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A4 or A5?


Tizzy
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Changed jobs so had to give my 09 A4 2.0 170 Quattro S-Line (pauses for breath) back. My first experience of the new A4 and Audi's new rear biased Quattro - liked both, big improvement over the B6/B7 models (even the S4 that I used to own), even thought the 170 diesel engine was quiet & quick - though mpg was poor compared to the 49 I get in the 520d. So the temporary 5 series should be able to be palmed off early next year - do I

A: Go back to another A4? - same as above - could have the S-Line special edition with 19" alloys and the B&O sounds.

B: Go for the A5 sportback? in 2.0TDI Quattro S-Line guise? Trouble is if you look into the A5 spec a bit you find that it's really poor compared to the A4, some really naff omissions like digital climate, auto dip r/view mirror & bluetooth and several other things that are standard on the (cheaper) A4.

or, do I wait for the new A6 in January? - but I bet the S-Line versions will be some months behind the launch. Or go for an alternative such as the Merc C or E in Sport guise with the 250 engine - 200bhp and 50mpg - apparently.....

There's also the new 5 series in 520d M Sport guise, which is well specc'd and cost effective in BIK terms - but it's so damn big - my better half will never drive it!

Your opinions would be very interesting :-)

Cheers Chris

Edited by Tizzy
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Sorry, should have mentioned as some of the older members on here may recall I ran a 320d MSport for 18 months and almost 64K miles. It never put a foot wrong (other than eating the outside edges of it's front tyres) and was well ahead of the 5 in just about every area, but IMO it wasn't as good a package as the A4 Quattro - certainly didn't handle as well round bends (though the steering was peerless) & the engine was much rougher & noisier than the Audi 170. It is also smaller in the back and has a small boot, so I don't want another and there are just too many on the road these days.

We are limited to a CO2 of 160 & it must be diesel, - hence other than (I know!) the BMW 3.0 litre diesels, the higher output 2 litre engines are the weapon of choice.

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oh goody, an A4 v's A5 v's A6 thread!

I was lucky enough to have had a B8 A4 2.0TFSI Quattro S-Line Avant Executive Stop-Start.... (pant...) and have recently upgraded to an A6 3.0TDI Quattro S-Line Auto Avant Le Mans....(i'm dying here.....)

And am fortunate enough to have also driven on extended test drive a (deep breath...) A5 3.0TDI Quattro S-line Auto Sportback..........

phew, thankfully thats over.

The A4 was a fantiastic car. Smooth, quiet, quick and really well kitted out so far as gadgets and seats and leather was concerned. Extras included the panoramic roof, and that was about it. Stop start reduced the CO2 to about 169g/km and knocks the BIK down considerably from the B7 Quattro I had before. The rear biased quattro is a HUGE step up too and as said above, rivals if not beats IMO (quattro biased these days...) the rear wheel drive offerings from BMW in the same price bracket.

The A5 sportback was also a fantastic car, and i loved the 3.0TDI engine. Pretty much the same interior as the A4, and the sportback bit is IMO a bit pointless as a hatchback. But, the biggest drawback was the price. It was a decent chunk over the A4, and I lost the potential boot space of the Avant.

A6 is a dream. Quick, comfy, quiet and handles really well for a big unit. Drop it into sport, and off you go with the 255 tyres holding onto the road. Scared myself a few times in the past couple of days and its amazing how quickly and quietly the speed warning chimes in (seen 140mph in Europe last week and it was still pulling like a train). S-line has nav, leather, heated seats, 19" wheels, xenons, LED DRL's (love them), park assist, folding mirrors etc etc but the drawback here is the price again, and the MPG which is about 34 tops on a long motorway drive... the new one will not be discounted either... so its going to be up there. Still the best all round, real world car i have had, and am over the moon with it.

5 series would be the only other car I would look at. simple, functional and comfy interior, but you pay for the extras (like leather and indicators :) ) Before the new A6, the best car i have had was a 530xit..... Xit.... all wheel drive.....in the states. i would really struggle to go back to rear wheel drive daily driver these days.

As for an E class. Having driven my old mans 320CDI back to back with the A6, i have to say its not as good by a long way. I thought the enigne in the Merc was superb, as was the gear box, but the rest was cheap and covered in Bling for the US market.On paper they are fairly equal in speed etc, but the Audi has far better overtaking power, and surges ahead through the corners - plus like with the BMW, everything is an option inc leather (on a mid £30k car!) I think i even saw tears in his eyes as he handed back the A6 keys to me..... he has since ordered an A6 quattro based on a few things like better build quality, more comfortable seats, lower engine noise, quicker and smoother... he's had a Merc for the past 20 odd years.... i think this speak volumes.

So, having my time again and not having moved firms and opted out of the company scheme, I would look at the A4, maybe petrol if you could wangle it with the Stop-Start system. failing that an S-line quattro manual diesel.

But as said above, I am now 100% sold on all wheel drive, particulalry after last winter......

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I discounted the 3 series Touring as it was simply too small in the boot. The Mrs didn't like the 5 series E-class and A6 as they were simply too big.

C-class was rejected based on plastic dash and crap old school auto gearbox. The manual C-class with a foot brake just didn't seem to work for us.

I looked at various other cars but it eventually came back to Audi.

A4 Vs A5 - with two young kids it made the decision easier. The A4 has many more family things than the A5 e.g. door sun blinds etc. We ran through all the options and for us the A4 Avant made the best solution.

I totally agree with the above comments regarding the new quattro. I think them also shoving the engine a chunk further back has helped as has me ditching the big old 4.2 and having the 2.0T. All combined (along with the dynamic suspension) it makes it a far better handling car than my B6 S4.

The Stop/Start is standard now (I believe) on the 2.0T and 2.0TDI cars but only in manual format.

I'm very happy with my (deep breath) ... Audi A4 Avant 2.0T S-line Executive quattro. +++

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I've owned a 320d M Sport (admittedly a Coupe), an A6 (admittedly an allroad), an S4 (admittedly a B6) recently. To be honest they are all chalk and cheese. Not very scientific but there's a stretch of road nearby which I use to test out handling, It's very tight and twisty and the kerbs are quite high so you can't afford to get things wrong. I can drive the A6 through there at just under 40, in the S4 just over 40, in the 3 I could easily do 45 and in the Porker 50. The difference isn't roadholding or power, it's in the way you place the car with confidence and know you're not going to hit the kerbs. In the Audis there's a lot of understeer and you need to apply lots of lock which means you not ready for the next bend. In the BMW and Porker it's more flick, flick, flick - very satisfying.

However show me a motorway and the A6 excels. I absolutely love it as a crushingly competent family cruiser +++. If that's what you after - it might fit the bill. Now who knows what the new one will be like...

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The A3 is very soon due for it's first service, I'm in a real quandary over what to ask for as a courtesy car as I'm wanting it for a few days .... was gonna tease myself and get an A5 cab then thought better of it and was gonna go for the A5 as I've already owned A4's for 8 years previously.

Only thing putting me off is the fact I wasn't too impressed with the last A5 I tried but then I was comparing it against my beloved A4 cab at the time ........ hmmmm or do I ask for the A4 then? Blimey !!

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There are no poor cars on your list. I like the A5 SB but as Scotty says you cannot have blinds (frameless doors) but they will not do privacy glass either. Its also a four seater only. That said it is rare an different and might be cheaper than an A4 to lease.

PS Personally I don't like the look of the A4 saloon whereas the Avant, like the A5 3dr and SB, is spot on.

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