I've been looking at trading my '04 Ford Explorer (XLT, works perfectly, good condition) for an Audi and I've got some offers of 99-01 A4s w/ 100k or so miles on them (similar to my explorer).

I'm in college and I will be for the foreseeable future (double major). All I really do is drive around the town and maybe 15-20 minutes to the mall or grocery store. I never have to tow anything, we don't get much snow, I don't need to seat 6 other people, I don't do road trips, and I can't stand having this big ol' SUV that absolutely chews through gas (especially in town). Plus its a pain to park on crowded streets.

Now that I've told you why I want to get rid of my SUV, please tell me why I should or shouldn't trade for an A4, and, if I should, what year should I shoot for? What should I be wary of?

Thanks guys!

 

Courtesy of onepoint8tee,


I'm more of a noob as well, but the number one warning at 100K is to make sure the car has had its timing belts replaced with documentation.

Most people like the facelift versions of the B5 (1999.5 and up) with xenon headlights, updated tails, etc which you can tell by looking at the car.

http://ctny.audiworld.com/mark/a4/diff/


Most A4's get from 17 to 26 MPG depending on the condition of the Audi and your driving style.

Be prepared for higher maintenance costs, including premium gas at the pump. If you can do the work yourself as needed, you'll save a lot of money.

As far as speed goes, the 1.8T is mod-friendly while the 2.8 is not as quick. If you haven't driven a quattro car before, you will definitely enjoy it.


There are other things that more knowledgeable members will be able to share, but the timing belt is a major priority at 100K

 

There's some good info up above....

I bought my 01 A4 1.8t "sport" Quattro manual trans for $4500... It came with ALL service records (major services done 20K prior, including clutch), tuned, S4 front end, clean body / paint / interior, clean title.

I think that what you need to do first is see what you can sell your 04 Explorer for and then see what years Audi A4 are around the same value. I would think that the Explorer is worth more than a 99-01 A4...... You might be able to trade it for a B6 model. Then you're going to need to do some research and see it 2.8 or 1.8t is right for you. These cars have a lot of bad rep, but like anything else, maintenance is key.

No doubt you will enjoy driving an A4 (especially if it's a quattro), but I am not sure if you will enjoy owning an A4. Parts and service prices are pretty steep if you aren't able to maintain it yourself, and when you have a 10 year old car with 100k plus miles, you can have some serious "maintenance" issues.

 

You sound like me with your driving ways. I drive to work Monday through Friday and then I'll go out sometimes at night/weekends. I rarely ever have other people in my car, and if I do, I rub way too much.

So, get the 2.8. I change my cars oil every 3,000 miles and she has yet to give me any problems. I've had her for a year and 3 months. 175k on the clock and she still runs strong!

That's my $.02

 

I dont want to thread jack, but from what it sounds like you really lucked out with your car for that price and what it came with

 

I'd keep the exploder.

 

Maintenance costs for these cars is very expensive if you don't know how to work on them. I know when I was in college, I would have had no hope of affording this car with how much I have spent on maintenance, but I do own the 1.8T version which is less reliable than the 2.8. If you can find a 2.8 that has had all the major maintenance done, I would consider it. Even though my car has helped me burn the cash in my wallet, I LOVE this car.

 

You didn't mention the mileage on your Explorer, but running the Ford vs a 2000 A4 2.8 with Quattro on kbb.com (which sometimes skews a little high) they show that the Explorer is worth about $2000 more than the Audi. (I ran your truck with 4WD and no other options) I sell cars and I'd take that deal any day if I had the Audi! Why don't you just put your truck on craigslist and see what you can get for it? Then take your cash and buy an Audi if you want one and you'll probably have a grand or two left over for the inevitable Audi issues.

As far as whether or not you want an Audi, that's up to you. My 99.5 A4 looks great and drives fine, but I'm already getting tired of the constant issues with the car after 6 months of ownership and I bought one that had already had a lot of work done to it. Sure, it looks cool and women like it, but it sure sucks listening to my wheel bearing's loud roar on the highway (getting fixed next week) or the creaking from my control arms (also getting fixed soon) and then wondering what will break next (sunroof, windows or ???) and how much it will cost me. Then there's also the other neat things like needing to use full synthetic oil for the oil changes, so when I need an oil change and I see that Valvoline has their $19.99 oil change sign out, I can just keep driving. Luckily, I found a guy that does the full syn oil changes for $50! Oh, don't forget the premium gas, either. If I was driving a Ferrari, I wouldn't mind all of this, but come on. My last car was an Acura CL that went over 150,000 miles with basically nothing going wrong and would probably still be going strong if it wasn't for an accident. If you're in school and don't have the money (or the time) to deal with Audi upkeep, I'd look for a Honda or Toyota (or a Acura or Lexus) make sure the timing belt is done and enjoy what will probably be years of hassle-free driving. Heck, the American cars I've owned haven't needed maintenance like these cars do. Then, when you're done with school and making the big bucks, get a newer Audi that hasn't hit the "constant maintenance phase" yet!