Audi A4 S-Line Avant 2.0TDI 2005-2008

Class:           Junior Executive

Rivals:         BMW 320d Tourer, Mercedes C-Class, Toyota Avensis, Lexis IS220d.

Sister Car:   VW Passat

Variants:     4 Door Saloon, 5 Door Avant (Estate), 2 Door Cabriolet

Engines:     Petrol, 1.6, 1.8 20v Turbo, 1.8 16v TFSI, 2.0 20v Turbo, 2.0 16v TFSI, 3.2 20vFSI 

                   Diesel, 1.9TDi, 2.0TDi, 2.7 V6 TDi, 3.0 V6 TDi

Gearbox:    5 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Tiptronic, 7 Speed Multitronic

Awards:     Top Safety Pick 2007 from the IIHS

This is easily, the best car I have ever owned, and because of the Irish economy, the best car I will own for quite the while.  It took three and a half months religiously searching through Auto Trader and ringing dealers to find the exact car I wanted and I eventually found one in England one late February weekend.  Two phone calls, a deposit and a ferry ride later and I was home with it and it was better then I imagined.  A serious head turner of a car, flash but very practical.  Serious power when you let loose and the 6 Speed short shift gear box is an absolute dream to drive!  I choose the front wheel drive version because after driving a few quattros, I found the system absorbed too much torque in anything under 200 bhp and it tended to kick out a small bit when leaning into a corner.  This car comes on RS6 alloys sporting 235/40 ZR18 tires that are seriously grippy.  The 2 liter TDI engine sports the phase II turbo system which means all the little bugs from the early 2.0TDI are well ironed out.  The only thing apart from regular servicing I have had to change is the Alternator in nearly 3 years owning the car.

The A4 B7 (VAG Chassis Name) derived a lot from the previous B6 chassis, but sported a heavily revised steering setup, suspension geometry, a new engine range as well as the new Bosch 8.0 Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) which is still top of the range in chassis electronics!  The chassis name given to the Avant is B7 8ED.

A new range of engines came with the new A4 B7, the 1.9TDI was now only available in 115bhp, where the 2.0tdi started at 140bhp.  It also saw the introduction of Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) on the 2.0 TFSI (Turbo) and the 3.2l V6 FSI.  The new 2.0 TDI now featured Pumpe Duse (PD) injectors with 16 valves for the first time.

According to 2007 Swedish Vehicle Inspection sheet, the Audi A4 Avant 2.0TDI, is the most reliable vehicle on the market in the 3-6 year old category with a vehicle inspection rejection rate of 0.0%.  This is the equivalent of our NCT.

With its Bosch ESP, ABS, side curtain and seat airbags, and its optional quattro system, The A4 B7 scored top marks in the Euro NCAP crash test results.

The S-Line Avant comes with Sports Suspension, Audi Concert Audio System, Riccardo Buckets Seats with Lumbar support and the 3 spoke Steering wheel.  As soon as you sit in you know your in something special.  Its extremely maneuverable and easy to park with a great turning circle for a car of its size. 

Your looking at spending at least €10,000 to pick up a clean 2nd hand car, but they are worth every penny.  At €614 to tax they are at the higher end of the spectrum but are well above the older 1.9tdi in terms of performance.

This without any doubt, is still our favourite car of the moment.

gary

Audi A4 1.9tdi 130bhp 2000-2005

Class: Junior Executive
Rivals: BMW 3series, Mercedes C220, Ford Mondeo, Opel/Vauxhall Vectra
Variants: Saloon, Avant (Estate), Cabriolet
Engines: Petrol 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, 2.4, 3.0, 4.2
Diesel 1.9tdi (105bhp, 115bhp, 130bhp), 2.5tdi, 3.0tdi
Gearbox: Manual 5 or 6 speed
Automatic (CVT, Multitronic) 5 or 6 speed

The 2002 Audi A4 is one of my favourite run of the mill standard road cars, one of which I actually owned. A mixture of horsepower and fuel economy made it a firm favourite with who ever drove one. The 1.9tdi 130bhp is arguably the best and most popular of the production line, although the RS4 is with out doubt some car with 420bhp, the 1.9tdi had followed its sporting pedigree with its responsive chassis and classy looks.

The 6 speed manual gear box is definitely the best buy even though 1st through 3rd gears are fairly short, you can cruise at 100kph at less than 2000rpms where as the 5 speed box will reach 100kph at 2300rpm saving approx 5mpg!!

The engine is fantastic, torquey and has a lovely rumble at high revs. Its tried and tested as its many variants have been best sellers for the Volkswagen/Audi group over many car generations. A good engine will be clean to look at with out looking polished, the odd slight oil weep but nothing dirty or dripping. There should be no smoke and should rev out smoothly.

This is a real drivers car, mixed with impressive good looks, easy to source new or 2nd hand parts, easy to insure and although it will cost €582 a year in road tax, for anyone who is doing over 100 miles a week will reap the benefit in fuel savings! It has good road handling, very tight with no rattles or squeaks, a nice roomy cabin with little road noise.

All models of the A4 come with a 4star rating from the Euro NCAP safety and crash tests which is very impressive for a 10year old design.

If thinking of making a purchase, make sure to get the a high specification model because believe it or not, the lower spec cars may not even come with folding rear seats!

As regard to prices, about €7,500 for an extremely clean example with low mileage but on average you will be looking at a nice reliable car with modest mileage for between €3,500 to €4,500. Beware of clocked models, any Audi dealership should help with verification on mileage.
For the best examples you might be better off looking at the UK for a bargain!

This is a fine example of a good strong reliable German diesel car, yes it will cost slightly more to service than your average japanese saloon, it more than makes up for it in class!

Gary