noobish questions from a semi-pro...
 

well guys its about time i venture over here. obviously from my post count ive been on here for at least a little bit so please no flaming. i want to hear testimonials from real b5 s4 owners (i dont know any).
well from my sig you know i own a 01 1.8t, and am looking to upgrade to an b5 s4 next year. i just want to gather some info. what exactly am i getting myself into? i know the car and its basic output, hell i own the lesser model. but i need more power. in your opinion is it worth an extra few grand over the 6500 i paid for mine? like i said, i wont be doing this over night. it will take months.
ive had my a4 for almost a year now and havent had a problem besides the maf. the odds pretty good ill encounter more problems with an s4 of similar mileage to mine which has 130k? (i understand through my reasearch the upkeep is more, but i will do maintence myself, anything sort of replacing internals. i will prolly end up with a car around 100k.)
and last, how is the six speed compared to the my five? i have driven a couple six speeds (one being a 225tt) and am not really a big fan of shifting constanly in town. is the s4 any different? i would imagine its quite similar... either way i would get a manual.
thanks for the time.

paid 8800 for mine with 135k on it.. first problem.. oil leaks.. valve cover gaskets and cam adjuster seals.. then. cause it leaked soooo much oil, dripped from the back of my heads into the manual tranny area and soaked the clutch, and after i installed my apr chip it slipped at low rpm high boost.. fan clutch went out.. control arms are bad.. throttle body boot went bad.. then i had a dv go out.. auxiliary water pump went out.. f pipe went bad.. octopus hoses started to crack..synchros grinding after mistimed shifts...and the list goes on.. then i went stage 3.. and i forgot about all the other problems that ive had with the car.. period.. RS6 turbos, great tune, other mods and custom 3" magnaflow exhaust that sounds like a ferarri ....and id do it all over again a million times.. :D

btm line is. now you have two of everything so when shit hits the fan you pay for it twice as much. And if you need more pwr why not keep your 1.8 and buy a 2.7 shell, Build your 2.7 and dump it in a striped out B5 shell. Now you have the best of both worlds, and nice 1.8 and your going to have a fast ass S4 (race car) for the price you would pay for a typical S4 (typical used car with full interior).
shell 1000
motor 2500
k04 2300
DP 1100
034 ecu 3000
Pistons 1000
rods 900
total 11,800 = one fast ass S4
Or you could buy a stock used one for about the same. with low millage of course.

the S4 definitely is a good upgrade, we all know that. the small suttle body details and interior quality(the wood grain is different) makes the S unique to enthusiasts. if its speed you want, you're already aware of the power they can make with chip/exhaust. stage 3 is every owners dream if they can afford it. i only have an exhaust as my upgrade cuz it was the cheapest so far..custom made. i want to chip it but maintenance has me concerned, ive already had to replace to much, including the turbos which wasnt cheap but i have a warranty so that helps. since you're not buying right away i'd start to save NOW and buy a low milage one. mine had 105 when i bought it and now im up to 115k. oil leaks like big was saying are common. ive alredy invested a good chunk of change on maintenance...and insurance. damn speeding tickets. but i have my car up for sale now. im not in a rush to sell but im not puting any more money into it

yeah there will be no modding going on except for chip and possible exhaust. that would be about it. i plan on listing my car for 6500$ (what i paid for it) and will prolly take anything down to 5g's as it will have about 150k. i will start saving soon, but i wont be able to save enough over winter. good thing i got a good summer job that pays 15.25 and i get 84 hours every two weeks. if anybody else has something to add, feel free to.

just be weary of the 'surprise' costs if you decide to own one. however, generally with higher miles like around 130k, most of everything that could go wrong with the B5 must have been fixed at some point... so they would be fairly 'reliable'.

^+1

What Mott said :)

And the 'surprise' costs, can really turn out to be "surprise, surprise, surprise!" It's a rude awakening when you find out your turbos took a shit. If you don't do them yourself, you're looking at $2-$3k in labor alone.

In my opinion, owning my S4 has been very rewarding. Yes, when stuff breaks it's expensive, but if you can turn a wrench, you can SIGNIFICANTLY keep the maintenance costs down.

And regarding Mott's mileage statement, there is a lot of truth to that. I had an S4 before my current, bought it at 80k miles, drove it to 110k, only issue was a window regulator and secondary water pump. Both covered under warranty. My current one, however, has cost me a bit more replacing things like O2s, EGT2, MAF and some other small stuff. The damn sensors really start to add up. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Go buy yourself a nice B5.

i think your forgetting i already own an audi! haha but seriously i know about suprise costs. luckily ive only had to replace the maf on my car. and twice at that. i just bought a couple used ones for fifty bucks a pop, the logic being the dealership wanted 400 for a new bosch one. since i only want to run oem style (aftermarket stuff to me is usually not worth it) i can buy 8 used for the price of one new. and as aformentioned, i will be doing maintinence myself, anything short of internal engine work. hell, i know i got a wheel bearing going out right now and i will definately do it myself since i have pretty much an unlimited supply of tools at a buddy's heavy diesel garage (he even has triple square sockets. i was so excited i could finally change tranny fluid). plus they got a car lift over there;)

Sounds like you'll do well owning an S4 then :) Go for it.