Hey all, I'm new to forums and considering buying a 1996 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro with 197,000 KM as my very first car. Here's the thing, I'm a 20 year old university student with a part-time job so I don't have a ton of money to shell out on maintenance for this thing. I've read on here that the 2.8 is more reliable than the 1.8 but to what degree? And if I do have to get the vehicle fixed will it be ridiculously expensive? It's supposedly in excellent shape and certified, although I haven't looked at it in person as of yet. I wouldn't be driving it all that much, just maybe from Mississauga to York U and back on occasion.

Any advice would be much appreciated, Thanks!

Oh, and how does reliability compare to say a BMW 3er around the same year.

 

I guess I should mention the price, it's $4750. Is that good/not so good?

 

That would be a very nice first car. Mine was a 85 Honda Accord. 197,000 seems a bit high though. If you do go through with it, make SURE you see some maintenance records for that car.

Audi will charge you an arm and a leg to do anything. However, luckily most of the stuff you may need done can be done at almost any shop.

Hope this helps!

 

Yea, the A4 is a nice car, i had one as my first car and i loved it, all leather interior it runs smooth thanks to the all wheel drive Quattro system. One big problem with this a4 you are looking at is the high number of kilometers... make sure the timing belt was done on time ( with the water pump) , there are so many things that could be wrong with that car therefore i recommend you to get the car inspected inside out by a licensed mechanic before buying. I know the price is very low but still, its best to know what you're getting. Good luck

 

Bingo. Nice price, nice car, but - don't skimp on $80.00 only to find out the car needs a $4,500 new transmission. Plus, if there are SMALL things wrong, you can get them to a) fix them before you buy it or b) take the cost of fixing off the total price of the car and then fix them yourself at a shop of your choice.

 

its my first car that i bought myself too....great car when i drove it the first year. no problems. i have a 99.5 a4 2.8. you can always take it to other mechanics. but be careful because its not that they cant do the job, its if they can properly do the job with care. you get what you pay for.

you can DIY certain things like control arms (will need a whole weekend if you dont have the right tools and first time trying), timing belt(only if you really know what your doing), valve cover gaskets(should be easy i believe), cam seal(best to leave to a mechanic but can be done yourself). just check out AudiDIY (Do It Yourself)

im full time employed so i hardly have time to work on the car. the only thing i've done is oil change and replaced a broken front lower control arm. just be ready to shell out $3000 at any time of the year. I jsut did it this month. BUT....i wouldnt replace the car for anything else.

 

197 000 kms, this is what is due at 200 000 kms timming belt and water pump. this is a big job and big money ($1000-$1500).

other then that I wouldn't worry about the milage.

 

Another thing to consider is make sure tie rods and all control arms are replaced. check rear seal on the diff for leaks as well as the valve covers.

My wife had a 99 a4 2.8 for about 6 years and never had a problem in term of reliability. the above mentioned is routine and preventive maintenance.

Oh and don't use regular oil use a good synthetic like mobile one.
That engine tends to consume non synthetic oils.

As for the price you can probably bring him down a couple hun if these things have not been done.

 

like i said in another thread about purchasing used audis.

check history.. regular maintenance.. and 197k is pretty high... make sure ur double check it with a mechanic for checks.. like leaks and repairs. cuz ur looking at high repair costs..

im 21 and i got an audi 04 1.8t, and never regret it.

and 1.8t is more of a reliable engine than 2.8.. such as pistons changing.. we got bigger cylinders.. so it lasts longer where as 2.8 has 6 thin ones.. yes they go faster.. but at wat cost? their TB is double of what we pay because of the complexity of the engine setup.

 

My first car was an 01 A4.... 3 years ago, I was 19. I've dumped nothing but money into it. With that said, I do love my baby.

I hope you have a svaings account set aside for repairs & maintenance.... otherwise buy an Acura, they're the top rated reseller car.

Or buy a 1980's series jetta.... those things seem to run forever.

Just me 2 cents.

Cheers.