If you’re going to go shopping for a cheap used car, you had better know what you’re looking at. Lots of cars seem like screaming deals, unless you know cars. If you’re looking for an all-wheel-drive wagon, today’s contestants might catch your eye – but either one is very much a case of “buyer beware.”
Yesterday’s cars had proven themselves over a whole lot of miles, and the sellers vouched for their ability to go a whole lot more. There wasn’t a strong consensus one way or the other on the vote, but the Corvette did come out a bit ahead. Had the BMW been a manual, it sounds like the vote might have gone the other way.
I think I’d give an edge to the Corvette as well. The BMW is from the right era, but it’s the wrong spec. Besides, I have been a fan of the C4 Corvette ever since I first saw one, especially these early ones before Chevy ruined it with a facelift. (Yeah, I said it.) And having driven one with a 4+3 manual and one with an automatic, I prefer the automatic. (Yeah, I said that too.)
Most of us who know about cars have had the cringe-inducing moment when a friend or relative shows up in a new or new-to-them car, and you know it’s a disaster waiting to happen. You try to be happy for them, but you know what’s coming, and you know you’re going to get asked to help when it happens. If only they had asked your opinion beforehand, but it’s too late now. Today’s cars aren’t the very worst things for someone you care about to show up in, but they’re definitely on the list. Let’s check them out and see which one is a less bad idea.
2002 Audi Allroad Quattro – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: Twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter DOHC V6, six-speed manual, AWD
Location: Woodinville, WA
Odometer reading: 142,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Audis are wonderful cars to drive, especially the models equipped with Quattro all-wheel-drive and manual transmissions. If you’ve never driven one, I highly recommend it. But they’re also complicated beasts, and got more complicated as time went on. While there’s not much to go wrong with an ’80s 4000S Quattro, this A6 Allroad Quattro is an entirely different proposition.
This car is powered by a 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6, driving all four wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox with a low range. It also has adjustable air suspension that can either raise the car up for extra ground clearance off road, or lower it down to tackle the curves. It’s an incredibly cool setup, but it is also a nightmare to take care of and repair, and not without its problems. Both the engine and the air suspension system have lots of known failure points. Even die-hard Audi enthusiasts shy away from these things. This one, however, has had a bunch of recent work, and the seller says it runs as it should, and the suspension works flawlessly. For now.
As you would expect, it’s absolutely loaded with features – at least by early 2000s standards. It has power everything, nice leather seats, a big sunroof, and more. And, according to the seller at least, all the power stuff works. That’s saying something for any car this age, but especially a VW/Audi product. The driver’s seat shows some heavy wear, but most of the rest of it looks nice.
The Allroad Quattro, along with the Subaru Outback, kicked off the whole “add fender flares to a wagon to make it look tough and off-roady” trend that still continues today. At least they aren’t flat black. This one has larger wheels from an Audi A8, and they look good on there. The seller polished the headlight lenses, too; no cloudiness here. It’s a car that might very well someday bite you in the ass, but as it sits, it actually seems like a decent deal.
2006 Jaguar X-Type Sportwagon – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0-liter DOHC V6, five-speed automatic, AWD
Location: San Francisco, CA
Odometer reading: ad says 12,000(?)
Operational status: Runs and drives well
When the X-Type came out, hardcore Jaguar fans scoffed at it, calling it “not a real Jaguar” because of its Ford Mondeo mechanical roots. But since then, I imagine a lot of those fans have come to accept the X-Type, because as it turns out, its reliability and durability have been very Jaguar-like. Coolant leaks, transmission troubles, and that old British demon of electrical failures have all sidelined lots of X-Types.
The X-Type uses a Ford Duratec-derived V6, a five-speed automatic transmission, and a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. You could also get a manual transmission, but they’re rare on this side of the Atlantic. I can’t tell you much about this one’s condition; the ad is maddeningly terse. And I doubt the mileage is listed correctly either; I can’t imagine this car only has 12,000 miles on it. The seller does say it “runs great,” but that’s all we get.
It’s definitely a Jaguar inside, with leather and wood everywhere, and an understated classiness that Jaguars have all had since time out of mind. It has the J-shaped gearshift gate that Jaguar introduced in the XJ6 years earlier; it’s meant to make manually-shifting the automatic easier. I’ve never tried it myself, so I can’t comment. There are some scuffs and bruises inside, and the headliner is falling down, but for a $2,500 car, it looks pretty good.
The X-Type’s body style looks good as a wagon, I will say that. I’m not fond of this one’s deeply tinted windows, but that’s removable if you want. It has a few bumps and bruises outside to match the ones inside, and the wheels have some curb rash, but it’s shiny, and it still has its all-important “leaper” hood ornament.
If you know how to fix stuff yourself, and you go into them with your eyes open, these are both pretty nice cars. But if you’re expecting Camry reliability, or don’t know which end of a torque wrench to hold, you’re probably in for some heartache. And if you do know about cars, and your non-car-person friend or sibling shows up with one of them, you know what you’re doing on the weekends for the foreseeable future. Which one do you reckon is more worth the potential hassle?
I’m shocked to say this but Jag 100%. The cross ref ford parts and mondeo platform just make sense.
Plus it’s already in SF which means it can handle the hills.
The second I saw the Allroad my thoughts went to my cousins who are both literal rocket scientists in Cambridge MA, and who, despite the insane amount of problems they’ve had with all THREE of the ones they’ve had since 2005–one of which prob cost them 20k in repairs—they won’t buy anything else.
The principle of buying something bc it’s awesome tech but inherently unreliable over something proverbially like a rock (not necessarily a Chevy but yall get it) is very much a quirky New England trait. My cousin’s dad —also a literal rocket scientist in MA—had a series of five pre-GM Saabs between 1986 and still today. (Not to diss Saabs but jfc this is a weird family tradition)
Allroad. Terrible, terrible idea but Dear Spouse always wanted one, I’d enjoy the stick-shift, and the dogs would destroy that Jag’s lovely interior.
I drove my X-Type sedan for 200k miles then donated it. It had the “normal” Jag problems: coolant leaks, head gasket failures an turn signals that would stay on until you shut off the ignition. If it had been an estate I would have kept it and put another 100k miles on it ! I vote Jag today!
Jaaaaaaaaaaag! Extra “a” for the long-roof.
Having had both old Audis and old Fords before, I’ll take an old Ford any day of the week over an old Audi.
Hard to choose. I did test drive an All Road but I just couldn’t do the wagon thing. Depends on how many of those Jaguar parts are Ford parts. I figure Jaguar might become an orphan brand, so I voted Audi. If the Jag was that different shooting brake… might have voted Jag.
Audi. Because if you’re stuck with a choice like this you may as well go out in a blaze of glory.
The X-Type is too a real Jag, and it even has a hood ornament too 😀
I voted for the Ford, since the Allroad is even more scary
I think the Audi is the definition of the car a friend buys and you try to seem happy for them. I still voted for it, because as long as it isn’t your only car and you are a bit of a masochist I think the Audi can be part of a healthy stable. The biturbo v6 scares me, but air shocks on a rust free car are a non-issue, and you can always convert them to standard.
The x-type scares me because of the vague ad, but otherwise I wouldn’t be afraid, but when both of these cars are working the allroad will be way better to drive.
I prefer the Audi, but the ad says the vehicle was bought as a project. It is unclear from the ad if it still needs work or is a finished project, but the car doesn’t have a license plate so it may not be back on the road yet. I assume a 5 minute conversation with the seller could clarify this, but since I’m voting based on the information available, I will take my chances with the janky Jag.
I don’t get why people are so scared of air suspension. They’re stupid simple. It’s a compressor, an accumulator, some lines, and air struts. Nothing is incredibly complicated, expensive or hard to source. Rebuilt stuff is available online.
I would legit be very tempted by the Allroad if it was local to me. Especially with the PS of “make us an offer”. $3k cash and I’ll take the fun 6 speed turbo brown wagon with lots of documented maintenance over the “runs great!”
FordJaguar any day. My dad had an X type and it was one of the lamest cars he ever had. I had to put a water pump in it and it was a PITA.If either one of these cars is going to catastrophically fail on you, I’d bet it’s the buy here pay here queen Jag and not the Allroad that was already gone over, presumably by someone familiar with VAG. Normies don’t buy ’02 Allroads as a fun project.
Since I live in Pittsburgh, PA it’s the Jag for this jagoff. IYKYK
I knew a guy who put 6 airbags in an AllRoad over the course of 4 years. The LR air in this one looks to be on its way out again. A manual transmission doesn’t redeem this one.
The Jag, on the other hand, is a VERY rare bird – I think I read that just over 1600 X-Type wagons ever made it to North America. I’ve only ever seen a handful. The Ford DNA makes it easy to repair and service, which is the Achilles heel of the Audi.
Jag all the way.
This one seems tough at first, but the Audi’s confidence-inspiring listing is exactly how you sell an infamous car. The ad for the Jag suggests the car has not seen an oil change in two years and that owner might not be fully aware of where it’s currently street-parked.
I would add Volvo to the list of trend-setters for butched-up wagons. The V70 XC appeared a year before the allroad, and while it didn’t have full flares initially, it had lot of unique exterior parts, including bumpers and roof rack that signalled “off-roady”. It was also much more successful than the Audi in that Volvo’s SUVs eventually all wore the XC badge.
If working properly, I’d much rather rather have the Allroad. But I really don’t want to be the one who has to keep that thing operational, either by time or money (or in reality… both). The 2.7 twin turbo is one of Audi’s worst engines for reliability and serviceability and I don’t want to be anywhere near one. I don’t know much about the Jag, but I like its looks and it’s MUCH cheaper and that’s far more than is needed for me to vote for it over an Audi 2.7T.
“Today’s cars aren’t the very worst things for someone you care about to show up in”
I beg to differ. An Audi Allroad is about as bad as it gets in this regard. I don’t care for the X-type at all. It’s ugly and will certainly nickel and dime you to death. But an Allroad will absolutely eviscerate its owners wallet. The person who buys one of these is just saying to anybody who knows, “I hate having money.”
Absolutely. Audis are notorious for wallet-ripping, but the AllRoad turns that up to 14 in most cases. Only the most deluded/devoted VAG fanbois support this car.
My friend had an X type. It caught fire at 70mph.
Still better than an Allroad, but that’s damning with faint praise.
Well, quite 😉
Having owned a Ford Mondeo derivative with the Duratec I can honestly say that I will NEVER own one of those demon spawn pieces of shit again.
F them and all their brethren!
The Audi will probably be a problem child, but that Ford will absolutely be a raging POS. No thanks.
I’m gambling on the six-speed Audi for $4k.
Ooo, this is tough today. The X-Type’s big weakness is the transfer case, but if serviced regularly, it’s not horrible. Finding a good used transfer case is getting challenging. X-types also rust, and hard, in the rust belt, so being a northern Cal car is a huge plus.
The Audi? The six-speed gearbox is its saving grace, and all those manual gearbox bits are worth stripping out when the rest of the car cashes out. Then, resell those bits to an even bigger fool who wants to convert their A8 or S6 when the automatic fails…again. Besides the two turbos, PCV bits are always a PITA on the 2.7T. The timing belt job isn’t horrible on these, easier if you go past “assuming the ‘service position'” and flip the whole nose of the car down. When the air suspension bits eventually fail again, switch it to standard coils and drive on.
Having dealt with a buddy’s X-Types and having had multiple Audis of this generation–both a wagon and a couple 2.7Ts, I’m foolishly going to go with the Audi.
Had a 2003 A4 6 speed of the era, quite a few shared parts. It’s the only car I’ve owned that broke faster than I could fix it. No question voting for the Jag today. I’m sure the Jag won’t be the most reliable either, but my experiences with Audi from that era are abysmal.
Those who desire an Audi have never owned one or had a poor friend/co-worker who owned one and wished for all the world that they didn’t.
The asking prices are predicting the first service charge that will occur whenever least convenient. So the Jaguar X-type is the fiscally prudent choice.
Tough call today. I know the Allroad is maintenance nightmare, but then the X-Type can be as well. But while the Allroad has a stick, it is also guaranteed to have massive issues into perpetuity. The Jag may have issues, but it is also pretty rare and a vehicle I wouldn’t mind experiencing because of said rarity. I guess I’ll go with the Jag for the novelty.
Audi, fully expecting to replace the entire suspension when it inevitably fails.
In this case I’d got in the opposite direction from it’s “All Road” past, and dump it on some BC Racing coil overs, with upgraded sway bars, camber adjusting control arms, and roll center correcting ball joints to make it a low wagon. I believe this even already has a skid plate thanks to it’s off road pretensions.
Before dumping it on the ground, I’d pull the engine for the timing service, and turbo refresh, toss in a fresh clutch while I’m in there. .All OEM spec, not tuning here.
Once all the mechanical stuff is finished, I’ve give the audio system an upgrade with Infinity Kappa components all around, an Apple Car Play Capable head unit, and a discreet pair of 10″” subwoofers in the wayback.
Hopefully the whole thing will keep running for a year or two before something catastrophic claims it.
My dad had a thing for the allroad when they first came out, so we went to the Audi dealer a couple of times to sit in them. Never pulled the trigger, but I still have the brochure. The fact that they sold a manual version is pretty cool. There was also an available green interior—either in leather or a tartan cloth that probably sold in the low single digits in the US. Would have been an amazing car if he’d bought one when they were new, but I wouldn’t touch it now.
As for the X-Type, at 1,200 wagons sold in the US, it’s simply too common. Make my Jag wagon a one-of-250 XF Sportbrake.
This is a brilliant showdown: balancing the fear of Audi’s repairs against the Jag’s automatic.
I voted the Jag solely because I don’t like the lifted look of the Allroad (even in the face of the 3rd pedal)
I usually justify a cheap Jag by saying you can at least sit in the gorgeous interior while you wish it could move under its own power. The X-Type doesn’t have anything special on the inside however. It’s nice, but it won’t let you forget that it was the cheap Jag of its day.
The Audi is obviously a terrible decision financially. We’re allowed to make some bad decisions in this comedy of errors called life, right? I’ll go with the much more enjoyable to (briefly) drive A6 today.