I am moving to NY-NJ soon and was thinking about an awd vehicle for snow, I also like the vehicle to be fun to drive. I am planning to put 10-15K a year for something like 2 years.

I am thinking of going for a cheap 2.8 quattro with manual transmission 97-99 A4. I may also think about going for 3.0 6 speed manual 2002-2004 model years.

in the price range the car will probably have 100K+ even close to 150K+.

What should I look for when purchasing the vehicle?
How much do preventative maintenance cost?

My previous vehicle was a BMW and preventative maintenance was the key for that vehicle so I am assuming it is the same with Audis. Should I change the pulleys,water pump, radiator etc rightaway(I think I need to change timing belt too right)?

If I purchase the 97-99 vehicle around $3500 and can use it for another 1-2 years putting a maximum 30K miles by spending less then $2K in repairs I will be pretty happy. Or I may go for around $8K and buy a 2002-2004 model and again by spending around 2K if I can use it for 30K/2 years I will be happy.


Thanks in advance.