Want a reliable snotter. Something Audo 80based (as an estate) and late 90's. If I went for a auto box (didnt someone have probs with this?) or just a manual/full service history etc. Would I be right in thinking late 90's Audi diesel (pre-PD) estates should be a good punt? I dont mind about the odd electric window etc.

Something like (but not as ridiculously priced):
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/200948346868382/sort/priceasc/usedcars/make/audi/model/a6/body-type/estate/fuel-type/diesel/radius/60/page/1/postcode/m154ld/keywords/1999?previous=/search/results/usedcars/postcode/m154ld/radius/60/make/audi/model/a6/keywords/1999/body-type/estate/fuel-type/diesel/sort/priceasc/page/1&logcode=p

Christ, that's ridiculously priced!

Get a Manual…

Oh, and whilst you're at it, get a VW Passat… Pretty much the same car, but will cost you less, and there will be more to choose from…

Ok/good point. will start a Passat thread 🙂

Passat is lesser spec'. A mate has one (2.7t quattro) on a W plate 150+ miles and it's brisk, well built, feels very sold and more planted than the passat's i've been in/driven.

2.7T is going to be thirsty though 🙁

Well, Yep.. the 1.9tdi is the one to get, the v6 diesel while a little more powerful is less refined, the 1.9 is the better option imo.

What i'm trying to say, is that the Audi is a better build quality than the 'dub, plastics feel better, silly things like red led's behind the door handles, very subtle lighting in the sunroof panel so the cabin feels better at night, stereo is better spec.

Audi fanboy, yes, perhaps. But more VAG fan.(ahem)

jt

Is there any car , in any configuration, manufactured in the last 10 years that you have not posted a thread about? 😀

Peugeot have recently sold of a spare one of these:

Perfect for driving the wife down to the Police Station when she has a complaint……………

It is going to be a VAG TDI next. Thats for sure. I've owned a 1.9TDI Altea (driven it to through 4 european countries) and I would have bought a friends VW Golf TDI 03 auto full leather with 130k on the clock (hes lost the service history in a house move but I know the providence) ….but hes now holding onto it 🙁

A Passat estate TDI ticks the storage and mpg boxes etc.

Perfect for driving the wife down to the Police Station when she has a complaint……………

Rusty Spanner, she told me last week she was leaving TKMaxx and a bloke walking the other way said 'err excuse me you rude cow' and she replied 'go and **** yourself you bald chunt'. Nice! Thats pregnant angry ladies for you.

A6 TDi all the way hora.

I've had every A4 since Audi started making them, and my unkle has had every A6 and a few A8's a Q7 and always goes back to an A6.

That one in ad looks ok if you can negotiate on the price a tad.

Loads of A6's about if your not spec fussy but older good ones are rare but if you look hard enough you'll find a cracker.

Passat's are great to – but not an Audi which you really want 😉

I have been told that an early 5 cylinder 2.5 TDI A6 are the ones to go for. Sweet engine very smooth and no dual mass flywheel to worry about. Hard to find though. I have a 1.9 Golf TDI estate, can't fault it yet 140k on it when I bought it. Av 45mpg real world figures! Will be selling it soon to get a golf or passat with aircon(for the other half in the summer.)

Passats and A4s have a dull as ditchwater reputation for driving experience, but they're the best Derv engines of that era really.

Two problems – they hang onto their money like crazy. Compare the prices for a VAG diesel to the equivalent Mondeo TDCi or Pug HDI and you'll see what I mean. The other thing to look for is history, just so you know it hasn't been clocked. They can stay very tidy looking for a long time.

The A4s and Passats both share the same design under the skin. The front suspension wears, and there are lots of arms to replace to get it all back to good nick again. Can be very expensive.

The A6 is obstensibly on a different platform, but I wouldn't be surprised by major similarities in suspension & chassis design etc.

Injection pumps on the old diesels can get horribly noisy.

I'd personally be inclined to go for a 1.8T, which will have plenty of go and reasonable economy. I'm sure they'll also be a lot cheaper to buy than the diesels, which may work out better if you don't do major miles.

Going to throw in a curve ball Hora, a 3.0V6 diesel signum?

Uber reliable engine, 40+ mpg, 180Bhp, as much room as the audi and you can get newer one's for a song now… 😉

The A4s and Passats both share the same design under the skin. The front suspension wears, and there are lots of arms to replace to get it all back to good nick again. Can be very expensive.

The A6 is obstensibly on a different platform, but I wouldn't be surprised by major similarities in suspension & chassis design etc.

Bollocks and guesswork, just what you need.

You could do a lot worse than this. Knock him down a bit and put the rest in the bank, and just run it into the ground.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/200950348203618/sort/priceasc/usedcars/make/audi/model/100/radius/100/postcode/dh12bb/page/1/quicksearch/true?previous=%2Fsearch%2Fresults%2Fusedcars%2Fpostcode%2Fdh12bb%2Fradius%2F100%2Fmake%2Faudi%2Fmodel%2F100%2Fsort%2Fpriceasc%2Fpage%2F1%2Fquicksearch%2Ftrue&logcode=p

The golf estate uses the same floor pan as the A4 estate and the passat uses the same one as the A6 albeit the A4 engine is in line where the golf is transverse.

2.5 Tdi = nose heavy, ancient design, thirsty, prone to catastrophic fuel pump failure effectively writing off the car.
1.9 much better, chip it if necessary.

I've got an A4 and A6, both 1.9 AFN's. On paper almost the same car but the A6 just feels better built somehow even though mine is up over 150,000 now. Handles much more nicely than the A4 too although neither are exactly sports cars 🙂

I love the 'bigness' of the A6 too. Our estate just swallows so much stuff and feels really roomy and comfy compared to the A4.

I'd personally be inclined to go for a 1.8T

Bro in law had a 1.8T S3 that I borrowed for a weekend to Edinburgh. I liked it in a unfussy sort of way. He then had it remapped and it felt alot deeper and smoother.

The golf estate uses the same floor pan as the A4 estate

it gets worse!

i was told to avoid the 2.5 TDi by someone on the trade and also that the quattro versions have less boot as the floor is raised to make room for the diff

I've got the 2.5TDI engine in an 02 Allroad. No problems with it so far and it's got plenty of poke for a big/heavy car.

Personally, I think all Audis are pretty good, reliable cars (had 1, got 1 and got another on order), and so they should be for the price. However, what's not so good is on the rare occasions they do get a glitch, it's not cheap to put them right.

My Honda is just as reliable and almost as well built as an Audi but a hell of a lot cheaper to own/maintain.

Why are you getting an Audi, Hora? You were slagging them/Audi owners off a few months ago 🙄

Late 90's VAG diesel estate? Skoda Octavia got be worth a look. For the same price as an Audi A6 or VW Passat you can get a much younger Skoda.

Then again, you'll own a Skoda.

You're looking at a car that's over 10-years old. I think you're going to have expect some bills – regardless of make. As cars have been getting more complex – more electronics and luxury systems as standard features – the more there is to go wrong. So buying a reliable snotter is getting harder.

We went to have a look at an old Mondeo last summer, seller was a dealer.
He had an A6 2.7 TDi Estate w/130k on the clock. Was an 04' IIRC, & he was asking £5.2k. I remember looking at it & being really surprised at how immaculate it was. When he started it up it sounded more like a 30k car. I'd have bought it but for it being £3k over my budget. 🙂 Nice car though. Apparently the thought of the repair bills puts people off when they get a few years old.

WTF is a snotter!?

A car that you have no emotional attachment too and you run into the ground.

Why are you getting an Audi, Hora? You were slagging them/Audi owners off a few months ago

I should clarify I guess. No I mean the brand new Audi brigade who finally can chose a Audi from the company car options list and act as though they have finally 'arrived'.

You are rarely cut up by drivers of older Audi cars etc.

I'm still looking out for a decent nick E class Merc as well but they are rarer than hens-teeth due to people picking up on their popularity.

A friend of mine was going to sell his TDI/130k Golf however hes decided not to take his company car option now 🙁