help m6 vs a4
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,108
From: Jasper, TN
Re: help m6 vs a4
well ive had both the a4 and the m6 in my car.. and i can tell you the m6 gets MUCH better gas mileage compared to the a4, but that was also with a 3.73 gear in each. the m6 is also a lot more fun to drive but more likely to break ur rear-end lol. oh and as a boost on the m6 mileage, i made a trip to bristol from here in the interstate and also driving around town and making a few passes at the track while i was there and got 360 miles to a full tank! 
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,308
From: Oshawa - Home of the 5th-gen
Re: help m6 vs a4
^ and just to compare, the best I've EVER gotten on a tank of fuel in my '02 Z28, A4, w/2.73 gears, was 310 miles
. And that was BABYING it!!
On AVERAGE though (city/hwy, more city) I get around ~230 miles/tank (not sure, I think that's around ~18 mpg??
)
Anyway, as far as A4 vs. M6, it's a tough call. I wouldn't base your decision on anything other than your personal preference, or what you want to do with the car. If it's your daily driver, or just a weekend car, or your full blown "race car", there are pros and cons to either tranny.
A4 - great for everyday "life" ... stop-and-go traffic, drive-thru's, talking on your cell phone (risky as it may be), anybody can drive (like if you're drunk and your buddy is less drunk!!
), AND the A4 is great for embarrassing guys who think they know how to drive standard
. They're also easier on the weak 10-bolt rear end.
M6 - fun factor. The "man's" transmission. Really, there's not much to say, because it's pretty self explanitory ... everyone knows what you're getting into with a 6-speed. To run head-to-head with another F-body (stock-stock) that's got an auto, IF you can drive good, you should have a slight power advantage, since M6's draw less power, and you could take the win. For drag racing, the M6 may be hard on the diff, but for road racing, they're the better choice (my A4 is beginning to die because of abuse on a road course
).
Otherwise, for everyday street/strip use, they're both good choices, and it really comes down to PREFERENCE over PERFORMANCE, because like I said, the driver will most often make the difference more than ~10 RWHP +/-.
. And that was BABYING it!! On AVERAGE though (city/hwy, more city) I get around ~230 miles/tank (not sure, I think that's around ~18 mpg?? )Anyway, as far as A4 vs. M6, it's a tough call. I wouldn't base your decision on anything other than your personal preference, or what you want to do with the car. If it's your daily driver, or just a weekend car, or your full blown "race car", there are pros and cons to either tranny.
A4 - great for everyday "life" ... stop-and-go traffic, drive-thru's, talking on your cell phone (risky as it may be
), anybody can drive (like if you're drunk and your buddy is less drunk!!), AND the A4 is great for embarrassing guys who think they know how to drive standard. They're also easier on the weak 10-bolt rear end.M6 - fun factor. The "man's" transmission. Really, there's not much to say, because it's pretty self explanitory ... everyone knows what you're getting into with a 6-speed. To run head-to-head with another F-body (stock-stock) that's got an auto, IF you can drive good, you should have a slight power advantage, since M6's draw less power, and you could take the win. For drag racing, the M6 may be hard on the diff, but for road racing, they're the better choice (my A4 is beginning to die because of abuse on a road course
).Otherwise, for everyday street/strip use, they're both good choices, and it really comes down to PREFERENCE over PERFORMANCE, because like I said, the driver will most often make the difference more than ~10 RWHP +/-.
Registered User
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 13
Re: help m6 vs a4
Something else you may want to take into consideration is cost for repair/replace on either the A4 or M6. Typically the rebuild cost for a T56 is going to be much higher than the cost for a remanned 4L60E. If you are concerned about that, call your local tranny shop and ask if they have had Camaro/Firebirds in and find out how much you are looking at. Reverse, 5th and 6th gear have a tendency to give out in 6spds. When I was looking at doing a A4->M6 conversion a few weeks ago, the tranny I had found needed 5th/6th slider, blocker rings and bearings, reverse slider, and the reverse gear. Total cost for parts alone: $812. No labor and at cost to the shop. Ouch.