So many of you may remember my earlier thread (too lazy to link it) asking for first hand opinions on the Lexus IS250/350 and Infinity G35. I also said in that thread that my wife and I also intended on driving an Audi A4. We didn't really expect to like it though, since we really liked the other two.
Well, last weekend we drove an '09 A4 2.0T Quattro. I thought it was great...possibly my overall favorite of the bunch. ;D Handled great, nice engine, comfy stylish interior, nice looking exterior, good gas mileage, and reasonable price.
So my question for all the Audi owners out there is are your cars reliable? I have it stuck in my head that Audis are nice, but little things break on them constantly. Is this correct, or have your Audis been dead reliable?
Thanks for any input! :)
(yes, I know I can check Audi boards...you tend to see a lot of problems on the boards though, and I want as unbiased an opinion as possible)
In a word, no. However, don't let that minor detail stop you. They are great cars.
Quote from: Triple J on September 23, 2008, 09:49:20 AM
.......... I have it stuck in my head that Audis are nice, but little things break on them constantly............
A lot of big (read expensive) things break down too. Fun to drive but still the worst car I ever owned.
I have no FHE. But back in the 80's-90's they referred to "Audi Disease": low power, high price; high maintenance, low resale". But they have improved since according to most sources. I think all German cars lack quality compared to Japanese, but I've always been a German car fan. I like Audis, and if that's what I wanted, I'd bite the bullet on the maintenace. Certain Italian motorcycles are believed to have quality issues, but still have a strong fan base!
Part of the reason I chose a BMW is the 4 years of included maintenance (everything except for tires).
When they break, it is expensive
I used to work on Audi's at a dealership and I still keep in contact with a few techs. I was just talking to a friend about the New A4 this weekend. I love the looks of that car and the 2.0L is way more advanced and reliable than the 1.8L it replaced it puts out a good amount of HP and is decent on gas. Being a tech for 3 years I did see a lot of things break but that was my job. IMO Audi's have the best looking and well made interiors than any other luxury brand. The look of the new A4 exterior is also very cool. Why worry about repair costs if your going to buy a new Audi. Everything but maintenance (and I suggest buying that package) will be covered for at least 4 years under warranty. If anything breaks just take it in and get it fixed.
I will say that the biggest reliability problem with newer Audis were the 1.8L engines dropping like flies. For the most part the drivelines, transmissions, quattro units, suspension, and brakes are bullet proof. You will have to take it in often for recalls and ecm reflashes but that is a good thing because it will make the car run better and you'll get a free wash. Overall fit and finish in the new A4s are amazing and I wouldn't think you are going to see interior pieces breaking on you. If you plan on keeping it plan on a little higher maintenance costs around 100k when you'll have to do belts and such. If you buy the maintenance package (and I don't think it is that much) you'll get everything including brakes.
Honestly they are very fun to drive (quattro is nice) and one of the safest cars in the market. I would say that the last generation A4s were about 10 times more reliable than the previous and these are even better. If you like the car I would get one. If I could afford it and was in the market for a sedan that would be the one I would buy. If you have any questions feel free to pm me and if I can't answer them I can get a real answer from a tech instead of a salesman who might bs you.
I had an S3 and the only issue I ever had was electrical.
it kept blowing out break light bulbs.
Audi offered a full service package.
All I had to do was call them, they would pick up the car and drop off a loner, than bring the car back when it was done.
I went in to buy brake lights the first time it happened and they got upset about me coming in and told be just to call and they would replace it free of charge.
They did fix the problem eventually.
Great car, fun to drive, would not hesitate getting another one.
My quattro was great until it hit 80k. Then i started getting some chassis squeaks (ball joints, control arms, etc) all not serviceable. Meaning they needed replacement. $800 here, $800 there, you get the picture. Then the rear driveshaft started making some noise, again not serviceable $2500 for a new shaft, that broke the camels back. I decided to sell the car at that point.
All told it was a great car, great ergomomics, awsome handling and road manners, fast [evil], and excellent in the snow. I'd consider another but maybe a lease this time round. :-\
13 where are you from?
You can't get S3's in the states. I bet that thing was fun as hell to drive.
Thanks guys. Not really what I wanted to hear, but it's what I suspected. :-\ If we do get one it would likely be a lease now, but who knows. The Infiniti keeps looking better and better. ;)
Pretty funny how most are saying they break a lot, but they'd
still get another. Only on a Ducati board! [laugh]
Quote from: msincredible on September 23, 2008, 10:15:03 AM
Part of the reason I chose a BMW is the 4 years of included maintenance (everything except for tires).
I do like this aspect of the BMW. Unfortunately, the BMW just doesn't compare to the rest on a features v. price basis (328, 335). Plus, the new ones are fugly. A used 330 may be OK, but my wife would rather have new.
Quote from: metallimonster on September 23, 2008, 10:45:14 AM
Why worry about repair costs if your going to buy a new Audi. Everything but maintenance (and I suggest buying that package) will be covered for at least 4 years under warranty. If anything breaks just take it in and get it fixed.
Because it's a pain in the ass. I don't want my wife (or me) to always have to deal with some POS car breaking down. Not when there's an alternative that is pretty much bullet proof.
Thanks for the inside info. though. I'll PM you if I think of any specfic questions. [thumbsup]
Triple J I think you are getting the wrong idea based on other people's experiences with older Audi's starting around 03 or 04 Audi really revamped its prodution and their reliability is much higher now than even a few years ago. Just don't get a car with the CVT transmission (they are shit) and you will be fine. You are going to get some electrical problems but they did away with major issues like drive train and such.
Quote from: metallimonster on September 23, 2008, 12:23:15 PM
13 where are you from?
You can't get S3's in the states. I bet that thing was fun as hell to drive.
I was living in New Zealand at the time.
And it was the most fun I have ever had on four wheels.
None of my friends with Audis have had any luck with them. The interior bits seemed to loosen quite a bit and rattle after a couple of years (VW seems to have this issue as well :-\ ) and they all ended up having problems with the turbos. Two of them went to Hondas, one went to BMW, and the other went the family wagon route, but to a one, they never gushed about owning the car. Of course, your mileage may very and they could be a lot better than the 99-04 models I heard about.
I had the ALMS edition TT. I loved the car, but it had a serious turbo lag that would hit really hard at 3500 RPM. So, if you were not watching yourself, it could cause issues. I tracked it twice, and ended up breaking some control arms and ruining the shocks... of course... they called this normal wear and tear... but since it was in the first few thousand miles... they were nice and fixed it anyhow.... it may have had something to do with squeaky wheels getting the oil... but whatever... car was well put together, handled well (quatro version), and got compliments. I would buy another, not sure if I would track it though. ;D
Knock on wood, i've never had any issues with my Audi. It's an 02 3.0L V6 Quattro with 96K miles, bought new. No issues, no problems, just fun driving.
I've got an '01 2.8 with Quattro and the sport suspension, it's got around 100K kilometers on it (60k miles) and it's the solidest car I've ever owned. Not a squeak or rattle in it, great fun to drive. Apparently I'm in a minority, though. :-\
Quote from: AndrewNS on September 23, 2008, 05:02:05 PM
I've got an '01 2.8 with Quattro and the sport suspension, it's got around 100K kilometers on it (60k miles) and it's the solidest car I've ever owned. Not a squeak or rattle in it, great fun to drive. Apparently I'm in a minority, though. :-\
eh, yers is justa babey ;)
i've got an '01 A4 1.8T Quattro with 148K on it
it's had it's issues, but i haven't owned a car that hasn't.
the warranty paid for most of the fixes, which is now expired.
maintenance is pricey, but worth it.
the car is still solid, and i DRiVe iT! ;D
i <3 this car, and it kicks ass in the snow.
i drove an TT for 3 years and the only "issue" that i had was a small pop that would happen when doing left u-turn after a hard right turn. the car was outstanding in all other regards. the only reason that i got out of it was i purchased my VW R32 which was more my style anyway. the TT just had a bit too much flash for me to feel like it was "for me".
one thing that i do miss about driving an audi is the service i received from the dealership. you just cannot beat a well run luxury car dealership when it comes to things like loaners and other compensation.
Quote from: 13 on September 23, 2008, 11:34:24 AM
I had an S3 and the only issue I ever had was electrical.
it kept blowing out break light bulbs.
Audi offered a full service package.
All I had to do was call them, they would pick up the car and drop off a loner, than bring the car back when it was done.
I went in to buy brake lights the first time it happened and they got upset about me coming in and told be just to call and they would replace it free of charge.
They did fix the problem eventually.
Great car, fun to drive, would not hesitate getting another one.
I currently have a 2002 S3. The car is in Mexico, so I don't get to drive it as much as I would want. I'm actually planning on selling it soon. But I had it in Chicago for about a year, I got so many offers from people wanting to buy it ;D It was def. an exotic car around here. I've had alot of issues with the car, dying batteries, problems with the anti-roll bars, transmission, etc etc. But I think most of them tend to be from the lack of use. A relative has an 04' A4 which has had alot of issues too. Was in the shop for around 3 months and a $4,000 bill.
Very fun cars though.
Quote from: yotogi on September 23, 2008, 05:32:03 PM
snip
one thing that i do miss about driving an audi is the service i received from the dealership. you just cannot beat a well run luxury car dealership when it comes to things like loaners and other compensation.
it works to their advantage when your 01 is in for service and they give you an 08 ;)
WaNT [laugh]
Quote from: DuCaTiNi on September 24, 2008, 02:54:33 AM
it works to their advantage when your 01 is in for service and they give you an 08 ;)
WaNT [laugh]
Actually that's how I ended up buying the S3.
My Golf was in for a service, I had the Audi on loan for a week and when I came back to pick it up my Golf I couldn't go back.
I traded in the Golf for a new S3 that day.
an S3 is just about the only (reasonable) car that i would trade my R32 for. although since i started riding the bike, it mostly just sits in the garage. <smirk>