Depends what size is suitable Sergey - the 4 cylinder lumps are pretty mundane mostly, but if fuel usage around town is in any way a factor then they certainly are worth a look.

Skoda Octavia vRS estate is the width of a Golf but has rear legroom not dissimilar to the A8 (just much tighter to get that 3rd person the rear bench!). They also come in a number of funky colours - kermit green is my favourite, as is the distinctive blue. £10k will net you a leggy 4 yr old one - £13k a minter with low miles

If fuel is less of an issue than the S4 avant with the supercharged engine is a decent option. I'd steer clear of a manual on tax and driving experience grounds. I can't recall the revs at motorway speed, but I'm pretty sure that even at 100mph it's less than 3k rpm in 7th gear. I'd try and get a late 2010 on example, or one that's had an s-tronic box. They changed the gearbox oil filtration system and reliability is much improved. Our S5 has had one gearbox service and there's no cambelt to change. It's getting a supercharger and aux belt next week as a precaution at 58k miles. They make excellent motorway cars.

Unfortunately cooking versions of larger cars are almost entirely diesel fuelled at that age/price point

Thanks Adrian !!

>> I'd steer clear of a manual on tax and driving experience grounds.

Are you saying that manual attracts higher tax?

Also what 'automatic' is bullet proof? There are many options out there now...

The manual S4 avant is in the over £500 bracket, whereas auto is £300ish - they also sold in TINY numbers as a result, before Audi dropped the manual option completely. They also suffer with clutch release arm and bearing problems as well as dual mass flywheel....

The s-tronic is reliable if the car isn't re-mapped and thrashed to death with lots of launch control starts or too much torque. Ours (2011 model) has been perfect. You need to learn to drive them to be sympathetic to the drivetrain (avoid creeping, let your foot off the brake and allow drive to engage before going near the throttle in stop-start traffic) but it's all about being smooth with it. My wife gets it, and she's not mechanically sympathetic at all!

The 6 speed ZF requires less maintenance, but as the conscientious person I know you to be, I know you'd end up getting the gearbox serviced anyway. The s-tronic requires an oil and filter change around every 38k.

If you went for one on sensible wheels (18s or 19s on the S4 - our S5 is on 20s, which weren't an option on the S4) and if you can find one, adaptive damping, it'll ride really well. Even on standard suspension with 18s it rides perfectly well.

They don't do a Golf GTI estate, but as an idea of what the 2.0T in the Skoda is capable of achieving, we did a road trip recently with 3 people, boot full of luggage and a towbar mounted bike carrier with 3 bikes on it, cruising at 85-90 and some local work while away and got 32mpg on a tank average. It's relatively easy to get 35mpg.

If you're down Gatwick way welcome to have a ride and see what you think?

Many thanks Adrian.

It looks like we will not get engaged with S and RS series -- too sporty and too high rpm on motorways.

S5 not available in Avant, so not considering that one too.

I wonder what is the most bullet proof engine and gearbox combination. Still believe it is Petrol + Manual. Really want something that doesn't break due to simplicity. I love keeping cars for a very long time, this is why I think this way.

Is it worth considering increasing budget and going for a newer A4 Avant models, i.e. years 2014-15 or so? Or is it a bad idea since engines became so complicated these days due to environmental restrictions. It looks like manuals are slowly dying for modern mainstream cars. Where this world is going... Perplexed.

S4 in 7th gear is doing 38mph at 1000rpm so will be less rpm at 70mph than 3.7 D2 which is doing 34mph at 1000rpm in 5th. If you want any less rpm you will pretty much be limited to diesels.

Ainars, amazing.
Which S4?

2012-2015 automatic, earlier ones are shorter gearbox, later ones have 8 speed box and even lower rpm

Have a look here: http://www.automobile-catalog.com/

Love it. Thanks for educating me!

It looks like I missed the whole era of car industry.

Ageed on the petrol.

The 3.0 TDi and 4.2 Tdi are actually pretty reliable overall. The smaller ones seem less so.

On the 6 speed boxes fitted to the D3, C6, Q7 4L etc, I wouldn't have to take my socks off to count how many of those I've seen fail. In fact, I think one hand would do it. And that's in 15 years !

Bear in mind the RS6's are regularly pushing 1000nm and 750bhp+ and have been for nearly a decade, and I don't recall ever seeing a C6 RS6 with a failed box....

The D2 and C5 gearboxes were some sort of feeble composite of chocolate and children's play putty. Don't make a sweeping transmission choice based on that experience alone.... +++

Ian, thanks again for opening my eyes.
So, A6 C6 Petrol with Automatic will be reliable long term runner.

I'll also check S4s Automatic years 2012+ like Ainars has recommended.