Audi vs Passat estate

[Simonfuller]

Dear A6 estate Drivers,
I am looking to buy a either a A6 estate 2.4 current shape. Or a Passat current shape demo 2.0 for my work as a cameraman. I will be caring a lot of equipment around 120 kgs. My question is, will the 2.0 litre audi or pasatt be enough for me caring around all that kit, or do I need something with a bit more grunt. Growing up in Australia we were told that 2.0 litres are for kids. though am sure that technology has come a long way. I would love to here from drivers of 2.0 litre engines who carry heavy loads.
Best regards,

Simon

[Niall76]

would that be petrol or diesel you're after.

Personally speaking, if it aint got a V6 or a V8 it aint no use to man nor beast.....

[Simonfuller]

would that be petrol or diesel you're after.

Personally speaking, if it aint got a V6 or a V8 it aint no use to man nor beast.....

Thats what is what i was told. I love the 5.0 V8 utes we usto have back home, though i now would need a mortgage to run the thing. these days with global warming.....

It has been ages since I have owned a car. (living in london) I dont know what would be the best hope the forum can offer advice.
Simon

[Col]

Diesel all the way !

Power, acceleration a nice noise are all lagely irrelivant [spelling?] when your sat in a traffic jam or slow traffic which is the norm these days.

If it were me...

Passat TDI estate and a cateram or bike for thrills. Most TDI's will out grunt a petrol unless you drop the petrol down 2 or 3 gears and floor it. You'll also save a fortune on fuel which means more to spend on the weekend 'toy' car.

...that's what I'd do.

...that is if I didn't have two hungry kids and a wife, suffice to say the Passat is having to do, the 'toy' car is on the back burner for the time being.

[Niall76]

I'm not disagreeing with BigCol but there is something else to consider. It depends on a couple of other things too. You need to take into account that diesels are now more desireable (must be loads of flatcap grandads out there ;-) ) and so are now more expensive. If you go for a petrol then you'll be able to buy it cheaper (obviously). Now here's my point - the diffirence in price buys you a hell of a lot of petrol. You need to be doing a hell of a lot of miles to make the diesel actually any cheaper in the long run. Something like 50,000 miles plus per year or something.

And another thing - the only reason a diesel is any good now is that they bolt on a turbo. Watch me stick a turbo on mine and see how it goes...

Anyway - I'm not dissing the diesel - they are indeed good. I'm just a petrol head is all.

I say go for that V6 or V8.

[Pimped-Passat]

I think I am with BigCol. Diesel all the way.

Agreed there is a difference in purchase price (you get what you pay for) but I don't wholey buy into the idea that buying a cheaper petrol (V6 or V8) allows you to purchase more fuel and effectively balances the books. I would say that a 1.9 or 2.0 Tdi would do roughly twice as many miles per gallon compared to the petrol V6/8 so for me the 50,000 per annum doesn't add up.

Another consideration is that you will always find it easier to sell the diesel as they appeal to a wider audience (hence the premium), but you may not find it as easy to off-load a V6/8 petrol.

I saw the light 5 years ago when I joined the TDi club, and there is no way back for me..!

Not dissin' petrol, just my honest opinion....

Cheers
P-P

PS-Let us know how you get on with the strap-on turbo..!

[Niall76]

I hear what you're saying.

Here's some real life figures though. Mines a 2.8 V6 and I get 32mpg - more if I'm cruising the M-way.

Now that's not too bad is it?

I do agree about the selling on thing. It's not an issue for me though as I don't plan on selling it.

[Niall76]

Oh yeah - a strapped on super charger appeals to me more.

One day, one day........

[Pimped-Passat]

Ok... I really am been sad here, but I've done some sums..!!

25000 miles per annum

Average price per litre = £0.90 (petrol would be a touch cheaper to buy, diesel perhaps a touch more expensive)

Diesel doing 50mpg = Cost for fuel = £2045

Petrol doing 32mpg = Cost for fuel = £3196

So about £1100 difference on "25000" year, plus about £40 in road tax depending on car size....

[Col]

.....so by those figures in about 2 years you'd re-coup the extra cost of buying a diesel.

But....

To those petrol heads (I used to be one) have you actually driven a TDI ?

As I've said above, most will easily outgrunt a petrol unless that petrol is either a huge V6 or V8 or if a smaller engine it'd have to drop 2 or 3 cogs to keep up. Us in the TDI's although having less revs to play with still also sometimes have the opportunity to drop a cog or two as well.

I think real in real world and day to day driving the diesel wins in every aspect but a high revving petrol especially if it has a V engined gurgle does bring a massive smile. I just couldn't justify the fuel bill.

Which leads me on to working out the milage break even point of petrol vs diesel. Very crudely and only on a financial basis assuming you'll keep the car 3 years this is what I use as my criteria...

less than 15k petrol
15-20k diesel or petrol
over 20k diesel

I always do way over 20k every year so for me it's a no brainer... except I've recently started a job that gives me a fuel card... hmmm, what to do. That said I reckon I'd have to go to a 2.0T or V6 2.8 to get the same performance.