RE: PH Carpool: Audi A4 Avant
Monday 12th December 2016
Name: Dan Collett
Car: Audi A4 Avant TDI S Line (Special Edition)
Previously owned: All sorts, from Fronteras to BMWs to an LDV! I also race a BMW.
Looks a big part of the appeal for DanThings I love:
"The A4 is one of those cars in the small minority of looking better in estate form, so we can put that down. I really like the colour; it is hard to see from the pictures but it goes from orange to red in different light. The handling; now before the collective PH keyboard warriors prepare to tell me how wrong I am just bear with me! Audi's have a reputation for being dull and void of feel; neutral would be the kinder term I have seen. Different strokes for different folks and all that, but I actually find it quite rewarding when pushed. The chassis is quite capable considering it is FWD but press it hard and it will make you grin, the steering is more than up to the job of telling you what the front end it up to. Is it the last word in pin sharp precision? No. But if that's what you want, why would you be buying a diesel estate? Overall I just love my car, it goes where I want, when I want and thanks to being an estate it's big enough and flexible enough to cover anything from tips runs to weekends away with four adults and all their kit!"
Just don't mention the missing cruise control!Costs:
"Entirely typical really. Beyond new tyres and an average fuel consumption of mid to high 30s mpg (it will happily run nigh on 50 at a 70mph cruise) there has been nothing to report. It's due a service in the next 10,000 or so miles and that will need a cambelt so I will report back on that once it has happened. The car will be off for a remap soon as well to take it to 210 from 170hp, which will set me back around £300."
PH Carpool: Audi A4 Avant
Why a diesel A4 estate will do just nicely when you have a family and plenty of miles to do
Car: Audi A4 Avant TDI S Line (Special Edition)
Previously owned: All sorts, from Fronteras to BMWs to an LDV! I also race a BMW.
Why I bought it:
"A change of job forced me into a car I could drive from one end of the country to the other. I had wanted an Audi (albeit in V8 flavour) for a while and this seemed like a good excuse to get myself one."
What I wish I'd known:
"That I really did, after all, want cruise control!"
Looks a big part of the appeal for Dan
"The A4 is one of those cars in the small minority of looking better in estate form, so we can put that down. I really like the colour; it is hard to see from the pictures but it goes from orange to red in different light. The handling; now before the collective PH keyboard warriors prepare to tell me how wrong I am just bear with me! Audi's have a reputation for being dull and void of feel; neutral would be the kinder term I have seen. Different strokes for different folks and all that, but I actually find it quite rewarding when pushed. The chassis is quite capable considering it is FWD but press it hard and it will make you grin, the steering is more than up to the job of telling you what the front end it up to. Is it the last word in pin sharp precision? No. But if that's what you want, why would you be buying a diesel estate? Overall I just love my car, it goes where I want, when I want and thanks to being an estate it's big enough and flexible enough to cover anything from tips runs to weekends away with four adults and all their kit!"
Things I hate:
"That there's no cruise control or Bluetooth. This boggles my mind; the previous owner who purchased it from new (and purchased a special edition model) went and added the sat-nav option, the Bose option, the adaptive front headlight option and a few other bits but NOT the two small price options of cruise control or Bluetooth... argh!"
Just don't mention the missing cruise control!
"Entirely typical really. Beyond new tyres and an average fuel consumption of mid to high 30s mpg (it will happily run nigh on 50 at a 70mph cruise) there has been nothing to report. It's due a service in the next 10,000 or so miles and that will need a cambelt so I will report back on that once it has happened. The car will be off for a remap soon as well to take it to 210 from 170hp, which will set me back around £300."
Where I've been:
"All over the UK (the life of a consultant; often all over the place rarely anywhere interesting!)"
What next?
"An S4 probably this time next year, when I have put another 30,000 on this one! I really like the look of the new one being introduced with the turbo V6 also in Avant form... with cruise control and Bluetooth, of course!
Discussion
I agree with the sentiment of this review. Razor sharp handling in a family wagon...why? I'm fond of my A4 Allroad. Does everything I need, and it has cruise control :-)
Mines a V6 diesel quattro and it averages 38mpg mixed and around 45mpg on a long drive. I would expect more from a 2.0tdi. I couldn't get less than 50mpg from my previous 2.0tdi A6, even when driven with a lead foot.
edited to add: Instead of a remap, why don't you retrofit cruise control? It can be done using original parts.
Mines a V6 diesel quattro and it averages 38mpg mixed and around 45mpg on a long drive. I would expect more from a 2.0tdi. I couldn't get less than 50mpg from my previous 2.0tdi A6, even when driven with a lead foot.
edited to add: Instead of a remap, why don't you retrofit cruise control? It can be done using original parts.
Edited by Oz83 on Monday 12th December 08:33
Had one in B6 quattro form. Good to drive, quite decent steering as mentioned here, and very practical.
However, it was one of the worst cars I have ever had from a quality standpoint. Coilpack issues; window regulators (a VAG issue since the late 90s); suspension that was never right despite multiple trips to get it sorted; and mid-life, a manual gearbox that turned to a vat of molasses once it heated up.
Oh, and the interior soft-touch plastics wear off quite easily. B7s might have had some niggles worked out, but I would never buy another of these.
However, it was one of the worst cars I have ever had from a quality standpoint. Coilpack issues; window regulators (a VAG issue since the late 90s); suspension that was never right despite multiple trips to get it sorted; and mid-life, a manual gearbox that turned to a vat of molasses once it heated up.
Oh, and the interior soft-touch plastics wear off quite easily. B7s might have had some niggles worked out, but I would never buy another of these.
Oz83 said:
I agree with the sentiment of this review. Razor sharp handling in a family wagon...why? I'm fond of my A4 Allroad. Does everything I need, and it has cruise control :-)
Mines a V6 diesel quattro and it averages 38mpg mixed and around 45mpg on a long drive. I would expect more from a 2.0tdi. I couldn't get less than 50mpg from my previous 2.0tdi A6, even when driven with a lead foot.
edited to add: Instead of a remap, why don't you retrofit cruise control? It can be done using original parts.
As an other fellow Audi A4 Avant owner (or S4, since mine has that big V8 up front Mines a V6 diesel quattro and it averages 38mpg mixed and around 45mpg on a long drive. I would expect more from a 2.0tdi. I couldn't get less than 50mpg from my previous 2.0tdi A6, even when driven with a lead foot.
edited to add: Instead of a remap, why don't you retrofit cruise control? It can be done using original parts.
Edited by Oz83 on Monday 12th December 08:33
) I concur as well. It is no sports car, but then it was never meant to be one. It does incredibly well at what I need it to do and what it was built for!
And as the OP stated correctly, the handling/steering really is not half as bad as the internet wants you to believe.
OP love the colour! I think the B6/B7 shape has aged extremely well (while I prefer the more "classic" B6 shape myself) . And both BT and cruise can be retrofitted quite inexpensively.
In case you wondered: to get any more than 25 mpg on a run, you'd have to really drive lik a saint (~23mpg is realistic, when you are not in a hurry min). In town I get 15 mpg. And it likes to drink the expensive RON98!
scherzkeks said:
Had one in B6 quattro form. Good to drive, quite decent steering as mentioned here, and very practical.
However, it was one of the worst cars I have ever had from a quality standpoint. Coilpack issues; window regulators (a VAG issue since the late 90s); suspension that was never right despite multiple trips to get it sorted; and mid-life, a manual gearbox that turned to a vat of molasses once it heated up.
Oh, and the interior soft-touch plastics wear off quite easily. B7s might have had some niggles worked out, but I would never buy another of these.
I'm amazed at the quality of your specific car! Was it an eraly one? I don't know whether your car was a lemon, or whether on mine all those things had been looked after by the previous owner, but I encountered none of your faults.However, it was one of the worst cars I have ever had from a quality standpoint. Coilpack issues; window regulators (a VAG issue since the late 90s); suspension that was never right despite multiple trips to get it sorted; and mid-life, a manual gearbox that turned to a vat of molasses once it heated up.
Oh, and the interior soft-touch plastics wear off quite easily. B7s might have had some niggles worked out, but I would never buy another of these.
(But then again it had FASH and i think coil packs were recall, for instance...) Even in the interior all the soft-touch is intact! Quite happy as I could'nt stand worn off toggles and the like...
I completely agree with OP's comments on handling. When I was looking to replace my Alfa 159 I looked at facelift e91 335d's, the Merc C350 and the B8 Audi A4 3.0TDI Quattro which I ended up with.
After what I'd read for so many years in the press about understeering Audi's, I was really, relaly surprised just how close it was between the A4 and 335d. It became quickly apparent that (for me at least) there was a negligible difference in handling, but with wider front section tyres on the A4 (255 vs 225) I thought the Audi actually resisted the point of understeer a little better. However when it does come in it was a little more abrupt than the 335d.
Now, how often do I drive my automatic diesel estate to the point of understeer? Never. After a new set of Pilot Sport 4's even in winter you have to be seriously pushing on at near-dangerous speeds to get understeer. I didn't buy the car for that. I wanted a fast, comfortable, practical, all-weather capable car that would still entertain a bit when the opportunity presented itself. Maybe I'm not the petrol-head I thought I was, but I simply don't find the "blunt instrument" boring or sterile at all.
I was also surprised at how little impact the Quattro system had over steering feel. It may be because, as OP says, they are pretty devoid of feel at the best of times, but it didn't feel anywhere near as "corrupted" as many of the reviews would make you believe. This trade off against the weight of Quattro is the monumental grip in all conditions, although I was surprised just how much speed is scrubbed off if you lift off at say, 60mph - the mechanical drag of Quattro is immense!
That said, I average 34mpg combined, which is about 25 miles of motorway commute, 3 miles sat in traffic queuing to said motorway and 15 miles of hilly A roads. On a steady run at 70 you can get 50MPG with the air con on, so OP I'd expect a lot better MPG from yours. My wife has a new 2.0TDI (non-quattro) A3 sportback DSG and gets 45-50 MPG combined.
Also, as others have said - retrofit cruise control. You can buy the stalks on ebay but you'll need to get it coded. Audi's are pretty modular so almost anything can be retrofitted. Check out http://hazzydayz.com/a4-8e-s4-8e-rs4-8e---2005-200... for inspiration!
Oh, and defo get that remap done!
After what I'd read for so many years in the press about understeering Audi's, I was really, relaly surprised just how close it was between the A4 and 335d. It became quickly apparent that (for me at least) there was a negligible difference in handling, but with wider front section tyres on the A4 (255 vs 225) I thought the Audi actually resisted the point of understeer a little better. However when it does come in it was a little more abrupt than the 335d.
Now, how often do I drive my automatic diesel estate to the point of understeer? Never. After a new set of Pilot Sport 4's even in winter you have to be seriously pushing on at near-dangerous speeds to get understeer. I didn't buy the car for that. I wanted a fast, comfortable, practical, all-weather capable car that would still entertain a bit when the opportunity presented itself. Maybe I'm not the petrol-head I thought I was, but I simply don't find the "blunt instrument" boring or sterile at all.
I was also surprised at how little impact the Quattro system had over steering feel. It may be because, as OP says, they are pretty devoid of feel at the best of times, but it didn't feel anywhere near as "corrupted" as many of the reviews would make you believe. This trade off against the weight of Quattro is the monumental grip in all conditions, although I was surprised just how much speed is scrubbed off if you lift off at say, 60mph - the mechanical drag of Quattro is immense!
That said, I average 34mpg combined, which is about 25 miles of motorway commute, 3 miles sat in traffic queuing to said motorway and 15 miles of hilly A roads. On a steady run at 70 you can get 50MPG with the air con on, so OP I'd expect a lot better MPG from yours. My wife has a new 2.0TDI (non-quattro) A3 sportback DSG and gets 45-50 MPG combined.
Also, as others have said - retrofit cruise control. You can buy the stalks on ebay but you'll need to get it coded. Audi's are pretty modular so almost anything can be retrofitted. Check out http://hazzydayz.com/a4-8e-s4-8e-rs4-8e---2005-200... for inspiration!
Oh, and defo get that remap done!
Filibuster said:
scherzkeks said:
Had one in B6 quattro form. Good to drive, quite decent steering as mentioned here, and very practical.
However, it was one of the worst cars I have ever had from a quality standpoint. Coilpack issues; window regulators (a VAG issue since the late 90s); suspension that was never right despite multiple trips to get it sorted; and mid-life, a manual gearbox that turned to a vat of molasses once it heated up.
Oh, and the interior soft-touch plastics wear off quite easily. B7s might have had some niggles worked out, but I would never buy another of these.
I'm amazed at the quality of your specific car! Was it an eraly one? I don't know whether your car was a lemon, or whether on mine all those things had been looked after by the previous owner, but I encountered none of your faults.However, it was one of the worst cars I have ever had from a quality standpoint. Coilpack issues; window regulators (a VAG issue since the late 90s); suspension that was never right despite multiple trips to get it sorted; and mid-life, a manual gearbox that turned to a vat of molasses once it heated up.
Oh, and the interior soft-touch plastics wear off quite easily. B7s might have had some niggles worked out, but I would never buy another of these.
(But then again it had FASH and i think coil packs were recall, for instance...) Even in the interior all the soft-touch is intact! Quite happy as I could'nt stand worn off toggles and the like...
My wife had a late 2006 B7 Avant 2.0tdi as a family hauler, complete with the dreaded CVT gearbox. No issues with quality whatsoever. Nothing ever went wrong with it, the interior stood up well to family life and was very well screwed together.
We sold it to another family member when it was 8 years old with 110k on the clock, so I still see it regularly. Its current mileage is well north of 140k with the only fault I'm aware of being the rear washer which has stopped working.
It didn't have many options, but it did have cruise control!
Bought an 04-plate version of one of these as a stopgap a while ago, and was surprised to find it really got under our skin. It did everything asked of it, never went wrong and hid its years well. Ended up keeping it for 3 years and sold it with 130,000 on the clock. Bought a B8 to replace it, virtually without trying it; big mistake, mainly because of the horrible inert steering but also because of the stop/start which would often do the former but rarely the latter, and which Audi were unable to fix. Got rid after 6 weeks.
Have just looked up the old car and was pleased to see it passed its MOT again the other day, on 230,000 miles.
Oh, and it did have cruise control!
Have just looked up the old car and was pleased to see it passed its MOT again the other day, on 230,000 miles.
Oh, and it did have cruise control!
Motormatt said:
Either the B6 described above was a lemon or there was a massive jump in quality to the B7.
My wife had a late 2006 B7 Avant 2.0tdi as a family hauler, complete with the dreaded CVT gearbox. No issues with quality whatsoever. Nothing ever went wrong with it, the interior stood up well to family life and was very well screwed together.
We sold it to another family member when it was 8 years old with 110k on the clock, so I still see it regularly. Its current mileage is well north of 140k with the only fault I'm aware of being the rear washer which has stopped working.
It didn't have many options, but it did have cruise control!
I really don't know. I will say though that the later model S3 (8P) and S4 (B8) I had for a stint afterward were noticibly better, so perhaps quality took a leap on all models in the stable over time. The B6 was truly appaling however, and I still shudder when I see one on the road. My wife had a late 2006 B7 Avant 2.0tdi as a family hauler, complete with the dreaded CVT gearbox. No issues with quality whatsoever. Nothing ever went wrong with it, the interior stood up well to family life and was very well screwed together.
We sold it to another family member when it was 8 years old with 110k on the clock, so I still see it regularly. Its current mileage is well north of 140k with the only fault I'm aware of being the rear washer which has stopped working.
It didn't have many options, but it did have cruise control!
Oz83 said:
I agree with the sentiment of this review. Razor sharp handling in a family wagon...why? I'm fond of my A4 Allroad. Does everything I need, and it has cruise control :-)
Mines a V6 diesel quattro and it averages 38mpg mixed and around 45mpg on a long drive. I would expect more from a 2.0tdi. I couldn't get less than 50mpg from my previous 2.0tdi A6, even when driven with a lead foot.
edited to add: Instead of a remap, why don't you retrofit cruise control? It can be done using original parts.
I always raise my eyebrows when I see statements like that. I reckon I could do it, without driving like you say.Mines a V6 diesel quattro and it averages 38mpg mixed and around 45mpg on a long drive. I would expect more from a 2.0tdi. I couldn't get less than 50mpg from my previous 2.0tdi A6, even when driven with a lead foot.
edited to add: Instead of a remap, why don't you retrofit cruise control? It can be done using original parts.
Edited by Oz83 on Monday 12th December 08:33
scherzkeks said:
Motormatt said:
Either the B6 described above was a lemon or there was a massive jump in quality to the B7.
My wife had a late 2006 B7 Avant 2.0tdi as a family hauler, complete with the dreaded CVT gearbox. No issues with quality whatsoever. Nothing ever went wrong with it, the interior stood up well to family life and was very well screwed together.
We sold it to another family member when it was 8 years old with 110k on the clock, so I still see it regularly. Its current mileage is well north of 140k with the only fault I'm aware of being the rear washer which has stopped working.
It didn't have many options, but it did have cruise control!
I really don't know. I will say though that the later model S3 (8P) and S4 (B8) I had for a stint afterward were noticibly better, so perhaps quality took a leap on all models in the stable over time. The B6 was truly appaling however, and I still shudder when I see one on the road. My wife had a late 2006 B7 Avant 2.0tdi as a family hauler, complete with the dreaded CVT gearbox. No issues with quality whatsoever. Nothing ever went wrong with it, the interior stood up well to family life and was very well screwed together.
We sold it to another family member when it was 8 years old with 110k on the clock, so I still see it regularly. Its current mileage is well north of 140k with the only fault I'm aware of being the rear washer which has stopped working.
It didn't have many options, but it did have cruise control!
Motormatt said:
Maybe you were just unlucky. I know someone who managed to return a brand new X5, not a car known for being particularly problematic, after 8 months of ownership because it spent more time in the dealership than on the road. It had a catalogue of electrical gremlins that couldn't be resolved.
Perhaps, but none of the problems I listed for the B6 are uncommon. Perhaps uncommon to have them all though. The front axle assembly is notorious for alignment problems (the design is very complex), and the gearbox issue was also not particularly rare. I also forgot that i had a steering knock on turning -- something all three of my Audis had.Got the special edition 2.0T petrol from 2006. I like the car with regard to performance, economy, running costs but I feel it is let down by the quality of the interior. All the classics of cheap glove box and centre console handles/latches have gone on mine.
Is 10yo though so cant be too picky. Touch wood, mechanically solid. Just have to keep an eye on that dipstick!
Is 10yo though so cant be too picky. Touch wood, mechanically solid. Just have to keep an eye on that dipstick!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff