Audi for sure.

I'm a research nut; I don't move forward until I've exhausted every possible piece of info and have tested and rechecked my info three or four times. It's pretty obsessive sometimes.

Anyway, I researched those vehicles and others before deciding on the S4. Then I located 36 Audi Certified S4's before I narrowed the field down to 12. Then I personally checked all 12 and made offers on 4 of them.

I suppose the Jap cars would have been more affordable over the years (I certainly wouldn't have done any of the mods I've done to the S4), but that wasn't my priority.

I have a 2000 S4 and I love it. I wouldn't turn back time to change anything (except maybe to do the modding sooner than later)!!

 

Oh yeah... I would turn back time so I wouldn't be on the highway on that sunny Sunday in May of 2003. Then I'd still have a spotless driving record!!!!

 

haha yeah I have my fair share of those in my SS, just curious where can I find these? I live in Kanas and we only have 1 Audi dealership close to me and I checked their inventory and they didnt have any S4's

 

Well.... I did my search over a lineal distance of 800 miles!!!

Search online first.

 

if u had to pick one of the years above what would u choose? And do the smaller oil lines hurt the turbos (i thought someone said lack of oil in turbos casues them to blow)?

 

The last year would obviously be the best bet if you want peace of mind, but there really isn't much to worry about with any of the years. If you want to eek out the most from the car's performance, then the 2000 is probably the best choice.

The smaller oil lines were calculated to be a potential area that could promote turbine failure. (Note all the vague terms I used?) The passenger side turbo is where the problem typically lies. The oil lines on that side are in close proximity to the exhaust manifold; they are unprotected. The additional heat from the manifold has been suggested to cause overheated bearings in that turbo. The overheated bearings cause a sludge to form and the resultant buildup can cause turbine failure. The newer lines were made larger in the hopes of increasing circulation that might reduce the overheating. Again, a lot of uncertainty. Nevertheless, the statistical failure rates did not change. There were a reduced number of failures with the later years, but they fell well within a standard deviation. After calculating for age/mileage and number of units on the road for all the years in question, the results remain fairly equal.

All in all, turbo failure is a low incident with Audi. But Audi is a very conservative company when it comes to product reliability. They don't want any blemishes that can be blown out of proportion, so they nip these issues in the bud as soon as possible.

Bottom line (as with any turbocharged car), there will always be a chance for turbo failure at any time. The odds are low, but they are there. You could be a lucky owner/driver (like a friend of mine) that will go well over 100K with no sign of turbo degradation on the stock units or.... you could be unlucky and have turbo meltdown two days after you buy the car. Most of us don't spend time worrying about these possibilities. We'd rather spend time enjoying the car.