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Audi drivers? Help me out!

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lorida
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 46

To anyone who has experience with Audi's, especially ones that are a few years old, I need some guidance.

I'm presently looking into buying a 1999 Audi A6, 2.8L, with 86 XXX miles. It's a Florida car, imported into Canada, with running lights installed and all paperwork filed and ready to be plated.

After a little bit of reading through the internet, I can find nothing but complaints of insanely high maintenance costs.

So, the people of NS, hook me up with your Audi experience, from all aspects.

Maintenance, fuel mileage, driving pleasure, anything you can think of.

I need to see if the pro's outweigh the cons, because this car looks ballin' but with a student income I can afford a car payment but not all of the following three: 

1)Car payment
2)Shit fuel mileage
3)Maintenance

What it looks like;

Click for larger image

Thanks guys.

Mar 15 2008 12:53AM
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huckaberry
Posts: 993 - Karma: 14
my dad has an audi, peice of shit car thats what it is he takes it in every two weeks for maitnence.
i think its an a8 not sure what year though
Mar 15 2008 12:58AM
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lorida
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 46

Lol, that's about what the rest of the internet said too.

Mar 15 2008 1:00AM
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pmills
Posts: 7162 - Karma: 59
imo not worth it, i'm sure plenty of people will support it and disagree with me, but the matienence is going to cost way too much, quattro drive might be sick in the snow, but it can't be great for the longevity of the engine.  Getting a japaniese car from the same year might not have heated leather seats, plus all the other cool stuff you get from germany  but in the end it will get you where you want to go and that's really all that matters in a car
Mar 15 2008 1:03AM
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user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
unless you have a very steady job, not worth it. You'll pay up the ass in gas and maintenance with those imported parts.
Mar 15 2008 1:07AM
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EastcoastAR5
Posts: 2721 - Karma: 15
Personally I would not buy an audi. While I love them on paper, I just don't believe they are AS well built as say your bmw's or mercades which are in the same price range. I think they make some kick ass cars (A3 so amazing), I just don't think they are worth the money. My family has had 3 audi's and I have seen problems in all of them. My dad has such a sick A4 2.8 which I loath to drive, but then little things like the door handle worn down to the industrial white plastic makes me ask "what are they doing!?". I would say pass man...unless it is a steal and in good mechanical shape.
Mar 15 2008 1:09AM
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lorida
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 46
^^

Although I agree that a car is designed to get from point A to point B, and that a simple Japanese car SHOULD suffice, it doesn't. I drive a 1998 Honda Civic and do 400 or so miles per week, and am getting fed up of the choppy ride and cramped front seat. I work hard for my money and maybe yes, an Audi is more than I need and should spend, but if it was a GOOD car (Which apparently it isn't) then it would be worth it.

^
Again with the maintenance. Although, you are very right. I'm used to being able to get any part from my car on ebay or the local Auto Parts store...forget buying everything at the dealer.

Also, I don't think I'd be able to do my own maintenance, much like I can on my Civic.

Oh well...too bad. Maybe after I'm through with university then.
Mar 15 2008 1:15AM
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user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
In that price range, try and find a Subaru. you may even be able to find a turbo charged one such as a WRX or a forester etc. Way better cars.
Mar 15 2008 1:16AM
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lorida
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 46
It's $6800 Canadian, it's book value is $12,000 here. I checked it out and it looks really nice...apparently the guy just bought a Motorcycle and needs cash for the down payment. Sounds suspicious, but if a mechanical inspection clears...hmmm
Mar 15 2008 1:17AM
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lorida
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 46
I was looking at the Forester, The Mazda 3 sport (5 door), or a motorcycle to compliment my current car. This Audi kind of caught my eye out of nowhere.
Mar 15 2008 1:21AM
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COskier
Posts: 1066 - Karma: 131
Pieces of shit. I have one of those from 01. It was great for 2-3 years no problems. Now it seems like every six months I have to spend $1200 to get some new part replaced.
Mar 15 2008 2:21AM
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P.J.S.
Posts: 1782 - Karma: 11
I had an 01 A4 1.8T Quattro, 5 speed. I ended up selling it to my dad to buy an 03 Tacoma, and not a single day goes by without me wanting to have the smile on my face from driving a turbo audi. Which is why tomorrow I am test driving/possibly buying a different Audi. Fuck the haters, nice cars cost money, fact of life.
Mar 15 2008 3:07AM
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user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
I'm not hating on him for wanting an Audi. I love audi's, they are badass cars. They are just not the most reliable cars out there. He said he is a student on a student income, and he can only afford the car payments. If that is the case, paying the maintenance on a sporty import like an Audi is going to be brutal. Yes nice cars cost money, it's just whether or not he can afford all the additional costs that come with an Audi.
Mar 15 2008 10:45AM
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lorida
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 46
You`ve got the idea.

I could afford 100-150$ a month in repairs, but not much more. I usually put a fixed amount towards a house down payment and could no longer afford that if maintenance will be 200-400$ a month.

Although, I`m only buying a car to keep for a year, then I`ll trade it in for something smaller and more economical, during university...right now I`m looking for something to make all my hard work pay off.
Mar 15 2008 10:54AM
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Anti-Hero
Posts: 1269 - Karma: 338
buy it dude, audis are baller. we used to have an 89 4000 cs way back in the day, that thing would've run forever if they didnt salt the fuck out of all the roads around here. i see where you're coming from with the maintenance issues though, audis do seem to break a lot, and are quite expensive to fix.
Mar 15 2008 11:31AM
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pmills
Posts: 7162 - Karma: 59
what about looking into something like lexus? may not have the acclaim that the germans have, but still a quality ride
Mar 15 2008 11:38AM
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lorida
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 46
Right now, a luxury car is not my top priority...again, I just sort of came accross the Audi and it`s selling for a great price, compared to it`s value. It has a clear title and all maintenance was done at Audi, with receipts to prove it. Otherwise, I`d only be looking for a car like this when I`m finished with university.
Mar 15 2008 11:41AM
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Lineskiah11
Posts: 2029 - Karma: 21
i know a kid at school who has an standard a4. he likes it and says its fun to drive and he hasnt really had many problems with it. BUT what he has said is that when he does bring it in when he needs work done on it its pretty expensive.

my dad also had a 2000 passat which is basically an audi and he got rid of the car after 63,000 miles because he was going to have to sink $4,000 into the car for various simple parts that were just worn down and needed to be tuned up/replaced. he took really good care of the car too.
Mar 15 2008 12:10PM
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RaginCajun
Posts: 316 - Karma: 10
pm BrodyLeven....he's owned two that are pretty much exactly what you're looking at.
Mar 15 2008 12:16PM
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cab509
Posts: 806 - Karma: 34

I'm not sure how man of you actually own Audi's but since I do I'll chime in. First off, I own a 1996 A4 with a 2.8


so the A6 your looking at should have the 30v V6 under the hood which makes around 190CHP(crank horsep power) and I think you should get around mid 20's MPG highway but I'm not sure. with the millage that is on the car you will want to make sure the previous owner has replaced the timing belt if you decide to get it, or have him take probably $800 off of the purchase price.

Now to the experience, contrary to others thoughts, Audi's are built to last, I have seen many Audi's with well over 250K on the engine (not having been rebuilt) and they run just fine.  Mine has 197K on it and I only need to replace three things for it to last another 50K or so (but they are bigger ticket items)


Also the driving experience is great, with quattro you will almost never get stuck and it gives you some confidance through the corners (but because the engine is in front of the axle entirely the car tends to understeer at times.


Now to the bad part... if something goes wrong and you can't fix it yourself, it will cost you a decent amount to fix. For instance I am looking at about $1000 including parts and labor to replace me power steering rack on my car right now. But with maintenance aside, they are great cars, a lot of people tend to say that Audi is the last on the list of the Big three german car companies(BMW, MB, Audi) but I and those who also are Audi enthusiasts will easily disagree.


Also yeah you can go 100+ in a honda or similar Japanese car, but you know your going triple digits, in the Audi you'll easily get it over 100 with a full car and not even realize that your going that fast, they are built to cruise the Autobhn and it shows.



If you want some more information on Audi's from guys that work on them themselves and know a lot about them , google Audiforums or Audizine and ask some  questions there, you will get a more informed opinion (if not a little bit biased)

So there are my .02 cents about Audi's


cliff notes version: good solid cars, that can cost some to maintain, but are usually worth the cost of ownership if you ask anyone who owns one and is into cars a good amount.

Hope this helps somewhat with your decision.

they can cost some money to take care of, but they are also great cars and have a style that doesn't really grow old, my 13year old audi gets compliments all the time and no one believes me that it is as old as it is.
Mar 15 2008 5:39PM
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RHD180
Posts: 59 - Karma: 10
JOIN THE CAR CULT ! WE CAN HELP. PM Brokebutitsworthit
Mar 15 2008 5:46PM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21083 - Karma: 8,455
After walking away scratchless from hitting a concrete divider at 50 mpg do to black ice and spinning out into the next lane, having an audi was worth every penny I ever spent on maintenance.  Any other car would've crumpled and I would've been FUCKED up.  Unfortunately the car was totaled (I think the mechanic might have screwed us though).  They are no doubt expensive to keep up but are amazing to drive, are great in the snow, are safe as fuck, and are downright stylish.  If you can afford it, definitely worth it.  Just my 2 cents from personal experience...
Mar 15 2008 10:17PM
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cab509
Posts: 806 - Karma: 34
Oh yeah I forgot to tell they are really really really safe cars too



example (and I'm sure it has been posted here before so don't kill me for it)

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3105304
Mar 15 2008 11:04PM
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lorida
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 46
I didn't want to quote your mother post up there, but thanks a lot for the book of a response.

So, pretty much what I think I'll do is I'm going to go test drive this car, inspect it, etc., etc., to see if it's selling cheap for a reason or not.

If everything checks out, and the bank approves, I'll buy it. If not, I'll take it as a "sign" that the car will give me more mechanical headaches than I can stand.

Oh yes, one last question....

Alright, so I understand that Audi's aren't great for mechanics, I accept that and am ready for it, but what I need to know is this;

When something breaks on an Audi, is it the type of thing where a part will out of nowhere fail you on the highway, resulting in an expensive, unexpected tow?

Or is it more parts slowly wearing out, where it isn't an immediate thing? Such as bushings ,shocks, etc., so I can replace it before shit hits the fan?

Also, if I get a good battery, how will it start on a cold winter day?> I'm assuming she'll start up fine, because it was designed in Germany...but someone at work today mentioned that they don't start for shitttt when it's cold out, which is a bigggg no no for me.

Again, I'm alright if the car has issues from time to time, but one thing I can NOT stand is when my car is not functional at an inconvenient time. From work, to school, to meetings, to driving to the cottage alone in the dark where cellphone service is shakey, I need a car that will make it from point A to point B without me being nervous. 

Mar 16 2008 6:34PM
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Aenigma
Posts: 11256 - Karma: 424
Here's my take:

I wouldn't want to invest that much money into something that I didn't have total confidence in.  I don't want to be working my ass off to afford something that I think will break down and financially ruin me.  I have a few friends with Audis and they're super nice cars when they're working, but I also constantly see the cars in the shop.  They are awesome when you get a good one, but I don't think Audi has a reliable enough record to constitute buying one if you're on a budget.
Mar 16 2008 6:53PM
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Tucks
Posts: 2120 - Karma: 161
Yes buy it if it is a manual.
This car is extremely good in snow
Sick fast car
good gas millage


Mar 16 2008 7:02PM
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user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
It completely depends really. You have no way of knowing whether you will have a gasket slowly going bad that you can get fixed at your leisure, or if you will blow a head while you're driving down the road. I wouldn't be too worried about the 'expensive tow' (though it would be more expensive, because audi's are AWD you have to pull them up onto a Bed to tow them, you can't just leave 2 wheels on the ground like a traditional tow). You should be more worried about the repair costs. Unless you, or someone you know, is really good at working on cars, expect to pay double to triple the price of a repair on a regular car. It may also take longer depending on where you have to get the part from.

You will also have to only run Premium gasoline in your car. The higher the octane rating the better. BP has the best quality and highest octane rating I have found so far, at a consistent 93. There shouldn't be any problem with it starting in the winter, that usually applies more to diesel engines. You will also probably want to consider running it on full synthetic oil, making sure to change it at every 3k miles if you want the full life out of your engine. It's not too big of a deal, but it gets a little pricey over time.

Additionally, how many miles did you say were on the car? If you are getting near 80,000-100,000 you will probably have to replace the timing belt soon and whatever else is standard 20k incremental maintenance for an audi. If the previous owner didn't replace the belt then you are looking at around $800+ for the belt and timing alone plus whatever other maintenance it needs.
Mar 16 2008 7:16PM
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lorida
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 46

^ Ahh, yes, all the costs associated with a car of this nature.

Premium gas is scary, especially up in Canada where it's 50-120 cents more per gallon. Factor in that I do a lot of miles in a week...ouf, I need to find out how fuel economy is from someone who owns one. They claim it can do 29.1 MPG on average (Mix of highway+city), but that's on the internet, so who knows.

I've heard that if you take REALLY good care of an Audi, it will take care of you, which apparently the previous owned of the one i'm looking at has. He has a full record of Audi receipts from suggested factory maintenance. I doubt he's done the timing belt though, so I'll be sure to factor that into the cost.

Mar 16 2008 7:32PM
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lorida
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 46
Well, I just found out that it was sold, after being listed for what...2 days?

It was an awesome deal but I guess it wasn't meant to be.

Thanks again for all the input guys, as I definetly plan on owning an Audi someday, only now it looks like a post university option...which is probably for the better, seeing as how I'll be able to afford it more comfortably without worrying about HAVING to work that extra shift at work to pay off the repair, fuel, and payment bills.

I have to admit though, I am VERY bummed. The 1999 A6 2.7T that came to my work on Saturday was too much fun to drive, with all the standard options that you could ever want, not to mention the inevitable pimp factor...one day.
Mar 16 2008 7:57PM
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pmills
Posts: 7162 - Karma: 59
don't be too bummed, by the time you're ready to buy your audi the used market will provide you with a much better car than the '99

08 rs6 > sexy

Mar 16 2008 8:09PM
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Fish_Sandwich.
Posts: 9108 - Karma: 16
I just saw an R8, such a ballin ass whip.  Cop one.
Mar 16 2008 8:37PM
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SlickRick.
Posts: 4329 - Karma: 300
i have an '98 a4 with 56000 on it.. we had to drop 5 gs on it so far because of a dropped transimission, suspension and various other things. it is also slow as fuck even tho its 1.8 L turbo
Mar 16 2008 9:03PM
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Quinn
Posts: 1428 - Karma: 16
i have a 1997 cabriolet.  it is amazing. the handling of an audi is worth the $$.  and i have never had a single problem with it.  And this is actually really helpful: it wasnt until about '02 that they started having big problems with repairs and stuff. older audi's definitely have good reputations for durability.  99 is kind of on the edge...  my 97 has never given me one problem though
Mar 16 2008 9:57PM
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jibsworth
Posts: 1554 - Karma: 12
thanks for the sound advice "son"... maybe i will "cop one"
Mar 16 2008 10:12PM
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lushlaxstr
Posts: 3063 - Karma: 41
buy a saab
Mar 16 2008 10:15PM
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dangerdad
Posts: 2228 - Karma: 317
^of all things holy, dont do that
Mar 16 2008 10:21PM
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Fish_Sandwich.
Posts: 9108 - Karma: 16
My post was pointless as fuck, I realize that.  I was just stoked to see one, they look so sick in person, and sound really cool.  I dunno how to describe it, not like a ricer, but not like raw power of a muscle car, it was just sick.
Mar 17 2008 1:04AM
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dammitmike
Posts: 2530 - Karma: 24
its probably good that you didnt buy the car. the guy selling it for nearly half of the book value is very sketchy. even if he needed a quick sale most people wouldnt go that cheap unless there was some very legitimate reasoning behind it.

i would look into getting a bike. ive been looking into getting one for a few years now and finally have my license and am looking to buy one. theyre cheap to start with and so are repairs/maint and depending on what kind of bike you get youll see anywhere from 40-70mpg! of course you wont be able to use it in the snow or carry around a lot of stuff, but if you commute yourself around a lot it would be worth checking out.
Mar 17 2008 2:00AM
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gmack24
Posts: 4636 - Karma: 31
yea I had a 2000 a6 2.8   6 speed manual a couple years ago....Bought it for 12,000.....car was incredible at first, but it was a money pit. The check engine light was always on...always something wrong. I think BMW are the logical way to go for the quality and reliability.
Mar 17 2008 2:11AM
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jergriff
Posts: 440 - Karma: 9
buddies old A4

Click for larger image

buddies NEW A4 avant...

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anyways... super nice cars i love em just spendy to fix... plus i dont think you said the one you want has a turbo but normally you have to run the expensive high octane gas in em so spending more money on gas but super ballin cars...
Mar 17 2008 2:12AM
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jergriff
Posts: 440 - Karma: 9

SO BALLIN!

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Mar 17 2008 2:17AM
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jergriff
Posts: 440 - Karma: 9

sorry its my buddys old one just a super sick pic!

Click for larger image

Mar 17 2008 2:21AM
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k8stewart
Posts: 208 - Karma: 40
My family has owned a number of audis, including an s6, two s8s, an audi allroad 4.2, an s4, and an audi allroad 2.7 turbo.
I bought the 2.7 turbo this year. It's a 2004, i bought it with about 34000 miles on it. I love audis, they drive incredibly well in the snow, are really fun to drive, and look great. I think they are so much nicer all around then something like a subaru, which may do well in the snow, but...really, isn't as nice.
As far as your situation is concerned, I don't know how willing I would be to go through with it. With audis, you REALLY need to make sure milage is pretty low. You don't want to own them when the milage gets very high. The 4.2 allroad was bought with about 35000 miles on it. Little did we know, it had been totaled, but the dealership didn't tell us that, and the car had an Audi Certified Warranty.
MAKE SURE YOUR CAR HAS A WARRANTY! Audi Certified goes to 100,000 miles and covers problems that most audis experience. My 2.7 allroad needed work done to the air filtration system, it wasn't defrosting windows, windshield, giving me AC or heat...etc. That was covered with the warranty.In your situation, I would really look for other options. With 86000 miles on it, the certified warranty won't get you too far.
Mar 17 2008 3:15AM
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k8stewart
Posts: 208 - Karma: 40
one more thing! gas mileage is not too good. I get about 17 to the gallon in my allroad. It is the same in the 4.2, and...they all take premium. Meaning, it was about 30$ one way from Boulder to Breck today.
Mar 17 2008 3:20AM
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user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
I'm definitely going to have to disagree with you there. I would take a Suby over an Audi any day, hands down.
Mar 17 2008 8:46AM
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Swan_Solo
Posts: 2374 - Karma: 14
definitely consider the parts cost, anything broken will cost A LOT to replace or fix

AWD would be sweet in snow, so i'd look for a suby instead
Mar 17 2008 11:50AM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21083 - Karma: 8,455
unless they've gotten better recently (but he wouldn't be getting a recent one), subys are like tin compared to audis
Mar 17 2008 10:17PM
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user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
what's your justification for that?
Mar 17 2008 10:21PM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21083 - Karma: 8,455
well not a lot but did you read my post above? would a subaru do that?
Mar 18 2008 5:59AM
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user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
Yes probably, all cars are designed to accordian on impact. Subaru's are also incredibly safe cars. Just because the audi saved your life, it doesn't mean any other car on the road won't.

And the pic with the destroyed audi, that was a work of God, not the car it self. and if there had been any other passengers in that car, they would have been completely fucked.
Mar 18 2008 7:47AM
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lorida
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 46
Right, right...check out the cars I see everyday...another reason I wanted to buy the Audi, to make going to work less painfull!;

Click for larger image

My fav's

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Mar 18 2008 9:02AM
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