BiTDi

[asr]

Good Morning,
I currently have an Audi A6 Saloon 3.0TDi Quattro which I have done 45k miles in taking it up to 92k miles. In that time nothing has gone wrong and it is still on the same tyres (I swap summer and winter tyres) with plenty of life left in them.

Recently we have got a Labrador puppy and a saloon really does not work any more, my wife has a golf which the dog goes in but it does mean that for family days out we take both cars (2 children and no roof box).
We live in the North East of Scotland and family is in the South of England, normally we would all go down in the A6 which is perfect for that journey.

So I have been thinking about changing the A6 for an estate, I really cannot afford an A6 estate and my wife is unhappy with the servicing costs on the Audi (although if you add up the amount of parts that have been replaced on the Golf they are probably even..)

The wife came back from the local dealer after having her car serviced with a print out for the R Line estate with the BiTDi engine, was shocked at the price but after searching on the internet saw that you can get them down South for 10k off list price brand new.


So I have a couple of questions that I hope an owner or other knowledgeable person can advise with.

With the A6 I get roughly 40+mpg what would I expect with the Passat? (Mix of A&B class roads, no motorway, does not hang about)
What about tyre life?
I really feel much more secure with 4wd, what is the system on the BiTDi and how does it compare to the A6? A6 uses the Torsen system and is physical shaft.
The A6 has been brilliant in snow never getting stuck (combination of low down grunt and winter tyres) Would fit winter tyres to the Passat

Any issues with the Passat and the active info display?
Any issues with the BiTDi engine?

How does the BiTDi compare to the 190?

Are there any other cars I should consider? The company I work for gets a very large discount on Fords, but I had a Mondeo on hire and it was awful, the Satnav was soooo slow to respond it really annoyed me and the car felt flimsy.

Looked at a Q5 yesterday but the interior was like my old A5 and compared to the A6 and Passat would feel like going backwards
Had a new A4 as a loan car and also felt flimsy.

Thanks for any advice.

[Guest 2]

I've been driving mine now for 4,000 miles, Bi TDI GT.

MPG - I'm getting 500-550 miles from a full tank, I regulary see 55-60mpg on the trip computer on my daily 100 mile round trip (A roads / m'way) if I drive sensibly. If I have a period of where I put the foot down then range is 450-500.

Tyre life - my car came with Continential tyres which are famously known for having a soft compound. At 14,000 miles on the clock all 4 will need replaced in the next 5-7k. I will be replacing with a more user friendly Hankook Ventus V12 or Michelin PS4 both of which I've driven on and have excellent tyre life but still providing comfort and grip.

4WD - It's haldex, so FWD until the front spins or slips. Compared to a torsen based system it behaves in the same sorta way, I would drive quite agressively and still handles and sticks to the road. With it being FWD most of the time this helps MPG. No issues or complaints from me. Have came from torsen based A4 and A6 before the Passat.

Winter tyres - I have an additional set of alloy wheels from my Audi's which has the correct size tyres for the Passat which is 225/50/17 if you were to choose 17" alloys and tyres. I have Dunlop Winter Sport, be aware the Bi-TDI comes with 340mm brakes and massive calipers on the front, 310mm on the rear so 17" alloys are the minimum for clearance

AID - No issues to report, its quite nice.

Engine - Again no issues from me, AdBlue seems to be behaving itself although it's pretty cheap from VW parts to refill when needed, my first refill will be at about 17,000 miles I'm guessing by the counter on the AID. My service plan covers all of this however.

190 Comparison - can't compare as I haven't driven one but the exceptional grunt from the BiTDI is unbelievable ... drive one.

[xfact]

Here is my input.
i will use metrical, because I am used to it.

now 76000km on the clock.
average "real" combined consumption is around 8/100. Urban summer 7-9 winter urban 8-11. Highway fast >140 km/h -> 7.5-8/100, with roofbox 130 km/h , 6.5/100

now need to change front calipers

addblue(hate it) every 8-10 t km, 10 l tube. You can recharge at the truck addblu at 1/4 the price of the packed into containers.

no issues with The infotainment

car drives with witer tyres perfectly. A lot of snow and ice around in winter + active skier alll winter

towing - sometimes you forget there is something behind you :) (not safe though)

active assistance systems:
must:
cruise control
side assist (especially in bad weather and rain, never misses invisible motorcyclists)
Active suspension (you can not get the BiTDI without is) is a charm
other:
heathed windshield MUST
sound reducing wiindows - good to have


not necessary:
parking aid ( works well but do not use it-> need more intuitability)
massage on seat FORGET IT!

what would I change if i order a new one at the moment-> I would order an audi.....

I will leave conclusions to yourself.

it just is a bigger GOLF.

i come from a very low spec A4..