Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6

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Sun 6 Mar 2016 21:32
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - peterjohnsmith

Hi There,

I am looking at buying an Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro that I have seen and wondered if anyone has any advice or opinions on this model?

In particular does anyone know if these engines are good and what are the automatic gearboxes like? Also, how do they drive? It's done 65,000m

Thanks in Advance,

Peter

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Sun 6 Mar 2016 21:54
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - peterjohnsmith

P.S. It is a 2005 plate.

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Sun 6 Mar 2016 23:31
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - RobJP

Found it on AT in a couple of minutes.

Bear the following in mind :

It is an 11 year old car, and it is up for sale for £7,000. No aftremarket warranty company will give it much cover, so after 6 months you'll pretty much be on your own.

It's complex, and when new was expensive. Costs for fixing any faults will be based around the cost when new, NOT what you pay for it.

Can you afford to run a car that probably does 20-22 mpg ?

Don't get me wrong. It's probably gorgeous to drive. But when things go wrong (note 'when', not 'if' as it is 11 years old) they will be eye-wateringly expensive to fix, and that's before you've paid £20 in fuel for every 100 miles you cover.

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Mon 7 Mar 2016 06:53
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - Happy Blue!

Averaged 6,000 miles pa with a torque converter gearbox so should be very unstressed and barely worn. The condition should therefore reflect a car younger than its age.

Check for the usual golf club problems. ...lots of sand in the boot area, repairs caused by minor car park dings which can create rusty problems down the line. If so get a lot of money knocked off the price.

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Mon 7 Mar 2016 14:24
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - Steveieb

This review from the HJ Car by car guide may be useful.

www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/audi/a6-2004/

Vorspung dursh TekniK !

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Mon 7 Mar 2016 15:42
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - gordonbennet

This review from the HJ Car by car guide may be useful

Not for the first time am i confused.

4 stars awarded, then go and have a read of the whats good (about 10 seconds) and whats bad (about 10 minutes) sections.

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Mon 7 Mar 2016 17:08
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - Steveieb
One essential item to come out of the HJ review of this engine is problems with the timing chain unless regular oil changes take place every 10000 miles.

So full documentation of this in the service record is essential. It may be worth checking this with the dealer before travelling big distances to view the car
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Mon 7 Mar 2016 17:27
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - Falkirk Bairn

Saw a similar Large Audi on the TV years ago that needed a new thermostat - they had to dismantle bodywork/grill, take out radiator, ac radiator......to get to the thermostat that was buried at the front of the engine.

Cannot recall the name of the programme but it seemed lots of work compared to a couple of bolts and a £5 thermostat on a "normal car"

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Mon 7 Mar 2016 18:10
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - RT

Saw a similar Large Audi on the TV years ago that needed a new thermostat - they had to dismantle bodywork/grill, take out radiator, ac radiator......to get to the thermostat that was buried at the front of the engine.

Cannot recall the name of the programme but it seemed lots of work compared to a couple of bolts and a £5 thermostat on a "normal car"

Are there any "normal" cars any more? The plumbing and emission controls on modern engines mean that even "ordinary" 4-cylinder engines have little space to work round and many peripheral components to remove before getting to items mounted on the cylinder block.

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Mon 7 Mar 2016 18:23
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - Avant

Many of us think that there was a 'sweet spot' sometime in the 1990s when car components were generally reliable and would last for years, but there weren't the electronic add-ons some of which people specify for extra luxury, others which are required by law (much of it on emissions).

That's about as 'normal' as we got. It won't happen again. The best hope is that companies like Toyota have put some resource into the electronics and made them work. Their hybrids are immensely complex, but they've proved reliable. Pity they aren't in any way fun to drive.

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Mon 7 Mar 2016 19:18
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - RT

Many of us think that there was a 'sweet spot' sometime in the 1990s when car components were generally reliable and would last for years, but there weren't the electronic add-ons some of which people specify for extra luxury, others which are required by law (much of it on emissions).

That's about as 'normal' as we got. It won't happen again. The best hope is that companies like Toyota have put some resource into the electronics and made them work. Their hybrids are immensely complex, but they've proved reliable. Pity they aren't in any way fun to drive.

Agreed - early '90s, before Euro 1 was implemented in July 1992

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Mon 7 Mar 2016 19:40
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - elekie&a/c doctor

How much more unnecessary complication do you need?The new range of Vag engines needs diagnostic equipt to bleed the coolant system!!

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Mon 7 Mar 2016 19:46
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - Steveieb
So do we need to complain too much when Main Dealers have to invest so much in diagnostic software updates each year along with regular training programmes.
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Tue 8 Mar 2016 11:13
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - Steveieb

Which Motoring recommend the 2.7 TDI SE as the best option. Would all the contributors agree with theis choice ?

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Tue 8 Mar 2016 19:52
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - Cyd

Which Motoring recommend the 2.7 TDI SE as the best option. Would all the contributors agree with theis choice ?

NO. It's a diesel.

I drove one of these 3.1 Avant Quatros about a dozen years or so ago as an assessment, on a very wet day and four up. I was underwelmed by the interior (all black) but it was a great car on the road. I was very impressed with its poise and handling. Grip was prodigious, though I suspect it was a very fine line at the limit and unlikley to be very progressive.

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Tue 8 Mar 2016 20:32
Audi A6 AVANT 3.1 FSI SE Quattro - Buying an Audi A6 - RobJP

I ran a 2005/55 A6 2.7 TDi SE Avant for 18 months. I would agree that it was absolutely fantastic.

SE so supple suspension. Mine was wither on 16 or 17" wheels, so plenty of 'give' in the tyre sidewalls too. The torque from the engine was fantastic - certainly enough to get you into plenty of trouble if you kept your foot planted.

It was a very similar setup to the 325 / 525 diesels of 5-8 years ago, which were a de-tuned 3.0 lump. Utterly effortless, and fantastic for it.

The other comparison would be with the VAG 2.5TDi engine, which the 2.7 was certainly a worthwhile successor to.

EDIT : It was a company car, so went when I changed jobs.

Edited by RobJP on 08/03/2016 at 20:33

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