Hi guys and girls, new member here, asking for some honest advice!!! (Turned out to be a long read but i would really really appreciate it if you guys help me out with this)

Some history
I have a 2002 Honda accord with 80k miles, i have had this car for close to 3 yrs (bought it with 37k miles) and have not had any problems with it at all. Only thing i had to do was change the tires and brakes and oil..standard stuff.

So my sister needs a car and while looking to buy her a car i test drove an 2000 Audi A6 2.7T with 80k miles that was in PERFECT condition. The interior was like new and the car was great. I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT!!! (I also test drove 2 other A6's and those weren't nearly as in good condition, interior had chipped paint and control panel was blurry, and ride wasn't as smooth)

My sister is willing to take my car and pay the 4k that she saved up toward the A6 and she would make payments on the rest of it (car is $8000).

The problem
The problem is that i went online to look at the reviews of the car and i have seen like 50% of the people saying that their A6 brakes every month or so. Its always something wrong with it and the cost to repair is usually around 1k. I am a college student and obviously dont have that kind of money for maintenance.I REALLY REALLY WANT THIS CAR, I am just afraid if i get it and it starts braking down i will hate my self for it because i was warned . Also i am spoiled by my Honda that hasnt given me any trouble so i dont want to be left without a car. I need a car to get to and from school so NOW I AM SCARED TO BUY IT.

Do you think i should take a chance on the Audi or go with something that is known to be reliable like Honda or Toyota.
This is the car i am thinking about buying
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false

Thank you in advance for the advice.

 

Audis are great cars, BUT, they are also more expensive to own and maintain than your Honda is or a Toyota would be.

On the plus side, you said that the car you drove was in really good condition. This is usually a good indicator that the previous owner not only cared about taking care of the appearance but hopefully took care of the maintenance too.

Probably the most important thing to find out is if the timing belt has been done. Easiest way is to pop the hood and look on the front left side. There is a sticker there near the passenger side headlight that is "supposed" to be filled out when the timing belt is changed. I would suspect that with 80000 miles that the TB on that car has NOT been done yet. It is an expensive and necessary maintenance issue.

From a psychological perspective, since you are already really scared, you should probably pass on the Audi. Really scared is not a good way to start a relationship with a car.

 

to be honest that price seems pretty high for a 2000.
I'd look for a private owner and not a dealer and you should be able to find
something for 6K or under. The 2.8 wouldn't be has fun to drive but may
be more reliable in repairs.

 

I wouldnt suggest the 2.7t for a first audi. It is much more complex than any of the naturally aspirated engines. I drove a a4 2.8 for several years and it sold me on audis. Now I drive a 2.7t a6 and its great, but I am so glad I decided to get a simple toy to start with.

IMHO owning an audi is a much more commited relationship than a honda or toyota. The best way to care for these cars is to keep up with preventative maintenence as best as you can hopefully decreasing the likihood of major failures.

 

i would not suggest anyone buy an audi that is out of warranty that does not have the ability to work on it them self. maintenance will eat you alive. my 2000 has had the timing belt done 1800.00 right front cv boots 600.00 right upper control arms 800.00 left tie rod end 300.00 mass air flow sensor 300.00 aux water pump 800.00 and i need left cv boot and 1 upper control arm now. I haven't had any of these issues fixed by a mechanic so it really hasn't cost me much at all. if your not mechanically inclined stick with a good american car

 

Stick with your Honda.

 

Thanks for your honest opinion fellas. I guess i should probobly go with Honda or Toyota for reliability since i really really need a car and dont have much money to put in for repairs.

I really really love the car, it was really fun to drive and i loved the interior so hopefully when i finish college i can get a new one..one can hope right.

If you have anything to add that would change my mind please let me know. I will stick around the forum for a while as i have fell in love with audis and will try to learn as much about them as possible.

 

I love my audi and my next car will probably be an Audi; however, I LIKE working on cars, and (knock on wood) I can spare some money if it craps out. If you are a starving college student, then I would stick with a Honda.

 

Stick with the honda, before long you will hate the audi because you can't afford to repair it. Wait until you are out of college and make a good sum of money per year.

 

Given that you cannot swing the payments, then it is clear that one large repair will leave you with either a parked car or a dangerous ride. Even if it's in good shape, it requires regular maintenance that is more expensive than your Honda. It takes 7.5 qts of Mobil 0W-40 -- that's triple the cost of your oil change today and you can't skimp on oil because of the turbos.

Get your education. Get a job. Find a used 2005-06 Audi in a few years. Their reliability ratings are far higher than the pre-2003 and they get better every year. I doubt you found a 2.7T MT6 anyway, so a 3.2 liter with an automatic will be just fine. Keep in mind that a new Audi depreciates at least 50% in the first 3 years, so finding a newer, nice ride for a reasonable price will be easy when you are out of college.