I am thinking about buying an entry level luxury sedan, 2007/2008 CPO model (to use for 2-3 years so that I still have a warranty) - mostly will use it for daily commute (30 miles to work one way, will have to do reverse commute to CT from NYC) and would like to be able to go outdoors and skiing to VT/upstate NY, so prefer AWD. So, I got down to 3 choices:

- 2007/2008 Acura TSX - nice interior, supposed to be reliable and cheap to maintain, drives ok, plain exterior looks, only FWD, cheaper than Germans
- 2007 BMW 328xi - 328i series is the best in my opinion to drive on nice roads, 328xi does not feel that good in driving but is AWD, but it feels like BMW has the lowest ground clearance so I'd be scared to drive it to upstate NY in the winter, back seats don't have much space
- 2007 Audi A4 2.0T (or 3.2 V6 which are rarely available) - I thought initially it would be a good choice and made it to the top of my list, nice exterior and ride, AWD etc; but now I've read a lot about very excessive oil consumption by 2007/2008 2.0T engine and am worried.

Looked at Lexus and Infiniti but could not really find any 2007/2008 CPOs in my area and price range (~22-27K)

Is oil consumption a real issue for 2007 Audi A4 2.0T engine? I saw people complaining that they had to change oil every month! Is there any way to test an engine/see oil changes history before buying (I was told that it's not possible)?

I am thinking now about getting 2007 Audi A4 3.2 - but there are just a few available in tri-state area, so I am worried that resale value in the future could be bad for this model. May be I should just go for A6 3.2 model (it's a bit too large for me, but on the upside engine should be ok and it seats 4-5 people and MPG is similar to A4 3.2 model)

Thanks

 

Don't worry about the oil consumption. Using a little oil is normal for turbocharged engines. You don't have to change it every month--at most, you might need to add a quart every 5k miles or so (usually no more than one quart between oil changes). I've had my 2006 A4 for about 6k miles now and I didn't get low on oil between when I got it and when I just had the oil changed. Some use more than others and I think how you drive it makes a difference. If you constantly drive it like you stole it, you'll probably have to add oil. I'm a little more gentle with mine, but am not afraid to use the power when I need it.

Go for it, these are great looking, great driving little sporty sedans. Mine has enough back legroom to drive a car-full of guys to lunch or take the wife and kids around on the weekends. Get the quattro--it's well worth the few extra dollars (in most cases, I didn't see much price difference between comparable FWD and quattro models in the 2006-2007 range). In fact, in your price-range, you could probably get a 2008 or maybe even squeak into a good deal on a 2009 (B8 body style). The B8's are a little longer, a little sportier (IMO) and have a bit more rear legroom. Stick with the 2.0T engine. It's a good, little engine.

 

^^I agree with everything he said. The oil consumption is real but really isn't a problem, like he said, I MIGHT have to add a quart every 5k miles (audi says do 10k miles between oil changes but if you really love your car, do it at 5k anways, thats what I do). I just keep a quart of 5w-40 in the trunk if that oil low light comes on, open up the hood, poor it in, and good to go for another 5k miles. I too own a 2.0t and I've never driven a 3.2l but I'm deff a 2.0t fan over the 3.2l because you can customize and mod the 2.0t and make it quicker for cheaper.

These cars are also very reliable (so far, as these are new"er" cars, not many people have been in the 120k+ miles so not too much is known past then) and the things you should look out for is the cam follower which can fail and can cause some expensive damage. But is a very easy part to change as a preventative maintenance item and the part itself cost about $40-$60 depending on where you buy it. Other than that there are some known parts to fail but if they do fail, nothing major will happen, your PCV valve is known to fail along with your diverter valve. Both of which will just cause a slight loss in power and a CEL (check engine light) if it fails, and does not hurt the vehicle itself.
Overall I love my audi, pretty much every aspect, the only part that bugs me is that which setting the parking brake, it pushes up the arm rest and you need to lift it up and put it back down to reset it, but thats minor and very much overlooked.

 

I keep my armrest 3 clicks up (I'm tall, so that's perfect for me). I never have to adjust it to use the handbrake. May not work for everyone, though.

I love this car. A lot. I plan on keeping it well into 100k miles.

 

Burning oil issue really depends on your luck. I had the same dilemma before i pulled the trigger. But somehow the Audi won me over and I bought a CPO 2007 A4 2.0T. I've been driving it (chipped after 90 days) for a year traveling 80miles/day and have put 20000 miles to it. And I dont have burn oil issue. The only complaint i have is that the dashboard rattles and it's so difficult to balance the wheels. I have slight vibration despite of numerous times of tire balancing. Good luck!

 

I have had only a couple of small things happen with my 2007 A4. 2 coil packs went bad replaced under warranty. The other two were replaced this year when Audi had the recall on them. Also my PCV went bad last year, again replaced under warranty (was cheap anyway). As far as oil burning, it has never been excessive except when I first bought the car new. I had to drive it about 3000 miles then the oil burning became almost a non issue.

Keep in mind my US Spec'd A4 has been driving in Germany its whole (3 year) life. I drive it on the Autobahns an average speed of 85-110mph, so I would think if oil burning were an issue, these speeds would make it worse. I check it every now and then and add a little if it is not on the full mark.

Anyway from my experience the A4 2.0T (B7) is a great car, and Quattro for your snow adventures would be the best in my opinion over BMW or others.

 

i have no oil issues whatsoever.

 

My '06' A4 2.0t burns no oil, and it has 55000 miles on it.

 

I have a 2006 A4 2.0 Quattro with 116,000 on it. Oil has never been a problem. I have had to add LESS than a quart about 3 times over the life of the car. I run German Castrol, and go 7,500 or so between changes. Yep, I've done the cam follower, PCV, and the EVAC Purge Valve. The only real problem area is the BiXenon Adaptive headlights. Audi knows there is a problem, but won't address it. If they start flasshing on you, pull over, shut the headlamps off for a few seconds, and turn back on. Ususally solves it for the night.

 

I need to top it off every 4K or so, like clockwork. Like others said, it depends lot on
your driving style and conditions. 95% of my driving is in city, and I tend to do lot of
"rabbit starts" at the signals. I can understand this causes the oil consumption I see.