Forum Newbie - Looking at buying a used A6 Avant C7 S Line Multitronic 2012 (Advice Pls)

**Athers99** · 04-03-2016,12:12 AM

Hi,

I'm looking to change my car with the pending arrival of our 2nd child in October. We use Extended Rear Facing Car Seats which are very big, so the A6 Avant seems like a good fit.

I'm looking at buying a 2012 model 2.0 TDI A6 Avant S Line Multitronic. As my wife will also be using it, she has demanded an auto if she is to drive such a big car with the kids in the back.

My ideal budget is up to £16.5k, but potentially could stretch to £17.5k at a push.

I've researched the older A6's with the CVT gearboxes and read about the numerous issues. Was this all sorted in 2012 models?

I will be buying an Avant with around 60-70k miles on the clock.

I do approx. 15-18k per year and will be keeping it for about 4 years (until approx 130-140k miles).

Is there anything in particular I need to look out for - i.e. with the gearbox or anything else for this age/mileage vehicle?

Finally, what mpg are others getting from their Avant's similar to this spec?

The Honest John web-site real world figures come in at about 39mpg, compared to the manufacturers optimistic 55mpg.

Thanks
Athers

**Whippy53** · 04-03-2016,02:18 AM

The multitronic box is fine, but, make sure it's had its oil changes on schedule otherwise it can be trouble. Very few if any reports of trouble on late boxes. PS, love mine!

**johnsimcox** · 04-03-2016,10:44 AM

Think you may find you do not need to run to such a high mileage with that budget, My June 2012 Manual SE Avant that I traded in last summer had only 36k miles and was on the dealers forecourt for £17.5. Some months later that price will have dropped further and remember these cars are affected by the Diesel engine issues so it will require a software change at some point. There were some changes to the cars in May 2012, for instance the firmware for the MMI changed allowing the AMI (which was optional at this point) to display artwork and video. 2012 cars did not have DAB radio or the power tailgate as standard, these were added from May 2013. If you go for a car with the Tech Pack then around this time there was a bit of swapping around as to whether it came with Adaptive Cruise Control or Audi Connect and if the latter then you cannot have a phone connected via bluetooth and use a Data Sim for Audi Connect at the same time, unless the previous owner has managed to get the firmware updated to allow this. Other known issue on 2012 cars is that the fuel filler flap can jam shut nd the energency release is no use in unlocking it requiring a new flap assembly

**Athers99** · 04-03-2016,11:55 AM

Ideally I'm trying to get one under £16.5k. I would expect an auto and s line model to be at least 2-3k more than it's SE equivalent, but thanks for the useful comparison.

As many extra toys on as possible would be nice bonus and I'll bear the fuel cap issue in mind.

@Whippy53 - Thanks for the advice on the oil changes.

**KevTrem** · 04-03-2016,02:01 PM

I have just bought a 2012 3.0v6 tdi se multitronic about 3 weeks ago. With your budget your going to be getting one with about 30/40k on the clock. When going to test drive one try your child seats in first. The seat belts aren't the shortest in the rear but not as long as Peugeots. Also if isofix double check they sit properly as the seats have quite a dish to them.
We have just had to buy a pair of child seats as my son is growing fast and moved from his 0+ seat. We have an A6 avant and a 2008 focus. Trying to get seats that fit both is a nightmare.
Im averaging about 46mpg doing commuting runs of about 10 miles each way and weekend driving too. The boot is vast and can swallow most objects, if folding the seats down watch out as the springs are very strong and try to fire headrests out the windscreen.

**Athers99** · 04-03-2016,02:30 PM

I definitely must be looking in the wrong place then as Autotrader coming up 16-17k for an 2.0 S Line Multitronic with 60-70k on the clock (Independent garage/dealer) and are even more from an Audi dealer.

Thanks for the info on the car seat. As we have rear-facing isofix seats upto 4 year old which aren't cheap at around £300 each, I've already done my research with Britax and Audi as originally this car wasn't listed as compatible, as wasn't tested by Britax. After few months of correspondence it's finally approved by Britax with the use of an installation aid which they have sent 2 to me free of charge last week.

Does the Avant also have a top tether fixing point?

That's pretty good mpg for a 3.0 Multitronic. Actually when I checked Honest John, the real world figures on the 3.0 Multitronic was actually slightly better than the 2.0 Multitronic (44 vs 39mpg), although I doubt my budget would stretch to a 3.0.

I guess the 3.0 doesn't have to work as hard as the 2.0 in such a big car?

So early days, but are you genuinely pleased with yours as a family car?

**A6S** · 04-03-2016,03:12 PM

Other thing to watch out for is the mmi screen wobbling. It's a known issue.
top tether was introduced in the facelift so wasn't on the pre. It's a requirement for some car seats but optional on others so best to check that out.

**KevTrem** · 04-03-2016,03:28 PM

Originally Posted by Athers99

I definitely must be looking in the wrong place then as Autotrader coming up 16-17k for an 2.0 S Line Multitronic with 60-70k on the clock (Independent garage/dealer) and are even more from an Audi dealer.

Thanks for the info on the car seat. As we have rear-facing isofix seats upto 4 year old which aren't cheap at around £300 each, I've already done my research with Britax and Audi as originally this car wasn't listed as compatible, as wasn't tested by Britax. After few months of correspondence it's finally approved by Britax with the use of an installation aid which they have sent 2 to me free of charge last week.

Does the Avant also have a top tether fixing point?

That's pretty good mpg for a 3.0 Multitronic. Actually when I checked Honest John, the real world figures on the 3.0 Multitronic was actually slightly better than the 2.0 Multitronic (44 vs 39mpg), although I doubt my budget would stretch to a 3.0.

I guess the 3.0 doesn't have to work as hard as the 2.0 in such a big car?

So early days, but are you genuinely pleased with yours as a family car?

I haven't looked for the top tether but that's not to say there isn't one. I will have a look when it stops raining.

Yeah we looked at Britax evolva 123 amongst others, spent more time in mothercare than I did looking for a car lol.

I probably paid a little over the odds for my A6 se at 18k with 54k on the clock but we all have our own circumstances and my Peugeot 407 was dying fast with a bill for £1500 about to surface.

The 3.0 is a big and lazy engine barely ticking over most of the time, but has the power when you want it and sounds very nice especially being a diesel.

Absolutely love it, don't know why I didn't switch to Audi years ago. I had been looking at A6's for about a year and even base spec SE has plenty toys in to keep you occupied and comfortable.