New to Audi!
 

Hi guys, like the topic says i am completely new to Audi and European cars in general as i have always owned Japanese/American pocket rockets. I want to move on to something European next and i have it narrowed down to a BMW 3 series or an Audi A4 3.0L quattro. I really dont know much about these cars so i have signed up on both forums to get some feedback from more experienced and knowlegable people. I was wondering if you guys can give me some feedback and what to look for when buying a car. I am looking at a 2002-2004 3.0 V6 as those years are in my price range. I will be going to test drive a few over the next few days.

To start off:

- Does the 3.0L waste a lot more gas than the 1.8T? Also is the 3.0L noticeably faster than the 1.8T?
- Is it true that the 3.0L is a lot more reliable than the 1.8T?
- How is the reliability of these years? Any common problems/gremlins?
- Is the maintainance really expensive (compared to a VW lets say)?
- Is there different versions for the 3.0L A4 as in optional "sport package" or something like that?
- Finally what should i be looking for when buying one? other than if its been repainted/rust and cosmetic damage?

I guess thats it for now, basically im the most concerned about the reliability because i know German cars can be expensive to fix. Thanks for all the feedback in advance!

Re: New to Audi!
 

Well i will do my best to help you out...

1.Gas milage-no the 3 is not that much worse...but no it is not that much faster for the mount of gas required to get to the same speed. Especialy once chipped.

2.I would not say its more reliable. I would say both are equal. Problem is there are ALOT of 1.8t out there and once people start playing with the engines, well something is bound to happen.

3. If you can, stay closer to the 2004-2005.5, Timming belts at 100k must be changed.

4.No, maintenace is the same as VW...providing you go to a proper shop. The A4 is the same as the passat. Cosmeticaly yes parts will be more but when it comes to say a control arm, breaks...wear and tear items. Its not that bad but definitly going to be more then a civic!

5. the 3.slow engine i belive came with the same options as the 1.8t options. There are the base, sport and ultra sport body styles. there is also an S-line.

6. I would check for the timming belt and maintenance records. make sure the oil has been changed since the 1.8t is a turbo'd engine. The 3.0 engine i would say the same to be on the safe side.

Over all, it depends on what you are looking for in a car. Are you looking to get more power out of it? Tune? body style? or is this just a grocery getter. Makes a big difference when you are looking at a BMW or an AUDI. Price is a big change between the manufactures for what you are going to get. ie. Audi is going to have leather and beautifal interior, the BMW is going to have fabric and very basic power controls or the same price...

I guess thats all i can really say untill i know what your intentions are with the car for the future.

Hope that helps!

Shawn

Re: New to Audi!
 

Easiest way to decide what car.

Sit in it and see what seat feels better...=)

Re: New to Audi!
 

since you've narrowed it down to bmw or audi, i think the maintenance cost is now irrelevant. They are both euros so they will cost about the same to maintain. I know cause my friends own bmws. So go drive them and see which one you like driving more.

The 3.0 is a little bit faster than the 1.8t. Just a little bit cause the 3.0 weighs more. But the v6 delivers smooth power so if you are not going to do mods on your car then it is the engine of choice (for me atleast).

When you go look at a car, always check the maintenance records. Frequency of oil change, suspension parts that have been done, brake jobs if any, timing belt if the engine uses one, tires etc etc.

Oh here's a tip from my personal experience, when buying quattro equipped audi, check to see if all 4 tires are the same. I bought my audi with 2 brands of tires on the car. My car didn't drive straight. I spent quite a bit of money and time to find the problem but no one knows what's wrong with the car until i read something on audiworld that different tires on a quattro can threw off the quattro system and cause your car to not drive straight. So i put on 4 new tires and voila, it's like a miracle has happened.

Re: New to Audi!
 

i recommand getting a 1.8t over the 3.0 i made a mistake getting the 3.0 no real mods for the motor unless u have deep pockets . and its not peppy around town . but it is nice on the highway.

Re: New to Audi!
 

If you plan on driving the car in the winter (or even wet weather), the Bimmer cant touch the handling and traction one enjoys with Audi quattro !