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A4 Avant, Volvo V50 or X-type estate

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Due to a change in circumstance my beloved mini is going back in to storage and i'm on the hunt for something bigger. Which shouldn't be too difficult...

Anybody got any experience with either the A4 avant or volvo v50?

The amount of bouldering mats that will go in the boot etc.

Cheers in advance
 wbo 03 Dec 2013
In reply to Manicstreetmini:

My experience with Audi's is that the servicing is expensive and the quality of the electrics could be better.

My experience of the neighbours V50 is that it's not huge in the back.
In reply to Manicstreetmini:

The X-type estate is pretty much a Ford Mondeo with added £££. I've got an old shape Mondeo and it's brilliant. Massive, pulls like a herd of clydesdales and regularly does 50mpg without trying.

 Dangerous Dave 03 Dec 2013
In reply to Manicstreetmini:

The A4 is tiny. Much smaller than my focus estate especially in the boot.
 nniff 03 Dec 2013
In reply to Manicstreetmini:

We had a V50 for a few years (until this summer)
Liked it a lot - V50 2litre diesel R design

Quick, frugal, very comfortable. Surrey to South of France in one go with a single driver is comfortable.

Dealers 'add-on' service items are scary expensive - things like coolant and brake fluid, discs etc - if they all come along at c. 30,000 miles like ours did, expect a bill that will make your eyes water.

Other than that, and an occasional mystery rattle somewhere behind the back seat, ours was faultless.
 Dave Warburton 03 Dec 2013
In reply to Manicstreetmini:
Can get a Edelrid Mantle and Metolius Boss Hogg (+ 3 ropes, a angle Iron stake, assorted car stuff and a small day pack with ease) into the boot of my Volvo S60. The boot opening is small but the boot itself is cavenous - so correct choice of mats is required. Both those pads are highball mats like.

That leaves the back seats for passengers with their rucksacks on knees.

Alternatively, two people and around 6 pads using the back seats or 3 people and 4 pads.
Post edited at 15:46
 Tom Valentine 03 Dec 2013
In reply to Manicstreetmini:

There's an elephant in the room....
 LastBoyScout 03 Dec 2013
In reply to Manicstreetmini:

Nearly bought an X-type estate, as I really liked the looks (the saloon is horrible) and seemed to have all the bits I wanted and drove nicely, with the 2.2 tdi engine.

Then I opened the boot - it was tiny, with a high floor/low ceiling, so hopeless for putting bikes in.
Paul F 03 Dec 2013
In reply to Tom Valentine:


> There's an elephant in the room....

Would it's name be Octavia
 Tall Clare 03 Dec 2013
In reply to Manicstreetmini:

We've had two A4 avants. The 140bhp one feels very sluggish after the 170bhp one. The boot is indeed not that spacious - it's a 'compact' estate in the way that a BMW 3series touring is. You can fit a lot in with the back seats folded down but they're not, and never will be, a slab-backed load lugger like my Focus estate. Very comfortable seats with a special crumb-catching tray. Cracking stereo. We haven't had electrical problems apart from a couple of mischievous warning lights on the second one.
Paul F 03 Dec 2013
In reply to wbo:

> My experience with Audi's is that the servicing is expensive

Had my Audi serviced at the local Skoda dealer for a third of the cost of an Audi garage. They even used the same (Audi, VW, Seat, Skoda) parts.
 Shapeshifter 03 Dec 2013
In reply to Manicstreetmini:

Had an X Type estate a few years back and just got rid of an A4 Avant. Did about 80,000 in both over 3 years each - never had a bit of trouble with either, both dead solid reliable cars. Boot space about the same in both - couple of mats plus plenty extra gear. A4 slighly better in terms of versatility when seats folded down for bikes, tip trips etc.I'd have said the A4 was slightly better overall.
 balmybaldwin 03 Dec 2013
In reply to Manicstreetmini:

I have an X-type estate (2.2 Diesel), as said above, it shares a lot of parts with a mondeo, and is easily servicable as a result (just don't go to a Jag dealer) however, it isn't just a reskinned mondeo - suspension and engine mapping etc is different and is more refined in terms of handling, ride quality and equipment (go for the Sport Premium model if you can)

50mpg easy on long runs (46mpg with 2 bikes on the top to the Alps this year), good equipement and very comfortable on long runs.

done a couple of trips to font with 4 adults, 2 boulder mats and all camping gear in the boot - very comfortable.

Relaxing to drive, but still has the beans to be fun if you want to put your foot down (8.8sec 0-60).

Bought mine intending to keep for 2 years, I've had it 6 years now, and can't see a reason to change so I imagine I'll still have it in another 5 years unless it develops serious problems.

Apart from servicing and tyres, the only thing that I've had to do to it in 80,000 miles is to change the EGR valve - £120 parts and 1/2 hour labour (I did it myself)

The one thing I would advise for any car is to not go for stupidly low profile tyres due to their expense (£120-160 each for premium branded) especially if you get a blow out on a motorway and need to get a new tyre at no notice as I have had to twice this year after hitting debris (£180 a time!!!)
 Tall Clare 03 Dec 2013
In reply to balmybaldwin:



> The one thing I would advise for any car is to not go for stupidly low profile tyres due to their expense (£120-160 each for premium branded) especially if you get a blow out on a motorway and need to get a new tyre at no notice as I have had to twice this year after hitting debris (£180 a time!!!)

Make that £250 a corner on the Audi...
 balmybaldwin 03 Dec 2013
In reply to LastBoyScout:
> (In reply to ColPerkins)
> Then I opened the boot - it was tiny, with a high floor/low ceiling, so hopeless for putting bikes in.

Bigger than an A4 or 3 series estate, and I've happily had 2 bikes in the back of mine (3 even at one point).
 Tom Valentine 03 Dec 2013
In reply to Paul F:

And were you surprised by this?

The thing is, and it has been said time and time again:
Audi owners enjoy paying for the privilege of owning an Audi.


At least, while it's a company car......
Paul F 03 Dec 2013
In reply to Tom Valentine:

> And were you surprised by this?

No not really, as I bought it off my Dad, who did the same thing.

In reply to Manicstreetmini:

Cheers for the replies. My dad had a couple of xtype 2.2d sports saloons which drove great which is what got my thinking about the estate. Shares the centre of it's floor pan with the mondeo.

Have started eyeing up the Octavia vrs too which as a few people have mentioned is the size of a large freight container inside.
 JimboWizbo 04 Dec 2013
In reply to Manicstreetmini:

I've had 4 people + 4 bouldering mats in my Hyundai i30 estate quite comfortably. Full size spare too

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