I have previously purchased other types of foreign luxury vehicles, but do not have any experience with Audi's. I am considering purchasing either a A6 or A8Quattros, with the possibility I will eventually give it to daughter. Myconcerns are how reliable/durable are these vehicles and what potential maintenance costs can I expect. Also, what is the maximum mileage I shouldconsiderwhen making a purchase, before getting into some major issues.What I am curious about, however, is the reliability/durability of these vehicles. I appreciate any advice or suggestions thatwill be given to me.
Leon
Leon
Senior Member
I just got my Audi A6 in May and have not had any major problems at all. Just a little leak and that is it. I am a 17 year old driving so I am bound to drive it a little harder then some people and so far nothing has broke. I purchased mine at around 93k miles because I am planning on using it when i get out of college (in about 5 years) for a little. I would stay under or just at 100k if you plan on using it a lot (such as trips) and want to give it to your daughter and I am sure she would thank you too.
3rd Gear
I suggest you buy the newest car you can afford, with the lowest mileage. I see a lot of ads for 2000, 2001 A6s for $10-14k. I cannot speak to the A8 - it's obviously a larger and in some ways more luxurious car. But you'll end up with worse gas mileage and not any better amenities than a well-equipped A6.
Depending on how much you drive and when you plan on bequeathing it to your daughter, I would suggest you try and find a vehicle with 50-70k miles. Have it checked out thoroughly by someone who knows Audis. Be prepared to replace the timing belt, water pump, tensioners, etc at 80-90k - this is regular maintenance. Be prepared to pay more for parts and service than you have on any other car, unless you can locate a reputable independent garage that has experience working on Audis.
There are AWD (quattro) and non-AWD versions of the 2.8l V6. If you live in the south, AWD may not be important. In snow country it's fantastic. The 2.8l engines will get you around and break the speed limit, but they cannot be modified and are relatively tame engines. I.e., low performance. Newer A6s may have the 3.0l with a little more horsepower but equally limited in mods. The 2.7T has a lot of pep and can be modified a lot, but you need to take reasonable care of the turbos and will always live with the risk of them failing, a $3k expense. I have seen posts where owners are driving with original turbos at 155k and others who had them fail at 60k. The 4.2l V8is reputed to be bulletproof and has a lof of hp and torque, but the gas mileagecan beunimpressive.
Other than that, every owner on this forum has a bias towards their own car. I have had my 2.7T for 26 months and 60k miles and look forward to taking it over 200k (it just turned 99k). There are owners who will swear by their 4.2l. There are owners who will swear AT their Audi periodically. You should surf this forum looking for posts from "Noobies" thinking of buying. A lot of your questions have already been hashed through.
Depending on how much you drive and when you plan on bequeathing it to your daughter, I would suggest you try and find a vehicle with 50-70k miles. Have it checked out thoroughly by someone who knows Audis. Be prepared to replace the timing belt, water pump, tensioners, etc at 80-90k - this is regular maintenance. Be prepared to pay more for parts and service than you have on any other car, unless you can locate a reputable independent garage that has experience working on Audis.
There are AWD (quattro) and non-AWD versions of the 2.8l V6. If you live in the south, AWD may not be important. In snow country it's fantastic. The 2.8l engines will get you around and break the speed limit, but they cannot be modified and are relatively tame engines. I.e., low performance. Newer A6s may have the 3.0l with a little more horsepower but equally limited in mods. The 2.7T has a lot of pep and can be modified a lot, but you need to take reasonable care of the turbos and will always live with the risk of them failing, a $3k expense. I have seen posts where owners are driving with original turbos at 155k and others who had them fail at 60k. The 4.2l V8is reputed to be bulletproof and has a lof of hp and torque, but the gas mileagecan beunimpressive.
Other than that, every owner on this forum has a bias towards their own car. I have had my 2.7T for 26 months and 60k miles and look forward to taking it over 200k (it just turned 99k). There are owners who will swear by their 4.2l. There are owners who will swear AT their Audi periodically. You should surf this forum looking for posts from "Noobies" thinking of buying. A lot of your questions have already been hashed through.