Audi or Merc petrol -- > Automatic

from_atozinc

Which one of these 2 cars would be best from mainly a reliability and then just overall general point of view.

Both Petrol automatics

These are just example of what I am talking about.


Audi:

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/audi/a4/used-2008-983571983515-dublin-fpa-2183022172919458910



Merc:

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/mercedes-benz/c-class/used-2008-983571983515-dublin-fpa-201214636913589530


Open to other similiar suggestions also in a petrol automatic.

TBi

That merc has a weak chain and will need to be replaced. Some places will do just the chain but most recommend that you do all the sprockets/guides too. Can be pricey so check if it has been done recently. At that milage it needs to be done.

Don't know anything about the audi.

EDIT: Also tax (based on co2) for late 08 petrol Merc's can be very high. Hopefully it was registered early in the year on the cc based system.

ddire33

TBi is right about the c class, good car but timing chain change will cost €800 or so and tax is high. Have one two years now no other issues.

noel100

Definitely Audi auto
Transmission is sweet and smooth you don't feel the gear change. 6 gears and feels like one continuous gear up and down and very responsive when at speed for when you over take.
C class feels like a tractor in comparison

Oafley Jones

Lexus IS250 if you're talking reliability. Tax is a major turn off for a lot of people though.

from_atozinc

noel100 wrote: »

Definitely Audi auto
Transmission is sweet and smooth you don't feel the gear change. 6 gears and feels like one continuous gear up and down and very responsive when at speed for when you over take.
C class feels like a tractor in comparison

Thanks. Thought I heard somewhere the transmission in the Audi wasn't great (is it multitronic ? )

Oafley Jones

from_atozinc wrote: »

Thanks. Thought I heard somewhere the transmission in the Audi wasn't great (is it multitronic ? )

CVT on low powered audis. It's not loved.

from_atozinc

Oafley Jones wrote: »

CVT on low powered audis. It's not loved.

Which ones are the low powered audis ?

_Kaiser_

from_atozinc wrote: »

Which ones are the low powered audis ?

In that age range, anything without S-tronic, so 2L or less. The bigger 2.7/3L cars are s-tronic but come with a hefty €1200 motor tax bill

It's why I can't downgrade to a 2L from my current 2005 3L A6 because the multitronic gearboxes are like chocolate by all accounts. My choice is to move to a Passat (CC) DSG or try and hold out till the 2012 3L A6's come into budget as the tax rates drop to a far more reasonable €280

I can't decide if I'd be able to live with an E-class or CLS as an alternative. They seem smaller inside and while I like toys, they're a complete buttonfest. Plus the handbrake system with both it's pedal and handle setup seems weird to me... but the CLS does look nice

noel100

from_atozinc wrote: »

Thanks. Thought I heard somewhere the transmission in the Audi wasn't great (is it multitronic ? )

Yes multitronic had mine for 7years no trouble
I have to say the gear box was brilliant never had an issue . 140 bhp great power very responsive.

_Kaiser_

noel100 wrote: »

Yes multitronic had mine for 7years no trouble
I have to say the gear box was brilliant never had an issue . 140 bhp great power very responsive.

Depends what you're used to.. I recently sat back into a 2L DSG with 140 and while I had one of these for years and found them great, this time I found it slow and underpowered and I really missed my extra 100+ horsies and quattro

colm_mcm

The newer multitronic is nicer to drive than the older ones, they're not supposed to be as flakey either.

Oafley Jones

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

In that age range, anything without S-tronic, so 2L or less. The bigger 2.7/3L cars are s-tronic but come with a hefty €1200 motor tax bill

It's why I can't downgrade to a 2L from my current 2005 3L A6 because the multitronic gearboxes are like chocolate by all accounts. My choice is to move to a Passat (CC) DSG or try and hold out till the 2012 3L A6's come into budget as the tax rates drop to a far more reasonable €280

I've never really understood how Audi offered CVT in these cars, while having DSG in the Skoda and VWs. It seems bizarre. I think manual in this class of car is just wrong, but you see the amount of audis with manual and then if you do a bit of research of the "multichronic" you see why.

_Kaiser_

Oafley Jones wrote: »

I've never really understood how Audi offered CVT in these cars, while having DSG in the Skoda and VWs. It seems bizarre. I think manual in this class of car is just wrong, but you see the amount of audis with manual and then if you do a bit of research of the "multichronic" you see why.

Yep makes no sense to me either as Audi are supposed to be the "premium" brand of the family.

_Kaiser_

colm_mcm wrote: »

The newer multitronic is nicer to drive than the older ones, they're not supposed to be as flakey either.

What year were they changed?

from_atozinc

I'm confused with posts.

To be clear, Is the Audi car I posted initially a CVT ? (2008 Audi A4 1.8 tfsi 160 bhp)

Are these reliable or not ?

_Kaiser_

from_atozinc wrote: »

I'm confused with posts.

To be clear, Is the Audi car I posted initially a CVT ? (2008 Audi A4 1.8 tfsi 160 bhp)

Are these reliable or not ?

That generation multitronic is reported to give a lot of problems so I'd say no. You'd be better off with a Passat/Passat CC with a DSG box if sticking with the VW brands (VW/Audi/Skoda/Seat)

colm_mcm

I don't know what year they changed them tbh. I recently drove an exeo 7 speed multitronic and it was completely different to the old model a4 multitronic. no idea what version box the 08 a4 has.

from_atozinc

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

That generation multitronic is reported to give a lot of problems so I'd say no. You'd be better off with a Passat/Passat CC with a DSG box if sticking with the VW brands (VW/Audi/Skoda/Seat)

More confused now..... Is CVT the same as multitronic ?

colm_mcm

yes
multitronic is cvt

from_atozinc

colm_mcm wrote: »

yes
multitronic is cvt

Ok. Thanks. Thought they were 2 different things.

from_atozinc

Jaysus, It's impossible to find a reliable car on these forums : /

Is there any car of this era........2008-2010, with about 150 bhp petrol automatic where tax is not going to rob me every year that would fit the bill ?

wonski

from_atozinc wrote: »

Jaysus, It's impossible to find a reliable car on these forums : /

Is there any car of this era........2008-2010, with about 150 bhp petrol automatic where tax is not going to rob me every year that would fit the bill ?

There is a shortage of non diesel cars in this class, even looking at donedeal shows that.

Cheap tax for diesels killed petrol cars sales.

bazz26

DSG petrol Superb here:
http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Skoda/Superb/1.8-TURBO**ELEGANCE**HUGE/3249417349984385251/

wonski

bazz26 wrote: »

DSG petrol Superb here:
http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Skoda/Superb/1.8-TURBO**ELEGANCE**HUGE/3249417349984385251/

12k... Nice find, but op was looking for something a bit cheaper I think.

bazz26

The Merc and Audi are also 3 years older and lower spec.

from_atozinc

bazz26 wrote: »

DSG petrol Superb here:
http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Skoda/Superb/1.8-TURBO**ELEGANCE**HUGE/3249417349984385251/

Thanks. Nice car. But don't need a car that big. If anything, would go the other way if I had too.....i.e. a car smaller than the Audi or Merc would do too.

bazz26

Honda Civic:
http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Honda/Civic/1.8I-ES/201014653854047890/

wonski

I like the look of this if you don't need seats in the back regularly:

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2007-bmw-320-m-sport-auto-nct-amp-tax/12781072

You only mentioned Audi and Merc, so another german brand deserves a mention

from_atozinc

bazz26 wrote: »

Honda Civic:
http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Honda/Civic/1.8I-ES/201014653854047890/

Isn't the iShift thing supposed to be crap or jerky etc ?

grogi

from_atozinc wrote: »

Jaysus, It's impossible to find a reliable car on these forums : /

Is there any car of this era........2008-2010, with about 150 bhp petrol automatic where tax is not going to rob me every year that would fit the bill ?

Prius Mk3... ~135 bhp, auto, petrol, cheap tax...

Ionised

from_atozinc wrote:

Isn't the iShift thing supposed to be crap or jerky etc ?

The gearbox in that civic is appalling. My oh had one. You could read a book in the time it took to change gear.

Spipov

Re the merc, i actually bought it thursday. Chain was done by the dealer, with receipt as it should have been done 20k ago. appears to be a good dealer, recommended by my mechanic ive used for 8 years. 1 owner car and seems to be in very good nick. The ride is v comfy in it. And it appears to be a reliable model now, following the disaster the w203 was.

Its really a paddy spec and im appalled at how little there is. Full service history mailed to me by garage that has looked after it since at least 2012.

On that note im opening a new thread regarding retrofits.

from_atozinc

grogi wrote: »

Prius Mk3... ~135 bhp, auto, petrol, cheap tax...

This is a hybrid isn't it ?

from_atozinc

Ionised wrote: »

The gearbox in that civic is appalling. My oh had one. You could read a book in the time it took to change gear.

Is it really that bad. Sounds like I might have to steer away from it.

bazz26

The saloon Civic 1.8 litre petrol has a traditional auto gearbox.

colm_mcm

Civic isn't really fitting the bill if the OP was looking at executive cars

from_atozinc

colm_mcm wrote: »

Civic isn't really fitting the bill if the OP was looking at executive cars

Civic could do the job too maybe.

colm_mcm

They're certainly very reliable in 1.8 automatic saloon form. Well enough equipped,
Civic IMA might fit the bill in that case too, more economical and cheaper tax, but slower. Better equipped as a hybrid too usually.

1.8 saloon has your traditional sausage & chips autobox
1.8 hatch is the automated manual I-shift
Hybrid saloon is CVT

grogi

from_atozinc wrote: »

This is a hybrid isn't it ?

Yes, it is.

Another option, with more executive touch and with a bit of budget stretching - would be GS450h from 2008. It is a serious hybrid car, as long as you don't need a big boot...

2007 are cheap like peanuts - because of the astronomical tax. Tax of 2008 is much more digestible - so the purchase price is not... V6 and ~6sec 0-100kmh makes a really responsive car...

from_atozinc

colm_mcm wrote: »

They're certainly very reliable in 1.8 automatic saloon form. Well enough equipped,
Civic IMA might fit the bill in that case too, more economical and cheaper tax, but slower. Better equipped as a hybrid too usually.

1.8 saloon has your traditional sausage & chips autobox
1.8 hatch is the automated manual I-shift
Hybrid saloon is CVT

Thank you. So a civic 1.8 auto saloon sounds very reliable.

What's civic "IMA" ?

bazz26

It's Honda speak for hybrid. The Civic saloon IMA has a 1.3 litre petrol engine + electric motor, the regular Civic saloon is 1.8 litre petrol.

from_atozinc

bazz26 wrote: »

It's Honda speak for hybrid. The Civic saloon IMA has a 1.3 litre petrol engine + electric motor, the regular Civic saloon is 1.8 litre petrol.

Are these IMAs any good?

colm_mcm

They're not as advanced or powerful as a Prius. But if you look at them as an efficient automatic car they're quite good. They're more conventional than a Prius too, which has its own appeal.

jca

My car is a 2009 octavia 1.4 tsi dsg, I love it tbh. Maybe it's too small for your needs but we'll worth a look if you can source one.

wonski

Did you notice the update few posts up, guys?

Looks like OP already bought the merc.

jca

wonski wrote: »

Did you notice the update few posts up, guys?

Looks like OP already bought the merc.

That wasn't the op who bought the Merc.

wonski

jca wrote: »

That wasn't the op who bought the Merc.

Oops, the way the post was written made me think it was

Apologies.

Spipov

wonski wrote: »

Oops, the way the post was written made me think it was

Apologies.

yes, sorry, was me, hard to get a proper sentence out on ios devices.

going ok with the merc, NEED some retrofits in this!

amdaley28

bazz26 wrote: »

It's Honda speak for hybrid. The Civic saloon IMA has a 1.3 litre petrol engine + electric motor, the regular Civic saloon is 1.8 litre petrol.

from_atozinc wrote: »

Are these IMAs any good?

My partner has one of the Honda Civic ima's. She loves it.
I have driven it often & the system works very well.
Watch out for the IMA batteries as they're expensive to replace. The Ima batteries come with an 8 years guarantee but outside of that wiil cost a couple of grand for new ones.

from_atozinc

amdaley28 wrote: »

My partner has one of the Honda Civic ima's. She loves it.
I have driven it often & the system works very well.
Watch out for the IMA batteries as they're expensive to replace. The Ima batteries come with an 8 years guarantee but outside of that wiil cost a couple of grand for new ones.

mmm, the cars im looking at will be about 8 years old so maybe not the best option for me.

do you find the car slow ?