Wait a minute. your car only has 17K on it.

 

New engine.

 

This is probably not the car for you. While you can find some 97-98s fairly well priced, most have high miles and certain parts are going to need replaced. I'm 37 years old with a good job and a family, and the only way I can afford this Audi is because I am mechanically inclined and can do almost all of the work my self.

So, here's what you can expect from my experience if you buy one (97-98 year)

timing belt - about $300 and a full day of wrenching it yourself, otherwise keep $1000 in the bank for this
control arms - replace all $600 for parts, ???? for labor. I would DIY.
tie-rod ends - $100 for parts, DIY.
Alignment 4-wheel - around $200
Oil Change - $35 for oil and filter, DIY (mobile1 0w40 is close to 6 a quart!)
Brake job - $100 or so for pads, DIY otherwise 3-400.
Various other regular maintenance, changing brake fluid every 2 years, electical parts like ICM can go, coil packs, etc., grease sunroof track, etc etc.

My point is, unless you are able to do all this work yourself, the costs of maintaining the vehicle are very high. Buy a cheap honda or something that you can run into the ground with almost no mainteneance, and get a nice vehicle once you are older and more established.

Now if you like to work on cars and have the tools and ability, then this may work for you. If not, you may want to consider some other options.

I am just trying to give you some honest, down to earth advice. I hope this helps with your decision, and good luck.

 

Ya listen to this ^ guy.... These arent Honda's by any means. But I was a lot less mechanicaly inclined/motivated before I bought my Audi. I had to revamp my tool collection in order to justify owning this car cuz there's no way in hell im paying someone qualified to work on this car $95/hour just to look at it. Its very rewarding and gives you a better sense of ownership when you do all the work yourself and realizing how much money you are saving while doing it. Its a great hobby if you are up to it. The maintnence costs really arent much different from a Honda when you arent paying labor costs. Most parts really arent any more expensive than other car makers. Its just when you are paying dealer labor costs when it makes owning an Audi not much fun and can leave you feeling bitter when something goes wrong.

 

Ahh, this sucks.. Becuase I love the A4, such a nice well put together car and I think about it, it will be 2007 by the
time I pick oneup and the car is going to be what.. if I get a 98'.. 9 years old already, and im sure it would need
work under the hood. I just don't wanna be another kid driving another honda civic, and be upgrading some
little rice rocket. the only good thing about'em is that there super reliable. Ahhh... dunno what to do.. I had my
heart set on this car but it might be a big mistake if I get one, but again it might not. if i'm not moddifying for
speed.. would it be best to the one of the 2.8L engines? Would I spend alot less time getting it fixed and stuff? But
are there still avalable mods out there if I wanted to??

 

Time to learn how to use the search!!!

 

Well I figure I can get a search from any biased company or anything like
im sure each of you a biased one way, but at least 80% of you have audi's...
and, thats whole point of my Post. Pointers, Tips, Info, Personal input.

 

The 2.8 is supposed to be a very reliable engine. Its a lillte more reliable because you dont have the turbo and related components to worry about, this pretty much goes for any engine, a N/A engine is usually more reliable than a turbo engine. No boost leaks to look for, failed DV's, no intercooller, etc etc.
As a result of it not being turbo, there are not as many mods available. But there are mods. Check the sticky post at the top for all the mods you can do to the 2.8.

But, as cars go, the audi is still more expensive to have serviced. As I mentioned, If you are good with a wrench and can learn, then you will probably be OK. But if you have never turned a wrench, you probably want to stay away from the audis if you are on a tight budget.

I do think they are great cars. The Audi is well engineered. But I also spend a lot of time and effort working on it, not to mention $$$$.

Last piece of advice, if you have your heart set on audi, take this to heart: Find one (possibly a 2.8 because of reliability) that has already had a lot of the things I mentioned in my earlier post already done. Then, you shouldn't have to worry about major repair costs for some time. Be prepared to do the normal maintenance, and you should be ok.
If you can find one say that has 90 or 100k, but has had the timing belt done, control arms, tie-rod ends (or steering is still tight), and maybe a fairly recent brake job, then really you should be set for the long haul with only minor repairs due in between.

If you search carefully for a car like this, with good service history and records, you can feel pretty confident that it will be reliable for you, and it shouldn't break the bank for you.

Good luck with your search!

 

Oh, well thats good to hear, cause if I can just look under the classifieds, or even ebaymotors and see
if I can get a good deal.. so maybe what im most looking for would be 2.8 ..but wouldn't a 2.8 be faster
than a 1.8T?? its got and extra 1L in engine size.. but it doesnt have a turbo. and by getting a 2.8 all the
extirior mods are the same right? Like nothing there changes..?

ps. all this help and input is a real help guys, i appreciate the input...
trust me this is making my desicion alot esier cause i kinda know
what to look for, and what to expect. Keep em' coming. thnx [sm=hail.gif] lol

 

A 2.8 is faster than a stock 1.8t