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Guy.Ellingham

Hi,

I've had a 2001 V6 Camry wagon since 2005 that's been a great family car but is getting old and now has 280kms on the clock. I like the space and it tows our boat really well. I'm looking to replace it with a similar vehicle and am quite interested in the Audi A6 wagons. Budget will probably constrain me to a C5 as the C6s seem to jump significantly in price. Apart from the CVT gearboxes is there anything major to look out for in the C5s?

This one in particular has caught my eye - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/audi/auction-995195992.htm although it has come in from Japan so I'm a bit wary. I've always bought NZ New. What are the extra things to look out for with imports?

The ad says the mileage is AA certified - what does that actually mean? Clocking used to be rife in the early days of imports but has this been properly tightened up in recent years?

Thanks for your advice.

Anon

Hi there,
I have a similar car and I love it, a quattro 1.8 turbo.
I researched and found that the quattro seemed to be the more reliable transmission and they are not a cvt. One thing to keep in mind, is make sure the correct antifreeze is used. I had a heater core leak and it was a major job to replace.
A good thing to look for is to make sure it has 2 keys(the one in the ad has).
The odometer gets checked in Japan by a company we liase with, to make sure as best as possible that the mileage can be verified. Either by service/ registration records or a physical check.