Save even more doe and get a slightly used Subi. You lose too much value in the first year with a new car; it's a terrible investment. Find one that's been well taken care of and go that route. My two cents.

 

reliability depends on the engine and the driver
a 1.8t is much more prone to break than the 2.8 or 3.0... that's just the world of turbos

however, if you don't beat the crap outta the car (just as it is with any car... except chevy's...) it'll just be regular maintenance.
soon as you start hammering on the turbo though... you have lines breaking and crap... gotta pay to play

for a used car, you also have to assume that someone with a turbo car... is gonna flog it (not truth... just assume) especially when we consider the 1.8T the sportier version (or cheaper... depending on who's buying) than the V6... so all in all, the V6 is going to be a very reliable car in comparison

however... regardless of how you treat your car, stuff's going to break anyway. and with an audi... prepare to pony up big. with a domestic or a japanese car... you can get by fairly cheaply at the dealer even. don't buy an audi unless you got some decient coin layin around for repairs. if you're just squeaking by buying the car... you're gonna get railed.

 

My experience with Audis is probably a bit different than most people.

I currently own 3 ½ Audis.

One is a 1988 90 Quattro 5 sp with 205 K miles, it made it’s way to my garage a few years ago when we determined it needed a head gasket. Once the work was done it remained there because we had other cars to drive.

The second is a 1989 200 Quattro, turbo, 5 sp with 310 K miles that I drive 100 miles each day at speeds up to 85 MPH with some stop and go when traffic is poor. It needed a clutch (throw out bearing not clutch plate – but we did them all) at 280K but other wise it is a fantastic automobile with minimal problems. I’m getting about 100K on a set of brakes.

The third is a 1996 A6 2-wheel drive automatic with 120 K. It is used by my wife for work. The only problem has been the volume control on the radio.

The ½ Audi is a 1999 VW Passat 4cyl turbo 5 sp with 198 K miles that my daughter drives. This one has caused the biggest headaches. All the front links needed replacing at 175K and the clutch lasted only 180K. We continue to have brake problems where by we need to replace the calipers and discs every few years because the calipers seize up. And the ABS control unit has taken a vacation and I refuse to spend the money to replace it.

As for costs… Audi parts and labor are a bit more expensive than many domestic cars but they don’t seem to need replacement as often. I change the oil and filter at around 7 K miles or every 6 months whichever comes first so all the talking heads that claim it must be changed at 3 or 5 K are just wasting your money. I do much of my own work so having a source of Audi parts helps to lower the cost. When I do send the cars out for work because of time limitations or not having the right equipment I am careful about who touches the cars. My local garage guy sometimes asked me to get parts when he does the work because my cost is significantly lower than his. For example – his cost for the VW front links was around $1500 and I could get them for $600.

I hear that the newer Audis are more like the 99 Passat and not as good as the older ones. I have a also heard that there is a window between 1992 and 1995 to be weary of but don’t have any first hand experience. The 1996 A6 seems to be good but since it only has 120K I’ll have to wait a few years before making a firm statement about it.