unless the vehicle is close enough to preview, drive, and transport directly. I purchased the vehicle, sight-unseen, which I would not recommend, from 3,000 miles away. While I found a shipper and the seller was extremely helpful for pickup, the whole process took the better part of six weeks and resulted in about 15 hours of personal involvement on my part (expected around 2 hrs) due to problems with the shipper and delivery. Still, I chalk it up for learning and write here as simply something to consider.