im 16 and im considering getting an audi for my first car, ive been looking at 96' a4s and have seen a couple i like. im not looking for something near new, whatever i get will probably have around 175k on it because my price range is $3000-4000. when it comes to the labor fees ill probably pick up arepair manual for it because im somewhat skilled with mechanics and can fix minor things. ive read some other posts and im not too low on cash, i can get a couple hundred once and a while for repairs, but it cant be needing repairs everytime i turn around.
so as the subject says, is it worth it? also what are some things to look out for when im buying?

 

If you are gonna keep it stock then I would say yes. If you plan on modding I would say no. If you want it just to have it, its a great great car. do you want the 1.8T or the 2.8? Also that is a lot of miles. If you just want it for the fact its an AUDI then get it. If I were you what I would do is put that money towards like a jetta or golf. but its your call. What Im trying to say is you can get a 96 Audi A4 or for the same money get a newer jetta or golf with a 1.8t engine and they will have less miles be faster and more than likely need less work done to them. Plus its all in the family plus your 16. get yourself a VW save up some money then get an Audi later on. You dont wanna be like the kids I knew in highschool that thought they were cool cuz they drove bimmers even though they were beaters on their death bed. ya know. but its your call.

 

i want a 2.8 and i dont plan on upgrading much, my dad has always had audis and i love the way they feel. also i like the looks better than the vw.

 

An audi can get very expensive very quickly once you get on the repair road. Itsa good think about it. Some ppl here are very mechanical inclined, they do all the work on thethemselves and evenwith thensome parts are $$ / and time consuming. If you look for a car with 175K miles expect a 3rd timing belt wich is not an job for a novice and its not for free at the mechanic.

My advice its to try to get a car less complicated to work on in case of trouble.

 

good god make sure the timing belt has been replaced if you that high in the mileage!

 

For 4 grand and an older car, I bet you can find something with a lot less miles if you're patient. The book value on a 96-97, even with lower miles like 100-120k has to be around 4 grand.

The clutch. make sure it's been changed recently especially with high miles, even if it felt fine.. it's a costly repair and you don't seem to be in a position to pay for it.

timing belt. look for one thats been replaced recently. with audis, they could have been changed at 60k to 100k, you want to add around roughly 80k miles for the next change if it has the updated tensioner.

suspension, leaks, local lemon laws, service records (especially with that many miles), car fax.... If you find a car you're very interested in, pay the money for a reputable mechanic to give it a good look over/test drive.

 

when i got my 2.8 i was 16 and payed 3600 for it with the timing belt done new ac and water pump and 150k on it. mint interior rather nice looking exterior. i spent about 400 in control arms sway bars and bushings, and some minor things. then got some new pads for somewhere around 60$ and haven't had a problem since. i say get it you'll love it, don't let mileage scare you either i know people with 2.8s with 230k on them. And the "status symbol" is always nice, everyone thinks your pretty amazing that you have an Audi, i remember getting pulled over for having a euro front plate and the officer asked why i would put that on my moms Audi. I told him i don't know she didn't really mind .

 

175k is the highest milage i would buy and i probably wouldnt pay any more than 3200. i will make sure all matinence is documented.

 

just stick with a jetta or a thing liek that... i just got my a4 in dec and now i ahve to do just over 4000$ of work just so it wont keep busting....its a sick car i love it to ddeath ( and so do the ladies)..500$ wont do thatmuch in repaires from what i have learned and i looked around to alot of diff shops in my area.. i know this makesno sence but bare with me im at work.
Good luck Get the Audi if you have the bals...and get the 1.8t i know its only a 4 banger but its a bad boy deeep down

 

I say get the Audi. But the 12V you cannot do anything to. So dont plan on doing any modding. The 30 Ehh still sucks. The 1.8 you can.

I would just wait and see what comes a long. Im sure you can get a better deal than that.