[t6dpilot]

OK, so it looks like my goal of having my '96 A4 2.8 reach 300k is not going to happen. After 16 years and 214k miles of ownership, the red head has left me stranded. Just died in the middle of my morning commute. To be fair, the car is suffering from a mysterious coolant leak (according to my mech) and the engine diagnosis shows a coolant leak in #2 and #3 cylinders. But the major leak occurs on the garage floor. Put in a couple of stop leak asprins, which cured the problem for several weeks. It is back and I fear that is what caused the engine to shut down. Resurfaced heads = $3k and new engine = $5k +/-. Not sure I want to invest that in a car that is only worth $3k.

So, it looks like I may be shopping for a replacement. I actually really like my car and was hoping to keep it for many more years (it looks fantastic). If I replace it, I am thinking of sticking with the A4. I could go with a newer low mileage 2.0 or 3.2. Then again, I have always liked the S4. My self imposed budget would allow a 2005/6 S4 4.2 V8 in higher mileage. So what I would like to hear from you Audi owners are your real world experiences with these cars.

Is the 2.0 anemic?
Is the S4 4.2 a gas hog?
Is the 3.2 the best compromise?
Problems and things to look out for?
Any thing bad/good with a particular model year?

Thanks for the help.