Audi 2004 1.8T Quattro or 2004 Acura TL??
 

Hi all,

I am in the market for a new car. I would like opinions regarding the 2003
Audi 1.8T Quatro model. Any concerns/gripes/frustrations etc.......I test
drove the car and it felt really "good". However the price is a little
steep close to US $30k. A friend of mine also has the new 2004 Acura
TL....and it looks really "sharp" and for a little extra (just like $2k
more) you get way more bang for your buck (bigger car, bigger engine, more
standard features etc). I currently own a Honda and so am a witness to
their reliability. However, I have no experiece with German cars. So I
would like opinions on whether previous Audi owners would still go for the
much smaller Audi 1.8T rather than the abundant Acura TL.

PS - Auto consumer reports also show that the Audi reliability is not up to
par with Acura......any truth to that?

Thanks in advance!

Re: Audi 2004 1.8T Quattro or 2004 Acura TL??
 

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 15:06:54 GMT, "Pumba" <jambohakuna@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>I am in the market for a new car. I would like opinions regarding the 2003
>Audi 1.8T Quatro model. Any concerns/gripes/frustrations etc.......I test
>drove the car and it felt really "good". However the price is a little
>steep close to US $30k. A friend of mine also has the new 2004 Acura
>TL....and it looks really "sharp" and for a little extra (just like $2k
>more) you get way more bang for your buck (bigger car, bigger engine, more
>standard features etc). I currently own a Honda and so am a witness to
>their reliability. However, I have no experiece with German cars. So I
>would like opinions on whether previous Audi owners would still go for the
>much smaller Audi 1.8T rather than the abundant Acura TL.
>
>PS - Auto consumer reports also show that the Audi reliability is not up to
>par with Acura......any truth to that?
>
>Thanks in advance!
>
>
I bought an A4 1.8 q five weeks ago. I love the car but I am also
getting a new, free turbo in about two weeks. Seems the original had a
bug.

I test drove the TSX, Passat 4Motion and the G35X. None compare. The
TL is close but the Japanese just miss the mark on fit and finish;
compare the cabin in the A4 with the TL and the 4 will win. And 270 hp
through the front wheels is too much. The TSX with 200 is too much; a
great way to be pulled into the corners. And the Audi has quatto. And
a bunch of other things that I found useful (split rear seats, ski
sack) that the TL will never have. They have priced and packaged it
very tightly but the answer really lies on the road. Drive them back
to backon the same twisty road. More hp from the TL is maybe not the
answer.

Re: Audi 2004 1.8T Quattro or 2004 Acura TL??
 

Pumba, the following is a copy of my reply to the subjet on 16th april:-
"Re: Hate, Envy and Angst: The Accord Owner belches about Audi A4:
suspension damage after only 35K"
-----------------------------
had a 2001 Honda accord EX-I4 manual for the past 2.5yrs - and then sold
it in two seconds when I drove the 2001 A41.8Tq (with sports package) the
other day!

What can I say - unbelievable, the torque, power and Quattro is amazing! I
didn't get nearly the same excitement for the A4 2.8q. (and one of my
friends has a chipped 99 A41.8Tq - that put a bigger smile on my face let me
tell you!!!)

I test drove the Acura TSX last summer (ps I'm from England and now living
in Canada) and I was not impressed - For me personally there is no
comparison.

Well I sold my accord last November, and I am still saving money to this
day to put a big chunk down on the 2002 A41.8Tq. Yep I going for the new
shape!

The 325 BMW just did not give me the big smile on my face that the A4 gave
me - yes it's all about smiles for me! yes the BMW was refined and silky
smooth engine - but that A4 - throw that car round a corner at 80 km/h and..
and... oops sorry I seem to be smiling again.

Anyway that's just my opinion!

Darren

Re: Audi 2004 1.8T Quattro or 2004 Acura TL??
 

Great.....I thank all for their opinions.

What about the reliability of the 2004 Audi A4 1.8T? For the 2003
model.....consumer reports suggest its reliability is not up to par with
Acura. All those die hard long time Audi owners want to shed some light?

I have been told that the maintenance costs for the Audi are much higher
than that of the Acura........at least here in the US. Any thoughts on
that?

Thanks again!

Re: Audi 2004 1.8T Quattro or 2004 Acura TL??
 

The TL is indeed a very nice car, and would definitely win in a reliability
contest.
Don't get me wrong, the reliability of the A4's are good, but Honda/Acura
(and Toyota ofcourse) are the bench marks here.

As far as power goes...the TL with its 270HP does the 1/4 in high 14 secs @
91mph. Any good chipped A4 1.8T will also do that with around 210HP!

I have never driven a TL, but drove a RSX-S. The RSX is definitely the best
handling Acura (besides the NSX). Although the RSX is very tight and a blast
to drive, it does not come close to the fun I have in my chipped A4. You
simply cannot nail the accelerator pedal whenever you like as is the case
with the all-wheel drive A4.

If you want space and reliability, go TL. For fun, drivability, traction in
all conditions, finesse, go for the A4.

If you do decide on the A4, make sure it is a Quattro with the sport
package( or ultra sport)

Good luck.

"Pumba" <jambohakuna@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:icRhc.3109$WC3.27850@ord-read.news.verio.net...
> Hi all,
>
> I am in the market for a new car. I would like opinions regarding the
2003
> Audi 1.8T Quatro model. Any concerns/gripes/frustrations etc.......I test
> drove the car and it felt really "good". However the price is a little
> steep close to US $30k. A friend of mine also has the new 2004 Acura
> TL....and it looks really "sharp" and for a little extra (just like $2k
> more) you get way more bang for your buck (bigger car, bigger engine, more
> standard features etc). I currently own a Honda and so am a witness to
> their reliability. However, I have no experiece with German cars. So I
> would like opinions on whether previous Audi owners would still go for the
> much smaller Audi 1.8T rather than the abundant Acura TL.
>
> PS - Auto consumer reports also show that the Audi reliability is not up
to
> par with Acura......any truth to that?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
>

Re: Audi 2004 1.8T Quattro or 2004 Acura TL??
 

ppl do not buy audis for their reliability. they might be alot of things but
reliable isnt one of them. not that their unreliable - just that they need
alot of TLC - its not the kind of car u wanna use as a beater.

the things that go wrong with it tend to be botherline necessary -
suspension tends to be number 1 waste of money - but man what a suspension.
i bought a 97 a41.8t a year ago and it drives better than most new american
sedans u can get ure hands on. i wish i had the money to get a new turbo or
have the torque on it fixed tho cus its absolute rubbish rite now.

but ive got to replace the control arms and like clock work, the wheel
bearings are shot as well. lucky me.

the car is a sweet ride - when it works.



"Pumba" <jambohakuna@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:mkUhc.3117$WC3.28244@ord-read.news.verio.net...
> Great.....I thank all for their opinions.
>
> What about the reliability of the 2004 Audi A4 1.8T? For the 2003
> model.....consumer reports suggest its reliability is not up to par with
> Acura. All those die hard long time Audi owners want to shed some light?
>
> I have been told that the maintenance costs for the Audi are much higher
> than that of the Acura........at least here in the US. Any thoughts on
> that?
>
> Thanks again!
>
>

Re: Audi 2004 1.8T Quattro or 2004 Acura TL??
 

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 18:40:18 GMT, "Pumba" <jambohakuna@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>Great.....I thank all for their opinions.
>
>What about the reliability of the 2004 Audi A4 1.8T? For the 2003
>model.....consumer reports suggest its reliability is not up to par with
>Acura. All those die hard long time Audi owners want to shed some light?
>
>I have been told that the maintenance costs for the Audi are much higher
>than that of the Acura........at least here in the US. Any thoughts on
>that?
>

You also get the 4 year bumper to bumper with Audi. The Japanese don't
get that part. They have good products but...

I don't know about the reliability > 4 yrs with the TL or TSX. It is
probably good but then you are also getting less of a vehicle.

And I got the Tiptronic, Sport, Lighting and Premium packages. I mean,
geez, if you are going to spend all that money (and it is a ton more
here in Canada when you add 15% tax) why go small? Driving the is a
pleasure, in all conditions.

>Thanks again!
>
>

Re: Audi 2004 1.8T Quattro or 2004 Acura TL??
 

"Pumba" <jambohakuna@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<icRhc.3109$WC3.27850@ord-read.news.verio.net>...
> Hi all,
>
> I am in the market for a new car. I would like opinions regarding the 2003
> Audi 1.8T Quatro model. Any concerns/gripes/frustrations etc.......I test
> drove the car and it felt really "good". However the price is a little
> steep close to US $30k. A friend of mine also has the new 2004 Acura
> TL....and it looks really "sharp" and for a little extra (just like $2k
> more) you get way more bang for your buck (bigger car, bigger engine, more
> standard features etc).

If bang/buck is the standard, German cars probably aren't the best
choice. The TL is still a FWD car from a company that makes mostly
econoboxes, no matter how much leather and wood they put into the
interior. That's not bad, it's just reality.

For a good idea about the niggles of Audi cars, do a Google groups
search in this ng for a list.


> I currently own a Honda and so am a witness to
> their reliability. However, I have no experiece with German cars. So I
> would like opinions on whether previous Audi owners would still go for the
> much smaller Audi 1.8T rather than the abundant Acura TL.

If reliability is the overall goal, stay with Acura/Honda. As a
former Honda owner, I might own another Honda as a beater to haul
trash/groceries/dirty kids, but my A4 is my primary transport. If
interior room is important, then maybe an A4 Avant (wagon) would suit
you better? They drive very nicely, and look pretty good too.

> PS - Auto consumer reports also show that the Audi reliability is not up to
> par with Acura......any truth to that?

Consumer Reports is not a paragon for unbiased information, since the
basis for their numbers are self-selected (unscientific) surveys. But
the truth is this - Honda has a well-deserved reputation for
excellence in reliability. Audi is not as good. It's a trade-off
that many alt.autos.audi readers accept with relish.

List your automotive goals in order. If bang/buck and/or reliability
come out on top, or very near the top, you should steer clear of
German cars. If all-weather performance, well-balanced handling,
style and/or luxury are on top, then an A4 might suit your needs, if
you accept that it might not be as reliable as your previous Hondas.

If you ask the folks in the Honda newsgroup, the honest ones will tell
you the same things I have.
--
Jonesy

Re: Audi 2004 1.8T Quattro or 2004 Acura TL??
 

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 18:40:18 GMT, "Pumba" <jambohakuna@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>Great.....I thank all for their opinions.
>
>What about the reliability of the 2004 Audi A4 1.8T? For the 2003
>model.....consumer reports suggest its reliability is not up to par with
>Acura. All those die hard long time Audi owners want to shed some light?
>
>I have been told that the maintenance costs for the Audi are much higher
>than that of the Acura........at least here in the US. Any thoughts on
>that?


I have an '01 A4 purchased new; it is a V6 model with Quattro, sport
package, etc.

Prior to this vehicle, I was all Honda/Acura. My wife just sold her
88 Camry to her sister; it now has 300,000+ miles on it! Very
trouble-free.

As for my '01 A4, it has 40,000 miles on it and the only issue has
been a wind noise problem on the drivers side door.

As for maintenance costs, it depends how long you will keep it. In
the US, Audi covers ALL items (brakes, wiper blades, fluids) for the
first 50,000 miles, so that is nice.

But, I agree with other posters, if you are looking "long-term - i.e.
250,000 miles), not sure Audi will compete as well as Toyota/Honda
without significant additional costs.

YMMV.




-
--
Curtis Newton
cnewton@remove-this.akaMail.com
http://surf.to/cnewton
ICQ: 4899169
Anti-Spam filter in place--
<delete remove-this. to respond to email>

Re: Audi 2004 1.8T Quattro or 2004 Acura TL??
 

If you don't have the extra $$$ to go with the V6, pass the A4 and get the
TL.

"Pumba" <jambohakuna@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:icRhc.3109$WC3.27850@ord-read.news.verio.net...
> Hi all,
>
> I am in the market for a new car. I would like opinions regarding the
2003
> Audi 1.8T Quatro model. Any concerns/gripes/frustrations etc.......I test
> drove the car and it felt really "good". However the price is a little
> steep close to US $30k. A friend of mine also has the new 2004 Acura
> TL....and it looks really "sharp" and for a little extra (just like $2k
> more) you get way more bang for your buck (bigger car, bigger engine, more
> standard features etc). I currently own a Honda and so am a witness to
> their reliability. However, I have no experiece with German cars. So I
> would like opinions on whether previous Audi owners would still go for the
> much smaller Audi 1.8T rather than the abundant Acura TL.
>
> PS - Auto consumer reports also show that the Audi reliability is not up
to
> par with Acura......any truth to that?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
>