Audi A6 vs Q50

58099 Views 104 Replies 30 Participants Last post by SimpsonTide985, Dec 5, 2013

vices

Discussion Starter · Jun 12, 2013

So I'm looking at the Q50 vs A6. I was planning on buying the A6 initially until I saw the interior tech in the Q50 (I love gadgets). With the specs I like, they're only about 3K difference. I'm more particular with interiors, gadget, and looks than handling. This will be my first luxury car so I'm pretty sure the driving dynamics will be good for me regardless (and I don't mind leaving myself space to "upgrade" into a car with better handling in the future, as my income will only look to go up in the future)

Q50: Premium Non-hybrid, AWD, with Nav + Deluxe package = ~48K
Audi A6: Premium Plus 2.0T Quattro ~51K

I'd appreciate any insight, especially in terms of:
1. Upkeep - MPG, parts / service
2. Value for money
3. Depreciation
4. Lease offers (still deciding whether to lease or buy)
5. Interior gadgets. I love the all-around camera and the interface on the Q50, as well as the apps.

Thanks!

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SimpsonTide985

· #2 · Jun 12, 2013

I personally wouldn't get an A6 unless it was the 3.0 V6

...

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vices

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jun 12, 2013

SimpsonTide985 said:
I personally wouldn't get an A6 unless it was the 3.0 V6 ...

Like I mentioned, I don't really care much about driving dynamics, coz believe me it's all going to feel sweet compared to my current beater. But how about Premium plus 3.0L A6 vs the Q50? Any thoughts about that? That would only be about 5K more than the Q50 I had in mind...

afrosheen

· #4 · Jun 12, 2013

vices said:
Like I mentioned, I don't really care much about driving dynamics, coz believe me it's all going to feel sweet compared to my current beater. But how about Premium plus 3.0L A6 vs the Q50? Any thoughts about that? That would only be about 5K more than the Q50 I had in mind...

Crap, I just typed out a bunch of sentences then read the first post. Oops. I'd say stick with the Q50 but reserve judgment until you get to drive both on the same day. This is important. Don't do the A6 on Monday and the Q50 on Saturday. Keep both fresh in your head if it's a close race for you.

If you're after tech, I believe the Q50 will smoke the A6 out of the gate. If you want a faster car...again...the Q50, although AWD will slow it a little compared to the RWD model, but this doesn't concern you. Yet.

Honestly, you really can't go wrong with either one. Audi build quality still isn't where it needs to be and this rears its head on resale value and in residual values in leasing, causing your monthly payments to suffer because you eat more depreciation than average. If I were you, I'd cross shop this car with the 325 or 335i. Those BMW's have decent tech (and you pay for it) and decent interiors. The IS350, if the grille doesn't gouge your eyes out, is also a fine choice.

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GtoQ

· #5 · Jun 12, 2013

^^^ couldn't have Said it better ... Long story short you are on an Infiniti board asking to compare a new Infiniti to a competitor we will all most likely be biased to Infiniti as most of us currently drive infiniti's and are long term loyal Infiniti owners ... Put the same post up on AudiZine.com and see the biased go for threading answers you will get in the end get what you like... I personally wouldn't touch a near 60 k car with 211 horse
Owner and shorty reliability... Oh almost forgot Welcome to the boards!

Reactions: 1

brianch

· #6 · Jun 12, 2013

I know you don't care about driving dynamics but a 2.0T in a car as big and heavy as the A6? No thank you.

Not caring about driving dynamics is one thing but paying that much money for a 2.0T seems like a bit of a ripoff.

I'd say the Infiniti is the better value. But don't take my word for it. I'm not a huge Audi fan anyways. Their parts are too expensive for my blood.

But to answer your questions
1. Upkeep - MPG, parts / service
Don't know about MPG. Depends which Q50 you buy and which A6 you buy.

Parts and service is going to be cheaper on the Infiniti. I use to work for a company who had some expensive cars as company cars. One was an Audi and one was a Mercedes. We would buy the parts from the dealers and have them serviced at our own Mechanic. The Audi parts are much more expensive for the same parts.

2. Value for money
Q50 is better value. More tech. You get a V6. But if you care about the "german ownership" aspect of the A6 - that might change your value perspective.

3. Depreciation
All german cars depreciate quick. it's their bad reputation for becoming unreliable after a few years. Good examples? S8 V10. I swear I saw one for sale for $30,000 last year off lease... But why would it matter to you? Do not own an Audi please.
4. Lease offers (still deciding whether to lease or buy)
lease. you will regret buying it. that is my personal opinion based on what I have seen in person.
5. Interior gadgets. I love the all-around camera and the interface on the Q50, as well as the apps.
The Q50 will be the tech car. It is newer afterall

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InfinitiPlusOne

· #7 · Jun 14, 2013

I'm a techie/gadget type of guy, also. I'm currently considering Lexus GS350, Audi A6 or BMW 535i. Once I sat on the Q50 and saw the 8" Nav, 7" touchscreen and 3" LCD on the gauge panel, I pre-order the Q50 immediately.
Hopefully, the new and improve Bose sound system is at least on par or better than the GS350 Mark Levinson sound system. I do need good sound since I spend more than in traffic.

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Gandhi

· #8 · Jun 15, 2013

I have test driven an Audi A6 3.0 and just sat in a Q50 this week. The Q definitely has more tech than the A6. For almost $10k less than a loaded A6 2.0, can get a loaded Q50 with~50% more horse power and (likely) better reliability.

I loved the A6 interior, and my wife said it best, you really do feel like sitting in a luxurious car. The Q50 interior is no slouch, but the A6 interior is better, granted.

But I am going with the Q50 because I am buying, and I keep my cars for 10 years or more. Can't afford a 10 year old Audi even though I can afford a new Audi

Reactions: 1

cvipgo

· #9 · Jun 15, 2013

I do not keep car more than 10 years either so I just sold my 03 G35Coupe and got more than KBB price which will be used as down payments towards Q50 AWD Hybrid Sport with nav and tech package. Good timing

SimpsonTide985

· #10 · Jun 15, 2013

Gandhi said:
I have test driven an Audi A6 3.0 and just sat in a Q50 this week. The Q definitely has more tech than the A6.

Wait a minute--are you sure? What kind of 3.0L A6 did you drive?

I think I have to disagree with you, especially if it was an A6 Prestige fully loaded model w Sport Package. I believe that A6 offers a few things that the Q50 doesn't. However, I'm talking about a $64k car too.

Let's be clear, at comparable price points, the Q50 is still the better deal, no question.

Gandhi

· #11 · Jun 15, 2013

Test drove the fully loaded Prestige A6 3.0. Aside from the head up display on the A6 and the engine stop-start system, I cannot think of any other tech that the A6 has above what the Q50 offers. And by tech, I am also including safety features like back up collision warning, lane departure, etc. I do believe the Q50 trumps the A6 in tech looking at it overall.

SimpsonTide985

· #12 · Jun 15, 2013

Gandhi said:
Test drove the fully loaded Prestige A6 3.0. Aside from the head up display on the A6 and the engine stop-start system, I cannot think of any other tech that the A6 has above what the Q50 offers. And by tech, I am also including safety features like back up collision warning, lane departure, etc. I do believe the Q50 trumps the A6 in tech looking at it overall.

I still don't see it. What do you mean?

chicagokevo

· #13 · Jun 15, 2013

SimpsonTide985 said:
I still don't see it. What do you mean?

Yea I'm w/ Gandhi here; wouldn't agree that the Q50 "trumps" the A6 Prestige, but at that price point, there's no way you can justify the dollar value premium on selecting the A6 vs. the Q50 on the basis of technology. From my research it looks like the only added features on the A6 is auto-folding rear views, ventilated seats, & 'Audi Connect'-- which is essentially a subscription-based hotspot which enables the Google Earth functionality on the display (btw, good luck loading those high-resolution Google Earth images on the antiquated 3G T-mobile connection currently being offered with that service). All of the other tech features..all-around cam, advanced safety technologies, advanced key, adaptive cruise control, etc., can be obtained w/ the Q50 for significantly less than the outrageous $65k+ commanded by Audi. Plus the A6 engine is obviously less powerful. Let me know if I'm missing something big here...

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afrosheen

· #14 · Jun 15, 2013

What's funny is that the Q50 is Infiniti's entry level sedan. The fact that it compares favorably with the A6, which it isn't competing with, speaks volumes about the value.

In one of the official promo videos with Coco Masters, they name the cars the Q50 competes with. Head to head with the 3 series and A4. Those cars are their competitors in this segment along with the ATS and the IS350.

What's interesting to note is what actual buyers are cross shopping. Since the Q50 can range from 37k to 53k, there is unintended overlap with the M37 and other pricey models, so I believe in the short term it will poach sales from the M. I'm convinced there will be a serious mid year refresh for the M. I'm thinking new tails, new headlights and a revised center stack that matches the Q50. It almost feels like the Q50 is too good in some ways because it brings more to the table than their existing models and it's way out of step for the refresh cycles.

Anyone know when the Q60 and Q70 will debut? Model year 2015 should be the latest in my opinion.

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InfinitiPlusOne

· #15 · Jun 15, 2013

My pre-order Q50 Sport Hybrid + Nav + Deluxe technology package come out to be $53,405. A nearly equivalent Audi A6 is at least $60k+.
The A6 is a bigger more luxurious sedan than the Q50, hence the price different.
I got a chance to sat in a Q50 couple of days ago and I think the interior of the Q50 can hold up to against any 50K+ luxury sedan. The increase backseat leg room of the Q50 certainly make my decision much easier since I need to put a carseat back there.

chicagokevo said:
Yea I'm w/ Gandhi here; wouldn't agree that the Q50 "trumps" the A6 Prestige, but at that price point, there's no way you can justify the dollar value premium on selecting the A6 vs. the Q50 on the basis of technology. From my research it looks like the only added features on the A6 is auto-folding rear views, ventilated seats, & 'Audi Connect'-- which is essentially a subscription-based hotspot which enables the Google Earth functionality on the display (btw, good luck loading those high-resolution Google Earth images on the antiquated 3G T-mobile connection currently being offered with that service). All of the other tech features..all-around cam, advanced safety technologies, advanced key, adaptive cruise control, etc., can be obtained w/ the Q50 for significantly less than the outrageous $65k+ commanded by Audi. Plus the A6 engine is obviously less powerful. Let me know if I'm missing something big here...

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GtoQ

· #16 · Jun 15, 2013

afrosheen said:
What's funny is that the Q50 is Infiniti's entry level sedan. The fact that it compares favorably with the A6, which it isn't competing with, speaks volumes about the value.

In one of the official promo videos with Coco Masters, they name the cars the Q50 competes with. Head to head with the 3 series and A4. Those cars are their competitors in this segment along with the ATS and the IS350.

What's interesting to note is what actual buyers are cross shopping. Since the Q50 can range from 37k to 53k, there is unintended overlap with the M37 and other pricey models, so I believe in the short term it will poach sales from the M. I'm convinced there will be a serious mid year refresh for the M. I'm thinking new tails, new headlights and a revised center stack that matches the Q50. It almost feels like the Q50 is too good in some ways because it brings more to the table than their existing models and it's way out of step for the refresh cycles.

Anyone know when the Q60 and Q70 will debut? Model year 2015 should be the latest in my opinion.

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The Q60 and Q70 will be avail as a 14 model however these are just the re-badged versions of the current car ... Accoring to Johan De nysschen we won't see an all new Q60 for 2-3 years ... But the Q70 could be refreshed for the 2015 model year ...

SimpsonTide985

· #17 · Jun 15, 2013

I really hope that they do SOMETHING to the rebadged M37/Q70 for the 2014 or 2015 model year. Aside from some interior color changes, the M hasn't changed at all since 2010? for the 2011 model.

It's due for an update, particularly in the front fascia/bumper and the center console. I think sales are partially reflecting the aging design of the M. It's looking quite plain compared to its competitors.

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NissLover

· #18 · Jun 17, 2013

I was going to say, technically the Q50 has more features than the M/Q70 as of right now, but I am sure that will change. The current M was designed and spec'd on a budget because of the strong Japanese Yen at the time. That is no longer the case as the Yen has weakened and they are doing a major refresh of the car either late this year or early next year. The guy that went to that Infiniti dealer event that was giving the scoop made these statements on what he saw of it :

"Q70 looks amazing with the updated exterior! Crazy aggressive.

The 2015/16 Q70 gets an interior upgrade along with new front fascia including LED drls and rear taillights."

afrosheen

· #19 · Jun 17, 2013

^^^ This is exactly what I expected and want to hear.

brianch

· #20 · Jun 17, 2013

I can't wait for the new M class. The design should be completely changed and hopefully they will do something to the drivetrain to make it even more competitive

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