A new Audi A6 restyling was in the works for 2005, so few changes appeared in the 2004 A6 models. A new 2.7T S-Line sedan was added to the trims, essentially a 2.7T decked out with the old Sports Package. With all that surging road power under the hood, it was only natural to add a sports suspension, 18-inch wheels, a rear spoiler, and S-Line badging. The engine was also performance-tuned to get 265-hp, 15 more than the regular 2.7T.
Another welcome addition to the 2004 Audi A6 was standard power sunroof on all quattro models, which was basically every model except for the base front-wheel drive 3.0 sedan. In this sedan, a sport mode was added to the standard CVT continuously variable transmission. Otherwise, the 3.0, 220-hp, 2.7T, 250-hp, and 4.2, 300-hp all-wheel drive quattros remained unchanged, as did the 3.0 quattro wagon.
Audis are distinguished for their interior elegance and tons of comfort features, as well as a classic exterior styling with a rounded roof and trademark split-front grille. The car has always been designed with stability and safety in mind, and to this end, traction control, four-wheel ABS, and an electronic stability system are standard across the line. Families can ride in confidence and comfort. Performance-wise, the Audi A6 are extremely responsive behind the wheel, with nimble handling and road-hugging cornering. All these features earn high marks from drivers, particularly the quattro capabilities in the snow, the stylishness, the ample room for five inside, and the perfect combination of sports performance with high-end sophistication. Consistent bad reviews go to the poor cupholders, poor gas mileage, the useless navigation system, and numerous unpleasant repair shop experiences.
While we highlight specific author bylines where possible, sometimes our content results from the combined efforts of several members of the CarGurus editorial team. As with all our editorial content, you can expect high levels of automotive insight and expertise delivered in a style that is approachable and free from jargon.
This car was terrible I would compare it to a car thats in the junkyard thats what this car wasMar 13, 2024
by Norby J
Mar 05, 2015
I liked everything about this car. Its looks, the way it drives, the spacious front and back.
It is excellent in acceleration, the braking and handling as well. I felt very safe in this car, as it is a high end car.Mar 05, 2015
by Jordan C
Apr 08, 2014
I like everything about this car EXCEPT the price of maintenance. So far my car has been in the shop twice for MAJOR repairs that have cost in the thousands. Unfortunately I will not be buying another Audi in the future.Apr 08, 2014
User rating:
by Marco G
Mar 13, 2024
This car was terrible I would compare it to a car thats in the junkyard thats what this car wasMar 13, 2024
by Norby J
Mar 05, 2015
I liked everything about this car. Its looks, the way it drives, the spacious front and back.
It is excellent in acceleration, the braking and handling as well. I felt very safe in this car, as it is a high end car.Mar 05, 2015
by Jordan C
Apr 08, 2014
I like everything about this car EXCEPT the price of maintenance. So far my car has been in the shop twice for MAJOR repairs that have cost in the thousands. Unfortunately I will not be buying another Audi in the future.Apr 08, 2014
by Peter B
Sep 18, 2012
Lots of interior room. Great pickup even at high speed thanks to the Bi-turbo. Rides smooth. Luxury car with the heart of a race car. Fun to drive even with the kids in the back seat. Premium sound system is great as well. Sep 18, 2012
by J. C
Aug 07, 2012
There is nothing I dislike about this car. Nothing. Unless you follow Audi style changes, you can't tell what year. It is sporty, but elegant. Lots of power yet great handling in the snow and rain. I have spent very little on this car.Aug 07, 2012
by Anthony R
Apr 05, 2012
I love my car! If anything in it breaks Im totally screwed because it costs so much ,but I love it all the same! It has a good amount of speed and its quattro so snow is no match for it!Apr 05, 2012
by Drew K
Feb 17, 2012
This is a great little car. Very luxurious and comfortable ride. One could ask for better mpg and a little more umph from the engine. The AWD system is superb with plenty of grip in any driving conditions. Great buy for sure.Feb 17, 2012
by Brittany T
Nov 09, 2011
The car has great performance. Great star-off and great braking system. It's
needed some minor repairs that have been costly. No squeaks or rattles though.
Gas mileage is great too. The car has a beautiful appearance on the inside and
out. The car is absolutely fun to drive. Sound system is perfect too. Oh, the car
also handles really well too.Nov 09, 2011
by Anonymous
Apr 14, 2011
2004 was the final year of production of this particular body/chasis make and as such the 04's have an advantage being that in it's final year the C5 had virtually all the problems and kinks from earlier models worked out. The fit and finish is refinined, the tiptronic a bit more responsive road noise almost eliminated and the 2.7T faster than ever with added comfort of the oil leak problem fixed so no more prematurely blown turbo's. Leave it as is or "chip/Flash" it to make it a Monster either way performance is fast and fluid with the high torque put to the pavement through the proven quattro drivetrain. Turn off your ESP on track day's or every day for an extra kick in the pants. These feature's along with Audi's luxury touch's make this a tough vehicle to top. Maintain it, feed it well, give it proper fluids, all of them proper OEM fluids are crucial, keep the oil freshly changed and fully synthetic compliant with VW/Audi specs, learn a bit about it and do not take it for another model or make of car and you will love your car. That is unless of course you delude yourself into thinking that you've bought the only maintenance free, high performance Audi ever made and proceed to stomp it into a state of disrepair. That is NOT a good thing for anyone and yes will cost you well beyond the trouble and money to REPAIR the car rather than MAINTAIN it. Huge difference between the two options, choose wise. Love your car by keeping it healthy and love your car you will indeed. At over 10 years old this car still consistently gets looks, compliments, questions, and outperforms most anything on the road with it's sure footed, torque heavy acceleration blowing newer "sports" cars away literally leaving competition far in the rear view, stopping on a dime with no drama, cornering with little to no body roll eliminating having to brake heavy losing speed into and out of turns instead going in properly will set up an alarmingly tight, fast and finally explosive exit when wanted or needed. Let's face it, there are many underprepared, unskilled, uneducated, inattentive drivers further hampered by poor handling, under performing and ill maintained cars out there that are absolutely a viably dangerous threat to you and your family on the roads. The ability to maneuver away from lane jumpers, brake before hitting the last minute brake stomping road ragers, accelerate away from wolf pack traps and full 2-4 lane blockages of traffic finding room to drive along at proper legal hwy and freeway speeds is a luxury I personally have no problem maintaining my vehicle in order to have on a daily basis. Driving can be and is fun, it's also massive responsibility and has major implications when the privilege to drive safely, responsibly, quickly at times and aggressively defensive when needed should be more of a focus than texting in your 42 mpg crumple mobile while on the same roads as my and everyones selves and families. The 2004 Audi A6 2.7T allows you confidence with these problems knowing if you yourself are prepared so is the car you are in. It surely doesn't hurt that changing your ecu's program to 100 octane, taking the ESP out of the cars head for a while and hitting a few long track days burning off tires, brakes and some steam safely is an option in this daily driver with a race car alter ego to boot. Apr 14, 2011
by Anonymous
Aug 25, 2010
Great Car but will need a good mechanic. Very nice interior and lots of space for a sedan. Fast and handles, will have to spend more on mantainence but worth it to me. Will buy again, can't get my wife into something less.Aug 25, 2010
by Moez K
Apr 03, 2010
Counting by Twos: 2 Turbos, 4-Wheel Drive, 6 Cylinders It was a dark, stormy, funny, sexy, adventurous experience, Several unavoidable Tickets !!!!
But I knew this car was made for action life and pleasure .
If you wanna experience and modify one of the best German machine this is what you get !!!!Apr 03, 2010
by Daniel F
Jul 28, 2009
It offers you a balance between a sports car & sedan, When you need more power, you don't need to hesitate & just step your gas paddle, you won't be disapointed~~When you need a pure German sedan, just slow down, then you will feel it...Jul 28, 2009
by Montasir A
Jul 12, 2009
Saloon car for look like VIP man big engine many feature inside the car great chairs leather and wood of course many buttons amazing handling and speed seriously it is really comfortable car to drive you know German lovely car. Jul 12, 2009
by Mario M
Dec 28, 2008
The A6 2.7T has good performance, but nothing
special. The build quality is great. I like the look of
the A6 and think it's a classic style that will age
gracefully. The car gets about 20mpg because I have
my foot in the turbo constantly. Overall a very nice
family sedan with a sporty look and decent
performance.Dec 28, 2008
by Michael J
Oct 30, 2008
Solid improvement from the debut in 2000. Wonderful hightway cruiser and fun to push around town, 6spd is the way to go. Nice balance of room, performance, and gas mileage. The quattro is great in the snow and the 2004 model does well in the heat desite the turbo in traffic.Oct 30, 2008
by Steve B
Aug 30, 2008
Excellent to drive, especially around town, less so on the highway, a bit too much road noise. But its a nice place to sit, the driving position is spot on and you get that feel that this car means business. I drove the base 1.8T which is not an option of choice here for trim selection, but it had good pickup for a sedan with 150 horsepower. The turbo is very light pressure so you can barely tell its there, no lag or anything, and paired with AWD its a good drive, it feels planted and grippy, it makes you confident. The only problem is the dash, which for a first time driver is incomprehensible. It is something to get used to, too many buttons for this man's taste. German sensibility at its best, Properly maintained this car should retain its good drive for years.Aug 30, 2008
by Santiago C
Aug 25, 2008
WELL MY CARS IS LIKE SOMETHING TO WEAR EVERY DAY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A GREAT CAR, OTHER WISE YOU DONT FEEL FINE, WOMEN, CAN SIT ON THE CAR AND RUN, OR PEOPLE THAT DONT LIKE TO FEEL THE SPEED, THE CONFORT, THE QUIALITY AND OVER ALL THE PASSION AND LOVE Aug 25, 2008
by Eric S
Jul 09, 2008
don't' like $50 half way fill up
no paddle-shifters
no voice recognition
like quattro AWD
navigation/blutooth I put in
split folding rear seats
good performance (check my autologged page)
power rear sun shadeJul 09, 2008
by Brett W
Jul 03, 2008
The 2.7L Biturbo V6 is an outstanding motor! With 250HP to start with, this car is very smooth and deceiving. Add a performace chip and it's a force to be reckoned with on the roads. The interior is of the best I've ever owned and it definitely ranks equal to most MB and BMWs of the same class. This car is loaded with features. Not just simple features either, features that most other cars won't have for another 5-7 years from this car's build date. Gas mileage is good (20-23MPG) with mixed driving. You can get 400 miles from a full tank. As for cost or ownership, these cars are rather expensive when it comes to repairs. I do them myself but, it's not uncommon for a dealership service labor rate to exceed $100 per/hr.
Overall, it's a solid and reliable car with some of the best features and finishes around. Jul 03, 2008
by Frank V
Jun 12, 2008
Everything but the gas mileage.Jun 12, 2008
by Thomas N
Jun 11, 2008
It has spoiled me completely. The ride, the handling, the performance, the luxury, all the little gadgets, everything.
Recently, had the rims painted (platinum gray), face machined, and powdercoated (clear). They look great!Jun 11, 2008
by Ashraful A
May 11, 2008
Performance Driving, Great Braking system, AC like Ice Cold, Unbelieveable smooth Transmission, True all wheel drive, Great car in snow.May 11, 2008
by Joseph P
Apr 07, 2008
it drives well too bad it got smashed : (Apr 07, 2008
by Esam A
Apr 03, 2008
Rocket on the groundApr 03, 2008
by Ben J
Mar 10, 2008
A nice solid car with a good acceleration and very reliable. As Audi would say - Vorsprung Durch Technik!Mar 10, 2008
by Aaron R
Feb 24, 2008
its pretty fast and junkFeb 24, 2008
by Erik M
Feb 13, 2008
The A6 2.7T is an ordinary A6 that has received some styling flairs and a more powerful engine. The seemingly luxurious sedan weighs about 2 tons, but that doesn't stop it from being a pleasing car to drive. The power source is a 2.7 liter V6. Not an especially impressive figure. The Audi's true party pieces are the two turbochargers stuck on the V6, making a respectable 280 hp. The amount of boost is truly incredible. Putting your foot down results in a short pause, and then a surge of torque that propels you to 60 mph in about 5.8 seconds. In order to fully enjoy this car, you have to ignore the automatic transmission mode and use the Tiptronic sequential manual mode, where you are in control of the gearshifts. Driving in automatic mode takes so much away from the experience. There is not very much power steering which adds to the sportiness, but the steering is a bit oily, a common thing in Audis. The permanent all wheel drive gives you tons of grip and more traction in the winter, but compared to a BMW with rear wheel drive, the Audi doesn't really feel like a sports car in the corners. The car is not exactly economic either. It struggled to average 20 mpg. But all in all, if you drive this car every day, you don't notice all the downsides at all. It quickly becomes one of your favorite cars and you can't help but have fun with it.Feb 13, 2008
by Anonymous
Jan 19, 2008
Purchased a 2004 audi with 40k miles on it. Even with that milage the car handles well, and is quite with the right amount of gadgets to play with. The cold weather package is a treatJan 19, 2008
by Scott R
Jan 06, 2008
Great Car, lots of gadgets. Only car I've ever seen with an electronic handbrake which is cool, although takes some getting used to. My wife says I can fit 5 dead bodies in the boot....i.e. It's got a big boot. Jan 06, 2008
Thinking about buying 04 A6 with 263,000 from my mechanic who's worked on this car since it had 144k miles on it. He owns an import service garage & this was his son's car. Timing belt was changed at 194k ...am I nuts to buy this car for my son to drive around locally, school, work hockey practice?
1 month ago - I replaced my timing belt kit, full tune up and air sensor replaced. Monday replaced the valve cover gasket and 2 coils and today check engine light came on. mechanic said to bring it back, but wanted to have a heads up. Single lady on a budget and dont want to get screwed by another mechanic
The vehicle I'm looking at was involved in a minor front end collision, however, it turns over but doesn't start and pisses fuel. My father believes it's a collision kill switch or clogged injectors. I believe it's the crankshaft sensor. Apart from mechanical problems my father and I are still deciding on whether we should buy the car and if it's a good investment. Thank you for your time and hope you have a nice day