A6 - the affordable used Audi

Sep 14 2009 Peter Hayward

EXPENSIVE cars like the Audi A6 come down to much more reasonable money much sooner than you might think.

A friend picked one up for just £800 with 140,000 miles on the clock but with full service history. It's now up to 178,000 and still going well with no serious bills.

Like all Audis they are built to a very high standard, and with that all important service history, can make an excellent buy.

Good examples of either saloon or Avant estate will never be as cheap as others on the market, but even high mileage cars still retain that feeling of quality and refinement.

The A6 has a bewildering array of different engine and trim options but since 2002, petrols have ranged from 1.8 to 5.0 litres and 150 to 571bhp.

Diesels are all turbocharged and range from a 110bhp 1.9 to a 3 litre with 236.

All have good to superb performance, excellent handling and roadholding and marvellous refinement. But some ride better than others, so try a few before making a decision.

Interior

Fantastic build quality means Audis now hold onto more value over the years than BMW or Mercedes. All have hard-feeling but comfortable seats, a high level of equipment, excellent rear legroom and superb sound insulation.

FAST FACTS

Audi A6 1.8T

Price: Pay about £3,500 for an '02 52-reg 1.8T, £5,600 for an '04 04-reg SE, or £6,700 for an '03 53-reg 1.9 TDI diesel SE (130bhp).

Mechanical: 147bhp, 1781cc, 4 cyl petrol turbo engine driving front wheels via 5 speed manual gearbox

Max speed: 134mph

0-62mph: 9.4 seconds.

Combined mpg: 32

Insurance group: 14

CO2 emissions: 206g/km

Marks: 9/10.

Main Rivals: BMW 3-series, Ford Mondeo.