Hey guys. 2006 Hyundai Sonata 4cyl. 162hp driver here.

I am looking for a slight step up in luxury and performance. My leading cars have been the 2003-2007 Infiniti G35, 2002-2004 Audi A4 and the 2004 Audi S4 has caught my eye.

Now I'm no racer. I'm a daily commuter (40 miles daily, back roads, main roads,). Occasionally we'll drive cross state in the tristate area. I have a wife and newborn. I just want a bit more power when passing, for my own shifts and giggles, and simply something more fun inside and out to drive.

I'm mainly asking if you guys find the Audi A4's fun (specifically the 2002-2005 range for co$t$). I am afraid of getting an A4, and then having that lingering regret of not "going for it" and saving up a bit more for a 2004 Audi S4 (love the sound). I choose those model years because of body style preference. I've never driven an Audi. I've only rode as a passenger in a 2001 or 2002 Audi S4, but I am not a fan of that body style.

My other wonder is on the horse power. My Sonata is 162. I've grown to look for the 250-350 range. However the 2002-2004 A4's list as up to 220hp for the V6. Will that still be enough of a difference to notice and enjoy? Is the S4 V8 too much for my needs? Maintenance?

Any red flags I should know about when it comes to those 2002-2005 Audi A4 models and the prospect of buying in the $4000-$6500 range?

The 2007 Infiniti G35 ( prefer this body style over the previous years) seems like it would give me the most "bang for the buck" with the navigation, 300hp, style and luxury, etc. However I know Audi's are great cars and after enough reading an youtube videos, they seems to have an edge in being a bit more interesting to drive.

I just want to be reasonable, not get ripped off, but get something worth while.

 

I would go for the S4. The 4.2 V8 (344 hp I believe) is an excellent engine. The 3.0 220hp is also good but the performance is no more than my 2.0TFSI (200hp) and fuel consumption is a lot higher. As far as trouble I am not sure with the B6 models, I know the 1.8T's had a sludge issue. I have never heard anything bad about the V8's though as long as maintenance was kept up and it was not beat up. On the other hand the Infiniti is a great choice as well. Also a bit newer and modern.

Either way, Good luck, and enjoy!

 

If you decide to go with the S4 (quattro FTW), hold out for a well maintained 2005. There was an issue with the cam chain, tensioner, or something like that, I can't exactly remember that was fixed for the '05s. The 2005.5 got the newer body style (B7) with the same engine. Plus, did I mention it has quattro? Way better than any G37x AWD.

Good luck.

 

Thanks guys. The A6 is also looking like an option due to the additional space. At one point I was looking at older, luxury BMWs but know maintenance is a lot. How would you classify maintenance for the Audi's? Do I need to learn some basic maintenance for myself that will save money? Can I still take it down to my "mechanic around the corner" without issues?

 

Not sure with the A6's. I have not had any abnormal maint. issue's with my A4 since I purchased it new in '07. I still go through Audi for my sched. maint though. Depending on which A6 you are looking at, I know the older (97-04's) had a lot of problems. The last model seemed to be pretty good though. I have driven a couple of A6's (Audi loaner's) and they were great especially with the space. Our A4's have really no rear leg room, but huge trunks! You should also check out the A5's, they have room and are sporty.

Good luck!

 

Brad is right. S4s with a build date before 10/04 had an issue with failing can chain tensioners ($500 per head for parts and labor consists of pulling the engine for replacement). There is also talk of fragmented flywheels - $1800 in parts and dropping the trans (obviously). Not sure if there was a build date cutoff for that.

Based on what you said, a 3.0 A4 sounds like the best bet for you. If you're driving those miles, the S4 gas mileage is pretty low. The 3.0 will be a nice step up in performance and won't kill you at the pump. Get quattro though - it's a good part of the reason to get an Audi, but the 3.0 front drive cars got a CVT transmission which was notoriously horrific to own.

A slightly older 4.2L A6 would be great too.