I was thinking of buying an A4 1.8t(2.0t?) or maybe an S4 if I can find one I can afford.

Are there any reliability/longevity issues I should be aware of before making my final decision? This next car I buy would ideally be lots of fun yet, last me a bunch of good years without breaking the bank in repair costs etc..

 

the s4 2.7t will be loads of fun to drive but will not be nice on the wallet (turbo replacement is about $3000), 275hp and 290ft/lbs on stock tune

the a4 1.8t is much easir to maintain but will not have the initial power of the s4, you can get a nice tune that will make it fun to drive (215hp, 230ft/lbs), the b5s are older cars so you will have to deal with the problems that arise

the a4 2.0t will be newer and have more intitial power than the 1.8t, a nice tune will push it to about 245bhp and 300ft/lbs

if affordability is more important than pure power than the a4 will be a better choice, obviously the mpgs will be greater

/$0.02

 

ok thanks.. I think I'm leaning more towards the A4 now

btw - what are the upgrades/costs when you say a "nice tune"

 

if you check out the b5 section, there is a group buy for a speedtuning chip for $125 regulalry like $250, GIAC and APR run slightly more agreesive files for about $500. I dont know much about speedtuning but i havnt heard too many complaints. A nice tune will push the stock boost from ~10psi to ~18psi. There is also a diode mod for certain year cars that will push out about 17psi, for cheap. Do a quick search for more details about that.

with a nice tune you will want to upgrade the DV as well, $40-$200.

check out the noob sticky in the b5 section for some good info

 

By "nice tune" he means an ECU reflash/upgrade.

 

You've also got to consider gas mileage. I don't know how big of an issue that is for you, but its the main factor swinging me to save up for a B7 2.0t over a B7 S4. Yea, the S4 cranks out a lot more power and the sport tuned suspension and all the other goodies involved with the S line are to dream for, but you'll be lucky to pull 17 mpg city out of that engine no matter how conservatively you drive; whereas with the A4 2.0t, a good tune as mentioned and maybe some other small, relatively inexpensive upgrades, you'll push out enough power to have a blast and get ~24 mpg city while doing it, even with driving aggressively. At least that's the report I've heard on mpg figures between the two, I'll leave my statement open for debate.

 

thanks for the info!

 

Gas mileage is definitely a factor for me. Especially since the cost of gas is only going to get ever more expensive. But I don't mind trading a few mpgs for more power(fun)

 

I hear ya about being willing to trade mpgs for horses, just the way I see it is the money you save on gas (you're looking at at least an 8 mpg difference between the two cars, which is good for an extra 100-120 miles on a tank) you could put towards the necessary upgrades to get the same or more power as the S4. But that's just me

 

I agree with most of you. Gas eventually becomes an issue. Especially if you have a daily commute of 35-40 roundtrip daily. If you get either car, make sure you have AMPLE records of repair work. The important repair work. You will get more rubber necks with an S4.

I really didn't help. My bad.