A5 2.0tdi ultra or 3.0 tdi?

[Dave0525]

Hi guys,
I am about to change my car and I need a little help from people who have experience with the A4s and/or A5s (2017 onwards). Which diesel engines are the most reliable? I have been looking the 3.0 tdi and the 2.0 tdi ultra. My commute is 140 miles/day on motorway.
Thank you in advance.

 

[Frizzley]

Based on my personal experience I’d certainly recommend the 3.0ltr.

I had the 218ps version and found it delivered at great combination of performance and economy especially on motorways where The set up of the engine delivered plenty of mid range power which very useful for overtaking but would also deliver 50mpg+ when cruising at 70mph.

suspect the 2.0tdi ultra will be slightly more economical than the 3.0 but it won’t have the grunt or be as refined.

the only downside is the 218ps version was upgraded by the 286ps version after circa 12 months and therefore it isn’t as common. In the 3 years I had the car didn’t have a single problem with the engine

 

[Dave0525]

Based on my personal experience I’d certainly recommend the 3.0ltr.

I had the 218ps version and found it delivered at great combination of performance and economy especially on motorways where The set up of the engine delivered plenty of mid range power which very useful for overtaking but would also deliver 50mpg+ when cruising at 70mph.

suspect the 2.0tdi ultra will be slightly more economical than the 3.0 but it won’t have the grunt or be as refined.

the only downside is the 218ps version was upgraded by the 286ps version after circa 12 months and therefore it isn’t as common. In the 3 years I had the car didn’t have a single problem with the engine

Thank you!

 

[Gazwould]

Trouble is sat on motorway at constant speeds is of no use to a 3.0 as you can do the same in a 2.0 at a better mpg .

 

[Dave0525]

Yes, but I would rather have the reliable engine than the better mpg.

 

[pelhamsdetailing]

My own personal experience comes from the 3.0 TDI solely, so I can't provide a comparison. Mine was a CAPA engine from 2008 and overall didn't put a foot wrong. The available power and torque was very accessible and makes the whole car feel so very capable and usable, and the fuel economy wasn't terrible considering I did no where near the motorway miles it was actually asking for - country road blasts overtaking slow tractors, in fact. 45MPG on genuine, long drives. I really, really miss her. Get one that has been loved and taken care of, and listen out for any chain rattle on startup. If it's brief, like a second or so, then it's probably okay due to oil pressure building just after the engine starts, tightening the timing chain appropriately. If it continues to rattle for a good number of seconds more, then the chains or tensioners may need changing - engine out job, ££££. Mine was just under 130k on the clock and had the brief rattle for the three years I owned it, but didn't get audibly worse.

Tax was £320, so vs the 2.0TDI, I don't know what the difference would be sadly.