Yhe only Audi I'd buy......again would be an 84-85 Ur Quattro.
I did have an 88 Audi cd 5000 which I still miss.

Reminds me when I went to the dealer and I was still an Audi fan. I was interested in an S4 saloon. The tag from what I can recall was $43 something-something.
I offered $42K. This was at a time Audi was just starting to spring from a bad decade mind you- The cow said to me after the offer-"I'll have to walk away" she did just that .
That was it for me for the damn mark.
I was Audi's champion in the 80's esp, with the Unintended Acceleratinon fiasco. Christ I owned 2 at the time.
That made me walk from them permanently.
AND,
I can't stand their stupid LED lights. What's next a pinwheel on both mirrors in a beta green laser format !

Dont forget to change your timing belt at around 75 K miles...or what ever the maintenance schedule says. I am not saying that is peculiar to Audi. Just saying...remember to do that !

"I first met Piëch in 1981 in Toronto, at a dinner promoting his Audi Quattro. To break the ice, I told him that my father had purchased one of the first Audi 100LSs. Piëch said, 'Zat iss ze vorst car I effer vorked on.'"

--Jim Phillips

Hey! That is MY line!

You know, neither of these cars was even remotely as reliable as a modern Audi... Sort of derails your argument...

So, blame Audi for a salesperson that they'd never hired (dealers, and their staff, are not employees of Audi) or knew anything about, who is likely not even there any more...

And, it's spelled marque, FWIW...

That's fine if you drive the car 12-15k miles a year. If you drive less than that, consider yourself on borrowed time after 5 years.

JR

I know. Thought of you when I wrote it but should have given writer's credit. My bad. :)

Audi's don't suck. They look great, are fun to drive (in the winter here as well), and get
decent gas mileage. The only hang-up in the past has been maintenance IMO.


There are all kinds of maintenance issues in the S4s/Allroads (2.7t). I had an '01 Allroad that
had problems with the air ride suspension and a turbo failure. I would never tell anyone to buy a used Allroad.


I also owned a 00 BMW 328i that was in the shop more than a Land Rover. Sensors going
bad, caliper locked up. Radio issues. When it was running it was really fun to drive.


After the Bimmer, I picked up a '03 A4 1.8t qt that was bullet-proof. Drove it for 80k with
no issues other that normal wear and tear. My dad has a '09 A4 that has been great as well.


Maybe I'm used to it from my water-cooled VW days, but I really don't think it's that bad.



If you want something that is super reliable, go get into a Camry or Accord. You can marvel
at it's homogenized styling, and tupperware-like dash. (I now have a 09 Accord for my company car, it's mind blowing. :rolleyes:)


Can't have it all. :)






-Dan

Yeah, but I stole it from Scotty on Star Trek...

I only said the only Audi I'd buy again would be the Ur and 5000. Yes lots of troubles, esp. on the 5000. (electrical-sunroof and torque steer.
Audi's have all ways been unreliable as opposed to other" MARQUES."
The newest don't do it for me whatsoever.
Esp. with those childish LED's that a lot of buyers fall for.

We've had an '02 A4 quattro - no issues, had 90,000kms on it when sold.
We've still got an '03 TT - No issues at 117,000kms.

Both better built than the '02 320i we also had. 320i was superb to drive and the 6 cylinder engine was to die for, but the Audi's only drove marginally less well, but looked much classier and were built outstandingly well.

Wouldn't hesitate buying another Audi (or 3 series).

Years ago we owned three Audi's in succession (a 4000, 5000 and 100). We lived through the 60 Minutes thing and I've never watched CBS since. I remember being shocked- couldn't believe the media would do such a thing.

The cars were fun to drive and fairly reliable (they ate power window motors, for example) but Audi lost what could have been a lifetime customer. The transmission on the 100 went kaput at 54K miles. Audi refused to cover it- not halfway- not one dime. We haven't bought an Audi since.

But I think the new ones are beautiful- and they don't stick you with run flats and leave you without a spare like a certain other German manufacturer.

hahahahaha my folks owned a 1975 100LS GIANT POS X a MILL-YON! bought new,sold 6 months later.


and what about those foxes and quattros mmmmmmmm maint nightmare/dealer nightmare.


about the ONLY QUATTRO worth a damn were the factory rally cars.


oh yeah i worked at johnson bozzani porsche/audi.



WE CRINGED EVERYTIME a NEW AUDI WAS SOLD!



remember when all the audi FOX emblems were being STOLEN for BLING! belt buckles/necklaces/ring bling status symbols.


howz dat for some audi history?

I am sure that there are Audis and VWs out there that have been reliable for a period of time. They can't all breakdown at the same time.

I have three friends who have bought VWs and all three cars were 'lemons'. I have one friend with an Audi TT and the list of repairs that came with the vehicle is long and expensive.

My girlfriend has a game where she keeps count of the VWs with all their headlights and tail lights working and those with one (or more) out. The current tally is 2-1 not-working to working for VWs. I must say though that the newer LED tail lights are turning the tide in her count....

Where's Tim Hancock? I think he may have some input on this subject... ;)

Miss my old 83 ur-quattro too. Also had one of the first 5000CS T-Q in the states. A true factory demo that the press ran.... was in C&D, etc. Titled in '86 but was built early '85. Took a chance and paid 1/2 off list. Ran that car hard for 240k miles and even towed a 20 ft. boat with it. Amazing great car. Doubtful I would be so lucky ever again. Reminising further... had a 1973 100LS... now that was a POS.

I am just sitting back chuckling at this thread. NEVER again will I have the unpleasant task of working on an out of warranty high mileage AWD Audi. ;)

I thought of your stories when I told Mrs. Noah we'd pass on a friend (who was moving out of the country the following month) offering for urgent sale her 4 year-old A6 Avant Quattro. Looked immaculate and they were asking something like $10K.

You guys are funny. Hell, I'd love for Audi to go backwards and build the 1991 Avant 20v turbo. There, I said it.

I kinda agree - I think some of Audi's "best work" were those 20V turbo quattros of the early nineties.

Audi's I've owned:

'76 Fox (for almost 20 years - 360k+ miles when donated to somebody else for restoration)
'92 100 sedan (owned since '98 - 200k+ miles)
'99 A6 Avant (owned since '02 - 150k+ miles)


The '92 does feel more "solid" than the A6...

Want some more funnies? Almost forgot but a family member has an original 1991 90Q that was purchased used around 1998 that then had over 200,000 miles. He's since added another couple hundred thousand (probably now closer to 500k) and the motor, drivetrain has never been opened up! I know he runs synthetic oil, some of the supension has been rebuilt but in general has been a superb chassis integrity while driven year round in salt spread midwest winter roads. He's had a few very minor electrical glitches. The only time I know he was stranded was from his lack of changing a timing belt AFTER 140,000 miles! Was idling at a stop sign and died. No engine damage and just installed another belt and water pump and continues to be driven nearly every day. Personally, I'd be tired of driving something like that but he's using it like a favorite wrench or wearing an old pair of well broken in shoes.