[Norm K]

Not to bash the Audi brand or their owners, but even if I'd paid a shop to change the timing belt (twice) and replace worn out shocks and struts, I wouldn't have yet spent $5,750 in repairs or maintenance in 205K miles on my 16 year old Lexus SUV. Doing those fairly simple jobs myself (along fixing a transfer case actuator leak and replacing a leaky radiator) I'm still somewhere south of $2,500.

One of my sons has owned a couple of S4s (a 2000 and a 2017): fine looking cars and great to drive, but he finally tired of throwing money at them.

Another son loves his E46s - again, they look and drive like (IMHO) a car should, but the cost of owning one as a DD is daunting.

It took me a long time, but I now view my DD as an appliance - and I want one I can absolutely count on to reliably cost me as little as possible (notwithstanding the up front cost).

_