Comparison Audi A6 4.2 Tiptronic vs. Audi S6 Tiptronic. Is it really better? (Very long)
07-23-2001, 12:36 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,132
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Comparison Audi A6 4.2 Tiptronic vs. Audi S6 Tiptronic. Is it really better? (Very long)
As I brought a borrowed Birch wood insert sample back to the Audi Dealer this morning, I saw a Melange 4.2 in the parking lot. I asked the sales lady I normally deal with (I always prefer sales ladies to salesmen) who the 4.2 belonged to and I'm told it belongs to the dealership's managing director.
Well, since a few people at Audi World have asked me how the 4.2 compared with the S6, and I could not really answer that, because previously I only drove a 4.2 for 10 minutes, as well as to satisfy my curiosity, I asked her if I could test drive the car, but not just for 10 minutes, for a hour or so.
She organised the car for me for 2.30 pm (SA time). When I came back I'm handed over the key, but they ask me for a favour.... Would I mind that they show off my S6 to a potential client. No driving, just showing him the car. Obviously I agreed, even though I found that very coincidental. I took that person for a drive when I was back with the 4.2. It seems as if he has placed an order... (and to be honest I was very proud to show off my S6!)
Well the 4.2 is a all melange job, inside out. I can't say I am thrilled with the light brown dashboard, but other than that it looked good. Vavona wood inserts. By the way the left mirror (we have RHD cars here) dipped down when I engaged reverse. The mirror control was already set to the left mirror so the it would dip the mirror down when engaging reverse. My S6 does not have that feature.
The interior was standard, no sport seats. Other than that more or less the same option specs as my S6, except for 4.2's steering wheel, which has the tip controls a bit lower and no chrome ring. Exactly like the one in my ex-A6 2.8Q Avant.
On the outside I noticed that the 4.2 is some 2.5 cm (1 inch) higher than my S6 and that it has 16" x 8" 6 arm styling wheels with 235/50/16 Pirelli P6000 tyres. It does not seem to have sport suspension. Pity, because my A6 2.8 Q Avant had sport suspension and so did the 2.7T I drove some months ago. When I brought the car back the tachometer read 9265 km (5758 miles), so I would assume it was well run in.
I turned the key and.... Well I could hear it was a V8, but it sounded muted. As I drive along and let the oil come up to temperature I listened to the engine. Definitely less growl than the S6, quieter, and muted.
On acceleration from standstill, there is a half second hesitation and then it goes, in fact it goes quite well. I would say that first gear is the only gear that compares with the S6, although the S6's is shorter (even though you can rev it to 7000 rpm, only 6500 rpm with the 4.2 - that also makes a difference) a bit quicker and there is less than a quarter second hesitation (straight acceleration, without left foot braking). The feeling is the same as with the S6, but less kick in the back and much quieter, but its moving. Thereafter things are quite different, simply because the gear ratios and final drive of the 4.2 are much longer than the S6. For instance second gear at 3000 rpm is 62 km/h (38.5 mph) with the 4.2 and 50 km/h (31 mph) with the S6. In fifth gear the 4.2 does 175 km/h (109 mph) at +/- 3250 rpm whereas at the same speed with the S6 is 4000 rpm. The final drive of the 4.2 seems similar to that on my ex-2.8. Most of the time I drove the 4.2 in either third or fourth, hardly ever in fifth as in that gear it felt a bit flat. In order for the 4.2 to resemble the power of the S6 I found that I was always one gear down with the 4.2, for instance what ever I would do in 3rd gear with the 4.2 I would do it in 4th with the S6. I also found that with the 4.2 I would downshift to 1st often, whereas I hardly ever do that with the S6.
An interesting difference was acceleration from standstill with the left foot on the brake and building up revs, before letting the car go. With the 4.2, whereas I did this at 1250, 1500 or 1750 rpm, there was very little difference with standing acceleration from idle speed, always that half second or so delay. After 1750 rpm things got actually worse, or maybe I wasn't doing it right. With the S6, at a bit over 1500 rpm, there is absolutely no auto gearbox delay. It feels nearly as direct as popping the clutch of a manual car at similar or even a bit higher rpm's. At above 1750 rpm things also get worse with the S6. There seems to be a perfect launching rpm somewhere below 1750 and above 1500 rpm, which is now called "Drill the BMW's, rpm"
The Tiptronic gearbox of the 4.2 seemed more direct than my ex-2.8, or even the 2.7T. However, there is a notable difference with the S6, as the 4.2 box feels more slippery.
The 4.2 being a softer suspension car, the steering not as direct and the engine noise quieter, the car seems to go slower, which in fact is not always the case. I would say that in comparison when you gun the S6 hell brakes loose, whereas with the 4.2 everything happens quietly and little fuss.
The handling was OK on smooth surfaces. It would roll quite a bit in corners, but then settle and stick to the road. On the other hand I did not feel very safe in bumpy corners. It was like the car was losing touch with the road. That is one of the areas where the S6 excels. It may be bumpy, but you always feel the grip with the tar.
It was difficult for me to judge the handling of the 4.2 as it did not have the sport suspension, and the S6 has an even sportier suspension than the A6's sport suspension. I will just say that I did not like the handling characteristics of this non-sport 4.2. Both my ex 2.8 and the 2.7T rode much better and handled much better. What I call the S test, that is changing lanes abruptly and coming back to the original lane, was very mash melloweeee, it fact bloody unpleasant. Again this is an area where the S6 behaves like a champ.
Overall, although I was disappointed by the 4.2's ride, due to its non sport suspension. The performance was very good in deed. Not as quick as the S6. In fact the faster I went, the greater the difference. It is not just 40 bhp which make the difference, but the gear ratios/final drive combined with the extra 40 bhp.
Now how would a 4.2 with sport suspension compare to the S6?. That is something I do not know, however if I was to take my ex-2.8 or the 2.7T I test drove as a reference and apply it to the 4.2 (which is, I admit, very theoretical), I would say quite different. None of these car ever had the agility, the little body roll , nor the tautness of the S6. Nor did the chassis and steering communicated as well with the driver as the S6 does.
All in all, the S6 is definitely NOT a beefed up 4.2, no Sir. Whereas the 4.2 is an excellent luxury sedan, the S6 is a sport sedan with all the differences that this implies.
The 4.2 would be the older sister, whereas the S6 is the younger and wilder sister!
Anyone who owns an A6 4.2 and plans in getting an S6, if you favour sport sedans over luxury sedans, then you will be delighted with the extra performance, dynamics, handling. stability and overall driving fun of the S6.
I am entering my fourth week with my S6, and heaven is still a place on earth!
Sitting in those mighty Recaro seats with four rings and an S6 badge on the steering wheel facing me - and a BMW in my rear view mirror!. Does it get any better than that? Well... RS6 when ???? It will never come to SA, due to our low octane fuel at Johannesburg's altitude, anyway, so I'll stick to the S6, thank you very much.
By the way, I am now thinking the S6 is actually comfortable.......
Well, since a few people at Audi World have asked me how the 4.2 compared with the S6, and I could not really answer that, because previously I only drove a 4.2 for 10 minutes, as well as to satisfy my curiosity, I asked her if I could test drive the car, but not just for 10 minutes, for a hour or so.
She organised the car for me for 2.30 pm (SA time). When I came back I'm handed over the key, but they ask me for a favour.... Would I mind that they show off my S6 to a potential client. No driving, just showing him the car. Obviously I agreed, even though I found that very coincidental. I took that person for a drive when I was back with the 4.2. It seems as if he has placed an order... (and to be honest I was very proud to show off my S6!)
Well the 4.2 is a all melange job, inside out. I can't say I am thrilled with the light brown dashboard, but other than that it looked good. Vavona wood inserts. By the way the left mirror (we have RHD cars here) dipped down when I engaged reverse. The mirror control was already set to the left mirror so the it would dip the mirror down when engaging reverse. My S6 does not have that feature.
The interior was standard, no sport seats. Other than that more or less the same option specs as my S6, except for 4.2's steering wheel, which has the tip controls a bit lower and no chrome ring. Exactly like the one in my ex-A6 2.8Q Avant.
On the outside I noticed that the 4.2 is some 2.5 cm (1 inch) higher than my S6 and that it has 16" x 8" 6 arm styling wheels with 235/50/16 Pirelli P6000 tyres. It does not seem to have sport suspension. Pity, because my A6 2.8 Q Avant had sport suspension and so did the 2.7T I drove some months ago. When I brought the car back the tachometer read 9265 km (5758 miles), so I would assume it was well run in.
I turned the key and.... Well I could hear it was a V8, but it sounded muted. As I drive along and let the oil come up to temperature I listened to the engine. Definitely less growl than the S6, quieter, and muted.
On acceleration from standstill, there is a half second hesitation and then it goes, in fact it goes quite well. I would say that first gear is the only gear that compares with the S6, although the S6's is shorter (even though you can rev it to 7000 rpm, only 6500 rpm with the 4.2 - that also makes a difference) a bit quicker and there is less than a quarter second hesitation (straight acceleration, without left foot braking). The feeling is the same as with the S6, but less kick in the back and much quieter, but its moving. Thereafter things are quite different, simply because the gear ratios and final drive of the 4.2 are much longer than the S6. For instance second gear at 3000 rpm is 62 km/h (38.5 mph) with the 4.2 and 50 km/h (31 mph) with the S6. In fifth gear the 4.2 does 175 km/h (109 mph) at +/- 3250 rpm whereas at the same speed with the S6 is 4000 rpm. The final drive of the 4.2 seems similar to that on my ex-2.8. Most of the time I drove the 4.2 in either third or fourth, hardly ever in fifth as in that gear it felt a bit flat. In order for the 4.2 to resemble the power of the S6 I found that I was always one gear down with the 4.2, for instance what ever I would do in 3rd gear with the 4.2 I would do it in 4th with the S6. I also found that with the 4.2 I would downshift to 1st often, whereas I hardly ever do that with the S6.
An interesting difference was acceleration from standstill with the left foot on the brake and building up revs, before letting the car go. With the 4.2, whereas I did this at 1250, 1500 or 1750 rpm, there was very little difference with standing acceleration from idle speed, always that half second or so delay. After 1750 rpm things got actually worse, or maybe I wasn't doing it right. With the S6, at a bit over 1500 rpm, there is absolutely no auto gearbox delay. It feels nearly as direct as popping the clutch of a manual car at similar or even a bit higher rpm's. At above 1750 rpm things also get worse with the S6. There seems to be a perfect launching rpm somewhere below 1750 and above 1500 rpm, which is now called "Drill the BMW's, rpm"
The Tiptronic gearbox of the 4.2 seemed more direct than my ex-2.8, or even the 2.7T. However, there is a notable difference with the S6, as the 4.2 box feels more slippery.
The 4.2 being a softer suspension car, the steering not as direct and the engine noise quieter, the car seems to go slower, which in fact is not always the case. I would say that in comparison when you gun the S6 hell brakes loose, whereas with the 4.2 everything happens quietly and little fuss.
The handling was OK on smooth surfaces. It would roll quite a bit in corners, but then settle and stick to the road. On the other hand I did not feel very safe in bumpy corners. It was like the car was losing touch with the road. That is one of the areas where the S6 excels. It may be bumpy, but you always feel the grip with the tar.
It was difficult for me to judge the handling of the 4.2 as it did not have the sport suspension, and the S6 has an even sportier suspension than the A6's sport suspension. I will just say that I did not like the handling characteristics of this non-sport 4.2. Both my ex 2.8 and the 2.7T rode much better and handled much better. What I call the S test, that is changing lanes abruptly and coming back to the original lane, was very mash melloweeee, it fact bloody unpleasant. Again this is an area where the S6 behaves like a champ.
Overall, although I was disappointed by the 4.2's ride, due to its non sport suspension. The performance was very good in deed. Not as quick as the S6. In fact the faster I went, the greater the difference. It is not just 40 bhp which make the difference, but the gear ratios/final drive combined with the extra 40 bhp.
Now how would a 4.2 with sport suspension compare to the S6?. That is something I do not know, however if I was to take my ex-2.8 or the 2.7T I test drove as a reference and apply it to the 4.2 (which is, I admit, very theoretical), I would say quite different. None of these car ever had the agility, the little body roll , nor the tautness of the S6. Nor did the chassis and steering communicated as well with the driver as the S6 does.
All in all, the S6 is definitely NOT a beefed up 4.2, no Sir. Whereas the 4.2 is an excellent luxury sedan, the S6 is a sport sedan with all the differences that this implies.
The 4.2 would be the older sister, whereas the S6 is the younger and wilder sister!
Anyone who owns an A6 4.2 and plans in getting an S6, if you favour sport sedans over luxury sedans, then you will be delighted with the extra performance, dynamics, handling. stability and overall driving fun of the S6.
I am entering my fourth week with my S6, and heaven is still a place on earth!
Sitting in those mighty Recaro seats with four rings and an S6 badge on the steering wheel facing me - and a BMW in my rear view mirror!. Does it get any better than that? Well... RS6 when ???? It will never come to SA, due to our low octane fuel at Johannesburg's altitude, anyway, so I'll stick to the S6, thank you very much.
By the way, I am now thinking the S6 is actually comfortable.......
07-23-2001, 01:38 PM
#3
AudiWorld Super User
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 12,817
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Suspension Issues
Thank you Andre for the review - now perhaps we need to ask you to compare the S6 to a 360 Modena so that you can go looking for an excuse to drive one of those! Nicely written and objective, much appreciated.
My 4.2 with the Sport Suspension has fantastic body roll control, but very poor float/yaw control. There is practically no body roll at all, in either high speed or very tight and quick cornering, but the suspension feels as if it is riding on marshmallows. Initally, I thought that either something was broken or even that I did not really have the sport suspension. After some worry, I finally took to checking the air pressure in my tires which happend to be at about 30-31 lbs. as delivered from the dealer.
I was preparing for a long road trip which was to have 4 persons and a trunk stuffed with luggage so I put 40 lbs. in a couple days prior to departure. It was like I changed the shocks and springs!!!! Completely different car!
There is still considerable float, and I will say that my disappointment in the sport suspension option is significant, but there has been such a change (and the ride is still way, way, way short of being harsh) that I am now happy with my car and will continue to hope that Audi brings a S6 sedan into the U.S. sometime late 2003 or early '04 when I'll be ordering a new car.
FYI: I would order a 4.2 again, and option it exactly as I did with my current car, but the moral of the story for anyone out there who feels they're on marshmallows; pump those tires up!
My 4.2 with the Sport Suspension has fantastic body roll control, but very poor float/yaw control. There is practically no body roll at all, in either high speed or very tight and quick cornering, but the suspension feels as if it is riding on marshmallows. Initally, I thought that either something was broken or even that I did not really have the sport suspension. After some worry, I finally took to checking the air pressure in my tires which happend to be at about 30-31 lbs. as delivered from the dealer.
I was preparing for a long road trip which was to have 4 persons and a trunk stuffed with luggage so I put 40 lbs. in a couple days prior to departure. It was like I changed the shocks and springs!!!! Completely different car!
There is still considerable float, and I will say that my disappointment in the sport suspension option is significant, but there has been such a change (and the ride is still way, way, way short of being harsh) that I am now happy with my car and will continue to hope that Audi brings a S6 sedan into the U.S. sometime late 2003 or early '04 when I'll be ordering a new car.
FYI: I would order a 4.2 again, and option it exactly as I did with my current car, but the moral of the story for anyone out there who feels they're on marshmallows; pump those tires up!
07-23-2001, 01:50 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 7,469
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Patience, grasshopper
AoA is gradually adding models to compete against all the major BMW variants, so they will fill out the S types sooner rather than later. It's one of those macho German carmaker things; if BMW has the M series and Merc AMG, then Audi must have its S.
07-23-2001, 04:10 PM
#5
Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,158
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Comparison Audi A6 4.2 Tiptronic vs. Audi S6 Tiptronic. Is it really better? (Very long)
Awesome comparison! Hey Finman, can I test out the Avant when you get it?! Need to try this for myself.
Trending Topics
07-23-2001, 08:54 PM
#9
Thanks Andre, youve crushed my hopes of beefing up my 4.2
to the level of your S6. I knew the gearing was off, seems way off. Unfortunately I'm not a wagon guy,so a long wait is in store.Thanks for an excelent report.
07-23-2001, 08:54 PM
#10
New Member
Join Date: May 2000
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"S6 is definitely NOT a beefed up 4.2"......???
hmm.. i really need to sit in one and toss one around to see if there is such a big difference. may be like you said, a 4.2 sports suspension might be a little bit different from your experience with the S and the nonsport one. but really, is it such a different animal? i am sure it comes down to preference, whether someone wants an luxury sedan that can quietly do nicely in most speeds, versus someone who prefers a tossable sports sedan.
now, u think S8 is not a beefed up A8 4.2?
now, u think S8 is not a beefed up A8 4.2?