What to get after B6?

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norris_309

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Hi All,

Have any of you now moved on from a b6 audi? what did you go for?
I currently own a mk4 golf 1.9tdi 130 gttdi, had that for 10 years now!!... (160k miles)
and the 2004 b6 avant 1.9tdi sport (140k miles)

I bought both of these cars having read & heard good things about reliability, and they've both (touch wood) been brilliant.

They are both now getting on a bit so am just looking around for newer cars, but the cars i like seem to be plagued with major issues! (audi a4/a3 & bmw 3 series)

I've been looking at around 2010 ish cars, possibly thinking of changing to a petrol, as I probably only do 8k miles a year in each car, but do like the performance of the diesels.

Am I reading to many internet horror stories? or are the cars really as risky a buy as the internet suggests?
I wonder if a ford or Peugeot would have any major issues?
 
Sold my beloved A4 B6 1.9 Avant Sport 3 weeks ago (238k), & bought a 2008 BMW E92 320d M Sport, & I absolutely love it. Fantastic car if you get the right one.
If you are considering a BMW, they do have weaknesses, but then so do most cars. i.e VAG 2.0 TDI oil pump failure, Injectors & Water pump failure across many of the VAG range.
On BMW 3 series diesels., Timing chains replacement by BMW is a must & removal of the Swirl flaps is essential for piece of mind on E90,91,92/93's diesels. Other than that they are pretty bullet proof.
Wouldn't touch anything French period, & have had total nightmares on the 3 occasions that I mistakenly strayed into Ford's. Fix Or Repair Daily definitely applied!!
 
I haven't moved on from my b6 1.9tdi in eight odd years haha

If I was changing it'd be for a B8 S4 or (haters gonna hate) 335i.

Have to go German again personally, often tempted by Evo X's but think the "boy racer" stigma from the shell might bug me in the long run, I'm sure Ford's and Peugeot's are nice too, often tempted by a Mustang Ecoboost (haters/purists gonna hate again haha). Fiesta Ecoboosts are quite tunable, cheap to run and sell for fairly reasonable prices if this is the kind of thing your after.
 
audi upgrades
Got a good few miles left in her yet then lol... I'll let the Mrs know! I do love the b6 avant

Yeah the bmw timing chain thing does worry me... How much to change that?
I read about that when we bought a Mini Cooper s, we opted for the older supercharged one as it doesn't seem to suffer as much with cam chain issues (I hope)

Think I secretly love the older cars.

I've had a fair few fords & French cars & they've been absolutely fine... Rattle but fine.. However since getting the mk4 golf & then the audi, I'm not sure I could happily go back, even though my cars are old they still feel better quality inside.
The interiors are what other brands seem to lack for me. I prefer a 15 year old golf interior to a brand new ford lol.

I do like the fiestas but it's the family motor so need a bit of space with 2 kids. So was thinking along the lines of an estate again or maybe a golf/a3 sport back with a roof box for holidays.

Seems to feel like newer/lower mileage cars don't automatically mean more reliable
 
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Jaguar XF S Portfolio, with the black grill and wheels,lovely bit of kit, just a shame it has a light coloured roof lining.
 
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And ..my dilemma has possibly got a whole lot worse now..
I've been keeping my 2002 mk4 golf pd130 as a work car (3rd car) for the mrs (she bought a convertible mini which isn't practical for her job!), as it isn't worth much & we've owned it for almost 10 years now!... always has regular oil changes etc...

It had a slight water pump leak & was due a cambelt, so I got that done a month or so ago with decent parts (thinking it'll be worth it if I keep it or decide to sell)
But today, i moved it on the drive & there is a loud clatter when I turn the engine off!!.... and a little 'bag o spanners' noise when idling... DMF???....
It is on 158k miles on it's first clutch/flywheel.

What do I do now!!!???.... lol
I've got a mechanic mate (not spoken to him yet) who would charge a decent labour rate (how many hours??...) but looking online at the price of parts!! it's looking like £500 in parts (clutch kit & flywheel) are there anymore parts needed?

So i'm stuck, got a well looked after but old & well used golf with a new cambelt & now this! knew I should have sold it last November when we bought the mini.

I was pondering on doing the work & keeping it as a work car, then selling the A4 for something newer, but nothing in my price range has really grabbed my interest over a 2004 a4 avant!!
 
Lol not helping,
I was waiting for the "don't be a ****, get shot of the old cars a lease a new qashqai"

Is it time let go... Not that I'd be buying brand new mind you
 
audi upgrades
Only kidding, not sure whether it's worth spending more on the old golf or not.
If I hadn't just done the cambelt I'd have probably sold cheap needing the clutch doing.

Seems too good a car to scrap but ain't worth much more than the price of the clutch.

Spending big time on my cars recently! Just put 2 rear springs on the A4 too
 
True , my car is worth £3.50 yet it out performs the next model .

Keeper....
 
norris_309 said:
Only kidding, not sure whether it's worth spending more on the old golf or not.
If I hadn't just done the cambelt I'd have probably sold cheap needing the clutch doing.

Seems too good a car to scrap but ain't worth much more than the price of the clutch.

Spending big time on my cars recently! Just put 2 rear springs on the A4 too
Click to expand...

Does seem a bit of a money pit but I suppose if you bought a new car that'd be allot more cash going out and if you got another used one you might also find bits and pieces it needs doing to it. Probably my main reasons for holding on.
 
I can only give you my personal experience. Last year I, like many of us on here with aging B6's was having the same dilemma as yourself, the B6 needed some work, wings and a general tidy up but nothing mechanical luckily and to be honest I was looking for something else as my daily driver as was getting fairly bored and didn't need anything as big as the Avant. So I spent a small fortune on a 14 plate Mercedes A Class with the intention of using this as the daily. Well cut a long story short the Mrs now uses the Merc and I'm back in the B6 every day now, although it's 15 years old with a shade under 190k on the clock it is a far better vehicle than the newer fully loaded Merc. So I guess I'm saying,KEEP THE VAG's.
 
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Sounds familiar.. the mrs is the one wanting the new flashy cars & when the old ones have problems it doesn't help my cause for keeping them!.

She wanted a mini convertible, so got one last November, being crap weather it didn't really get driven & we found it isn't really an everyday car for us (with work etc..) so that's an expensive toy sat on the drive. even that's only a '05 plate as she wanted the go kart /fun feel of the superchanged one.
Which led to keeping the golf (was offered £1k for it when I bought the mini) but thought as I'd maintained it well over the last 10 years/80k miles and insurance was cheap thought i'd keep it for a run around.

Now wondering if I should have sold it lol!..
Always say I'd get shot when it starts costing money.. but when is that, when do I call it a day... it's only a flywheel lol... last month it was 'only' a cambelt (general maintenance) got slight bubbling on the drivers front arch too.. seen pre painted wings on ebay for £100 lol! (she'd kill me)

As said above though, getting a new (to me) car can come with it own problems as I'd be spending under 10k and only really like the golfs/a3/a4 etc.. so it'll still be 7 years old with 80k miles on it, so could well need a clutch/cambelt/suspension bits etc etc..

Oh... oh.... oh.... lol

Some may call me tight, but I do struggle to spend out what I'd call big money on a car!.. especially as I'm very unsure what to get now.
I do like cars, but hate buying & selling them lol
 
The Merc was purchased purely on spec, I wanted something with lots of toys and you just don't get that on a Audi unless you are lucky enough to find one that someone has spent an awful lot of money on extras,it pains me to say it but I can see me going that way again when I finally do retire the old B6.
 
I've started... just been looking on autotrader:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...advertising-location=at_cars&radius=30&page=4

Not sure if it's good bad or indifferent, but I'm driving up past that garage tomorrow....
I've posted on the b8 area, not sure if these suffer the oil pump issue? and what cambelt intervals are etc..

Think it's only really the a4 avant that I really like & would be suitable, your mention of mercs though.. I do like the 2010 shape c class estate.
I'm a bit scared of merc maintenance costs, a bit of an unknown to me are they more expensive than the likes of audi or is that just from days gone by?

My possible idea is fix the golf if it is the flywheel as the cheap work car & tip run machine, then chop in the audi for something else?.. oh I don't know!
or keep my b6 & buy the b8 and scrap the golf lol.. (the audi is now a cheap tip run car really I guess too!, just still seems a luxury car to me lol)

I'm so indecisive now a days, don't know what's wrong with me, so thanks for humouring me
 
So far I would say the service costs are very similar to the Audi although mine only being 3 years old it's only had filters and one set of front pads. I say I don't need another estate car but I do very much like the A6 ultra or the B8 black edition.
 
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Yeah I bet the 2 are similar in running costs, always think of mercs being proper posh & expensive, and way above me.
Saying that, with my pay packet I ought to be looking at kias! just can't bring myself to do it.
I'm with you on the b8 black edition.

Got to move my golf in a minute to get the bins... I'm hoping by some miracle it doesn't sounds like a bag of spanners & I can get on with my life again! i'm only thinking of spending thousands on a newer car because of that! (and the poor audi... thinking of chopping it in when she's done nothing wrong & fixing the older car lol)

wish me luck.
 
Just take your time and weigh up what works for you and not what we all say, if your like me whatever you do a couple of months later you'll wish you'd done something else.
 
... you're right! should have sold the golf in November & got 1k for it.
I've just spent 250 on a cambelt & waterpump.
Thought that was worth it though as it was leaking coolant a bit & would have to sell it for a lot less with the issue.

And then this happens! typical, just my luck

Well just took it out for a little drive and it drives fine as always.
When sat on the drive ticking over it had an intermittent clatter/knocking from the engine. passenger side.
Didn't seem to be as noticeable when idling after driving a couple of miles but when I just the engine off it clattered as the engine came to a stop, I tried it with the clutch pedal pressed in to & it wasn't no where near as bad, but still something.
My audi doesn't make this clatter, so it ain't right.
 
Does it have a cat, it could've collapsed internally. Does the noise change with the clutch pedal down?
 
It does have a cat, however, it's not 'that' old.
Yes it did seem to change when pressing the clutch.

The Mrs drove it for work today and hasn't noticed it? She notices everything!
Hope it's quietened down.

Years ago it made a clatter when idling and I've not heard it since, until now of course. How does that happen?

Our mini did clattered real bad when idling a few months back too and now it doesn't?
You always hear about diesels costing lots when they go wrong and yet the mini also has a dpf and that costs even more than the golf/Audi
 
Just been looking at the 2018 A4 Black edition online, looks very nice and finally a decent spec straight out the box.
 
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mattyboyc said:
I can only give you my personal experience. Last year I, like many of us on here with aging B6's was having the same dilemma as yourself, the B6 needed some work, wings and a general tidy up but nothing mechanical luckily and to be honest I was looking for something else as my daily driver as was getting fairly bored and didn't need anything as big as the Avant. So I spent a small fortune on a 14 plate Mercedes A Class with the intention of using this as the daily. Well cut a long story short the Mrs now uses the Merc and I'm back in the B6 every day now, although it's 15 years old with a shade under 190k on the clock it is a far better vehicle than the newer fully loaded Merc. So I guess I'm saying,KEEP THE VAG's.
Click to expand...

Wow! in what way is the B6 better than the A Class matty?
 
Hi,
In short, build quality, don’t get me wrong the Merc is a great car but is made with low quality plastics and it tends to creek and rattle quite a bit. If you like bits that light up and such then by a Merc, if you want a quality cabin the stay Audi.
 
After the sudden and unexpected demise of my B6 (4 years ago - WTF??) I acquired a C5 which I love.

It's long in the tooth now and approaching 200k and needs new front wings etc, but it's fine really.

I might try and pre-empt any issues and replace it in the New Year, with what??

I've considered a BMW 5, maybe a 520d or 530d but I'm not sure.

I'll probably get a late model C6, I'd want a LeMans, either a 2.0tdi 170 or (maybe) a 3.0tdi.... I fancy an auto if it's the 3.0, but not the 2.0 as it only comes with multitronic...
 
I have whittled it down to two, once the old B6 finally gives up!! It will either be a B8 black edition or more than likely a A6 ultra black edition. I do like that.
 
Well 6 months on, I still have the b6 lol. (and my mk4 golf.. and 'her' unused mini cooper s convertible!)
Although it is annoying me at the moment with an odd restricted feel at lower revs & lower mpg... (there is a thread somewhere!)

I could see myself in a B8 black edition.. what engine would you go for though? I seem to look to much into cars, I can pick several cars I like, but can't ever decide which engine to go for as when you look into it they all have serious problems & will blow up within 5 miles of buying it!...
Source:-- the internet lol
 
quattrojames said:
After the sudden and unexpected demise of my B6 (4 years ago - WTF??) I acquired a C5 which I love.

It's long in the tooth now and approaching 200k and needs new front wings etc, but it's fine really.

I might try and pre-empt any issues and replace it in the New Year, with what??

I've considered a BMW 5, maybe a 520d or 530d but I'm not sure.

I'll probably get a late model C6, I'd want a LeMans, either a 2.0tdi 170 or (maybe) a 3.0tdi.... I fancy an auto if it's the 3.0, but not the 2.0 as it only comes with multitronic...
Click to expand...

Hi mate, long time no chat! What did you go for in the end? Non-VAG given how quiet you've been?!?

What was your budget? Just a thought that I think the C7's do a 2.0TDI in a manual a detuned 3.0 TDI (DSG quattro / multitronic FWD) for those that don't that much power, but still want the V6...

If you wanted a 2.0TDI and more gearbox options, then seriously consider the Skoda Superb Estate (2.0 TDI manual was v popular) and the VW Passat and also Passat ALLTRACK... they got rid of multitronics years before Audi swapped everything to DSG, so lots of DSG's in FWD and quattro (4motion) guises coming into the cheap 2nd hand price ranges...

Given I use my Audi mostly for family holidays to farms and on snow when the roads are really ratty, hopefully it'll be along time before I need a replacement, but I'd be tempted by an Alltrack with the 190TDI and DSG... it won't be quite as nice as the A6 in a lot of ways (not just half the bhp!!)... but given how bad the Audi steering is, I've completely given up on them as drivers' cars...
 
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I'm starting to get itchy feet with my 1.9 TDI Avant even though it's going well and has been super reliable over the past four years ownership. I don't do a lot of mileage at the moment and the siren's call of a petrol V6/V8 has been getting stronger. I feel like I need to get that out my system before getting caught in the parent trap and having to get something practical like a Volvo lol. Currently looking at the following:
  • Audi S4 Avant (B5)
  • BMW E38 7-series
  • Audi A4 All Road
I think I'd really miss the practicality of an estate however. I've had a look at a few C5 RS6 Avants as they seem have to come down a bit in price in recent years. My main concern is that the maintenance costs could be crippling, but the test drives were orgasmic.
 
2010-2013 S5 Sportback would have been my choice if I didn't need to fit three child seats on the back bench... make sure it is the 3.0 V6 SUPERcharged version (I think the stopped doing the V8 @2010 and started the turbo ~2013)... it's an easy remap to 360-375whp and 420-450whp is pretty easy with a pulley and some minor tweaks... ~500whp is still very doable, but it's getting expensive >500hp....
 
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