A4, are maintenance costs worth it?
3rd Gear
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,326
From: Fargo, ND
RE: A4, are maintenance costs worth it?
These cars are VERY tunner friendly. which means that there is a large quantity of aftermaket parts available for our cars. its not hard to find any part that might have gone bad on your car. If you do the work yourself you can save some major $$$.
I have owned my a4 for about 13 months. it is a 98.5 and now has 144,000 miles on it - over the time that I have owned the car the service aspect has cost me on average $60 a month - not to bad if you ask me. Most things that I have done have been preventitive maint. so the cost have all been my descisions to do.
In the end if you wanna drive a honda go right ahead - it aint free to look this good.
I have owned my a4 for about 13 months. it is a 98.5 and now has 144,000 miles on it - over the time that I have owned the car the service aspect has cost me on average $60 a month - not to bad if you ask me. Most things that I have done have been preventitive maint. so the cost have all been my descisions to do.
In the end if you wanna drive a honda go right ahead - it aint free to look this good.
1st Gear
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 353
From:
RE: A4, are maintenance costs worth it?
I got 146K now and boosting 19-21PSI at any given point, including the previous owner. No probs. ANY N/A car 'theoretically' will be more reliable then forced induction, its easier on the motor; it doesn’t beat the crap out of your oil, etc.
Now you want to talk unreliable, I know 5 people who had 7 grand prix (most were 94/95’s) every one of those cars blew a head gasket before 100K, except one, which made it to 103K. My second oldest friend’s cavalier blew his HG@78K and my friend Scott blew one in a K5 Blazer and a 1500 Pickup around 120K each. Friend Jim and my Mother blew HG in Chevy Luminas @53K and 79K. Controversially I have never seen or heard of an F series truck, lightning aside, blowing one. I only know 2 people who own GM products that didn’t blow the HD around or before 100K. There is no excuse for a N/A motor to be that unreliable.
Now you want to talk unreliable, I know 5 people who had 7 grand prix (most were 94/95’s) every one of those cars blew a head gasket before 100K, except one, which made it to 103K. My second oldest friend’s cavalier blew his HG@78K and my friend Scott blew one in a K5 Blazer and a 1500 Pickup around 120K each. Friend Jim and my Mother blew HG in Chevy Luminas @53K and 79K. Controversially I have never seen or heard of an F series truck, lightning aside, blowing one. I only know 2 people who own GM products that didn’t blow the HD around or before 100K. There is no excuse for a N/A motor to be that unreliable.
1st Gear
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 6
RE: A4, are maintenance costs worth it?
ORIGINAL: sirfalconx
I got 146K now and boosting 19-21PSI at any given point, including the previous owner. No probs. ANY N/A car 'theoretically' will be more reliable then forced induction, its easier on the motor; it doesn’t beat the crap out of your oil, etc.
Now you want to talk unreliable, I know 5 people who had 7 grand prix (most were 94/95’s) every one of those cars blew a head gasket before 100K, except one, which made it to 103K. My second oldest friend’s cavalier blew his HG@78K and my friend Scott blew one in a K5 Blazer and a 1500 Pickup around 120K each. Friend Jim and my Mother blew HG in Chevy Luminas @53K and 79K. Controversially I have never seen or heard of an F series truck, lightning aside, blowing one. I only know 2 people who own GM products that didn’t blow the HD around or before 100K. There is no excuse for a N/A motor to be that unreliable.
I got 146K now and boosting 19-21PSI at any given point, including the previous owner. No probs. ANY N/A car 'theoretically' will be more reliable then forced induction, its easier on the motor; it doesn’t beat the crap out of your oil, etc.
Now you want to talk unreliable, I know 5 people who had 7 grand prix (most were 94/95’s) every one of those cars blew a head gasket before 100K, except one, which made it to 103K. My second oldest friend’s cavalier blew his HG@78K and my friend Scott blew one in a K5 Blazer and a 1500 Pickup around 120K each. Friend Jim and my Mother blew HG in Chevy Luminas @53K and 79K. Controversially I have never seen or heard of an F series truck, lightning aside, blowing one. I only know 2 people who own GM products that didn’t blow the HD around or before 100K. There is no excuse for a N/A motor to be that unreliable.
The intake gasket on the other hand...is a WHOLE 'nother story. Milky oil, anyone?
Oh, and (not really a reliability thing, just a design problem with GM) does it take anyone else 4 hours to change one spark plug?!
3rd Gear
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,326
From: Fargo, ND
RE: A4, are maintenance costs worth it?
When I had my explorer I tried to change the spark plugs once - it was a V6, front 4 were eazy - the back ones took forever - almost needed a special tool to get the them.
1st Gear
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 353
From:
RE: A4, are maintenance costs worth it?
Lol, damn GM and their crappyness.
I remember reading somewhere where they explained why it happens too, they did chemical testing on their oil and found out that GM uses a low grade metal on their cams, and the cams never fully break in, slowly wearing down forever until the exhaust/intake valves don’t open as far anymore, and it starts to overheat the head. But what do you expect from a company with a complete lack of engineering… GM- We cant compete in power-per-liter to VW/Honda/Nissan… Solution-Just make the motor bigger! It may be a gas guzzling pos w/45hp per liter and a 30 year old motor they keep recycling into every damn car they make, but it’s cheap. GM is the Dixie cups of the automotive world, use em’ a few times and toss em’.
I remember reading somewhere where they explained why it happens too, they did chemical testing on their oil and found out that GM uses a low grade metal on their cams, and the cams never fully break in, slowly wearing down forever until the exhaust/intake valves don’t open as far anymore, and it starts to overheat the head. But what do you expect from a company with a complete lack of engineering… GM- We cant compete in power-per-liter to VW/Honda/Nissan… Solution-Just make the motor bigger! It may be a gas guzzling pos w/45hp per liter and a 30 year old motor they keep recycling into every damn car they make, but it’s cheap. GM is the Dixie cups of the automotive world, use em’ a few times and toss em’.
4th Gear
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,393
From: Columbus Ohio
RE: A4, are maintenance costs worth it?
I love my audi, and its been extremely reliable for me.
On the same hand, my last car, a 92 pontiacgrand prix, had 225,000 on it when I sold it and got the audi. I had the car for 6 years, doing nothing other than normal maintenance. the new owner is still driving the wheels off it.
I also used to own an early 90's toyota tercel. It blew an engine. It was a total piece of garbage.
i had an older (80's) honda accord, it wasa decent car, sold it with about 150k on it.
My point is, just about all auto manufacturers at some point have a bad model, problem with engineering somewhere, or a defect. Some more than others. You may get a good gm, you could get a bad toyopta/honda like I did.
Overall, Audi makes pretty good cars, if you take care of it, it will be a reliable car, and Yes, the maintenance costs are well worth it, for the car itself is a great drive, and I love every minute behind the wheel of this car.
On the same hand, my last car, a 92 pontiacgrand prix, had 225,000 on it when I sold it and got the audi. I had the car for 6 years, doing nothing other than normal maintenance. the new owner is still driving the wheels off it.
I also used to own an early 90's toyota tercel. It blew an engine. It was a total piece of garbage.
i had an older (80's) honda accord, it wasa decent car, sold it with about 150k on it.
My point is, just about all auto manufacturers at some point have a bad model, problem with engineering somewhere, or a defect. Some more than others. You may get a good gm, you could get a bad toyopta/honda like I did.
Overall, Audi makes pretty good cars, if you take care of it, it will be a reliable car, and Yes, the maintenance costs are well worth it, for the car itself is a great drive, and I love every minute behind the wheel of this car.
1st Gear
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 353
From:
RE: A4, are maintenance costs worth it?
Yeah but chev seems prone to it.
Actually I forgot about the local auto shop my friend used to work at, owner bought a chev pickup to tow cars with, he was alwas hardcore F series trucks but he couldnt find a 5.4L ford w/2WD and he didnt want a 4WD because 'its more stuff to go wrong' Sure Sh*t he had it 3 months, and the first time he towed a car more then 300 miles the HG poped. (halfway back from indiana) I think it had like 54K on it or something. It was a 2001.
Actually I forgot about the local auto shop my friend used to work at, owner bought a chev pickup to tow cars with, he was alwas hardcore F series trucks but he couldnt find a 5.4L ford w/2WD and he didnt want a 4WD because 'its more stuff to go wrong' Sure Sh*t he had it 3 months, and the first time he towed a car more then 300 miles the HG poped. (halfway back from indiana) I think it had like 54K on it or something. It was a 2001.
4th Gear
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,153
From: Oswego, Illinois
RE: A4, are maintenance costs worth it?
firstly, BOOOOOOO MUSTANG, secondly this is a luxury car not a mustang, get the 2.8 if you want it to last the 1.8t for tuning, secondly if you like handling then its worth it, otherwise if you want flat out performance stick with muscle.