Looking to get A4 Avant, can someone measure their boot dimensions please?

[Veero]

I currently have an S3 and am fast finding (should have known better really) that mountain biking + S3 = royal PITA.

So I am looking to shop in my (only 2 months of ownership) S3 for an A4 Avant. Now I will be looking for a 1.9 TDi Sport and a few years ago I had a 99 X plate A4 Avant which after buying and trying to fit a bike in turned out to be actually an extremely disappointingly small boot for an A4. The B6 Avant boots look considerably bigger due to the arches not appearing to intrude so far as the X plate did but I have yet to go and look at one to find out.

Would some kind soul be able to measure their B6 A4 Avant's boot dimensions as shown below please?



Many thanks
Veero

[quattrojames]

The things I do.....

A: 1020mm
B: 1050mm narrower at 'front' of boot than 'rear'
C: 1000mm shorter at 'top' of seat than 'bottom'
D: 1750mm
E: 720mm

All measurements are of course approx. and for example C will be less at the top than the bottom as the seats slope back etc.

My MTB goes in the back if I take the front wheel off (29er) but it goes on the roof as it's infinitely easier.

[CHEZ]

sorry to hijack!
i had a rack on last car, but its no good on the avant as the clips lash onto bare glass
james what roof bars did you get for your avant?!
need some for mine and audi gen ones are sooo expensive!

[quattrojames]

Audi genuine ones, ebay, £50. Used obviously.

It's just a matter of keeping them peeled, they are out there. Great bars that clamp onto the roof bars. I have a Thule 532 carrier.

[CHEZ]

coolio!
i have seen them now and then on fleebay but usually when i have no spare cash! lol
i like the look of the thules,there quite pricey! but will be needing a 3 cycle carrier ideally! probably a halfords unit i think!

[quattrojames]

I bought this, the seller was by far the cheapest at the time.

eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

[yellowbelly]

Depending where abouts you are in Glos you are welcome to come have a look at mine, I'm in south Glos GL11

[Veero]

Thanks for the replies guys, that should give a guide.

Depending where abouts you are in Glos you are welcome to come have a look at mine, I'm in south Glos GL11

Cheers Yellow, I'm in Stonehouse so potentially not too far away, is GL11 Dursley?

I don't trust roof mounted racks and don't like tailgate ones, lost a bike off a roof rack once on the M27 fast lane! Also there seem to be a lot of people being followed home from riding spots in the Forest of Dean and Cheltenham earlier and having only their bikes stolen a few days later so I prefer inside the car for the bike.

[yellowbelly]

Cheers Yellow, I'm in Stonehouse so potentially not too far away, is GL11 Dursley?.

Yes bud

[Veero]

Awesome. Busy this week but maybe early next week. What do you realistically get to the gallon from the 1.8T?

Also quattrojames, what does the 2.5 Tdi Quattro return? I quite like the idea of a V6 quattro but not sure I can justify the performance increase over the dip in mpg compared to the 1.9 TDi FWD.

[yellowbelly]

Mid-high 30's normal driving and low 40's motorway driving pretty much.
Don't forget the cost of diesel is getting higher and higher, may be worth doing some sums as chances are things are fairly similar, yes they achieve less mpg but it's cheaper fuel. Swings and roundabouts really, plus it depends what your usual type of driving is.

[Veero]

Exactly what I was thinking. Plus 1.8Ts seem to be a little cheaper than a comparable TDi, therefore there could be an offset saving which would need to be taken into account. My main driving is a 5 mile each way every day so the S3 hasn't warmed up by the time I get to work anyway, a diesel certainly wouldn't. Currently getting 30 ish from the S3, 35/36mpg on a full tank with a long motorway journey.

However with the warmer weather coming I am likely to be doing more longer journeys to Wales etc for riding, so that's the point at which a TDi will come into its own.

Some spreadsheet calcs need to be done methinks...

[yellowbelly]

Well like I said you are welcome to come have a look at mine, since yesterday it's become apparantly we might well be selling up now as the mrs wants something a bit smaller.

[Veero]

Hehe, doesn't want an S3 by any chance does she? I will definitely take you up on the offer, next Tuesday about 5 ish any good?

[yellowbelly]

Hehe, doesn't want an S3 by any chance does she? I will definitely take you up on the offer, next Tuesday about 5 ish any good?

Don't know about her but I'd love one however only really looking to use a max of £2k ontop of the Avant and I'm guessing that wouldn't quite be enough :-)
will let you know if Tuesday is any good later on

[yellowbelly]

Hehe, doesn't want an S3 by any chance does she? I will definitely take you up on the offer, next Tuesday about 5 ish any good?

Don't know about her but I'd love one however only really looking to use a max of £2k ontop of the Avant and I'm guessing that wouldn't quite be enough :-)
will let you know if Tuesday is any good later on

Edit: just realised it's an 8L you have, thought it was the new shape

[quattrojames]

Also quattrojames, what does the 2.5 Tdi Quattro return? I quite like the idea of a V6 quattro but not sure I can justify the performance increase over the dip in mpg compared to the 1.9 TDi FWD.

I average 33mpg. I drive it pretty hard and the car is used on A & B roads, very rarely seeing a motorway.

If you want economy then don't get a 2.5, that said, for the performance on offer the ecomony isn't bad.

[Veero]

Exactly, that's the toss up. As I said my main commute is 5 miles each way. When the good weather comes I will ride my bike to work more often, but on a 5 miles journey I probably won't have cleared the windscreen on a cold day. Presumably prolonged driving for 5 mile journeys wouldn't do a diesel any good?

[Mike B]

Exactly, that's the toss up. As I said my main commute is 5 miles each way. When the good weather comes I will ride my bike to work more often, but on a 5 miles journey I probably won't have cleared the windscreen on a cold day. Presumably prolonged driving for 5 mile journeys wouldn't do a diesel any good?

Thats about the use I do with my 2.5 Tdi Q .It warms up quickly and the screens soon clear and can be driven gently with all the torque available .On a run it will return over 40mpg and its hard to over value the 4wd usefullness in this bad weather

[BlackQuat]

If you want economy then don't get a 2.5, that said, for the performance on offer the ecomony isn't bad.

Agreed.
Last new year I got 46mpg on a run to scotland and back. That wasn't taking it too easy either.

To le mans and back with 2 mates and a boot FULL of camping gear, gazebo and what not. 43mpg. 75-80mph.

This years new years trip to scotland saw 43mpg, but turns out my mass airflow meter wasn't connected to the engine.

[Veero]

Hmm, encouraging figures there. Funnily enough Le Mans is on the cards this year :D

Whether it's a 1.8T/1.9TDi/2.5TDi it must be a Quattro, my Legacy GTB clawed it's way through all the snow and ice last winter where mere 2WDs were all stuck, and that was on standard tyres...

[quattrojames]

In that case why restrict yourself by looking for a specific engine, the 1.8T, 1.9 and 2.5 all have their own strength's and weaknesses, and no one engine is "better" than the others.

By wanting a quattro you've already eliminated a big chunk of the market, (rightly so ) and as our cars get older genuine straight ones get fewer and further between. Just look for a quattro car and see what takes your fancy as it comes along.

[Veero]

Hmm fair point. Must be Quattro must NOT be Auto... I see what you mean though.

Got a few watched on eBay. There's a lovely looking blue 1.8T up in Brum for about the right money. I do like the idea of the 1.8T half leathers though, not a fan of full leather.

Found this one too: Clicky. Any ideas what makes it 'Special Edition'?

So apart from lower economy than the 1.9 what are the downsides of the 2.5 TDi? Sorry I'm back to n00b basics with the A4 again...

[quattrojames]

That does look quite a nice example from the pictures. This Special Edition is something I've seen a couple of times of late, Jas11N bought a similar spec one from dalespitfire which is also an LE. I don't know much more than that I'm afraid. I didn't know that the RS4 style alloys were available as 17"s, check they're not reps would be my only observation.

There have been some good 1.9 vs 2.5 threads within the last year or so if you want to hunt them out. Although alloy the 2.5 engine is heavier, this can be noticeable in the handling, and they 'can' be fragile - although preventative maintenance will prevent the chocolate cams and fuel pump issues which seems to prejudice people against this engine. The 1.9 will remap to the same as a standard 2.5 which some people see as an advantage, but I never feel comparing a remapped engine to a standard one is really fair .... Personally, I don't like 4 cyclinder diesel engines, the V6 is much smoother and sounds nice, with the wave of torque being a clincher. If I couldn't have a 2.5 I'd get a 3.0, but the 1.8T would be very close behind.

[Mike B]

If you look at 2.5Tdi make sure its had a fairly recent cambelt change with stat and w/pump.This is much more expensive on this model.The 1.8T engine is known to have oil pickup pipe problems.The 1.9Tdi Q is a good alrounder and probably more common.Had one before but happier with the 2.5 .I like leather as long as its heated great way to warm up in this weather but rare cos it was dear as an extra

[quattrojames]

Not a bad looking car:

eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

[vorsprung dork]

apparently you need to do more than 15000 miles a year to benefit from buying a diesel! new that is! thats alot of miles for mr norm

[Veero]

Not a bad looking car:

eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

Yeah saw that one. Bloody miles away though. Prefer to have a look before committing, not really an option at that distance.

Thanks for the summary, it certainly widens the options and I would very much like a quattro v6 tdi. Shame there's none near me

apparently you need to do more than 15000 miles a year to benefit from buying a diesel! new that is! thats alot of miles for mr norm

Surely it's dependent on what balance of miles you do? You could do that distance driving 25 miles each way to work everyday, surely if 24.5 of those are motorway a petrol seems a bit pointless.