Hi there, I'm new to this site, don't know anything about audi. I want a daily driver, looking at the 1st generation audi a4, the 2.8v6. How is the quality of the car? chasis, mechanical, electric problem? Can the v6 run strong even with high mileage? comparing to toyota and bmw engines that is.. Funny i didnt know the audi made 5valve per cylinder, pretty cool.

i myself drives a 87' corolla used for drifting events and some rally racing. Used to play around in a lexus sc400, the 1uz, probably the best v8 ever drove, its 300,000 miles and still strong, that is with 180km/hr on the highway playing tag with friend's 420whp gsx. I'm wondering if the audi a4 has reliability quality like the older japanese cars. Should i choose this as a daily driver and not constently fixing parts like my corolla?

please leave comment

 

If you drive any car hard, you're going to be replacing parts.

if you buy one, do the water pump/timing belt right away. Modifications for the V6 are limited, but PES makes a supercharger for them (check out www.scaudi.com for more info) I personally have a 30V and love it, its got enough ***** for me around town, plus handles much better than my Integra ever did, even with aftermarket suspension, and the A4 is stock. I plan on SC'ing my car one day (hopefully sooner than later), but untill then it'll get me by. They are awesome DD's, and I have had no complaints about mine thus far, other than the factory amplified stereo can be a nightmare when someone else has hacked the wiring for the deck before you bought the car!

I'd say drive a few, and if you like them, go for it, plus you'll never drive anything as much fun on the snow (other than a snowmobile).

 

oh no, i'm not gonna dick around with the audi. I'm just gonna invest more money on to my corolla. All i want to know is the mechanical quality and what not

 

Assuming you treat it properly, change oil w/synthetic, and service it as recommended, it will be just as reliable as any other car. Parts really aren't that expensive, and the stigma that they are expensive cars to maintain is based on the fact that most people who complain don't take care of their cars causing catastrophic failure, and are bringing their cars to dealerships where labor is $120 an hour. If you drift and rally cross, I'm sure your mechanical abilities are above average, so you'd be able to do work yourself, and it will save hundreds... Hell doing my timing belt myself saved me almost $1000 in labor, and it only took half as long (if that) as the book called for, granted I've been wrenching for quite some time.

Just remember routine maintenance and you'll be golden.

 

with regular maintenance, most Audi's will drive, and drive well, as long as you want tham to. Just do ALL the prevent maint. That's the key.

 

quattro + snow tires= Snow plow (he was also driving it in 2 feet of snow)

The 2.8's are pretty reliable. We rarely get anyone on the forums with 2.8 engine problems. Preventative maintenance is key on any car. It seems like you already have a good knowledge of cars, so doing the work on the car yourself will save you a lot of money.

Here's a quick list of common things you should look for when shopping around.
timing belt $600-$1,200
control arms $70 for a single arm and up to $500 for a complete set
wheel bearings $150 each with labor
differential seals $50-$60 each
CV boot

 

I am a new Audi owner (first Audi ever) and I love it. The drive is fantastic, nothing from the Japanese makes has this feel. I bet the Quattro adds alot but the dynamics are great.

It is not bulletproof like the 1UZ-FE or quality of the SC400 but the SC had its share of glitches too... I can't speak about the 6 but the 1.8T is great. Interior feels and looks expensive, everyone digs the red lights at night but I do notice that some parts are not put together as solid as toyota, even tho the material itself feels more solid... hope that's not confusing!

It feels REALLY sporty to drive, the size is perfect & sporty, feels solid and expensive inside and out.
It's not boring and you don't see it everywhere. I couldn't bring myself to buy the same usual suspects so I took a risk, so far I'm glad I did!

Timing belts, water pumps, etc- I cannot count as a problem area since ALL cars need this unless it's chained.

control arms... bizzare thing to need replacing, i don't understand that but certainly I would call that a problem.
I'm hoping it does well- the forums (I like all 3- AW, AF & AZ) have great info and I plan to do alot of diy... so far so good. The drive is so rewarding that I can forgive (and expect) to do more upkeep... we'll see how much I can bear

 

is the timing belt price for the parts or the labour too? if its just parts, that crazy expensive.

 

thats labor included as the whole front clip has to come off. You can get the timing belt kit online for 300 in parts.

 

Timing belt and water pump for parts alone should run right around $250, and that also included the timing belt Idler pulley, and tensioner. Although, I did get the Idler Pulley and Tensioner at cost from Audi, because my buddy works there, the other stuff I got from NAPA. Fairly straight forward install on the V6, I'd recommend buying a Bentley manual for your car, it'll help. You'll prob need to rent the cam bar, but all the other tools were basic. It does require removing the front bumper, then you have to loosen the top of the core support, and move it forward about 6 inches. It takes a little time, but if you can read a manul it is a DIY. I'd probably rate it about a 6-7/10 on the difficulty scale, but Ive had more nightmares with Honda T-Belts before. The cams gears are the wierdest part, easy though once you get the concept of how it works, I'd explain how to deal with them, but it wouldn't make sense unless you saw how they are on the cams. Don't let all this scare you, it can be done DIY, for sure.

Hope that helps!