a6...2.7t, 2.8, or v8?

[Tony Hoffman]

The V8 and 2.7's take more labor on the timing belts, and they are due
at 60-90K, depending on exact year and such. I like the 2.8 and 3.0 V6
as well, but there are a couple of things to check. First, the timing
belt and water pump. This is not a cheap job (figure around $1000 and
up) and the timing chain tensioner gaskets. The part is $9, the labor
is about $300 plus per side. They leak commonly. The easiest way to
tell is smoke off the passenger side exhuast manifold/downpipe after
some spirited driving. The instrument clusters have an led screen in
the center that are known for loosing pixels. That's all I can think
of right now,

HTH,
Tony



On Tue, Dec 29, 2009 at 5:12 PM, Steve Meyer <quattroslm at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I have a friend looking for a new(ish) car and he thinks an A6 might fit the bill. I've always been a fan of the 2.8v6(and the newer versions), but what are the downfalls of the the 2.7tt and the 4.2v8? Is it the number of engine specific parts, the extra labor to work on the rarer versions? He's looking in the $10-$15k range, but he doesn't need alot of power. He's a realtor and just needs something nice and reliable to haul around clients in our always changing Iowa weather. I've also been pushing him to get a Passat 4Motion, but he only like the newer body styles(2006+) and they don't fit his price range.
>
> Thanks,
> Steve