USED Audi A6 Avant (04 - 11)

My car

I have had the 2.7TDI for nearly 3 years and 70,000 mile and I have to say that I have been slightly disappointed with it. I would agree with the comments made earlier about the seats, I get a stiff neck and upper back ache after a long journey. I also think the suspension is unsettled which means this is not the comfortable long distance cruiser I was hoping for.

Diesel engine is great and handling is fantastic for such a large car. The interior is hard to beat and the reliability has been good too, unlike the dealer who was rubbish and expensive.

I won't have one again because of the seats and suspension, but if I did I would definitely go for the MMI, heated seats, xenon lights, sport steering wheel all of which have worked well.

I have now bought a Jag XF which is in a different league for ride, seat comfort and charisma.

My advice...take a long test drive before you buy the Audi.

My car

I bought the car in March 08 as an ex-demo from an Audi franchise on a 07 plate. So far, after six months use and some 10,000 miles, I absolutely have no regrets on this step up from my high mileage A4 saloon. After holding out for the new A4, I was slightly disappointed with the test drive so I looked at the option of a used A6. The car is superb all round and I am more than pleased with its fantastic cabin, superb stereo & Bluetooth and its cruiser like qualities on the motorway where I spend a good deal of time. However, with its length, I would highly recommend rear acoustic parking.

My car

Traded in my 8 year old 2.5tdi Allroad (wonderful car) for a new 3.0 S line quattro. Now after 4 months can give an opinion so far.

Plus. Looks fabulous, discreet and classy. Great engine, quiet with loads of torque so goes like hell. Fine handling with s line suspension and 19" wheels. Plenty of room, seems much larger than old model, quality interior well up to usual Audi standards. Economical on a run 35+mpg, being quite heavy short journeys see economy drop to mid 20's.

Minus. Hard ride on 19" wheels, you feel every dimple in the road. Auto box tardy in D mode, watch out at roundabouts it's all or nothing. S mode hustles along well but does nothing for economy. I don't know if it's a weight saving measure but the body panels seem flimsy compared to old model, in particular doors and bonnet. No repairs so far but I know servicing costs will be horrible.

Overall I am very happy with the car and will probably keep it for many years, the good thing about Audis is they age well. Avoid privacy glass on s line models, it makes them too dark inside, apart from lookin naff. Go for adaptive xenon lights they transform the dipped experience. Leather, Bose and auto/tiptronic are essential on this car.

My car

A superb car let down by a couple of niggles and one major breakdown which thankfully was just inside warranty

Good things - looks fabulous, huge and easy to load boot, loads of room for growing teenage passengers, interior controls & layout, quality of the materials in the interior are superb. Drive is o.k. -a bit hard ride and it's not as athletic as a BMW but the 2.0 TDI engine is incredible considering the size and weight of the vehicle. Averaging around 45 mpg and on long runs it's possible to regularly get 50+ mpg

Negatives - one irritating rattle from the headlight switch that's never been fixed, the utterly outrageous amount you get charged for changing some of the light bulbs (was invoiced for £80 before I complained and they waived the charge). Oil pump had a problem (worn spindle) that resulted in lost pressure to the turbo and the bearings seizing - would have cost around £4k to fix if not in warranty.

Overall though I love this car as much as the day I took delivery and am fully expecting to get another one in a year or so.