A6 Avant Buying Advice

[jamesargyle]

Hi all,

I'm sure this has been posted before, but here we go anyway!

I'm looking at buying an Audi estate car, either A6 1.9tdi or 2.5tdi. Its for family use, long journeys etc etc.

What are people's experience of these cars? Which of the gearboxes are best to go for? I do a mix of 60% motorway driving 40% town. I thought the Quattro would be useful on the auto box to aid driving in the snow/wet. Is it useful for everyday driving? What are peoples experiences with the auto box with no Quattro?

Another factor putting idea's in my head is that I can pick up an A6 Allroad for similar money (if not slightly cheaper!) than a A6 Avant 2.5 TDI Quattro. Is the Allroad worth a look? I have read some concern's on these forums regarding the air suspension and damper problems. One particular Allroad that I'm looking at has high millage (180k) with dampers & air sus' compression module recently replaced? Is this car worth considering, or are these cars a money drain waiting to happen?!

J :confused:

[Padwick]

I've never had an auto but from reading here, steer clear of the multitronic box. I think it comes on the 2WD auto only.
Also, steer clear of the 2.5TDI, they have huge longevity problems (just search 2.5 with either 'cams' or 'fuel pump' on here). Engine-wise go for the 130bhp AWX PD 1.9TDI.

[kid-jensen]

James,

I'm surprised by your comment on Allroad prices vs the equivalent Avant... When I was looking for mine (about a year before I bought one), I found Allroads were about a grand MORE expensive, like-for-like. So much so that I was considering buying an Avant and putting the Allroad bumpers, wheelarches etc on with the monney I saved.

Glad I didn't, but at the time, it was definately an option. Maybe your part of the world has a buyers with different priorities....

As far as my Allroad is concerned, problems have been non-damping dampers, an Auto that holds on to the gears too long ("fixed" by disabling the DSP) and noisy suspension compressor. The outstanding jobs will be expensive to fix, but I consider it worth the aggro because I love the idea of an offroad car that also can also cut it as a B-road blaster (so long as the B-roads aren't too narrow and I fix the dampers....).

I'm always amused by the average 4X4 with it's jacked-up stance and roofline you could wear a Top hat in. I really can't see the point in being so high off the road, especially when the road is the M25... Unless, of course you are a scared little school-mum who feels she needs all that metal around her and the feeling of superiority....And don't even get me started on the aerodynamics.

No, the Allroad is the perfect all-purpose car IMHO...can't imagine why so many manufacturers don't agree with me!

My 2.5 AKE engine has been trouble free ar 100K miles (according to the service records), and has excellent power and good economy (28-35mpg) considering my othger car is a Jensen.

[TurnipLicker]

When i was looking for my 1.9tdi, the only real things were checking the cambelt/water pump were properly changed, and make sure its got a decent service history.

Mine had very noisy steering on full lock, which turned out to be a common fault, and a couple of hundred to sort. I'd recommend some low speed manouvers, to check any you look at dont have expensive steering issues,

[jamesargyle]

Thanks for the helpful comments.

I have read some horror stories regarding the multitronic boxes, with the main cause of fault being the lack of oil service at 40k miles intervals. Given the number of problems I would probably avoid this gearbox choice. Do all the 2WD drive auto models come with the multitronic box, or do some come with a 'normal' auto box?

Regarding the 2.5TDI vs 1.9TDI issue, I'm still not entirely sure which to go for. I have read some of the issues (Cams & fuel pumps) regarding the 2.5TDI, but I've not heard of many issues that affects the 1.9TDI. Has anyone experienced any major engine problems or other faults with the 1.9 model?

Kid-Jensen - Yes the Allroad prices kinda surprised me too. Looking through the adverts on one particular 'car trading' site (you know which one!) you can find Allroad's on there for £3150 to £5000. The cheaper ones are not much higher millage than some of the more expensive examples, but of course the spec' comes into play on individual cars. My guess is that expensive problems have been highlighted regarding this model, and people are trying to get shot of their Allroad's before the problems set in, although there is an Allroad for sale that has done 170k miles and has had the suspension compressor replaced. I should be viewing this at the weekend. However, I'm feeling that the Allroad is perhaps a money/time drain that I can't afford!

So, realistically its between a 2002 or later A6 1.9TDI, or a 2.5TDI Quattro, manual or auto... Does anyone have any information regarding ownership of either of these cars? MPG, best gearbox choice, drivability etc etc..

This maybe the wrong forum for this, but what about the A4? Is this a viable alternative??

Thanks again!

J

[Padwick]

Engine-wise the only big faults I've seen on the 1.9TDI was injector failure on one of the PD engines (115bhp AJM).

My 2.5 is not a quattro but fyi, it's a 6-speed manual and does 40mpg with 90% of my driving no more than 5 miles at a time in traffic. Handles like a pig though due to the soft suspension and heavy nose. I believe this was much better on 2002 face-lift cars onwards.

And lastly, if you ever intend on carrying adults in the back don't go near the A4. They also seem to hold their value from that era better than the A6 does, so it might end up more costly. The Passat would be a better option if you couldn't find a suitable A6.

[kid-jensen]

James,

Interesting info about Allroad prices.....depressing too, as I've only had mine for a year or so, and I paid £6K for it.. I guess depreciation gets us all in the end.

I was at the Blackbushe Car Auction at the end of 2009, and an Allroad with a smal dent and collapsed front suspension (that wouldn't pump-up) came through. It sold for £5300. I'd guess it would cost at least two grand to pay someone to fix the obvious faults (without finding any more), so the new owner would have shelled-out at least £7300 on it.... Compare that with todays asking prices and you can see why I'm depressed!

As an aside, a 3-year-old Prius also came through just after....sold for 5 grand.....compare that with the selling price 3 years earlier! Now, THAT'S depreciation.

I think the great secondhand car-buying public are just scared of them.....