Audi A6 Avant (2011 - 2018) 3.0 BiTDI Quattro (313bhp) SE 5d Tip Auto Owner Review

This a very practical large estate car with plenty of room for 5 adults. The more powerful 3-litre engines offer superb performance, and particularly the BiTDI versions, with very reasonable fuel economy. The suspension is firm enough in the basic SE version and this is the one to go for if you like a compliant ride. The S-line is a smarter-looking car on its lowered suspension but I'm not tempted with the current terrible state of our roads. The automatic transmission is very smooth and kick-down is responsive. The steering can be adjusted for weight but I prefer the heavier of the two options. The interior is a very pleasant to spend time and the standard sound system is OK. I would recommend going for the 2015-on version (so-called facelift) with its Euro 6-compliant engine. It is also much easier to upgrade to Apple Carplay etc.in the later model. So what has gone wrong? The car is still under an Audi Approved Used warranty, so a faulty electric handbrake control module has been fixed and the electrically operated load bay cover is currently playing up. The car cost £54.000 new (which is why I bought used) and parts are priced accordingly - they can be very expensive. Furthermore, I have been advised to use Premium diesel fuel only (e.g. Shell V-Power) in my particular model to ward off problems caused by excessive soot build-up. This rather offsets the diesel economy, but I'm happy with that compromise to benefit from the additional power.