I like the discussion in this thread...I like to hope my post was made in a generic manner as to the age, miles and concerns for any car...

I'm still a bit of a Audi newb, but the AWD would sort of raise an extra concern for me with regards to possible failures...:idk: but yeh, big advantage without worrying about the turbos

...and to finish it off, I just think I'd be looking towards a car with less than 100k in the first place, that's just my general preference - at the very least if it over 100k, I'm going to want to study the service records thoroughly .

 

One of the considerations for buying my 2000 2.7t was that the mileage was in the 90k and the timing belt had been replaced less than 10k miles ago.
Another big plus was the turbo-charged engine. I had the opportunity to drive the 2.8 and found it lackluster... but that is just my opinion.
Maybe you should keep looking for an Audi with less miles, one with service records. Audi parts are expensive so you want to keep your buying needs at a minimum.
I personally love these cars, but I do my own wrenching and have other vehicles to use if I am working on my Audi.

 

Audis do not necessarily require any more maintenance or repairs than any other vehicles. The issue is that they are expensive to work on compared to average brand vehicles... by a lot... Compared to any other premium brand, not so much...

Here are my 2 cents.

1. This cent is the part that I don't like about my car. Especially with the mileage, you should be expecting to do some maintenance once you get the car. Timing belt, and water pump from a dealer will run you around $1500. Also expect to spend about $500 easy on maintenance stuff. On average, I budget about $100/month to spend on my car.

2. Here is the part that I like about my car. My wife has a 2005 Honda Accord that we got brand new. Mine is a 2001 A6 Avant that now has 115,000 miles on it that I got as a used vehicle. Her car gets better mileage and is more reliable; however, everywhere we go, (we mean everywhere) we drive my car. Audi is more comfortable, and versatile. Also it is more safe. (I was t-boned in a BMW by a PT cruiser before, and I realized how safe these German cars are.) It just feels better to drive the darn thing.

So here is my take on it. Audi is a great car. My next car will probably be another used Audi. But I am aware of the fact that I will be spending some extra time and money to keep it running. At this point of my life, I can manage to do that. If you asked me 10 years ago, I would have not been able to. That probably is one of the reasons that the 19 year old is getting rid of the car.

You make the call.

 

One would suggest having an AWD, heated seats, ski sack, etc are the very features one's car has to poses for the demanding Florida weather and road conditions.

A minivan?

Choose Choose wisely!

 

I would really like to thank Taureen Bull for your informative response. I used to drive a VW Jetta I love German cars they are solid and wonderful to drive. I am going to proceed with caution, from reading everyone's post ( and I do appreciate all the posts) it has raised my eyebrows to walk in with a little skepticism, But I am going to give it a fair shot. The kid only had the car for 1 year ( and is getting rid of it cause he is made fun of for driving an "older persons" car he's 19. I am asking for all his records and the previous owner which was an older women who drove the car back and forth to Cali. I understand any car with miles over 100k miles will require maintenance and a thorough look through, I just didn't know what were the top things to look at with this many miles and or the proper questions to ask someone. Thanks again everyone and I will Post once I made my decision..I am sure everyones response has aided me in making a wiser decision.
As for NEMOHM ---I am in a mustang now why on earth would I want to drive a minivan... Sorry I will never cross over that line. My kids are 11years old and 6 months...and I am only 30years old ...I am not minivan status but thanks.

 

How long do the timing belts last for anyway?

 

Timing belt should be replaced every 75K to 85K.

 

Because as time goes by you'll find yourself regretting the time spent with/on your car instead of time with your kids.

 

Ellen -- From my experience Audi's last longer than many other vehicles, BUT (a big expensive BUT) they are money pits - even if you do your own work. My last two Audi's went to 350K and 275 K miles and my current Avant has 240K on it.

Now comes the BUT - I do most of my own work and it is still expensive. Almost everything costs double and there are few simple repairs. Dealers and Indy mechanics have to be highly skilled so they normally charge at the higher end of the scale for their time. I can find guys that charge $65 per hour for work on normal vehicles while the Audi folks are close to $100.

Another BUT -- But Audis are great to drive and very comfortable. As hxgasser says -- when we travel as a family we take the Audi because it is more comfortable than the other vehicles.