I test drove a 2-owner 04 1.8T FWD 5 speed Saturday. I've always loved A4s but had not driven a B6 gen with a manual. It's dark gray (dolphin?) with light gray leather - beautiful car, with 62K. Drove very tight. Only faults are some wheel scratches, rub-off wear on the climate control and radio, and having been smoked in.

I haven't made the seller an offer but am strongly considering it. The reviews I've read are either one extreme or the other. What should I expect owning one of these? I've read through the FAQ and common issues. Some of them are quite scary!

I'm pretty mechanically inclined so I would do my own maintenance work. I've done timing belts, water pumps, built a couple of engines, etc There isn't an Audi dealer or mechanic probably within 50 miles, but I do have access to the vag com software. Are they expensive to own?

Thanks,
Tyson

 

Just bought one four weeks ago. I've had a few minor problems, but when the car is driving well, I love it! I paid 6800 for it, 107K 02 a4 1.8t quattro...

I say go for it, especially since most of the work you can do yourself.....

I'd say go for it for sure if you have the $, it can be risky but that has pretty low mileage so i think it's worth it.

 

He's asking $10,800. The most I would offer is about $9,800. Does that sound about right?

 

Check the KBB price. 9800 sounds about right to offer.

 

I'd say maybe $10k. I bought an 03 a4 1.8t quattro about 2 months ago. The first day I had it, I'd turn it on but it wouldn't stay running. Luckily when I got it running, I put Gumout in when I filled the take and I never had a problem again. However later that week, my rear window kept sliding down which would've been an expensive fix but since I had the car for less than a week, the dealer paid for it. My radio didnt work when I bought it and the dealer paid for that too. I guess I'm lucky that the dealer paid for it. BTW, this is NOT an Audi dealership, my closest is about an hour away. Now I am having problems with my headlights. I'm told they are day-time running lights but they come on and off whenever they want. It's not a big deal, I just have to turn the switch to turn them on. I bought the car with 60k miles on it and I put 2k on so far. I must say it is a great, quick car. And I think most B6 a4s have the rub-off wear. My fan speed buttons are completely worn off and my headlights switch is pretty worn but not too bad. I would reccommend the quattro because it's amazing in snow. But besides that I'd say $10k max for the car. I paid $11k for mine which was way too much but hey, its a nice sport sedan.

 

KBB price (admittedly for my zip code, so yours may vary) is $9200, and that's assuming the car is basically perfect. That's with default options, so if it's got stuff you like on it, it might be worth a bit more, but the $10,800 the seller is asking sounds more like the price for a quattro to me. Of course, I live in MN, so FWD may carry a greater value penalty vs quattro here than where you are - I'd confirm the value with your own zip code if I were you.

The basic point is that $9,800 seems like a high initial offer - I could see the negotiation getting to that point if the car has heated power seats, sunroof, 17 or 18 inch wheels, etc, and is in perfect condition with extensive and up to date maintenance records, but it's definitely not where you want to start. If the seller is firm on the $10,800, just walk away.

 

Thanks for all the input. I live in Mississippi, so AWD isn't an issue because we rarely have snow. The car in question is FWD.

 

Regarding equipment, it's got leather, 6 CD, sunroof, 17" alloys. Good but not perfect condition.

 

The A4, like the A6, requires a timing belt around 75-80k miles. My A6 was $800 using my indie but I have seen $1500 quoted for a dealer. A4 owners can advise with better info, but you can use it as a negotiating point. Check brake wear and tire wear as well. All can be used to reduce the price. Remember, you can always offer more the second time, but it's tough to offer less.

 

We agreed on $9600. The car actually got four new tires Saturday morning just before I test drove it. Not sure on the timing belt; they are checking for the receipt. The belt is ~$50 and I would do it myself if need be. I've done timing belts on SOHC flat 4s, DOHC inline 4s, and DOHC V6s before so this one doesn't scare me if I need to do it. This will be my first interference engine so I want to be careful.

I look forward to being on these forums more often as it appears I'll be an A4 owner tomorrow night.

Tyson