Ok so first off i know im a noob so please dont tell me that.. I am a 19 yr old college student looking for a new car to entertain my fancy and the A4 caught my eye. I have been looking through the site and havent found many recent posts on 3.0 vs 1.8T. I am pretty sure I will not be modding very much because of my limited income however I would like to make slight mods over a couple years just nothing HUGE..
From the looks of things this means I should head for the 3.0, If i will be making a huge mistake let me know please.
Also i see a lot of talk about B5, B6, and B7's. What is this? Im guessing body styles. If so how can I find examples of each just for my information and which is most popular or which do you like best??
Also I have heard that maintenance on Audi's is expensive and painful. Is this true or simply horror stories??
Finally if there are any cars besides an A4 that would treat me nicely let me know so I can look into it.

Sorry if yall have already answered these questions and thanks for the help!!

 

if you want to do a lot of modding i would go with the 1.8t. it opens a lot of doors for things to do. to start of i would chip it with GIAC then maybe go with an exhaust system, miltek and borla are really good. the B5 B6 means like the year range of the car. like B5 is like 1997- 2000 B6 is 2001-2003 an so forth. at least i think but in general yeah. i like the B6 because the body style is really nice, but a lot more pricier but yeah Audis are expensive to fix but if you do the required maintenance on it then you should not be spending as much as you think.

 

^a noob helping out a noob...."I LIKE"....you say you want to make slight mods later on, what do you mean by this? i am assuming performance mods. let it be known that you wont have many options for a naturally aspirated engine. you can supercharge it for 5 g's, but i have heard that some people who have gone that pricey route were not as satisfied as they thought they would be. The 3.0 engine is more reliable because there are fewer things that can go wrong (turbo and such) Audis if brought to the dealer for everything can be a real pain in the *** to maintain, but DIY and treat the car well, and you should be fine. good luck

 

Since you're on a budget the 3.0 or 2.8 would be the logical choice for a daily driver since its a NA motor and more reliable than the 1.8T. However, like almost everyone else you're gonna want more power and the 1.8T has the most potential and most options available. I say get a B5 1.8T, its still reliable, a bit easier to work on, and better gas mileage. Plus with a few bolt-ons it can be a quick, not fast, car. B5 96-01, B6 02-05, B7 05-current. Yes parts are expensive compared to domestics and asian imports but if you know where to look you can find them cheaper, it also helps if you're mechanically inclined, that way you can avoid the stealerships. Overall an A4 is a reliable car, just keep up the scheduled maintenance and you'll be fine. Honestly if you're really on budget then I'd suggest a gas-and-go daily driver like a honda or another asian import. But you would be missing out on the quattro experience, which is like no other.

 

when i say mods yes i mean performance mods. I was planning on chipping the 3.0 and maybe intake although from what i have heard intake doest do much. Also maybe suspension and exhaust but once again ive heard you would be doing injustice to replace the suspension. Um besides also ive had reliable toyota camry for the past 3 years and am just kinda ready for something a little more from my ride.I think I kinda have my heart set on a B5 A4 3.0 Quattro. the only question is should I just wait a couple years and stick with my toy until I can be really committed or should I go for it and slowly mod it up over the next couple years. Just looking for a little experienced input. Thanks for the help.

 

i stilll suggest the 1.8T. all you got to do is chip it and its faster than the 3.0. then down the line if you want to add other mods you can. with the 3.0 you will have to spend ~$1k just to get ~18hp. which really sux.
ya its bodystyles. b5 is up to 2001.5 b6 is 2002-2004.5 and b7 is 2005+

b5


b6


b7


its more expensive to work on the cars, so if you can do basic maintenance yourself it'll help to cut down on costs. dont ever take it to a dealer, they will rape you...repeatedly. the car is reliable if youmaintain it right, butits very important that you do. it'll cost you more thansay a honda would but your getting so much more luxury. not to mention quattro.In my opinion an A4 is the best choice. if not, if sayyour looking for more power than luxury, get an evo. its lighter, faster, and handles better than an a4 but its not anywhere near asluxurious.

 

chipping doesn't do much on a 3.0 either. its naturally aspirated. chipping a 1.8T adds 40-50 hp and 70-80 ft lbs of tq. chipping a 3.0 adds maybe 8 hp and 12 ft lbs of tq. intake might add 1 or 2 more hp. if you get a 1.8T and just add a chip, dv, and test pipe (will run you ~$700) and you will be pretty quick (roughly 215hp) and will be much funner to drive than the 3.0 will


o and there is no b5 a4 3.0. its a 2.8

 

Ya, I'd go with the 1.8T. It's easier and less expensive to upgrade, less expensive to begin with, lighter, better gas mileage, and there were more of them made, so it'll prolly be easier to get work done on it. The only thing is, I think the B5 was pre-VW ownership, so reliability and ease of getting it worked on is not so good. If possible, I would go with a B6. According to Consumer Reports, reliability rises sharply from the B6 on--especially once you get to 2004+. Now, I know it may be difficult for a 19 yr old college student, but in the long run, it might be easier on you to make higher monthly payments than it would to pay for large repairs out of pocket. In any case, unless it is Audi certified used, I would have a mechanic who isfamiliar withAudisgo over it with a fine toothed comb--especially if it has 80,000+ on it, which it prolly does(this might cost like $50-100, but it's worth it!)