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Hi Paddy,

Well, with that kind of budget to shop with you're well into the price range for most compact 1.6 diesel hatchbacks, and I'm talking new (or nearly new if you're looking to maximise the bargain). 

So I'd recommend going for one of Volkswagen's new trio of compact cars, the Golf, Octavia or Leon (sadly the Audi A3 is probably out of your price range).  All three are excellent, solidly build and share the same frugal 1.6-litre TDI diesel engine. Of the three, I'd suggest going for the Leon as it gets you the best all round car, but the classiness of the Golf or the practicality of the Octavia are equally strong draws. Can't go wrong with any of them really.

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Hi Heino,

Check for vibration from the dual-mass flywheel on the 2.0-litre engines, and that the drain at the bottom of the windscreen has not become clogged with road debris and leaves. If it’s the 2.0-litre TDI and it’s smoking a lot, then the turbo is probably gone or about to go, and that engine needs a cam belt change at 120,000km.

Check the rear brake discs for excessive wear or scoring marks too — the electronic handbrake can stick on and damage the disc. Check everything electrical carefully in general for a car of that age, and don’t buy without a full and complete service history.

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Hi Patrick,

We have a lot of experience with this car actually. Both Neil and I ran Exeo saloons as long term test cars for a while, and I also had the ST estate for nearly a year.

I definitely preferred the estate in terms of looks and though it had more space in the boot, the Exeo saloon isn't bad at all in that regard. You probably know that it's essentially a previous generation Audi A4, down to the interior switchgear and engines. That's no bad thing of course, as the Audi was a premium model at the time, though it does mean that the Exeo feels dated in places.

Nonetheless, it is solidly built and everything works well. The TDI diesel engines are well-proven and particularly satisfying when specified in conjunction with the CVT automatic gearbox. They're not the most refined engines on the market, but good performers and pretty economical too.

Note that rear legroom isn't all that great, though it was improved in the latest versions.

Overall, if you can get the Exeo for a good price then you're buying a dependable car that is below most people's radar.

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Hi Nikki,

Bit of a funny one this. Normally, we would suggest that Lexus cars are peerless when it comes to quality and reliability, but there is some chatter out there on the owners' forums about some problems. OK, so this is not necessarily the most reliable source, but it's interesting that the same issues (injectors, coolant leaks, gearbox problems) keep cropping up. 

Certainly the gearbox was an issue and sufficiently so that Lexus changed some components on it during the car's lifetime, apparently to smooth out the shift action. Even so, the IS has a clunkier gearbox to use than an equivalent BMW or Audi. It also won't be as economical overall - the Toyota-derived 2.2 just can't keep up with the Germans in terms of economy. 

That said, it's a really good car to drive, has a lovely interior and, notwithstanding the Internet chatter, we'd still say it's a better bet for reliability than anything from Europe. Just check history and condition carefully before buying.

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Hi Donie,

It's a pretty new design, the A7, and Audi has an enviable reputation for build quality, so if there are any recurrent problems, they haven't come to light yet. That 3.0-litre diesel engine is a proven design, and doesn't seem to give much trouble in the other models it does service in, so we wouldn't expect many issues. That said, as always with a premium brand car, the A7 is massively complex and high-tech, so if there's not a full and proper Audi service history, walk away. Lack of proper maintenance on a car like this is a sure sign of future problems.

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Hi Sean,

There are no consistently reported problems, but we have heard reports of gearbox issues, problems with the dual-mass flywheel and some steering snafus. As long as it has a full Audi service history, you should be OK, but be picky as there are plenty out there to choose from.

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Hi Conor,

We've heard of a few electronic glitches (faulty cruise control, sticky electric handbrakes), but other than that, the A6 seems to be built to the usual solid Audi standards. As always, if you're looking at a high mileage one, remember that this is a complex, expensive car so make sure it has a full service history and appears to have been cared for.

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Hi Peter,

Yes, apparently so, but possibly still not quite so popular as the evergreen Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

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Hi Cormac,

It will depend on the year and model you’re talking about, but if you mean the 2008 Audi A6 update, which was the first model with the TDIe engine, then it’s basically lightly tweaked for economy and emissions, but those will be nothing to write home about compared to more modern cars. The TDIe could manage 53mpg and 139g/km, but that was with the 140hp engine, so it’s a touch under-powered in the A6. You could be better off going for a more powerful 170hp version, which will have slightly higher emissions, but which will probably do better in economy terms in real-world driving - and far more satisfying to drive.

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Hi Kevin,

Should be a good 'un. A3s are solidly built and the full service history sounds reassuring. Just make sure with that kind of mileage that major maintenance work, such as timing belt and (if needed) brake discs etc have been done.