Have been looking at 97-01 A4's. What should I be looking out for, are high miles a biggie, do they all have Quattro,is the auto better than the manual, is the V6 better than the 4, I do mostly highway driving, looking for an AWD with good MPG, am coming from a F350 diesel crew cab, so they gotta be better than that. So, let me know the pros and cons, thanks in advance.

 

Well just a few things, there are already posts like this so if u search u will see more answers but:

The auto does better on the freeway for gas mileage i think (check edmunds though they have the info) the manual revs too high at those speeds but the manual does better in the city, and is also much more reliable than the auto.

When u are getting a high mileage audi make sure its checked for sludge (1.8T engine) and that the front end is also checked. In general you should just have the whole thing looked at by someone who knows audis (or vws would work too). If you are pushing 100,000 but not above, make sure the T-belt, water pump etc is done. As long as the car is taken care of, high mileage isnt a big deal many engines can last over 200,000 easily.

Although it can be an easy fix and quite often is, dont buy it if the airbag light is on, have the checked out and fixed first, dont let the seller tell you its no big deal and probably just needs to be reset.

Your maitenance will most likely be more frequent than your truck and definetly more expensive than your truck (ESPECIALLY if you bring it in for work, however parts will also be more expensive).

When test driving one lookout for goofy electrical problems like the dome light not coming on etc.

If you do work on your own, it helps to have the right tools and/or small hands.

91 octane minimum- the engine hates anything lower (the owners manual says nothing less than 91)

Pros:

Im sure youve seen how nice the interior is, it has alot of nice features, good stereo (at least the bose one), rides well, AWD is really nice itll hold well and you can have fun with it.

PS to answer if the V6 is better than the 4:

V6 is more reliable, doesnt have sludge problems generally
The four cylinder can give better gas mileage and is much easier to mod and make faster

They also dont all have Quattro some are FWD with traction control or ESP, however states with snow will have more Quattro and it is clearly labeled Quattro if it is.

 

Manual is always better than automatic. </conversation>

Also, read this: https://www.audiforums.com/m_700266/tm.htm

 

Yeah i just checked on that, the manual does better for freeway too, idk why i had thought that maybe its some other car.

 

I just bought an 01 A4 quattro a few weeks ago. I love the car, but there are quite a few little problems that I wouldn't expect on say an Acura or Honda of the same vintage/mileage. And NOTHING seems trivial to fix, so don't buy it thinking this and that little thing you'll fix as you may get surprised.

-front speakers frequently intermittently sound like crap.
-drivers side power seat intermittently stops working
-cracked washer fluid reservoir
-right side passenger door lock fell into door
-passenger side rear seat doesn't always unlock and fold down
-drivers side inside door handle is "loose" and doesn't always work
-tie-rod end needs replacing (fixed)
-doors won't always lock electronically (i.e. using keyfob or button on door). <--new problem!

Maybe my car is just a beater, but some of these issues show up in a forum search.
If I were to do it again, I'd get an automatic transmission. Mine is primarily a work car, and the manual gets on my nerves at times because the clutch is a bitch, especially in reverse. I haven't quite figured it out yet and about every 50th takeoff I end up looking like a jackass because the rpm's go up and the clutch hasn't engaged (or disengaged, or whatever). This also appears to be "normal" for the A4.

The timing belt costs at least $600 to replace, and pretty much everyone in the forums says it must be done every 70k miles or so. Like already suggested, make sure you have a qualified mechanic take a look at it.

 

I picked up an 01 A4 ATQ with 79k in Dec 07. The turbo blew after 2 months, luckily the dealer replaced it under warranty. So far I've replaced the fuel filter, MAF, vac lines &valve cover gasket. I have to do the timing belt/water pump & rear brakes & trans seals. The motor itself is good, Quattro traction system can't be beat. Just be prepared to put some $$ into it.

 

So,I got the 97 A4 Quattro 1.8, it's real nice. Is there a way to check for sludge, or just change it to synthetic (5w30?) , also it has 110,000 on it, the guy said he did the timing belt around 90,000, but can't find the receipt, is there a wa to check the belt via service cover etc. and is the clutch adjustable, or a non adjastable hydraulic unit, I just ordered a shop manual on CD(could'nt find a paper one) but in the meantime maybe you guys can help. I will do most my own maintenance , I have a shop with a lift at my house, and am pretty good at wrenching.

 

The clutch is hydralic and shares the brake fluid, i dont believe its adjustable but dont quote me, ive just never heard of anyone adjust it. The easy but least effective ways to check for some sludge are look in the drain plug hole with a light, check the oil that you drain during a change for sludge or check the valve cover. However, the only for sure way is to drop the oil pan which I hear is a huge pain and then check the pan and the pickup hose and ive never heard of anyone doing it unless their oil light has actually come on. If he hasnt been using synthetic (regular cooks with the hot turbo) or he drove it hard and shut it off quickly, it has a really big chance of sludge. If hes been using reg oil for all this time you should concider dropping the pan or at least treating the oil with some seafoam... (search seafoam)

Im not sure about the timing belt.

 

Other than my red 01' a4 breaking a timing belttwo months after I bought it......No problems that aren't very catistrophicor abnormal here on both of mine. "Knock on wood"

 

You can release the 2 upper clips on the timing belt cover an take a peak at the belt. Older belts will have a glazed/shiny or even dried out lookingsurface.