Audi owner experiences

Hi,

I do not own an Audi yet but have wanted one since I have first set my
eyes on them 20 years ago. Now I am planning (pretty close) to buy a
car. Over the years people have told me that Audi is a problem car with
stories such as: You tend to spend lot of money on repairs. : They
have bad performance : Audi's quality is less than mediocre (sp) and
they charge a lot to fix the problem ....etc etc. Such stories kept
coming at me, yet I still want to have an Audi.

If there are any owners (and non-owners), could you please share your
unbiased opinions and experience with Audi ownership?

PS - I am middle aged man and am considered middle class. Don't know if
this will help.
--
SR

Please remove SPAMBUSTER to reply via email.

"Subba Rao" > wrote in message
...

>
> If there are any owners (and non-owners), could you please share your
> unbiased opinions and experience with Audi ownership?
>
I've been an Audi owner for over 18 years so I feel qualified to comment.
Audis in general are known for pioneering engineering (quattro) and a good
balance of power and handling. Fit and finish are excellent and recent
models generally have fairly bold styling. They come with a comprehensive
warranty (4 yr/ 50,000 miles in US) which is a good thing because their
reliability is pretty middle-of-the-pack and repairs are costly. While
quattro is very reliable, mundane items like door handles falling off (old
models), coil failure, control arm failure, and oil leaks plague the owner.
In 73,000 miles I have had a defective clutch throwout bearing, failure of
ventilation fan motor, radiator replacement and will soon be getting the V6
"external lubrication system" rectified. Brake pads and rotors have been
replaced front and rear and I expect the fronts will need it again within
10,000 miles. To sum up, Audis are fun to drive but if you want the ultimate
in reliability, plan to keep the car beyond the warranty period and want
outstanding trade-in value, you should look elsewhere.

"Ian S" > wrote in message
news:J5%dd.141748$a85.54487@fed1read04...
> "Subba Rao" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>
>> If there are any owners (and non-owners), could you please share your
>> unbiased opinions and experience with Audi ownership?
>>
> I've been an Audi owner for over 18 years so I feel qualified to comment.
> Audis in general are known for pioneering engineering (quattro) and a good
> balance of power and handling. Fit and finish are excellent and recent
> models generally have fairly bold styling. They come with a comprehensive
> warranty (4 yr/ 50,000 miles in US) which is a good thing because their
> reliability is pretty middle-of-the-pack and repairs are costly. While
> quattro is very reliable, mundane items like door handles falling off (old
> models), coil failure, control arm failure, and oil leaks plague the
> owner.
> In 73,000 miles I have had a defective clutch throwout bearing, failure of
> ventilation fan motor, radiator replacement and will soon be getting the
> V6
> "external lubrication system" rectified. Brake pads and rotors have been
> replaced front and rear and I expect the fronts will need it again within
> 10,000 miles. To sum up, Audis are fun to drive but if you want the
> ultimate
> in reliability, plan to keep the car beyond the warranty period and want
> outstanding trade-in value, you should look elsewhere.
>
>

I've owned 2 Audis now, a B5 A4 and a B6 A4 and I must say they are the most
reliable cars i have owned, they have the best build quality in a car I have
owned, they are the cheapest to repair as well, companies like GSF /
Eurocarparts make owning Audi's a cheap car to run, I now have a 1.8T
quattro and will be putting 180k miles on this one before i trade it in, and
am not worried at all.

My last V6 Audi went to 161k miles, and still drove like new, it was quiet,
fast, rust free, and as long as you look after the car it will last as long
as you want it too

hth

Ronny

On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 09:06:22 +0100, "Ronny" > wrote:

>
>"Ian S" > wrote in message
>news:J5%dd.141748$a85.54487@fed1read04...
>> "Subba Rao" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>>
>>> If there are any owners (and non-owners), could you please share your
>>> unbiased opinions and experience with Audi ownership?
>>>
>> I've been an Audi owner for over 18 years so I feel qualified to comment.
>> Audis in general are known for pioneering engineering (quattro) and a good
>> balance of power and handling. Fit and finish are excellent and recent
>> models generally have fairly bold styling. They come with a comprehensive
>> warranty (4 yr/ 50,000 miles in US) which is a good thing because their
>> reliability is pretty middle-of-the-pack and repairs are costly. While
>> quattro is very reliable, mundane items like door handles falling off (old
>> models), coil failure, control arm failure, and oil leaks plague the
>> owner.
>> In 73,000 miles I have had a defective clutch throwout bearing, failure of
>> ventilation fan motor, radiator replacement and will soon be getting the
>> V6
>> "external lubrication system" rectified. Brake pads and rotors have been
>> replaced front and rear and I expect the fronts will need it again within
>> 10,000 miles. To sum up, Audis are fun to drive but if you want the
>> ultimate
>> in reliability, plan to keep the car beyond the warranty period and want
>> outstanding trade-in value, you should look elsewhere.
>>
>>
>
>I've owned 2 Audis now, a B5 A4 and a B6 A4 and I must say they are the most
>reliable cars i have owned, they have the best build quality in a car I have
>owned, they are the cheapest to repair as well, companies like GSF /
>Eurocarparts make owning Audi's a cheap car to run, I now have a 1.8T
>quattro and will be putting 180k miles on this one before i trade it in, and
>am not worried at all.
>
>My last V6 Audi went to 161k miles, and still drove like new, it was quiet,
>fast, rust free, and as long as you look after the car it will last as long
>as you want it too

I've just bought a 1996 A6 2.6 V6 with 192,000 miles on the clock.
There aren't many makes I'd even consider with that kind of mileage.

My family has owned Audis since a 1975 Fox. That was a good running vehicle
that lasted many years with no major problems except rust.

previously owned Audis:
1975 Fox auto
1973 Fox stick (bought with dead engine)
1978 Fox stick (had to repair rusted gas tank)
1980 4000 stick 4 speed
1884 4000 auto
1985 Coupe/GT auto

current Audi vehicles:
1983 4000S stick 5 speed (owned since 1991) still running very well after 226K
miles. Needs a new steering rack since it is leaking. I had installed a VW GTi
engine in it when I bought it back in 1991 since the original engine had a
wrist pin knock. Both vehicle and engine had 85K on them in 1991
Rust is starting to appear.

1985 5000S (owned since 1985)
currently only has 90K miles
has needed calipers, window regulators, transmission resealed and sunroof
repaired.
Headliner is starting to fall down but is running very well with no rust.

I have not owned any recent Audis, but the ones that I have owned have been
very good and reliable vehicles.
Living in the "rust-zone" usually start to kill most of the early ones. :-(
One exception is that Coupe. It was only purchased for the wheels and tires
and then sold with it's bad transmission. That transmission seemed to keep
working for the new owner though. :-)

I like my 83 Audi 4000S more than the 91 VW Passat that I own even though the
Passat looks newer. <g>

later,
dave
Reminder........
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way,
when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their
shoes. Frieda Norris

"Subba Rao" > wrote in message
...
> Ronny wrote:
>>
>>>"Subba Rao" > wrote in message
...
>>>
>>>
>>>>If there are any owners (and non-owners), could you please share your
>>>>unbiased opinions and experience with Audi ownership?
>>>>
>>>
>> <SNIP>
>>
>> I've owned 2 Audis now, a B5 A4 and a B6 A4 and I must say they are the
>> most reliable cars i have owned, they have the best build quality in a
>> car I have owned, they are the cheapest to repair as well, companies like
>> GSF / Eurocarparts make owning Audi's a cheap car to run, I now have a
>> 1.8T quattro and will be putting 180k miles on this one before i trade it
>> in, and am not worried at all.
>>
>> My last V6 Audi went to 161k miles, and still drove like new, it was
>> quiet, fast, rust free, and as long as you look after the car it will
>> last as long as you want it too
>>
>> hth
>>
>> Ronny
>
> Thank you for the input. Which models of Audi in particular are
> successful? There seem to be 4 different configurations for each of these
> models A4, A6, A8, S4 and RS6. Each model has submodels like 1.8, 1.8
> quattro and more. Which model is most popular with consumers for
> reliability?
>
> Thank you once again.
>
> --
> SR
>
> Please remove SPAMBUSTER to reply via email.

The most popular audi A4's are <petrol>1.8T / 2.8 30v <diesel> 1.9 tdi

quattro is more desirable as its 4wd, quattro doesnt mean the model comes
with any extra bells, its just the drive train, 2wd or quattro.

Someone else will advise you on other models

ronny

"John Prendergast" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 09:06:22 +0100, "Ronny" > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Ian S" > wrote in message
>>news:J5%dd.141748$a85.54487@fed1read04...
>>> "Subba Rao" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>
>>>>
>>>> If there are any owners (and non-owners), could you please share your
>>>> unbiased opinions and experience with Audi ownership?
>>>>
>>> I've been an Audi owner for over 18 years so I feel qualified to
>>> comment.
>>> Audis in general are known for pioneering engineering (quattro) and a
>>> good
>>> balance of power and handling. Fit and finish are excellent and recent
>>> models generally have fairly bold styling. They come with a
>>> comprehensive
>>> warranty (4 yr/ 50,000 miles in US) which is a good thing because their
>>> reliability is pretty middle-of-the-pack and repairs are costly. While
>>> quattro is very reliable, mundane items like door handles falling off
>>> (old
>>> models), coil failure, control arm failure, and oil leaks plague the
>>> owner.
>>> In 73,000 miles I have had a defective clutch throwout bearing, failure
>>> of
>>> ventilation fan motor, radiator replacement and will soon be getting the
>>> V6
>>> "external lubrication system" rectified. Brake pads and rotors have been
>>> replaced front and rear and I expect the fronts will need it again
>>> within
>>> 10,000 miles. To sum up, Audis are fun to drive but if you want the
>>> ultimate
>>> in reliability, plan to keep the car beyond the warranty period and want
>>> outstanding trade-in value, you should look elsewhere.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>I've owned 2 Audis now, a B5 A4 and a B6 A4 and I must say they are the
>>most
>>reliable cars i have owned, they have the best build quality in a car I
>>have
>>owned, they are the cheapest to repair as well, companies like GSF /
>>Eurocarparts make owning Audi's a cheap car to run, I now have a 1.8T
>>quattro and will be putting 180k miles on this one before i trade it in,
>>and
>>am not worried at all.
>>
>>My last V6 Audi went to 161k miles, and still drove like new, it was
>>quiet,
>>fast, rust free, and as long as you look after the car it will last as
>>long
>>as you want it too
>
> I've just bought a 1996 A6 2.6 V6 with 192,000 miles on the clock.
> There aren't many makes I'd even consider with that kind of mileage.
>

John you havnt just bought my old Audi have you ?

But then I sold it with 162k miles, it was a quattro though, 2.6 v6 12valve

Ronny wrote:
>
>>"Subba Rao" > wrote in message
...
>>
>>
>>>If there are any owners (and non-owners), could you please share your
>>>unbiased opinions and experience with Audi ownership?
>>>
>>
> <SNIP>
>
> I've owned 2 Audis now, a B5 A4 and a B6 A4 and I must say they are the most
> reliable cars i have owned, they have the best build quality in a car I have
> owned, they are the cheapest to repair as well, companies like GSF /
> Eurocarparts make owning Audi's a cheap car to run, I now have a 1.8T
> quattro and will be putting 180k miles on this one before i trade it in, and
> am not worried at all.
>
> My last V6 Audi went to 161k miles, and still drove like new, it was quiet,
> fast, rust free, and as long as you look after the car it will last as long
> as you want it too
>
> hth
>
> Ronny
>
>

Thank you for the input. Which models of Audi in particular are
successful? There seem to be 4 different configurations for each of
these models A4, A6, A8, S4 and RS6. Each model has submodels like 1.8,
1.8 quattro and more. Which model is most popular with consumers for
reliability?

Thank you once again.

--
SR

Please remove SPAMBUSTER to reply via email.

I've owned Audis since 1984. They are *very* reliable and have taken me
through many rough roads during rallies, and deep snows in the winter.

My son-in-law gets my "hand downs" and keeps them until I am ready to buy
another Audi. He kept my 1990 200 Quattro Turbo Wagon for several years before
he traded it at 150K miles. We still see it occasionally - still running well
from what we hear. One of my grandsons is driving my 94 S4 and it has 150K
miles on it. Still going strong. My 2000 A6 4.2 has more than 100K on it,
still being driven by my daughter. My current 03 RS6 is the most fun car I've
ever driven. It goes like stink and handles superbly. I can not see myself
ever selling this car. Wellllllll, perhaps for another RS6..... d;o)

Repairs *can* be a bit pricey if you stay with a dealer. However, if you shop
around and find a good mechanic, the repairs are more reasonable. The Quattro
system is bullet proiof and rarely needs repairs. The same goes for engines.
If you give everything routine maintenance, these cars should last a long time.


And, no, my feet aren't made out of feathers. Bricks would be a better
description.

Dave

"Dave LaCourse" > wrote in message
...
> I've owned Audis since 1984. They are *very* reliable and have taken me
> through many rough roads during rallies, and deep snows in the winter.
>
> My son-in-law gets my "hand downs" and keeps them until I am ready to buy
> another Audi. He kept my 1990 200 Quattro Turbo Wagon for several years
> before
> he traded it at 150K miles. We still see it occasionally - still running
> well
> from what we hear. One of my grandsons is driving my 94 S4 and it has
> 150K
> miles on it. Still going strong. My 2000 A6 4.2 has more than 100K on
> it,
> still being driven by my daughter. My current 03 RS6 is the most fun car
> I've
> ever driven. It goes like stink and handles superbly. I can not see
> myself
> ever selling this car. Wellllllll, perhaps for another RS6..... d;o)
>
> Repairs *can* be a bit pricey if you stay with a dealer. However, if you
> shop
> around and find a good mechanic, the repairs are more reasonable. The
> Quattro
> system is bullet proiof and rarely needs repairs. The same goes for
> engines.
> If you give everything routine maintenance, these cars should last a long
> time.
>
>
> And, no, my feet aren't made out of feathers. Bricks would be a better
> description.
>
> Dave
>
>
Can i be your son for the next "hand me down"