S4B6 or A6C6?

[vaidotas203]

Story short. I had A4 B6, loved model, loved how it looks, but mine had only 2L petrol engine and after 3 years I simply sold it.
Now I am looking for a car to replace it and basically stuck between two models:

S4B6 - 4.2 Petrol
A6C6 - 3L TDI 171KW

I just wondering if there are owners who had similar dilemma. These cars are ways too different for easy comparison.
But maybe you bought A6C6 but after getting it thought about petrol engine or vica versa?


In one year I drive on average 10'000 KM, maintenance will be done by car services, I live alone and only rarely need to have more space in the car for sister and my niece.
I never had a diesel and always preferred sounds of petrol, but as far as I know A6C6 does not have a lot of good petrol engines, 3.2 FSI is tricky one, 4.2 FSI is a bit pricey, others are under-powered.
For my personal taste B7 does not look good and prefer B6 looks over B7.

[a4audi4fun]

Being in Europe, I'd stick with the diesel since the V8 petrol running costs would be rather high. On the flip side do you really want a car as large as an A6 with narrow city roads etc - perhaps a later model A3 with diesel or turbo 4 cylinder might better fit your needs.

[blitz2190]

Story short. I had A4 B6, loved model, loved how it looks, but mine had only 2L petrol engine and after 3 years I simply sold it.
Now I am looking for a car to replace it and basically stuck between two models:

S4B6 - 4.2 Petrol
A6C6 - 3L TDI 171KW

I just wondering if there are owners who had similar dilemma. These cars are ways too different for easy comparison.
But maybe you bought A6C6 but after getting it thought about petrol engine or vica versa?


In one year I drive on average 10'000 KM, maintenance will be done by car services, I live alone and only rarely need to have more space in the car for sister and my niece.
I never had a diesel and always preferred sounds of petrol, but as far as I know A6C6 does not have a lot of good petrol engines, 3.2 FSI is tricky one, 4.2 FSI is a bit pricey, others are under-powered.
For my personal taste B7 does not look good and prefer B6 looks over B7.

keep in mind that the 4.2 found in the b6/b7 is in most peoples opinion the worst engine audi even made. It has a very expensive timing chain job that is almost guaranteed to be needed(and if done at a shop can sometimes cost what the car is worth) if it hasn't been done yet, and the bores were to small, sometimes causing them to get gouged and eat oil like its last meal.

[vaidotas203]

Being in Europe, I'd stick with the diesel since the V8 petrol running costs would be rather high. On the flip side do you really want a car as large as an A6 with narrow city roads etc - perhaps a later model A3 with diesel or turbo 4 cylinder might better fit your needs.

I am mostly worried about maintenance cost as chain replacement and tensioner are a bit pricey but theoretically you would need to do that only once. And I should fit in 1500 eur regarding full engine maintenance. That is a lot, but should be once in the time I would own that car.
Not a big fan of A3, newer models do look nice, but nah.

keep in mind that the 4.2 found in the b6/b7 is in most peoples opinion the worst engine audi even made. It has a very expensive timing chain job that is almost guaranteed to be needed(and if done at a shop can sometimes cost what the car is worth) if it hasn't been done yet, and the bores were to small, sometimes causing them to get gouged and eat oil like its last meal.

It is first time I hear that those engines are bad. Is there anything else bad about them or just maintenance cost?

[blitz2190]

I am mostly worried about maintenance cost as chain replacement and tensioner are a bit pricey but theoretically you would need to do that only once. And I should fit in 1500 eur regarding full engine maintenance. That is a lot, but should be once in the time I would own that car.
Not a big fan of A3, newer models do look nice, but nah.




It is first time I hear that those engines are bad. Is there anything else bad about them or just maintenance cost?

well the body has the same issues as the a4 not bad but eventually will need new control arms minor things like that. Just a heads up the parts alone can be north of $3500 for the timing job with some shops charging up to $7000 to do the job with parts. most get it done for around $5000. Check the b6/b7 s4 forums theres almost always a timing chain rattle problem on the from page its one of the reason the car is worth as little as it is.

[vaidotas203]

well the body has the same issues as the a4 not bad but eventually will need new control arms minor things like that. Just a heads up the parts alone can be north of $3500 for the timing job with some shops charging up to $7000 to do the job with parts. most get it done for around $5000. Check the b6/b7 s4 forums theres almost always a timing chain rattle problem on the from page its one of the reason the car is worth as little as it is.

That is a bit scary.
Other question is selling price after few, maybe more years.
S4B6 is a bit rare compared to diesel A6c6 3L TDI.
I wonder which will lose more value over the time.

[andsons]

C6 TDI. We didn't get the TDi version but I love my wifes avant. Would kill for a manual diesel version.

[vaidotas203]

C6 TDI is on every second corner in Europe

[blitz2190]

That is a bit scary.
Other question is selling price after few, maybe more years.
S4B6 is a bit rare compared to diesel A6c6 3L TDI.
I wonder which will lose more value over the time.

its rare as most end up scraped or parted when the engine goes. I actually helped with a 2.7 swap on one because the car itself was immaculate but the engine decided to eat itself at 120k, gouged the hell out of the cylinder walls and ate a quart of oil driving down the street.

[AudiA4_20T]

Also, sometimes the 4.2 just has scored cylinder walls out of nowhere and the engine is trash.

[J.kaseno]

Well shit! I was looking at a b5 s4(Manual) with 56k miles and a b7 s4(Auto) with 86k miles. Both appear in immaculate condition. After reading about engines issues now im just not sure about either.

I currently own a b6 1.8t. Although I love the car Ive been tossing around the idea of finding something with a bit more power. I also like the growl of a V8 with a nice exhaust equiped. Any recommendations here?

I do like the s5 and s6 vut those are a little out of the price range at this time. Is the 4.2 reallly the worst engine audi has produced?

[AudiA4_20T]

Well shit! I was looking at a b5 s4(Manual) with 56k miles and a b7 s4(Auto) with 86k miles. Both appear in immaculate condition. After reading about engines issues now im just not sure about either.

I currently own a b6 1.8t. Although I love the car Ive been tossing around the idea of finding something with a bit more power. I also like the growl of a V8 with a nice exhaust equiped. Any recommendations here?

I do like the s5 and s6 vut those are a little out of the price range at this time. Is the 4.2 reallly the worst engine audi has produced?

C5 S6. Yes it's terrible

[blitz2190]

i would 100% take the b5 s4 typically the worst you'll see with the 2.7 is some oil leaks which are easily fixed. Or possibly a turbo going which is true of any turbo car. The only reason people give it a bad rep is you typically have to pull the engine to work on the turbos. As far as the engine itself, when properly maintained they are rock solid and take a beating. The thing to keep in mind when looking at one is well documented maintenance and if that person is younger(typically but not always means they beat the car more) And to add to clints response yes they are horrible, now the belt driven 4.2 from the c5 is bulletproof one of the most reliable engines audi made.

[J.kaseno]

i would 100% take the b5 s4 typically the worst you'll see with the 2.7 is some oil leaks which are easily fixed. Or possibly a turbo going which is true of any turbo car. The only reason people give it a bad rep is you typically have to pull the engine to work on the turbos. As far as the engine itself, when properly maintained they are rock solid and take a beating. The thing to keep in mind when looking at one is well documented maintenance and if that person is younger(typically but not always means they beat the car more) And to add to clints response yes they are horrible, now the belt driven 4.2 from the c5 is bulletproof one of the most reliable engines audi made.

Thanks for the information. I haven't found any c5s6 around my area for sale. The b5s4 is auto i guess, confused it with something else i was looking at. Yes ive heard of the "pulling the engine for turbo work"

The supercharged 3 liter ...are those any good?

[blitz2190]

Thanks for the information. I haven't found any c5s6 around my area for sale. The b5s4 is auto i guess, confused it with something else i was looking at. Yes ive heard of the "pulling the engine for turbo work"

The supercharged 3 liter ...are those any good?

not a clue I haven't worked on one or heard much about them. Might want to try the other forums on here for opinions.

[vaidotas203]

Haven't thought about s4b5 or s6c5 as both in my mind are simply not as good looking as s4b6 avant or a6c6
Other option is A4B8 2 TFSI engine with ~150kw, but reading forums I got mixed feelings, some praise them, some not.

As it has often problems with oil consumption. Already had that problem on my A4B6 2L, do not want that again.

More and more I believe that s4b6 is the way to go

[blitz2190]

Haven't thought about s4b5 or s6c5 as both in my mind are simply not as good looking as s4b6 avant or a6c6
Other option is A4B8 2 TFSI engine with ~150kw, but reading forums I got mixed feelings, some praise them, some not.

As it has often problems with oil consumption. Already had that problem on my A4B6 2L, do not want that again.

More and more I believe that s4b6 is the way to go

if you like the body style and you can find one thats been serviced(timing job) maybe go for it, keep in mind that the oil consumption is also a very big problem on the b6/b7 4.2 as well when it wrecks the cylinder walls.

[vaidotas203]

if you like the body style and you can find one thats been serviced(timing job) maybe go for it, keep in mind that the oil consumption is also a very big problem on the b6/b7 4.2 as well when it wrecks the cylinder walls.

Talked with friend who has s6c5. Full engine maintenance with tensioners and chain, oil, filters cost in our country is ~1500 eur, while that is a big amount of money but you will have to do that only once, if nothing goes wrong.
Maybe prices are different in US.

[blitz2190]

Talked with friend who has s6c5. Full engine maintenance with tensioners and chain, oil, filters cost in our country is ~1500 eur, while that is a big amount of money but you will have to do that only once, if nothing goes wrong.
Maybe prices are different in US.

the c5 4.2 is a belt driven 4.2 where as the one we are talking about is a timing chain which is the one found in the b6/b7 they are completely different engines, the c5 4.2 is bulletproof, the timing chain variant not so much.

[vaidotas203]

But you just listen to this purr: :D

[blitz2190]

definitely not gonna argue with you there they do sound awesome, just giving you a heads up on very common(more likely to happen then not) problems.

[JustManson]

But you just listen to this purr: :D

That looks like fun.... nearly caught the light post!


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[vaidotas203]

Checked one s4b6 locally, damn that sound, that power but when car was started cold something was rattling from the engine bay, so guessing expensive repair are on the way.
What about 3.2 FSI engines? For some reason prices are very low while comparing to 3L TDI

[AudiA4_20T]

Checked one s4b6 locally, damn that sound, that power but when car was started cold something was rattling from the engine bay, so guessing expensive repair are on the way.
What about 3.2 FSI engines? For some reason prices are very low while comparing to 3L TDI

They sort of fly under the radar but they're good engines. They have carbon buildup, but you get a cleaning every 30k and you're fine.