Im really thinking about purchasing a 97 Audi for short money about 3k. The body is rust free and in mint condition, interior all up to snuff and mechanically the car is sound with an inspection sticker thats good for another year. I hesistate only beacuase the car has 200k on it; should this be of major concern? What areas should I look at and examine when testing driving the car? Any help and generall input on the car and year would be huge!

 

as long as the car has been well taken care of there shouldnt be any problems... ask about the timing belt and control arms

 

Definitely look at the timing belt and tensioner/damper. That'll run you about 300-400 if u do it urself, and trust me do it if you are not sure when it has been done.

Other issues i have had on my 99.5 A4 between 100-120k are; waterpump $80, 2 thermostats in one year $20, heater valve housing & o-rings (cheap at dealer), thermostat sensor, small electronic box on top of air box(forgot what its called), exhaust gasket. Everything mentioned above would be less than $1000 if u DIY.

 

Knowling what engine and transmission and whether it is quattro or front wheel drive would help.

 

The vehicle is a Quattro AWD. Really appreciate how helpful everyone has been here.

 

as everyone else said, you have to make sure maintenance has been done and you should be fine.... the engine is built to last, but like any car, you have to treat it right for it to fully do its job...

quattro is also what you want if your drivin an audi to get the most enjoyment out of it....is it manual or auto/tip?

 

honestly, if you don't have the money to own an audi, you just don't have the money. if you want anything reliable, that's not your car. seriously think about it. 200k miles? when i was car shopping with my ex, we found a focus with 60k miles for 4500.. she ended up going with a 2000 jetta vr6 with 40k for 9k though. i just spent 5 or a 96 with 60k. either keep shopping, or look for a different car.. but definitely be willing to spend more cash if you want something reliable. thats just my advice. these high milage cars are for people who want to build them, not get them to work.

 

I wouldn't worry about it if the maintenance records are there. Check for regular oil changes and the timing belt replacement. but quite honestly you can do better than that deal if you shop around. I got my A4 for less than that with more than half the mileage. Granted the body isn't perfect on mine, but the maintenance records are all there. Oh, and it helps to have a friend who needs to get rid of their car

Keep shopping...

 

All great advice. thanks for the input.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...752&rd=1,1

Keep looking..... Gems are out there waiting for a digger with little more patience Good Luck