Audi A6 2.5 TDi Quattro

Audi A6 is a nice big comfortable car - if you like that sort of thing. All VW Group TDI engines are, in the main, reliable and relatively frugal on fuel consumption. The Quattro will be a bit heavier on fuel vs the FWD model but not by much. Plenty of torque in that 2.5TDI too!

Nice comfortable and stylish motor, but not soft as your 607. Loads of torque from 1500rpm which is extremely early. Very heavy on the juice in city traffic for a diesel. What year are you going for, '00/'01?

I'd imagine the auto would be heavier on juice than the manual, and I reckon the VRT on a 2.5 must cost a few quid.....

Would that 2.5 TDI be a variant of the 2.5 TDI that gave endless amounts of trouble in VW transporters due to overly fragile and hard to access (therefore expensive to replace/service, therefore neglected) timing belts ??

Or is it a different motor / easier to get at?

Heard horror stories about 2.5 TDI transporters while sussing out whether or not to get one ...
Apparently that timing belt had a tendency not only to break prematurely, but also to stretch/slip, offsetting the timing.

From http://www.honestjohn.co.uk:

What's Good:
Good looking Passat-based Audi, with Audi styled body. 15' 9" long by 6' 4" wide, weighing 1,390 to 1,680kg. 2.4 30-valve V6 is a nice, powerful (165-170 bhp) engine. Handling 'soft' but not floaty and grip is quite good. 150 bhp 2.5 V6 TDI available as Quattro. Estate versions. 230 bhp twin-turbo 2.7T and 340 bhp 4.2 V8 S6 launched autumn 1999. V6 TDI upped to 180 bhp in July 2000. Impressive new Multitronic CVT transmission available in UK on 2.4 litre V6s from late summer 2000. Three year warranty. Re-engineered Summer 2001. Multitronic more widely available. TDI PD 130 the most tax-efficient executive company car. Road test of new range at www.honestjohn.co.uk Awesome 450bhp RS6 versions of its A6 saloon and Avant lauched at Geneva Show March 2002 with RHD deliveries set for autumn 2002. 4.2 litre twin-turbo V8 puts out 331kW (450bhp) between 5,700 and 6,400rpm and a massive 560Nm (413 lb ft) torque from 1,950 to 5,600rpm. This is fed through a beefed up 5-speed Tiptronic autobox to the Quattro four-wheel-drive system. Performance figures are quoted at 0-100km (62mph) in 4.7 seconds, so take a couple of points off for the 0-60 time. Top speed electronically limited to 250kph (156mph), but derestricted can do 190 and the sprint to 200kph (125mph) takes just 17.6 seconds. RS6 is first Audi to be equipped with Dynamic Ride Control, which counteracts movements of the vehicle along its longitudinal and transverse axis. When a corner is taken, a flow of oil damping force is generated via the central valve between the diagonally opposed shock absorbers, almost entirely eliminating rolling and pitching. Massive 255/40 R18 tyres are standard with the option of gargantuan 255/35 R 19s. UK prices: RS6 saloon £57,000; RS6 Avant £58,000. Phenomenal drive. 2.5 litre 163bhp and 180bhp TDIs Euro 4 compliant, saving 3% diesel BIK penalty, from June 2003. Rated one of the cheapest 'luxury' cars cars to run in 2003 Which survey (but depends on your definition of 'luxury'?). 1998-2000 petrol and 2001-2003 diesels average for breakdowns, problems and faults in 2003 Which survey. Final edition: RS6 Plus Avant with 480bhp and 560Nm torque launched Apil 2004 at £66.675 with first UK customer deliveries June. 0-100kph in 4.6 seconds and 0-200kph in just 17.3 seconds. High Spec 'Final Edition' run-out versions of Avant launched October 2004.

What's Bad:
Tiptronic gearbox lever works wrong way round (forward for upshifts, backwards for downshifts). Three-Star NCAP crash test rating. Reports of heavy oil consumption of 2.4 litre V6. ADAC in Germany reported a lot of other problems with A6 generally, including fuel pump, fuel tank, air-mass meter, wheel bearings, front wishbones, air filter, instruments, heated door mirrors and timing belts. Have had reports of repeated electric window failure, driver's side. Franchised dealer servicing can be expensive. 1.8 20v engines are snapping their timing belts at 70,000 - 80,000 miles and the extensive damage this causes is not repairable. The car will need a replacement engine. 1.8 20v timing belt drives waterpump. 1.8 20Vs also suffering problems with air mass sensors which cost around £200 to replace. All 1.8 20V turbos built from around August 2001 to October 2002 can suffer from failure of one or more of the four ignition coils, which lead to a dispute butween VAG and a supplier and asevere shortage of coils from November 2002 to January 2003. One confirmed report of the unexplained failure of a Multitronic gearbox. Power loss on TDI 90s and 110s over 3,000rpm can be cured by replacing a thin hose that runs from the exhaust, near the turbo, to the ECU. Lock of front passenger door can fail. According to J.A., the fix is to remove 3 screws that hold the door trim on, then remove or stick back the sound insulation inside the door to the outer door skin, making sure that none is jammed in the lock mechanism. In 95% of cases the door lock will now lock and un lock on demand. Total cost 15 minutes time. On 2.7Ts, failure of the Bosch air mass meter can lead to failure of the Tiptronic autobox, which costs £4,681 to £5,750 to replace. Average warranty repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability index (index 101.16 v/s lowest 31.93). Link:- www.reliabilityindex.co.uk 1998-2000 diesels average for problems and faults but poor for breakdowns in 2003 Which survey.

Recalls:
A6s built March '98 to August '98: Steering ball joints (track rod ends)could fail. March 2001: Worldwide recall of 560,000 1999 model year A4s, A6s, A8s and VW Passats to replace steering ball joints (track rod ends). Announced Auto Bild 11/3/2001. 1-8-2002: Brake pedal may have a casting fault. Needs to be replaced on 56 cars. 16-10-02: On cars with 3 spoke steering wheels airbags may not work. Airbag to be replaced, but affects only 79 of 4,400 cars. April 2004: Worldwide recall of 870,000 1996-1999 Passat, 1994-1999 A4, 1997-1999 A6 and 1994-1999 A8s for "free check for possible damage of the rubber bellows of the front axle. The problem could lead to premature wear and, in isolated cases, to the failure of the bearing arm." December 2005: Dealer TSB to replace current 6 pack clutch of 2.5V6TDI Multitronic with a new revised 7 part clutch as there is a known problem with the Multitronic being unable to cope with the torque of the 2.5tdi.

Ah, crossed posts with bazz26 - sure might as well copy the lot in from HJ