Faults:

Power steering - repaired, and another repair is coming.

Motor - to do soon, as the engine is rattling like an old Mercedes.

One broken front coil - changed together with the shock absorbers.

Dashboard speedometer went crazy - changed, but the computer LCD goes blank when warm.

Blower makes chirping noises at certain RPM.

A/C radiator ventilator connector failed - fixed.

Locks freeze in winter - doors won't close.

Turbo repaired, still works strange.

Duel pump electronics failed (a common problem for Audi diesels) - repaired.

Now rusts very badly, a repaint is coming.

General Comments:

The car is not a gas guzzler.

At higher RPM it pushes you into seat like a jet fighter.

The ride is very soft and silent.

Simple repairs e.g. brakes are not expensive. But the rest is luxury and expensive: Front suspension parts must be changed A to Z, otherwise the parts will fail one after another. One wheel = 6 parts, full repair (both wheels) with good parts = 400 eur.

The V6 engine is quite known for camshaft wear; camshafts + parts - 400 eur.

Camshaft cover or whatever it's called - 50 eur, and a V type engine requires 2.

Power steering repair - 350-600 eur.

New (restored) turbo - 300 eur.

Fuel pump repair - 100 to 300 eur, depending on the problem.

Shock absorber - 50 eur.

Coil - 30 eur.

Heating coil - 20-30 eur, needs 6 pieces.

A used dashboard costs 8 eur.

The motor, if taken care of like a baby (6.5 liters of good oil, strictly no delays with change!), will run extremely well, but if not - you better have your wallet full and ready.

If you want to buy a diesel - look for a 1.9 TDI PD, because 2.5 TDI V6 repairs are like repairing camshafts on two engines (V type).

Also avoid the Multitronic gearbox at all costs, or the costs will be high!

And I'm surprised at the amount of rust, as cars of '02 were supposed to have a zinc coating. I expected a better workmanship of Audi engineers, as freezing locks, failing fuel pumps, eroding camshafts, complicated suspensions, failing Multitronics, and blanking LCDs makes one doubt the "German quality and reliability".

I would buy another one though, if repair costs were smaller and problems were fixed, because, if properly serviced, the car will run very well and long.

Faults:

Air con compressor at 60k and again at 170k. Appears to have failed again, but can stay broken!

Turbo dismantled and cleaned at 180k miles - not a problem since - cheaper than a new turbo!

Central locking failed at 210k - £300 repair.

Numerous suspension components (I see these as consumables, but it does consume them!).

Maintenance costs (including tyres, MOT etc) has run at approx £1k per year...

General Comments:

Remember this car has done 210,000 miles... Burns little to no oil, and starts first time every time. Has never broken down on me.

Still on original clutch, CV joints, shocks, exhaust pipe, brake calipers. No rattles, loose trim - interior "looks new"... no signs of wear, and the seats are still firm and comfortable!

Yes, it's been expensive to maintain, but it's a relaxed and comfortable drive, very economical (still getting over 45 MPG on a mix of local A/B roads and motorway - a recent trip to Brighton got over 50 MPG at motorway speeds). It still has good power, and can easily take on steep hills in 4th.

It has been a magnificent estate car, and I would definitely have another - to my mind, it's the best looking estate around as well.

Fantastic build quality, great engine, comfortable and spacious... well done Audi.