Will an S6 float my boat?

[deanflyer]

I realise this is the RS6 forum, but the S6 forum seems pretty dead. Ive just sold my C5 RS6 Avant, and was looking at BMWs. I cant justify purchasing a C6 RS6 at present, but the S6 seem to be very reasonably priced. How would I find performance coming from the C5?

Seems that the V10 engines are pretty reliable? Also anyone know real life MPG? My work commute is only 11 mileseach way and the C5 was barely warmed up.

[Mr V10]

Carry on looking at BMWs, specifically the E60 M5, that's a proper NA V10, 500+ BHP vs. circa 435 claimed (more like 360) on the S6.

[PorkaFly]

Look up my pervious posts on the S6 on here and PH. It will make your C5 RS6 feel comfortable, well damped with not a hint of understear!

It was the worst purchase I ever made and both my wife and I hated it...we just couldnt live with the crashy ride and terrible gearbox despite it being a cheap purchase that one might make allowances for. It lasted a year before I finally threw the towel-in and traded it for an RS6 (C6). I truly hated it...

Sorry...

PF

[barryrs]

I like mine and think its a great car for the money.

It's no RS6 or M5 but its also no slouch and has cost me no more to run and service than any other car I have owned. Real world mpg for me is 19 round town and 27-29 on a motorway run.

[deanflyer]

This ^

Every time I drove my RS6 I was listening for weird noises. I want something reasonably rapid but reliable. Maybe I should be boring and get a 535d.

Interesting about the suspension. Is the S6 a different setup from the RS6?

[barryrs]

The S6 suspension setup is nothing like an RS and has no DRC, it is under damped and firm but I find it perfectly acceptable.

If your considering a 550 BMW or a Merc E500 then the S6 is a very good alternative.

My S6 has cost me £260 for new front brakes, £1000 for a set of tyres and £420 for a major service including spark plug change. RS6 costs for the above with exception of tyres would be triple the amount.

If you are considering one I would recommend a test drive and if you haven't already listen to this

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d71R_a3agIo

Edit

Also depends on your expectations verses price paid as I suspect PF paid considerably more than the £17.5 I paid for mine. Had I parted with circa £60k as the first owner of my S6 did then I might have had different expectations.

With regards to reviews.

Find me one that compares the S6 to something other than an M5 or E55 and I might consider it comparable.

[PorkaFly]

Sure it's rapid, but the way in which the S6 does it is unpleasant. Haven't even mentioned the throttle sensitivity, which is either full-on or off...it's impossible to make smooth progress and the gearbox hunts/lurches between gears and is slow to respond. If you like performance barges/exec cars you will hate the S6.

Suspension is totally different from RS6, and from S8 which shares the same power plant. The S8 has air suspension which the S6 on standard steel springs is in desperate need of.

Read all of the reviews - I only found one out of perhaps 20 reviews from its launch which didn't say all the things I've said above. I chose to ignore them as I thought it was great value (2nd hand in a recession) and did my test drive on a very smooth piece of Tarmac. The car needs either DRC or air...and by running it on standard steel springs the dynamics for that huge lump up front completely compromise the car.

If 98% of reviews say its <beep> it's probably <beep>...expensive lesson.

PF

[Golfather]

Great car and a perfect stopgap till you can afford a C6 RS6.

[PorkaFly]

My money would go here until I could afford the RS6...

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/ ... al/1466796

Or

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/ ... ic/1407712

Sorry I can't be positive about S6...dog of a car.

Oh and Barry you talk rubbish about servicing costs...as an S6 owner who doesn't service an RS6...you clearly don't know or can talk from personal experience, but you come on this and orher forums and talk about RS6's as if you have first hand experience because you own an S6.

PF

[barryrs]

I have eyes and can read, it's all fairly well documented in the C6 RS6 forum.

You also state your personal experience as fact on this and other forums when all I'm trying to suggest is that not everyone shares your view.

Example

Major service £1250 http://forum.rs246.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... st#p604236

New brakes circa £900 plus fitting http://forum.rs246.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... New+brakes

[PorkaFly]

Look fella, it's not a universal fact but my opinion, that's pretty obvious and in posts I recognise I'm negative about the car, but it's just my opinion I write of; but the key point here is that it is my experience not something gleaned from and then espoused as fact from other threads!

The stand-alone (not group) reviews on the S6 at launch were coruscating, and that is a fact for all to read.

Regarding what I paid - wrong assumption again. I paid £29k for a 1yr old 07 main dealer car with 11k on clock. At the time because of recession these big engined cars were being dumped for silly money. I traded it a year later, when the markets had recovered considerably, and got £32k for it against the Sticker price of my new RS6 which had already been discounted by £35k, ie £63k. I got in cheap and got out ahead, for the first time ever on a car.

On servicing costs there are people paying more than they should eg thread the other evening about basic service cost...it's certainly not "triple the price" you state so you're exaggerating. Suggest you deal with fact and first hand knowledge as you have no credibility otherwise.

PF

[barryrs]

As I have said my opinion (that appears to be wrong) is that the universal bad reviews were due to the s6 being pitted against superior cars as the Rs was 2 years down the line. Is the s4 tested against the m3 or c63 or is it the RS4?

Had I paid £29k I might have shared your view.

With regards to the prices I have quoted. The cost I linked to is for a major service including spark plug change not oil and filter; and by your own admission brakes were £750. I think that's almost 3 x £260

[deanflyer]

Thanks guys, guess its a very personal thing. Would love a C6 RS6 but have other priorities at the moment. Guess ill just have to find one and test drive it. 550i is an idea though and ive already been looking at these.