hey i am in the market to buy a new (used) car and a4 is definitely on my mind. the other is a mk4 jetta (1.8t or vr6). i dont know how to make up my mind. audi is sexy but i need something that won't break me (financially and mentally). i hear a lot of horror stories from a4 b5 owners online, but i take that with a grain of salt since maybe all the happy owners are too busy driving around rather than posting online.

my main worries about getting an audi especially one this old is reliability. as a car owner i am pretty good about getting maintenance done. i am not going to mod this car as heavily as my previous car (maxima), well at least not in the engine dept. so i think a 2.8 over a 1.8t is not a big concern.

Also i am in north NJ. I reckon i will need a audi mechanic in the area that's honest and does a good job.

http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/in...r_id=272826125


what i need to know is what's a fair reasonable price range for this car? what should i get done / check before purchasing? as i read through the newbie guide it seems timing belt and water pump should have been replaced on a car with 80k miles. if done it should be replaced again near 120k? any sage advice? i would APPRECIATE any details. should i stay away from an audi this old? etc etc

thanks in advance

 

Well as an audi owner and and an audi tech I would say they are wonderful. I will rant for a minute but please bare with me. I've owned my car for 1 year and 10 months. Since buying it I have replaced timing belt and water pump, clutch kit/flywheel routine, drivers side rear window regulator, egr valve and every vacuum line, both rear wheel bearings. However i've done all the work myself and I get very good pricing. I have also replaced rear pads, all 4 tires, drive belt and some other small typical maintenance parts. I have done minimal mods to improve drivability such as a short throw shift kit and HID's for visibility. To put all this into perspective, many of these repairs could have be prolonged and were not necessary at the time of replacement. I bought the car for $2800 and new at that time that these things needed to be repaired. Since then I have been able to stand on the power without being afraid and never ever been out of control with my audi. I point the steering wheel where I want it to go and press on the gas, very satisfied with the car (And I build and race porsche race cars). I think anywhere between 5-7k is a decent price for a B5 A4 around 80k. However if the timing belt and water pump has not been replaced that is going to be your point of negotiation, some other 2.8l owners can chime in on pricing for that. If you decide to go with a quattro which I would recommend you will be pleased with the traction compared to other rear wheel drive vehicles. Anyways thats my rant I have more to say but im tired to typing, good hunting!

 

yeah 5-7k sounds reasonable for an A4 with that mileage. hopefully you can find a 2000 or 2001 as they have the most goodies. the 2.8 usually has less engine related problems than the 1.8t but of course there are exceptions. the A4 offers much more luxurious options than the Jetta i think. plus the A4 looks more appealing. i've owned my 2.8 for 2 years now and i've never had a single engine problem. only things i've had to do are alternator, battery, ps rack, ps pump, controls arms, rear wheel bearings, serpentine belt and honestly that is it. i drive the crap out of the car and go drifting in snow often, thus the PS problems. i also love to rip the car in the corners since it doesn't have enough pickup on the straights. one thing though, these cars are monsters on the highway. you can be doing 65 in 5th, step on it a little and you'll be at 80 before you know it, even up hills. overall, it's a super fun car to drive.

 

i paid $800 from insurence and im happy with mine requires a little work but its worth it to keep it going for sure

 

thanks for your .02

if i go test drive the car i should find a local audi mechanic? (instead of taking dealer's word for it) I would think a fair price should should be like 50-100 for him to inspect an a4.

What exactly should he be checking on the car? If timing belt and water pump have been replaced? What else should i make sure to inspect?

Any 2.8 owners know how much it'll cost to fix these things?
(i dont have any history with audi dealerships but i assume they are like any other stealerships...)

 

2.8 is what i have the engine is flawless great engine 210k on the engine and my car starts with 1sec turn of a key so just check the timing and see if everything inside the car works also the most important thing is to pull the codes off the computer of the car and just see if the car is running right

 

i'm getting scared reading all these bad reviews on edmunds.com

 

+1 on hiwords about the pick up in 5th even with a 1.8t, or at least mine is badass 01 awm . A pre-purchase inspection is a MUST! The shop you take the vehicle to will not be able to tell if the timing belt and or water pump have been replaced. My guess is that it has not been replaced, considering the mileage. I see a lot of them being sold around the 80k service simple based on the cost of the timing belt and water pump replacement. I also agree that having your mechanic who performs the pre purchase inspection should read codes to see first if there are any codes as well as if anyone has reset these codes, by checking I/M readiness. A good shop will know how to do this. Don't be deterd by a small oil leak or two as they are common with the age of the vehicle.

 

can you elaborate when you say they will not be able to tell if timing belt and water pump have been replaced?

also i'm considering a bmw 325xi. pros cons vs a b5 a4?
would appreciate honesty even though i know this is an AUDI forums.

 

the reviews on edmunds is from people who don't know anything about the car and always takes it to the dealership and always listens to the dealership to do what the dealership thinks is best for the car.
for the timing belt, he means that unless there's a record of it being done at a shop, you can't tell if it has actually been done.
a 325xi is nice but the AWD system is not nearly as good. i think the interior is a little too busy on bimmers though. luxury wise, the two cars are pretty much the same. oh the only thing i like on the 325 is the button for the driver to remotely open the trunk from the driver's seat. B5 A4s don't have that for some reason lol.