I'm looking at purchasing a 2000 A6 wagon with a 2.8L V6 (30 valve) and 5 spd tiptronic slushbox and I'm curious about the reliability of this drivetrain. I'd be doing most work on the audi myself. The car I'm looking at is cheap (quite a few small issues/maintenance) but it has high milage (~290K kms / 185K miles). For what is worth, my commuting car is an 2001 Golf TDI (ALH - 5spd) and has just over ~400K kms / 250K miles. While a great little car, the Golf just doesn't have enough room for a growing family. I've thought about a Passat diesel but they are rare (2005 only), pricey in Canada ($15K) and the BHW engines can be expensive to maintain.

 

I guess it all depends on what you would consider high maintenance. Unless it has been done recently already, you are due for a timing belt and water pump job. Parts and tools needed can run about $500 in the US. A dealer will charge about $1400 or so. Motor itself is pretty reliable, but it is prone to attacks by some electrical and emission gremlins. Another thing to watch out for is the slushbox. Although the 2.8 ATQ is the least of the motors that affect the slushbox, the ZF tranny can be troublesome.

If the car is well maintained, I would think that it would last you another 4 years or so. Expect to dump in about a grand in a year on maintenance and repairs. (That is if you are lucky.)

So in short, check the following things.

1. When was the timing belt and water pump done?
2. Check for oil leaks around the valve cover gaskets, cam seals, and cam chain tensioners.
3. Check to make sure that you are not getting any emission related codes. Catalytic converters are expensive.
4. Check for transmission leaks and operation. Make sure there is no hard shifting, slipping and etc.

Other than these things, the usual stuff when you are looking for a car...

Although I curse at the car whenever something pops up, I have to admit that there is nothing that comes to the versatility and safety of an Audi Quattro in my opinion.

 

Thanks hxgaser.

I can usually find a good deal on parts and what I've found so far suggests parts aren't that much more than my VW. As an added bonus, I have an assortment of VW-Audi tools (TB, VCDS, etc).

I will admit that dealing with gasser emission controls, sensors and catalytic converters are not something I'm looking forward to. Are there any specific issues with this slushbox (5HP19FL)? I did find a local 5spd but it isn't in great shape, grinds getting into 1st gear and is very loud driving in 1st (all other gears are ok).

 

For 2.8 ATQ, the ZF box tends to last a long time. For 2.7T and especially for 4.2 V8, not so much. Mine has 130K miles. I changed the filter and fluid twice so far. It seems to be good for now. Unfortunately there is no easy way to check the fluid and etc. Just make sure it shifts fine and run the car under load, such as going up hill, to check how it is operating.