A6 tdi quattro

[hertsvw]

Hi i want to get a practical second hand car[2000 onwards] have been looking at passat 1.9td sport estate [only driven 1] but i feel drawn towards an A6 2.5td as you do seem to get more performance for your money. Have not driven any yet , the quattro would be great but im worried it could cost me dear as is the risk of 2nd hand. Seems to be a lot of autos and not sure if they are a satisfying drive as this car is only needed for leisure.
I drive an old transporter 1.9td for work & if you push it [ over 65mph it drinks ! & right now that hurts!] so i guess if its a more satisfying drive & considerably better on juice i can enjoy it.
Obviously i need to drive a few variations , i dont want to waste private sellers time so if anyone has any experience of personaly owning & driving these [if you are paying the bills ! ] then it would be good to have some views!
thanks

[kimandsally]

The quattro could be expensive should things go wrong, just more bits that's my thinking.
A friend had a A6 for about 10 years absolutely loved it was a 2.5tdi and did about 36mpg and 27mpg towing he said he got through 2 gearboxes, 6spd manual simply because he did 230K towing a 1.7ton caravan, he used it for running his business which involved driving here there and everywhere and lived in his caravan so it went everywhere with him.

The body was still perfect when he sold it with 340K on it but the suspension was knocky and loose but at that mileage I think it's Ok to have a bit of wear here and there.

[Clinterous]

My two penneth:

If doing average of 80 on motorway, plus a bit of town driving, the 1.9 should average circa 45-48 mpg. The 1.9 is nippy enough for town driving, but gets sluggish for fast road driving (80 plus)

The 2.5 gives more fast road driving performance, but then will gobble the fuel to around 35-40 mpg, and at this rate it becomes just as expensive as a petrol car.

I've heard about mechanical issues on a few occasions with top end of the 2.5 lump. Have not heard about any mechanical issues with the 1.9 lump whatsoever.

I personally would avoid Audi auto gearbox's - they seem weak and problematic.

The 1.9 is the cheaper option for high mileage use, but for weekend use and occasional trip to the shops then the 2.5 is probably worth a look.

[dandam]

I've an A6 2.5 TDi quattro, my wife has the A3 1.9TDi quattro, the difference in cruising MPG is normally only about 3mpg in actual driving, around town it is nearer to 5mpg different. Cruise around 75- 80 in the 2.5 and I normally see about 42/43 mpg, the worst I have ever had in town driving is 32.

I've driven A6 1.9TDi's, still lovely cars, well engineered, and solid on the road, but the 4 cylinder will never sound as good as a V6 ! :biglaugh: