I did some research and I found some cars that fit my budget.

I was thinking of getting a 2001 audi a4 1.8t quattro with 54,000 miles on it for $13,400, i saw similar prices on ebay and cars.com.

or a 2002 audi a4 1.8t quattro for $15,000 with 60,000 miles on it.

Or I was thinking of getting a 2003 Nissan Maxima SE for $14,000 with 51,000 miles on it.

Or I was thinking of getting a 2002 Nissan Maxima for $14,000 with 41,000 miles on it.

I am a college student right now and I understand that the expenses of keeping a german car are higher.
But the quality and craftmanship of the interior and the quality of the ride are something I look for, thats why I was drawn towards audis. But I cant have them breaking down on me every 5000 miles. Getting regular tune ups and what are not are not a problem because I tend to take very good care of everything I own and I dont have a lead foot.

Can I expect a audi to last up to 130,000 miles if I buy it a 54,000 miles. Or is it rare to see a audi that lasts that long. I know maxima will last that long.

The thing about the maxima is that is cheaper and that I can obtain a newer model with lesser miles on it than an audi. I can also expect to keep it around for a while.

The maximas have 255 hp vs 170 hp. I do enjoy speed, but the ride of a german car and the control and the interior are not matched by maxima's.

Most japanese cars have plastic parts, the audi is like apple is to the mp3 industry, thats what I feel.

I honestly value interior design and ride comfort and enjoyment of ride rather than pure horsepower and speed since I live in the city and I am not going to be racing. BUT I know the audis have reliabilty issues and thats the only thing thats holding me back from getting one.

 

buy the maxima, those years they are still built and shipped here from Japan, my family is a nissan family we owned about a dozan maximas combined and they all lasted well over 150,000 miles, we only got rid of them to upgrade to new maximas, my bro drives a 2000 maxma and its great, my dad drives a 1999 maxima and itsstill goin strong

 

How long can I expect the audi's to last up to. I love german cars though.

 

well - yuo are not sure what has been doen to that audi - or what has not been done (ie maintenance).... so anything vould go wrong with the A4 at any time. Costs could be high in maintaining the A4...

 

and if you are keeping the car to 130k then plan on doing the timing belt at about 90-100k that can be a major service. if your on a tight budget i would do the nissan save your money when you get out get an s4 and really injoy the german enginering

 

buy my audi a4 1.8t 2003 with 12k miles for 20k :P - its a bargain and have all service records

 

I own a 2000 a4 and a 96 maxima. The maxima tends to leave me feeling all warm and fuzzy as far as long term reliability as opposed to the audi. They are both great cars and have their strong/weak points about them. The only weak point about the nissan is the styling compared to the a4. The audi a4 is in a class of its own IMO. The style is legendary, but may not be as reliable in the long run. I do the all the work and maintnance on my cars myself, so the cost to maintain them both has been similar. Though, if you dont do the work yourself, the audi is gunna KILL you in maintnance/labor costs compared to the nissan. I love both cars. Nissans are known to go 200k+ miles without any MAJOR work, I dont think the Audi can slide by so easily. But again, to me its worth it cuz the audi is a straight up pimp mobile and is so unique.
Of course most people here are gunna tell you to get the Audi, but check out maxima.org for info/questions and they will tell you to get the nissan.
The audi is more fun to drive and mod if you have that interest.

 

Yes since I am a college student I am on a tight budget. But if the timming belt is the only thing that is major, I think I can just save up for that and keep like 500 dollars for anything small like oil filter or wipers or stuff like that.

How much does a tune up cost? How much would having the brakes replaced cost?

What are the average kind of repairs I can expect with an audi, like changing spark plugs at so and so and fuel lines or w/e

 

I saw on a website the cost of a timming belt is like 40 dollars, how much is it to have the work done?

 

The timing belt job costs about $750 from an independent shop, $1200 at the dealer. You should learn to change the spark plugs and air and cabin filters yourself. You must use synthetic engine oil to prevent sludge. Keep about $600/year for wheel bearings , O2 sensor, MAF etc.