have only ever had luxury japanese cars so have now decided to go down the european route! haha. ive got 6 grand & ive found 2 that i really like. the late 90's facelift shape audi a6 and the late 90's bmw 5 series. what are the common pitfalls with both models & which is likely to be a better buy! opinions appreciated. Thanks guys
foxdonut,
Apr 1, 11:53am
This is going to get messy.
Just go buy one of those Toyota things the yanks call Lexus and be done with it.
dannydmp,
Apr 1, 12:00pm
hahaha been there done that alredy! had a Lexus Ls400 along with a mazda ms-8 efini, mitsi diamante, honda legend, toyota windom, nissan cedric. yawn! sick of jappas! haha
fiatracer,
Apr 1, 6:05pm
I'd be more tempted to go for an E38 7 series[having owned 5 and 7 series]
budgel,
Apr 1, 9:32pm
If you can get a NZ new BMW with service history for that price I would go for that. Get at least a 2.5.
I have an impression that Audis are more problematic when they get older, and more expensive to repair with quattro.
In the end it may come down to which is nicer for your style of driving in my opinion.
Let us know what you decide.
Oh yeah, good luck!
sw20,
Apr 1, 9:39pm
This.
728i's are very reasonable.
thejazzpianoma,
Apr 1, 11:56pm
The 1997 + Audi A6 is a real gem. The V6 engines they use are a real cracker for reliability and are very low maintenance. You do of course have to check that the cambelt/waterpump/tensioner/th- ermostat service is up to date (consider age as well as km's) and allowmoney for that if it needs doing.
Pretty much if you have trouble with an Audi V6 its going to be the coil pack (not a big deal to fix) or its a fault relating to the waterpump not being upgraded to a metal impellar one, which you should always check.
In terms of a vehicle they are amazing and miles ahead of their time right accross the board in terms of features, safety etc. They seem to hold up very well overall as they age with any problems usually being minor.
Of course you should make sure you are getting a well maintained example none the less as abuse will kill any car.
Parts are exceptionally well priced overall for the Audi and the main service jobs are a real treat to do. They thought of things like making the whole front bumper/grill easily removable so you can get right in and work easily when doing the major cambelt service.
Be under no dissolusion, any big Euro luxury liner will cost more than a bare bones corolla to service/maintain but when you factor in the purchase price and minimal depreciation the bit extra in servicing is usually marginal in the scheme of things and overall very affordable. Best of luck.
phillip.weston,
Apr 2, 12:53am
I would go for the 525 or a 540, a 10+ year old VAG product is just asking for trouble (in my experience).
craig04,
Apr 2, 12:57am
Hmmmmm, a W8 for $6K. Actually sometime mid next week they should be around that price.
kwaka5,
Apr 2, 1:31am
so scotty, you'll say that you need at least 3.8 litres of holden to keep up with a 2.5litre bmw. Excellent. Good comparisson. Check what you got on a 90's bmw compared with a holden.
thejazzpianoma,
Apr 2, 1:40am
Pushing it but I have seen close! I have seen some lovely well maintained 6 Cylender full spec A6's around 6K. SOOO much car for the money.
thejazzpianoma,
Apr 2, 1:43am
In fairness from what you have said on here your experience has not been A6's, more so little 4 Cylender VW's that cost a third of the price and share little to no components. What you are saying is like judging all Mitsubishi's on the reputation of the GDI, only the problems with the little VW's are no where near as bad as the problems with GDI MItsubishi's. but you get my point.
thejazzpianoma,
Apr 2, 2:33am
You raise an interesting point about BMW's, and for that matter the earlier 90's larger Audi's as well.
If you take a step back and consider what the domestic market in Germany was like in the 90's things start to make sense. Fuel in Germany has been monumentally expensive for a long time. Even if you could afford a really nice big wagon fuel cost can still be a serious consideration.
Couple that with the German Autobahn system having no more than a 5% gradient at any point and generally ample opportunity to pass.
What you get is big luxury liners with very high and relaxed top speeds for Autobahn cruising but very little in the way of acceleration. The acceleration is generally traded off against maximum economy at cruising speed.
Just look at Audi's offerings from the early to mid 90's, you will see a range of engines offered in their mid to large family saloons 1.8, 2.0, 2.4, 2.6, 2.8 but nothing really of note past the modestly sized 2.8 until you get into the V8 performance offerings where running cost is not a consideration.
You have to remember too that those engines are very much "old technology" and were generally very sedate and a far cry from the comparatively screaming performance of the likes of the 1.8T, and 2.4, 2.8. 3.0 30 Valve engines used in the A6 being discussed here and other late 90's - 2000's Audi/VW's. This is an incredibly important point because unless you know a little bit about Audi's it would be easy to assume that the slow and stodgy 2.8 of the previous generation of Audi's (found in the likes of the Audi 80 and first generation A6) is going to be similar to the new 2.8 in the new shape A6 which followed.
Anyhow, back to the point. I think its fair to say that Audi got sorted with smaller capacity high output engines earlier on the BMW, in fact that is their speciality now days and why you can buy a large new Passat that performs surprisingly well with just a 1.4 litre.
In fairness Audi/VW did have some continuance of the "Old School" low performing engines but they weregenerally confined to the likes of the standard VW Golf and well removed from the Audi product line. BMW, unfortunately don't have the advantage of a secondary product line wearing a different badge, to help distinguish between more economical and higher spec models. This of course contributes to confusion as well.
This is not a poke at BMW by the way, while not my personal preference BMW make some fabulous machinery. You just need to do the research to find out which engines are going to give you the performance, as in that age group just because its a 6 cylinder does not mean its going to perform really well.
kwaka5,
Apr 2, 2:43am
Not sure where you are comming from scotty. i have a 525 and have driven holdens. The bmw drives way nicer fora start and when i compare my fuel economy on the open rd, it is either no different or better than alot of later model 2 litre vehicals. Yes around town it does suck a bit morebut so do most cars. As for performance, it is no sports car by any stretch but it will easily do 100kph on the open rd and will also cruise at higher speeds if that is your thing. They in no way share fuel economy with a V8 and and compared with a holden of the same era have alot more bang for the buck.
kwaka5,
Apr 2, 2:52am
And lets face it. he wants to spend 6 grand. Did the same thing as the OP. Have a 94 525. Paid $5k. NZ new. Fully serviced with service history. 1 owner and have had no real problems with it, touch wood. Just carried on with the services. It has just ticked over 120k and still good as gold. The OP is not looking at spending alot and for that you get alot of car. When talking about performance you guys need to get realistic and stop thinking you are a presenter on Top Gear and that we are in the real world of 100KPH speed limits and mostly one lane highways. Find yourself a nice car and go for it.
mgmad,
Apr 2, 5:23am
As someone with no particular loyalty to either brand, I beg to differ. Having driven 540i and V8 quattro A6 of that era, the BMW was more fun. Sure, the A6 may have had a marginal edge when considering the out and out performance but it's immeasurable in the real world, and the BMW was a significantly more rewarding drive. The only significant edge the Audi had was plowing around my uncles olive grove - wet grass, up hill, no worries.
That said, I suspect the V8 versions are probably a bit out of the OPs price range, but a 528i is still a damn good driver's car (in fact some journos preferred it over the 540 as they felt it was a better balanced, better handling car, albeit considerably slower).
phillip.weston,
Apr 2, 6:22am
E39 540s are often as cheap as $5-7k.
dannydmp,
Apr 2, 6:33am
OP here. ok definitly got sum mixed opinions about these two cars. i know 6000 isnt much but have seen a6's and 5 series in that range. so by the soundz of it both cars are generally the same in terms of reliability etc. oh also how does the 7 series stack up against the other 2. thanks
thejazzpianoma,
Apr 2, 6:45am
Might be time to drive some too, realistically they are both great options and you can't really go wrong. It might come down to what particular cars are available for sale at the time. In the bargain segment of the price range casting a wide net is often the way to go.
toshibanz,
Apr 2, 6:49am
Like Jazz said, the common faults are what to look out for.I boughta minter 1999 A4 2.4.Done 120kmsand thoughtI wouldn't have to spend any $$ on it for years. I didnt check the waterpump and cambelt history.Turns out a few 1000 kms later I end up doing them.Jut got that finished and out of the way and the coils packs went.
Shes all done now and like a new car again.Now shes mint and had over 2 grands work done on it because I didn't do my homework.Trouble is now, I have a new company car and have too many at home so shes going to have to go :( The Audis a top car!
Oh and the ABS pump had to be replaced.This is a common fault as well!
dannydmp,
Apr 2, 7:25am
ok think im gona stik with the A6. wont be a quattro or v8 model though, just the cheaper lower spec one. thanks for all the help guys :)
thejazzpianoma,
Apr 2, 7:36am
Good choice and LOL at low spec, the 6 Cylinder can be had with a huge amount of goodies I think you will be pleasantly surprised. BTW, spec does vary a little with the 6 Cylinder so just be aware of what you are getting with that particular car, some will have even more goodies than others!
vtecintegra,
Apr 2, 7:40am
I think you should drive an E39 5-series too - pretty sure if you do you won't be so keen on the A6 any more.Not saying the A6 is a bad chassis but they don't work nearly as well on our roads
chris_051,
Apr 2, 12:06pm
728i can return grouse fuel economy figures for a car of its size, 528i even better, and will keep up with the longer geared 4spd Falcon or Commodores in a straight line but wont be rattling itself to bits with excess NVH. I would go for the 528i which are a proven car and can get down to 7l/100km. Nothing major to go wrong the E39 shape was still considered the best large car on the market by journos the world over when the E60 launched, go figure. BTW as for 540i been gas guzzlers, I could get 8.5l/100km highway, not bad for a 300hp V8 sedan. With age taking its toll the in dash TV or climate control units in the 7 and 5 series can start to fade and they aren;t cheap to replace. I don;tknow why the comparo of a Commodore turned up, if you want to compare them the E39 came out in 1995 when the VR was out, that is all the comparison you need to do to see the BMW is a superior car in EVERYWAY no matter what engine is in it.
elect70,
Apr 3, 3:50am
^^ you must be joking ,attention to detail whole lot better in the BmW, listen to the door closing as an example , &shutlines& interior fitment .
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.