A4QuattroV6

And what of the 3.2's? Been thinking of something newer. The oil leaks on my 2.8 (220k miles) are driving me insane.

dwengi

I retired my 5KTQ at 421,000 miles. Bottom end still solid - top end not so much.

jseklund

Running a 2004 A6 2.7TQ at 325,000 miles and counting. Daily driver.

Starting to look for something newer, but the car is still reliable...just leaks oil and I'm not sure how often I want to start doing repairs. The car has been solid and I bought it for $9,000 in December of 2009 with 93,000 on it.

half fast

I am a long time and current owner of Mercedes cars. I have two in the stable with over 220k miles and have had ZERO engine problems. My '90 300E needed a transmission at 210k but has had almost nothing done other than normal maintenance items replaced.
Enter my wife's 02 A6 Quattro with 3.0 liter V6. It is currently sitting in the garage with the heads about to be removed. I purchased the car with 99k miles and it seemed to run ok but I ended up with the dreaded P0741 code and now a wiped exhaust cam on #4 cylinder.
I'm going to fix the car correctly and rid myself of it asap. I will never buy another Audi.

the_duke

Well it's not really fair to judge a brand by one car. Had you done some research you would know that the early 2000's 3.0 is one of the worst engines ever made. I don't have the time right now but i'm positive I could find a similar issue with Mercedes, BMW, and really all car makers. It's impossible to get it right 100% of the time. I also notice you don't mention the year and model on your Merc's. Mercedes had a few years with not so stellar quality. Always research before you buy. Even new cars can be lemons.

I own a 2004 A6 2.7T and it is quite reliable. Of course minor issues happen. I recently had to replace the TBB but other than that it's been great. It does only have 100k on the clock but I have no doubt it with proper maintenance it will run for a long, long time.

I also own a 2005 A8L 4.2 and it is also great. Linkage arms on the intake and I will be replacing the PVC soon. other than that it's awesome. 140k and I expect to go well beyond 200k.

N_Jay

If you hang out on the MB forum, you will get an earful of their problems, and a few stories of 300K+ miles.

Right now our "fleet" is 2 MBs, an Audi, and a VW (Touareg V8; more Audi than VW) and all have between 120 and 140Kmiles.
All have their issues, but none that indicate a life less than 200K.

AudiThree

I have a 2001 A6 2.7T with 198k miles. Has been siting for about 5 years now. Had clutch issues. I want to revive it. Ready to change the clutch. Any ideas on what else I should consider changing and what to look out for? I know i have to do the batteries, the spark plugs, the oil and filter, tires, etc. Not sure what else I should prepare myself for. Engine was running strong before I let it sit.

dwengi

Personally I would consider pulling the engine for the clutch job rather than the trans. This will give you easy access to do 1. timing belt, 2. valve cover/cam tensioner gaskets and 3. any turbo oil/cooling lines needing attention. O2 sensors will also be easy to change with the engine out.
Don't forget rear main seal.

AudiThree

Thanks for the advice.

CRuby

AND I would add to that advise, you can check/replace engine & trans mounts if needed. I recently took the extra opportunity to replace syncros & shift collars in trans, since shifting was getting a bit difficult.
185K miles & running good.