I'm going to be attending college next fall and was wanting a good reliable vehicle. I'm considering buying an accord or maxima but I've always loved A4's. The thing is I'm going to be a student full time for the next 2-3 years and I'm wanting a car that is reliable since I wont be making much money working and dont want to spend alot on upkeep. And since I'll be in the mountians I'll need 4wd or AWD. The reason I'm looking towards an Audi is because of the Quattro. I've found an 99 A4 1.8 Turbo Quattro 5 speed with 130,000 miles with leather seats and a sunroof. The asking price is $5995.00. is this agood deal? Is there anything I need to look out for? I know to see when the timing belt was last changed. Also what kind of mileage do the 1.8 turbo quattros get? Any comments would be appreciated.
Jason

 

Yeah thats a pretty good deal as long as its in good condition. Timing belt is every 60k miles, so check for sure. About 21mpg city

 

Since your probably gonna be a half broke college student I would advise against getting an Audi especially one with that many miles on it. Sooner or later you WILL be changing something on it. However, if the previous owner(s) did the required maintenance you shouldn't have problems. If you do get this car just be prepared fix something sooner or later. Other than that you definitely won't be disappointed with an Audi.

 

I've got a 97 2.8QM... I'm in college, too. The only expenses I've had in the last couple years are regular maintenance, and recently a fan clutch. The only downside is the 18 mpg in Atlanta traffic. I got it for 7000, when it had 90,000 miles. Now I'm at 120k, with a few major roadtrips, and the ride is still amazing. I plan on driving it until the wheels fall off...

 

Deffinately get an accord or maxima.. That way you can put any money you have towards beer and drugs instead of control arms and timing belts. Hell, 95+ model maxima's have timing chains that never need replacing. And you cant beat an accord. Too many little issues to worry about with an Audi.. They are sexy cars though huh?

 

I'm going to go down and check it out next week. If its in good shape I'm probably going to offer 5000 cash or 5200 max.

 

If you are college and don't have $$$ to spend on unexpected repairs, I go for a honda or toyota for basic transportation.

130K miles is not a huge amount for an Audi, but it will need a lot more maintenance than the above 2 cars.

BTW, the car has "leatherette" ie vinyl, not leather.

 

I called the dealer and asked a bit about the car and I got a carfax report. Its a clean car with no wrecks.....thats been reported. Anyways the dealer doesnt know when the last time the timing belt was changed. i was wondering if there is a way to see/tell what kind of shape the timing belt is in? Idk if that is possible just wondering though. Also how much does it cost to have the belt changed if i do buy the car? thanks Jason

 

If there are no service records, like mine, the only thing you could do is take a look at the belt itself. Look for excessive wear and if the lettering is still there. Thats not even a good accessment either so if your gonna buy the car just go ahead change the belt anyway. Just assuming the previous owner changed it is risky.