Hello all,

I've owned two Audi's in the past and both were a total "Love-Hate" relationship. While there were many things l loved about them frankly, both were a "Piece of S#!t!" First was an early 80's 4000 and the second was an 89 Audi 90.

What I'm looking for now is just a reliable daily driver I can put gas in and go without worrying about always fixing little things here and there. I plan to spend between $4000 and $5000 and have seen quite a few mid-90's to early 2000's in that range. While I'd prefer a A6, there seem to be more A4's. Is it asking too much of an Audi of that vintage to be a "gas and go" car? I've done the whole 'fixer upper' thing in the past and just cant afford that now. Alternatively I could buy a good reliable used Hyundai still under warranty and not worry about a thing, but it's just not an Audi.

So what do you think, is it possible or should I just go with the Hyundai and forget it?

P.S. If I *were* to go with an Audi, should I avoid the turbos and do the high mile automatic trannies hold up or is a Manual the way to go. Also what about Quattro, should it be avoided if I'm looking to keep costs down or does it not really matter?

Thanks in advance; your honesty is greatly appreciated.

 

47 views and not one response? C'mon guys, I've already had 3 responses on another forum... Little help please?

 

get a ricer

 

Well if I had to give my opinion I would say:

avoid automatics
avoid turbos
avoid leather (fake stuff holds up better)
quattros are fine, much more pleasant to drive than FWD

I am driving a 98 a4 that I got for 5500 in september and it is nearly perfect. That was to replace 2 Passats of the same era, so I love this platform (B5).

If you check blue book, A6s are incredible bargains compared to A4s.

Hope that helps!

 

Purchased a 98 A4 Quattro 2.8 5 speed in April 2009. The car looks beautiful and drives like it is new ( when not broken down ). The bad news is that I have had to put a few thousand dollars in repairs in that short period of time. Rack was leaking $800, electronic ignition went out $700, headlights stopped working,new switch $300, check engine light on was O2 sensor $200, had timing belt and water pump changed just cuz I didn't know when it had been done $550, needed tires $600 and NOW 2nd gear is not working and who knows how much $$$$$$$ that will be. Love the car, but man it is expensive. I probably have to much in it to get rid of it. Had 114,000 when I got it now had 125,000 miles. Hope that helps.........And just to mention, most of those repiars were done by a mechanic on the side...

 

I bought a 1999 A6 Quattro with an automatic five years ago with 90K miles on it. My wife has put another 140K miles on it since then, and it's been very reliable. We had the timing belt/water pump/tensioner replaced when we bought it and again at 200K miles. I've changed the valve cover and cam tensioner gaskets to address the typical top end oil leaks, replaced the front axles, and replaced the front control arms, TRE's, stabilizer bar links, and wheel bearings. Other than that, I've only replaced wear items like tires, belts, and brakes. This is my first Audi, and I wasn't sure it was a good idea when I bought it, but now I'm sold. As long as you can work on them yourself, the costs of ownership seem reasonable. However, if I had to pay a shop to do all of the repairs, I may not have kept it this long.

 

If you're on a pretty tight budget, i'd say maybe you should get a honda or toyota, on the other hand if you can do a lot of the work yourself, go for an audi, i'm on my 7th, and i refuse to drive anything else. Also, there are a lot of very knowledgeable guys/gals here on the forum that can really help. Having said all that, as with any car purchase, go over the car with a fine tooth comb, that way you know where you stand. Buying an audi is one thing, maintaining it is another. Good Luck.

 

I Have A 1998 Audi A4 2.8l AWD
Its Deffinetly A love Hate Relationship. Iv Put more then twice as much money into it as i spent on the car, but i cant stop loving it. the AWD Is amazing and the joy from driving is wonderful. if i was looking for a reliable car i would buy a honda or toyota... audis are amazing but you gotta be a dedicated owner to have one.

AUDI LOVE>