A4 2.5tdi any good..?

[meesterb]

I am in the market for a 54 plate (or similar) A4 tdi and I was assuming that the 130tdi engine would be the best all round bet but having just noticed the 163 bhp 2.5tdi I am wondering whether this engine is worth considering? Does anybody have any experience of this engine in terms of performance, reliability and economy...?

Also I notice that a lot have auto gearboxes, are these reliable? Do they make the car much less economical?

Would appreciate your input.