General Audi questions

I dont yet have an audi, but am looking into buying possibly an a6. I was looking at the 3.0 and 4.2 models, but am pretty open. I spoke to a friend who is a mechanic, and he claims that audi's tend to "break" a lot, and given its an audi, they are expensive to fix. Can anyone confirm or deny this claim? And how many miles can someone usually get out of one? 100k+ possibly? And if anyone has any suggestions on which model to get thatd be great too ( i want something with at least some amount of giddy)

The term "break" is opinion in this case. Audi's are more complex than other cars so they tend to have more problems with small systems, like the CTS (coolant temp sensor) for causing a hard start. This problem is only a $20 sensor. Most problems on audi's are usually pretty minimal, however the maintance on them can get quite pricey, like the timing belt/water pump jobs that have to be done every 80k which can cost well over 1-2 thousand dollars.
On the up-side our engines tend to last "forever" and you can quote me on that. I know people with old audi 100 and 200's that have over 500 thousand miles and have never been re-built.
Even the 1.8T, which has been know now to go over 250k with no real problems other than the turbo.
Our engines and transmissions are very well built by any standards.

thanks for reashuring me. is any one model better? I want somethin quick, doesnt need to be crazy fast, but needs to be rather cheep (15k), used is ok. i like the style of the a6's. and i saw a couple s4's i like. 

Like i said the only down side is the turbo's on stock audi's which are rediculously small and tend to be ticking time bombs after the 100k mark. If you don't wanna spend over 10k for replacing the turbos in a B5 S4 then don't get that one.
On the other hand a 1.8T or 2.0T A4 can be quite fast with just a chip from either APR, GIAC, REVO, MTM ect. 2.8L A4's are very reliable, but are slow as all hell, so are the A6 2.8L's.
The A6 with the 4.2L is a very good choice with great power and somewhat good fuel economy, they usually have small problems with hoses in the PCV system in the engine which is very minor, other than that not many problems at all.
It really depends on what you want, what kind of power are you looking for?

Not too sure to be honest. Ive been stuck with i4's for almost ever, and was kinda looking to get something bigger. Ive never had a turbo'd 4cyl so I dont really know what to expect. I want somethin that can get up and go when I want it to, and has potential for some aftermarket parts. But at the same time I want the nice car features that audi brings to the table. 

Then a 1.8T is probably right for you, it can except aftermarket parts quite nicely. A stock 1.8T is gonna feel like the slowest thing you have ever driven at first, once you chip it its like a whole new car. 200HP!
Add a good exhaust and its around 215 bph.
It will feel like a V8 pulling away from a dead stop trust me. Plus there is a wealth of knowledge on this site about the 1.8T for tuning options.
You can pick an A4 1.8T from anywhere from 6k to 15k. You might be amazed on how well the interior and exterior holds up on these cars as well, a 96 A4 1.8T won't look like its over 10 years old.

I go cruising around in my buddy's '06 mustang, and thats one thing I want, to be able to at least keep up with him, not necesarily be dead even, but just keep up.

A chipped 1.8T will dust a V6 mustang, and it will almost keep up with a GT mustang but it won't beat it. Now if you go BT (big turbo) and get the correct tuning, the 1.8T is capable of around 350HP saftely on the stock internals which is more than enough to make most mustangs look stupid.

thanks. youve been a real help

So. To chip the 1.8t. is there anything that needs to be done once the chip is installed? do you have to get it tuned and all that good stuff or is it more of just plug and play?

You have to take out the ECM (engine computer) and send it to the company to get it chipped. They chip it and send it right back to you. Plug that bad boy back in and your good to go, no modifications are needed. Although the higher boost levels (15psi) will tend to wear out the DV (diverter valve) a lot faster so upgrading the valve will help you hold boost a lot better.
If you wanna check out DV's or any parts for that matter go to www.ecstuning.com, this site can pretty much supply you with any parts you might need.

how necessary is the replacment of the turbos at 80k on a b5 s4? (it would really cost 10g's?). Wont the 1.8t need a new one also?

I love my audi A6 1.8T 2001 SE, its a really well built car. Dont know about their reputation in US, but they are known as reliable cars in Europe. Interior is solid, my car is 6 years old with 88k miles on the clock and not a single rattle. 1.8T engine is slow with factory settings. I imagine with 3L + engine it will fly.
 
A word of advise, do not follow the 'long life' service schedule if you want your engine to last. 1.8T tends to accumulate sludge and block the oil pump even with highest quality oil. Do basic oil & oil filter change at least twice as often as recommended by Audi. I killed my turbo once because of the above.
 
Enjoy your new Audi if you opt for it.

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ORIGINAL: scruggs555

how necessary is the replacment of the turbos at 80k on a b5 s4? (it would really cost 10g's?). Wont the 1.8t need a new one also?

It very well could cost 3-4 grand. 10k must've been a typo. You can upgrade to Stage 3 almost with 10k...

And yeah you might need to replace the turbo on the 1.8T, but its cheaper because there is only one turbo as opposed to two turbos on the b5s4 and labor differences.

so on a scale of 1-10, 10 being as though it wont run without it. how necessary is the replacement of the turbos on the b5s4 at 80k miles?

The A4 has got to be the most solid-feeling car I have ever driven...though I own an A3 for practicality and financial reasons.  As for turbo at 80K, as far as I know they're fine til the day they break, and when they break you'll certainly know it.  Chances are you'll have to replace it once.