Many congratulations to you both mate. Being a parent is the best thing ever. As you know I have the saloon equivalent in 2.0 TDi guise and absolutely love it. So comfortable and refined. Still astounded how quiet it is, with minimal road and wind noise.
I think it's great that you occasionally introduce other "normal" cars. :-) I used to drive VW (Passat, Jetta) too, but I wasn't so satisfied with both cars and then switched to Volvo (V70 5 cylinder Diesel, as a daily), Subaru (Impreza, in the winter) and Ford (RS, on the weekends 😁).
For me that was a very good decision and I'm really happy with those cars, I've never been as satisfied as I am with my Volvo now over the years, for me it is the perfect car. 🙂 Nice example that everyone has different experiences and preferences. 😎 As I said, everyone has had different experiences, so it can look completely different with someone elses' VW/ Audi/ Skoda/ Seat etc. ... I also know people who are very happy with their VWs'. 😉 Nevertheless it is a nice car, the new A4 and A6 look really nice, it should be perfect for your purpose ! You can hardly go wrong with the 3.0 Diesel, if the car is in good condition and well maintained ... Always wish you and your family good and safe journeys in the car. 😉
Great family car and congrats on the new family member! I had to suffer with a 3 door ibiza fr for 3years after my little one was born. I don't have room for more than 1 car so I had to think long and hard for a Swiss army knife kind of car. I went for the 340i. Powerful (400+bhp stage 1) roomy (I'm used to an ibiza) and economical at around 45mpg on a longer run. 15mpg under spirited driving but the other half doesn't need to know about that! Remap on this is required :) edit just checked the gains of said remap 310bhp.... wtf :D
What a great choice of car. I’ve got the 2 litre TDI but it has the bigger alloys and I agree with everything you say about them they are hard, uncomfortable and noisy! Enjoy the car and congratulations on expanding the family !
I've just picked up the saloon version of this car - V6 218. I agree, getting this kind of car 3/4 yrs old - you've likely picked up and ex PCP or company car, that'd be really well looked after.
Glad you like it mate , mine is the same but in sportline trim & it's so comfortable but wasn't happy with only 218 BHP so darkside did there magic on it , 286 BHP & enough torque to keep me happy traction can be a problem though mine's fwd only lol ! Apart from that I love everything about this 3.0 V6 avant
Mate this is exactly how I've been buying my cars for the last 25-30 years. 2 to 3 years old, up to 65-75 tkm. Always German. Every 4 to 5 years when the car gets to about 130-140 tkm, sell it. Still gives back a nice return, usually a move 10 t€, add another 10-12 t€ and of to Germany to get the next machine. Right now drive a Golf 7, 2.0 tdi, DSG R line, remap to 186hp. Very nice car, had it for 4 years. Next summer I will sell it hopefully for around 13t€, add another tenner and go get me 2016-2018 Audi A4 3.0 tdi B9, 272hp quattro S-line. Only in case the new BMW G20, 330D, M-sport will cost more then 28000 €. Audi and BMW with a 3.0 straight six or in this case V six are the best driver cars. BMW rear wheel drive and the A4 272 with a permanent quattro, which is different then the quattro on this car. As is the gearbox, this is 7 speed DSG, 272 has a ZF 8 speed torque converter just like the BMW and Mercedes. At the moment best gearbox especially paired to a six cylinder turbocharged diesel engine by Audi or BMW.☻☻☻
Basically a detuned 3 litre a remap will take it to 280-300bhp. You don't have to use the power all the time but it's more effortless driving and better mpg when driven sensibly
The A4 I wanna buy, a normal sedan version permanent Quattro tiptronic 8 speed and V6 tdi with 272 hp is a fast car and a very sporty machine. Now I would expect your avant to hold the road quite well, it’s still a Quattro, but an Sline sedan in the spec am gonna buy it must be a sports car and a very sport oriented machine.
Cannot decide between a very similar car to this, a 2016 3.0 TDI Quattro 218bhp stronic in SE spec....and a 2017 Seat Leon ST Cupra 300 manual. It's like heart V head at the moment and cannot decide. Thanks for a great video though.
I've got the exact same model. Very smooth very quiet and very fast. Plus great 47 - 52 mpg on long runs too. Just to put it in context I came out of a BMW 320d M x drive, which always had great driving reviews. The reality is that it yes it has a great grippy chassis, but is so incredibly noisy, bumpy and the performance limited by whether your ears can take it. No contest. I'm an Audi V6 convert.
Yea it’s a perfect family / daily driver - I can’t fault it. Funny you should mention the BMW as that’s the exact car I’m looking at to replace my Focus estate. An F31 320D M Sport touring…
@@CarFocused My view is have a test drive and see what you think. The post face-lift ones had a smoother engine I believe, but road and engine noise, and the chugging stop start weren't especially pleasant. Xdrive in my experience is also problematic at higher miles, along with all the smog gear ie: EGR starts to go - predicated by engine check lights (I'm talking 80k plus). Best wishes
What a great review, really well done, I've got a budget of about 15k maximum and can't make up my mind of either an A4 Avant 3.0 diesel, same as yours , the 5 series touring, also 3.0 diesel or an A6 Avant 3.0 diesel, refinement is my main aim, I'm also a fan of smaller wheels like yourself, but it's comfort, quietness and torque that counts for me, but I'm buggered if I know which to go for 🤔🤔🤔
Thanks mate! This car was great because it had the less aggressive sport setup that the S Lines have so it was extremely comfy. Good luck with your decision!
@@CarFocused copied your comment so thats a binding contract😂 and I've sent your you tube link to a friend of mine at a certain TV company, hope you don't mind 😉
Bought a 2017 A4 Sport 1.4 TFSI last year Amazing car, super comfy and the interior is identical to yours (although mine has piano black instead of silver - Personally I prefer the Piano black, makes it more... Understated? However one regret I have is going with the manual, I personally feel that I have to change gears soo much especially around town, after about 2.5k rpm you can feel the engine getting a bit boomy, and I feel as if 1st gear is extremely short. Actually the suspension didn't really stand out to me, it's alright, but I personally don't feel the "floating" effect, and the noise seriously depends on the road surface. Other than that, great car.
I've had the "b7" generation since 2016 ... it's now at 195K miles I've had big repairs though nothing that has put me off. Mine LOVES motorway miles, it (mine has a manual gearbox) probably better with the auto gearbox. Blasting away from the lights I struggle to throw gears at it fast enough. Have good look on CZcams there's quite a few vids giving insight. All the best.
The 218 version is the exact same engine as the 272/286 mechanically so it will remap to 320 bhp 750+ Nm. Only downside is you've got front wheel drive and S-tronic DSG instead of 8 Speed ZFHP auto.
@@CarFocusedthanks for that. I think in that era it has a better interior than the 3 series and the Sport seems to have a much better ride than S line spec which just makes it too harsh for an everyday wagon. Finding a 3 litre TDI is the next challenge!
Here because I was just looking at this exact car currently for sale on eBay. The dealer is asking pretty much the same as what you paid two years and 30,000 miles ago! The used car market wears me down.
@@CarFocused Would love it if it was a few grand cheaper! In a parallel universe without all that market disruption it probably would have been. My old Alfa Romeo is still going strong so I will wait and hope somebody finds some microchips down the back of the sofa and used car prices come back down to pre-pandemic levels.
Almost bought one of these as a 2 litre diesel for taxi. Only thing that put me off buying one or a 3 series is the fact it will be worthless in 3 years
Car Focused yeah I know ended up buying a 2015 golf Sv dsg nobody knows what that is but it's really spacious inside. The legroom is in the class of a Audi A6 and headroom is much better while still being shorter than a golf estate in length . Paid 9.5k with 62k from a vw dealer with a years warranty. Not the most exciting cars but it makes a decent daily, not expensive and customers love the space
@@CarFocused shame my BM X3 doesn’t have them missed them after my A4 having a 5 year old son with me at front when travelling without passengers I hear only some MINIs and 2 series tourers have them a real shame in the BM group!
@@ts6070 yea they will definitely come in handy when our lad gets a bit older! It’s amazing how your priorities change when you have a kid isn’t it!haha.
I get that but there's a few other motors with tighter chassis & better steering, vague isn't the word. I've driven a few A4's & the only thing I'd give them is they're a great cure for insomnia.
@@simontaylor3211 yes that's the thing I'm not bothered what there like to sit in a car should excite you all Audi's are too sensible and when I'm buying a car with my hard earned I want it to make me smile
@@philliphardaker9659 yeah I do understand what you mean. Up until a week ago I had an Audi S1. It was very quick but it was too refined for a hot hatch.
Congrats on expanding the family Gary! Great choice on the family car too - perfect for those long journeys.
Very nice. I bought my B5 RS4 when my daughter was born ! She’s 15 next month ! I’ve still got the car.
Many congratulations to you both mate. Being a parent is the best thing ever. As you know I have the saloon equivalent in 2.0 TDi guise and absolutely love it. So comfortable and refined. Still astounded how quiet it is, with minimal road and wind noise.
Congrats on the baby to come and the car, glad things are going so well for you :)
Congratulations Gaz 🥳✊🏼
I think it's great that you occasionally introduce other "normal" cars.
:-)
I used to drive VW (Passat, Jetta) too, but I wasn't so satisfied with both cars and then switched to Volvo (V70 5 cylinder Diesel, as a daily), Subaru (Impreza, in the winter) and Ford (RS, on the weekends 😁).
For me that was a very good decision and I'm really happy with those cars, I've never been as satisfied as I am with my Volvo now over the years, for me it is the perfect car. 🙂
Nice example that everyone has different experiences
and preferences. 😎
As I said, everyone has had different experiences, so it can look completely different with someone elses' VW/ Audi/ Skoda/ Seat etc. ... I also know people who are very happy with their VWs'. 😉
Nevertheless
it is a nice car, the new A4 and A6 look really nice, it should be perfect for your purpose !
You can hardly go wrong with the 3.0 Diesel, if the car is in good condition and well maintained
...
Always wish you and your family good and safe journeys in the car.
😉
I’ve had my 2010 B8 s line a4 avant since my daughter was born 3 years ago. Great daily
Congratulations to you both mate 👌The Audi looks a great car 👍
Those cars are monsters😁
Great family car and congrats on the new family member! I had to suffer with a 3 door ibiza fr for 3years after my little one was born. I don't have room for more than 1 car so I had to think long and hard for a Swiss army knife kind of car. I went for the 340i. Powerful (400+bhp stage 1) roomy (I'm used to an ibiza) and economical at around 45mpg on a longer run. 15mpg under spirited driving but the other half doesn't need to know about that! Remap on this is required :) edit just checked the gains of said remap 310bhp.... wtf :D
What a great choice of car. I’ve got the 2 litre TDI but it has the bigger alloys and I agree with everything you say about them they are hard, uncomfortable and noisy!
Enjoy the car and congratulations on expanding the family !
Unmarked police car stealth spec! I love a dsg, but when flooring it, it will nearly always hang on to the revs for to long! Paddles a must!
Nice detailed video so thumbs up! I am also in the market for something similar in the next 6 months, did you consider the 530d around the same age?
Just got the 3.0 😍
Impressive car certainly makes you think what you can get for the price 👍
I've just picked up the saloon version of this car - V6 218. I agree, getting this kind of car 3/4 yrs old - you've likely picked up and ex PCP or company car, that'd be really well looked after.
Glad you like it mate , mine is the same but in sportline trim & it's so comfortable but wasn't happy with only 218 BHP so darkside did there magic on it , 286 BHP & enough torque to keep me happy traction can be a problem though mine's fwd only lol ! Apart from that I love everything about this 3.0 V6 avant
@@CarFocused neither did I till I got it home ! Think that's why its only £30 a year to tax !
Mate this is exactly how I've been buying my cars for the last 25-30 years. 2 to 3 years old, up to 65-75 tkm. Always German. Every 4 to 5 years when the car gets to about 130-140 tkm, sell it. Still gives back a nice return, usually a move 10 t€, add another 10-12 t€ and of to Germany to get the next machine. Right now drive a Golf 7, 2.0 tdi, DSG R line, remap to 186hp. Very nice car, had it for 4 years. Next summer I will sell it hopefully for around 13t€, add another tenner and go get me 2016-2018 Audi A4 3.0 tdi B9, 272hp quattro S-line. Only in case the new BMW G20, 330D, M-sport will cost more then 28000 €. Audi and BMW with a 3.0 straight six or in this case V six are the best driver cars. BMW rear wheel drive and the A4 272 with a permanent quattro, which is different then the quattro on this car. As is the gearbox, this is 7 speed DSG, 272 has a ZF 8 speed torque converter just like the BMW and Mercedes. At the moment best gearbox especially paired to a six cylinder turbocharged diesel engine by Audi or BMW.☻☻☻
Basically a detuned 3 litre a remap will take it to 280-300bhp. You don't have to use the power all the time but it's more effortless driving and better mpg when driven sensibly
Car Focused apart from 1 cheap run about I've remapped every car I've had no regrets. Will make you want to drive a lot more
Yep, defo worth doing. A custom stage one with no mods can produce 310bhp from this engine and an additional 140NM ;)
There's a very good chance that this car has the S -Tronic gearbox that's limited to 400nm. Great car!!
How did you rate the gti against the rs?
The A4 I wanna buy, a normal sedan version permanent Quattro tiptronic 8 speed and V6 tdi with 272 hp is a fast car and a very sporty machine. Now I would expect your avant to hold the road quite well, it’s still a Quattro, but an Sline sedan in the spec am gonna buy it must be a sports car and a very sport oriented machine.
Cannot decide between a very similar car to this, a 2016 3.0 TDI Quattro 218bhp stronic in SE spec....and a 2017 Seat Leon ST Cupra 300 manual.
It's like heart V head at the moment and cannot decide.
Thanks for a great video though.
Thank you
I've got the exact same model. Very smooth very quiet and very fast. Plus great 47 - 52 mpg on long runs too. Just to put it in context I came out of a BMW 320d M x drive, which always had great driving reviews. The reality is that it yes it has a great grippy chassis, but is so incredibly noisy, bumpy and the performance limited by whether your ears can take it. No contest. I'm an Audi V6 convert.
Yea it’s a perfect family / daily driver - I can’t fault it. Funny you should mention the BMW as that’s the exact car I’m looking at to replace my Focus estate. An F31 320D M Sport touring…
@@CarFocused My view is have a test drive and see what you think. The post face-lift ones had a smoother engine I believe, but road and engine noise, and the chugging stop start weren't especially pleasant. Xdrive in my experience is also problematic at higher miles, along with all the smog gear ie: EGR starts to go - predicated by engine check lights (I'm talking 80k plus). Best wishes
What a great review, really well done, I've got a budget of about 15k maximum and can't make up my mind of either an A4 Avant 3.0 diesel, same as yours , the 5 series touring, also 3.0 diesel or an A6 Avant 3.0 diesel, refinement is my main aim, I'm also a fan of smaller wheels like yourself, but it's comfort, quietness and torque that counts for me, but I'm buggered if I know which to go for 🤔🤔🤔
Thanks mate! This car was great because it had the less aggressive sport setup that the S Lines have so it was extremely comfy. Good luck with your decision!
Yea great looking car, love me a fast diesel and great low down torque 😆
@@CarFocused I have a mazda 6 estate 2016 with 175ps and that feels exactly the same
Is your daily job a car salesman by any chance 🤔😁 The way you cover reviews is superb and your Top Gear Presenter material 😉😛😁
@@CarFocused if they do I want 10% of your salary 😂
@@CarFocused copied your comment so thats a binding contract😂 and I've sent your you tube link to a friend of mine at a certain TV company, hope you don't mind 😉
This is top of my list - was worried it wouldn’t give the mpg of the 2L diesels but sounds like it does!
Driven sensibly you should be able to achieve 50mpg!
@@CarFocused Which bhp version is this as I know there’s one at around 218 and one at around 270?
@@tomjxn this is the lesser one - but a simple remap will take it up to near 300bhp
@@CarFocused Nice one 👍
Bought a 2017 A4 Sport 1.4 TFSI last year
Amazing car, super comfy and the interior is identical to yours (although mine has piano black instead of silver - Personally I prefer the Piano black, makes it more... Understated?
However one regret I have is going with the manual, I personally feel that I have to change gears soo much especially around town, after about 2.5k rpm you can feel the engine getting a bit boomy, and I feel as if 1st gear is extremely short.
Actually the suspension didn't really stand out to me, it's alright, but I personally don't feel the "floating" effect, and the noise seriously depends on the road surface.
Other than that, great car.
We do miss ours. It was a good workhorse that’s for sure!
How reliable are these cars with the 3.0 V6? expensive repairs and maintenance?
I've had the "b7" generation since 2016 ... it's now at 195K miles I've had big repairs though nothing that has put me off. Mine LOVES motorway miles, it (mine has a manual gearbox) probably better with the auto gearbox. Blasting away from the lights I struggle to throw gears at it fast enough. Have good look on CZcams there's quite a few vids giving insight. All the best.
The 218 version is the exact same engine as the 272/286 mechanically so it will remap to 320 bhp 750+ Nm. Only downside is you've got front wheel drive and S-tronic DSG instead of 8 Speed ZFHP auto.
How much is road tax for 12 months on something like that Gaz
Nice car didn't you consider the focus st diesel I think I woud have gone for that
@@CarFocused yes I think your are right just had a look at the focus st diesel prices very expensive
The interior of the Audi takes a lot of beating
I'm thinking about getting one of these and just wondered how you found it in the longer term?
It was superb to be fair, traded it in last year for a brand new Corolla Excel Touring Sports.
@@CarFocusedthanks for that. I think in that era it has a better interior than the 3 series and the Sport seems to have a much better ride than S line spec which just makes it too harsh for an everyday wagon. Finding a 3 litre TDI is the next challenge!
@CarFocused corolla....big drop in power
@@adamx1748 and a significant increase in hassle fee motoring 😊
@@CarFocused Did you get hassle with the audi in the end? I'm considering the version you reviewed
Here because I was just looking at this exact car currently for sale on eBay. The dealer is asking pretty much the same as what you paid two years and 30,000 miles ago! The used car market wears me down.
Yes it’s bonkers how used cars are holding up. FYI the Audi was a brilliant car. Had 3 faultless years with it 😊
@@CarFocused Would love it if it was a few grand cheaper! In a parallel universe without all that market disruption it probably would have been. My old Alfa Romeo is still going strong so I will wait and hope somebody finds some microchips down the back of the sofa and used car prices come back down to pre-pandemic levels.
Being a Ford guy I like it much better when you talk about those fast Fords
When you have your first child you'll realise how not roomy it is.So much supplies/crap to take everywhere with you.
Almost bought one of these as a 2 litre diesel for taxi. Only thing that put me off buying one or a 3 series is the fact it will be worthless in 3 years
Car Focused yeah I know ended up buying a 2015 golf Sv dsg nobody knows what that is but it's really spacious inside. The legroom is in the class of a Audi A6 and headroom is much better while still being shorter than a golf estate in length . Paid 9.5k with 62k from a vw dealer with a years warranty. Not the most exciting cars but it makes a decent daily, not expensive and customers love the space
Gary this Audi has ISOFIX on the front passenger seat 💺 and just shame about the colour it’s awesome in grey..
Yes it certainly does 👍🏻👍🏻
@@CarFocused shame my BM X3 doesn’t have them missed them after my A4 having a 5 year old son with me at front when travelling without passengers I hear only some MINIs and 2 series tourers have them a real shame in the BM group!
@@ts6070 yea they will definitely come in handy when our lad gets a bit older! It’s amazing how your priorities change when you have a kid isn’t it!haha.
@@CarFocused yes looking at an Audi A4 / A6 Avant in a few years time when or if the Bm gets worn out..
Whens the baby due Gary?
Forgot to say only £30 a year to tax !!
To be honest any other manufacturer other than a ford not really interest me. There are nice cars out there like your Audi but I am a Ford man.
@@CarFocused your are right I should open my eyes as there are really good cars out there to look at. Great video. 😊
Sorry mate, motoring mogadon.
I get that but there's a few other motors with tighter chassis & better steering, vague isn't the word. I've driven a few A4's & the only thing I'd give them is they're a great cure for insomnia.
Boring Audi enough said rs every day
Not boring to sit in
@@simontaylor3211 yes that's the thing I'm not bothered what there like to sit in a car should excite you all Audi's are too sensible and when I'm buying a car with my hard earned I want it to make me smile
@@philliphardaker9659 yeah I do understand what you mean. Up until a week ago I had an Audi S1. It was very quick but it was too refined for a hot hatch.
TDI? Diesel? No thanks