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Sedans Luxury Performance Sedans
10007 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 7:40 AM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: lexusguy (Apr 07, 2007 2:03 am) Sport used to mean: handling improvements due to anti-roll bar thickness increases (typically 20%), lowering of ride height (typically 20mm minimum) & with stiffer springs, plus 1 sizing of wheels/tires and a switch from H rated all-seasons to Z rated summer only, more damping in the shocks/struts (or active or passive damping), a reduction in the turns lock-to-lock, road speed sensitive power steering, sport seats, and trim bits. There are also several other performance and/or appearance bits that are included here and there, sometimes brake improvements or auto transmissions tuned for more sportiness and even a decal here or there, an emblem on the steering wheel or butt of the car may be added too. Presently, with the layering of option packages that makes the price go from the sublime to the ridiculous, the STS can sort of be had with a luxury-sport package and AWD (and MagnaRide.) The Audi A6 for years could be ordered with a sport suspension (which almost always included plus 1 sized wheels and tires and summer only UHP tires at that), sport seats, etc. The sport suspension and upsized wheels and tires were $1,250 in 2005 (the wheels and tires alone were $1,000.) Then, the magic of bundling hit Audi too -- and they concocted something I like to call "S-light." It is technically called S-Line and it is a true sport package plus an appearance package -- no grunt improvements, however. And, just like Cadillac's approach, it is overpriced (but it is less than the STS considering that S-Line is currently offered as a stand-alone option for a number beginning with a "3." If you want AWD and the sport suspension that most of us would associate with the term Sport Package, your choices are Audi and a $60,000+ STS (sort of sport package.) The AWD BMW, so they say, cannot have the sporting bits because of the AWD mechanism and the requirements BMW has for a true sport set up -- i.e., lowering the ride height. If you can wait, Audi promises a better balanced A6 AND a sport package in upcoming models. Mean time, an A6 S-Line can be had with all the things noted above and +2 wheels and tires (19") -- despite its heavy nose, such an Audi, so equipped (especially with the 4.2 FSI engine) really performs far better than its big schnoze suggests. Take one for a long test drive. Of course, with the V8, the A6 will be priced -- as an S-Line -- at that $60+K price point too. I hear the V6 is getting a horsepower transplant (boost) in the upcoming model -- which may mitigate this.
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Replying to: markcincinnati (Apr 07, 2007 5:22 am) Any comments from this crowd ? Rocky
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Replying to: rockylee (Apr 07, 2007 6:20 am) 
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Replying to: rockylee (Apr 07, 2007 6:20 am) This is the mid-lux class. The Genesis is neither mid, nor lux. Its a 200" car. |
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Replying to: markcincinnati (Apr 07, 2007 5:22 am) I own a 2003 A6 3.0 . I love the car - It's been reliable (in more than 70000 mi) and very comfortable. I'm thinking of getting a new car and recently tested the new A6. I did not like the way it drove. It felt underpowered. Off-topic: The Audi dealer here sells Jags too....I tried the XJ8L, and we may have a winner. The drive is amazing. Someone, PLEASE, convince me that I shouldn't be getting the leaper.
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Replying to: markcincinnati (Apr 07, 2007 7:29 am) This car looks great and will be like buying a BMW 5 series at Acura TL money  Back to your regular schedule programming. Just wanted a opinion from the lux-crowd Rocky |
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Replying to: zgreatlife (Apr 07, 2007 8:50 am) I'd have to assume that the A6 will be getting the updated version of the "3.2" thats going into the A5. Its not a big boost, something like 10hp. It's still going to get crushed by the 535i. Good news, you can buy used Jaguar XJ for the price of a bag of Skittles, and not even a big bag. A certified pre-owned XJ is the high-end luxury bargain of the century.
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Replying to: zgreatlife (Apr 07, 2007 8:50 am) There have been several less official statements (perhaps just rumors) that there will be a more powerful V6. The 3.2, with the typical conservative Audi bi-turbo treatment would easily match the engine that is in the 335 and 535. If Audi does not rise to the challenge, I would argue they will HAVE to cut the price of the A6 w/265 HP to lure someone to buy it if the 535 can be had for similar money (as the situation has been between the 5 and the A6.) So, to be clear. The only published info is for a +10HP boost. Yet we have seen these guys improve the breathing of these engines and get considerably more than 10HP. BMW itself cranked the 3.0 engine from 225HP to 260 without turbocharging. It would seem to be within reason that Audi, without the use of an impeller, could get a 6 cylinder engine a lot closer to 300HP than it is currently. Bragging rights are very important perhaps even moreso than the actual performance. If your LPS gets to 100kph in under 7 seconds (close to 6 in fact), and the other guy's is a 1/2 second less quick, yet the slower one can claim "X" HP, well, all is forgiven. I remember 1997 when Audi was bringing out the then current A6 (to the US). The 2.8 engine was putting out something like 193HP, but somehow appropriate breathing was added to the thing and it was able to come to the US with 200HP. It was still, more or less, a dog. A slug. The 3.0 was a great help, but it was the 2.7T that was the real performance version (even besting the 4.2 in 0-100kph.) But the 2.8 sold well, its sluggish performance was real, but it could be said to have 200HP. It also had what I call, "same day acceleration." Thus, the point is Audi HAS to be aware that a 300HP 535i and ix will blow a 265HP A6 away. I have to believe there will be, again, an A6 middle child. The fact that none is being announced, makes me all but certain it will happen. 
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Replying to: lexusguy (Apr 07, 2007 11:29 am) You forgot to add the qualifier. This would be a bag of Skittles purchased at the movie theater concession stand. So you'd still be paying a pretty penny.
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