Well we didn't end up going with an X5 (pics)

[halik]

Found a good deal on an 04 A4 Quattro Cabriolet. Dealer maintained, $12K with 52K miles and brand new tires.

The g/f loves it... so great success all around.

 

[JulesMaximus]

So you went from an SUV to a convertible?

 

[halik]

So you went from an SUV to a convertible?

Yeah, well the requirement really was something good in the winter that she likes.

 

[vi edit]

12k with only 52k miles? Wow. Heated leather seats too? Seems odd having AWD + heated seats + rag top. But it's an all season kind of quirkyness.

Nice find!

 

[halik]

12k with only 52k miles? Wow. Heated leather seats too? Seems odd having AWD + heated seats + rag top. But it's an all season kind of quirkyness.

Nice find!

Yeah, optioned up with premium package, infotainment package and heated seats. Definitely wanted the wintery stuff, even though it's a cabrio

 

[DominionSeraph]

12k with only 52k miles? Wow. Heated leather seats too? Seems odd having AWD + heated seats + rag top. But it's an all season kind of quirkyness.

Heated seats actually have more use on a convertible as they open up the temperature range of top-down driving.

 

[ponyo]

Damn, you're like the master deal finder. I should pay you to find me a car. That's a nice deal.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Winter is a great time to buy a convertible -

Repairs are what scare me about Audi VW cars like nothing else.

 

[Ryan]

Eh - I don't know about this generation of Audi/VAG products. While it may be dealer maintained, the maintenance costs and general repair on these monsters are atrocious :X

 

[halik]

Eh - I don't know about this generation of Audi/VAG products. While it may be dealer maintained, the maintenance costs and general repair on these monsters are atrocious :X

I'm willing to bet you've never owned one and have zero basis for this assesment. Blank statements like that come almost exclusively from people that have only owned civics and camrys.

< Owned B5 A4, 2.7T A6, 4.2L S4

 

[SSSnail]

I'm willing to bet you've never owned one and have zero basis for this assesment. Blank statements like that come almost exclusively from people that have only owned civics and camrys.

< Owned B5 A4, 2.7T A6, 4.2L S4

Yeah, but by your own chronicles of those on this here forum, didn't they all give you shits, or you had to do major shits to them, and ultimately don't own them anymore?

 

[halik]

Yeah, but by your own chronicles of those on this here forum, didn't they all give you shits, or you had to do major shits to them, and ultimately don't own them anymore?

The only project was the S4, I put some 40K+ on on both the A4 (starting at 80K) and A6 (starting at ~100K) without any major expense.

 

[Ryan]

I'm willing to bet you've never owned one and have zero basis for this assesment. Blank statements like that come almost exclusively from people that have only owned civics and camrys.

< Owned B5 A4, 2.7T A6, 4.2L S4

Hah - you can't tell me that repairing anything on this is going to be cheap:

But hey, don't take my word for it: VWVortex B6 S4 Reliability

 

[halik]

Hah - you can't tell me that repairing anything on this is going to be cheap:

But hey, don't take my word for it: VWVortex B6 S4 Reliability

Rebuild set ran me ~$800

Short block from a burned car another $1200

The S4 thing is function of maintenance - if you buy it used and previous owner used jiffy lube every 15K miles, odds are you will have problems with the cam adjusters, valve guides or in the worst case scenario oil consumption due to scoring.

I'm actually not a big fan of the car for other reasons, namely totally idiotic gearing and vague-at-best steering response. Between the v8 s4 and something like an e46 m3, it's totally no contest. M3 is sharper and better in every dimension, save the shifter feedback.

 

[hans007]

The b6 a4 is notoriously unreliable. The engines had sludging. Timing belts snapped. Etc. I think pretty much all b6 cars are dealer maintained since Audi gave free maintenance back then. Its ~850 now.

I don't know I don't really work on cars but I had a b8 and know a few other b7 owners and be owners who have had issues with oil burning and injector failures. Yes anecdotal but Audi deserves their reputation.

The b5 is supposed to be pretty solid from what I've read.

 

[mafia]

Hah - you can't tell me that repairing anything on this is going to be cheap:

*picture of complicated audi engine.jpg*

But hey, don't take my word for it: VWVortex B6 S4 Reliability

Rebuild set ran me ~$800

pwnt :biggrin:

 

[halik]

The b6 a4 is notoriously unreliable. The engines had sludging. Timing belts snapped. Etc. I think pretty much all b6 cars are dealer maintained since Audi gave free maintenance back then. Its ~850 now.

I don't know I don't really work on cars but I had a b8 and know a few other b7 owners and be owners who have had issues with oil burning and injector failures. Yes anecdotal but Audi deserves their reputation.

The b5 is supposed to be pretty solid from what I've read.

B5 and B6 cars share the same engines (the 30v v6 and the 1.8T). The turbo 4s definitely had some sludging issues, again something I'd attribute to maintenance.

Also the CVT transmission on the fwd cars is a disaster; wouldn't touch that w/o fidelity warranty.

2.0T in the newer cars is the one with oil burning/bad piston rings that Audi is recalling. My brother has a B8 A4 and audi so far has given him free PCV valve and waiting to see if he needs all new botom end.

 

[amdhunter]

How the hell you go from an X5 to that?:awe: