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Want an A4 but which one?


Cooolhurst
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About to take on an 80 miles a day commute (total, say 23k per year with w/ends) and need a car that gives me reasonable MPG, is utterly reliable, offers comfort and whose value does drop more than £3K per year. If I keep it for a couple of years am I best buying something with high mileage or go for something newer. Budget around £10K.

Any one have ideas on tactics?

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I wouldn't buy new at all. This market kills the value of a car and with more than twice the anuual average going on it, it will kill it more.

Reliability - go for an ex company car with 1 owner. Don't worry about miles - infact the more the better, as it means it's been cruising the motorways/A roads as you will be.

My daily hack is a Bora 115 PD, wifey's car. Bought at 85K miles, now just over 2.5 years later, it's on 150K. Only problem was the front underguard came off (AA call out), alternator pulley bearing and brake light switch. Along with regular servicing every 10K. Faultless (touch wood). Go for variable servicing to start with and then once the miles go up, change it to regular 10K jobs.

I always buy high milers as they are the biggest bargains going. You can get a better 'class' of car (bigger), which means they are not likely to have been used by everyone in the company thrashing the pants off it.

Of course, you can get some right lemons which were never right - so pick VERY carefully. Maybe the auctions will be a good bet for you.

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I've had a B8 2.0TDi 140 for the last week and a half as a loaner, whilst Audi sort my car out. Have to say it's not converted me to the perceived benefits of a diesel as it drinks the stuff (granted some of that is probably down to my driving style). Nor has it persuaded me that the B8 should be my next car.

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I've had a B8 2.0TDi 140 for the last week and a half as a loaner, whilst Audi sort my car out. Have to say it's not converted me to the perceived benefits of a diesel as it drinks the stuff (granted some of that is probably down to my driving style). Nor has it persuaded me that the B8 should be my next car.

Yep - different style of driving.

Basically you stay between 1500 rpm and 3 - 4K rpm. Turbo/torque appears at 1500 rpm and away you go. I rarely take my Bora over 3K, as it's cruising at 80 at 2250 rpm, and still has plenty of urge.

If you drive a diesel like a petrol, then all it does is drink the fuel and gets you nowhere not very fast.

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I am trying to drive it in a diesel like way. Pointless going over 4k rpm as there is just nothing there. Even following the economy gear change indicator thingy in the DIS, I'm only getting a max 30mpg. Guess it really needs long motorway journeys at 2,00rpm in 6th gear to really show it's benefits.

I never thought I'd say it but my B7 petrol will actually feel light in comparison to the B8. It might just be because I've got servotronic on the B7 but the B8 (with a diesel) really feels like a tank to drive.

Hopefully, the "Master Tech" will have given my car the clean bill of health and it'll be ready for collection tonight. It'll be welcome back.

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I am trying to drive it in a diesel like way. Pointless going over 4k rpm as there is just nothing there. Even following the economy gear change indicator thingy in the DIS, I'm only getting a max 30mpg. Guess it really needs long motorway journeys at 2,00rpm in 6th gear to really show it's benefits.

I never thought I'd say it but my B7 petrol will actually feel light in comparison to the B8. It might just be because I've got servotronic on the B7 but the B8 (with a diesel) really feels like a tank to drive.

Hopefully, the "Master Tech" will have given my car the clean bill of health and it'll be ready for collection tonight. It'll be welcome back.

Something very wrong, mines averaged 38 mpg in 4500 miles done mostly around town and I hammer it i've been through 4 new tyres in an A4 diesel in 12K miles previously. The economy I get is about 2mpg down on the previous model. The new A4 s-line is an absolute dream to drive, though I do have servotronic which makes it a fraction lighter low down...are you driving the softer SE ??????? which can come across as a bit soft and wallowy if you smash it into the corners but so have all recent A4SE's. Dont understand this tank thing at all, its not as chuckable as the old model but its obviously a fair bit bigger and no doubt heavier.

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Bum, :ffs:

It must be Christmas.....................

However, it is not really relevant to the discusssion.............................

Still if you are sitting that much sideawys it may well effect the kinematics of the knee joint and lower leg resulting in less 'feel' in the ball of the foot, therefore resulting in slightly higher pressure on the accelerator pedal..............

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm,

Ok, use more fuel and has a poor driving position ;)

Might as well have an A6 then..........................................

Si, how's that?

:roflmao:+++

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:cool: Nope, never read the Autocar Rag or the Auto Express comic - just drive and sit in a lot of cars.

The spine isn't twisted as it is not that bad BUT it is offset to the right - much the same as the old 3 series BM, E46? model. It happens as a consequence of right hand steer conversion if 'bits' get in the way. B7, whilst more cramped in the footwell area is 'straight' and there is no discernible difference between left and right hand steer vehicles. :cool:

Buy a Seat whatsitsname, you know the B7 A4 in a frock. :rolleyes:

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About to take on an 80 miles a day commute (total, say 23k per year with w/ends) and need a car that gives me reasonable MPG, is utterly reliable, offers comfort and whose value does drop more than £3K per year. If I keep it for a couple of years am I best buying something with high mileage or go for something newer. Budget around £10K.

Any one have ideas on tactics?

If you want an A4 then i'd got for a B6 1.9TDi sport - looks pretty enough with the painted / styled outer, should be into your budget and ours did around 20k per year with no real issues.

Another option, VW Bora Highline - has all the extras and mine was a godo run around, the Bora is quite cheap as its less favoured than the Golf (no idea why as it handles better and looks better) and in the main they'll run for ages.

Otherwise - Vauxhall Vectra - you'll get quite a new car for that kind of money, out V6 TDi has done 10k miles in 5 months and had no issues, great car, lots of space and comfy - and these will easily drop into your budget.

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About to take on an 80 miles a day commute (total, say 23k per year with w/ends) and need a car that gives me reasonable MPG, is utterly reliable, offers comfort and whose value does drop more than £3K per year. If I keep it for a couple of years am I best buying something with high mileage or go for something newer. Budget around £10K.

Any one have ideas on tactics?

Hire one for 2 years.

You can be in a brand new Mercedes C180k sport for less than £3k a year, all the benefits of a new car and they are probably the best all rounder at the moment for driving out of the big 3 German brands.

Upping the mileage to 20k a year may add £50 a month but got to be worth it??

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It's not normally the way to go, as you tend to pay for the depreciation and then the contract hire companies slice as well, but at the moment when Mercedes have 9000 new cars sat in fields and or £300m in the red in buy backs they have been offering £30k cars out with serious discounts, so while manufacturers are throwing money at certain metal it can actually make very little sense to buy one.

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I emailed them asking for some quotes on an estate, either a C180K sport auto or an E-Class avanatgarde.

They came back with a price of £264 a month, 3 x 23, for a C180k sport auto with leather and bluetooth from stock and ready to go.

He said that offer would probably be the same or cheaper on the 5th Jan as that is when Mercedes are going to get even more aggressive and release some more cars to the contract hire companies.

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I have decided against buying another diesel, the consumption figures are....

--------------------C180K-----C220cdi

Urban (mpg)-------32.8 (27.2)-36.2 (30.7)

Combined (mpg)---42.8 (37.7)--47.9 (41.5)

The C220cdi is around £100 a month more to hire and the fuel savings are nothing with the price of fuel these days.

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