Any Audi fans here?

[Dennis S]

My friend had 3 Audis and then bought a Volvo S60. He said he likes the Volvo better, but I think his Audis were on the lower end. I love the turbo on the Volvo.

[wowzer]

Why would anyone want to get anything but an Acura TL? I still own my 2003 TL-S, which has about 70,000 miles.

I recently switched to a Toyota Prius because it permits me to drive on the LIE HOV lane as a single occupant. The Prius is a nifty little ride, but the Acura has been rock steady and exciting to drive...I nearly slid out the prius the other day on an emergency stop. The entire car felt like it was going to spin out...the Acura grips the road like it's on rails. YMMV.

As for Audi, bah...save your money and get a BMW/Mercedes---this way if you want to resell (and you will due to the unreliable electronics), you'll be able to recoup more of your money.

Just curious, but why do you want to change? IMHO, you should never go 'down' in the car category unless it gives you a significantly superior experience (like the prius for me). My 2 cents worth.

[the_poochies]

I drove an Audi 100 wagon in the 1990s. It was a wonderful car to drive, but I'm not kidding when I'm telling you that it was in the shop at least once a month for a whole variety of problems. And no fix was ever cheap on that thing. I sold it after some steep depreciation and bought a Camry.

[Dubya]

Have you looked at the new Passat?

[jdc]

Dubya wrote:
Have you looked at the new Passat?

LOL! You mean the car consistantly rated in the bottom 5 on everyones lists?

Get an Audi/VW/Jag/Saab/Fiat/Volvo if you only plan on keeping it for 3 years or less.

After that, value drops like a stone.

Yeah, there are plenty of people with cars on that same list that will brag about how long theirs have run -- but its an exception, not the rule.

I would love to find a 2008 TL-S (the year before they jacked the styling) -- my cousin just bought a really clean one. didnt get a chance to ride in it =(

[M A V I C]

SteveO wrote: Another friend of 20+ years has a VW CC (sporty Passat...VW and Audi have many shared parts/architectures). He recently told me that the headlights randomly go out and won't come back on. He's taken it to the dealer several times but they can't seem to fix it. This is a huge, huge safety issue and I'm surprised there hasn't been a recall. Who knows, maybe it's not that widespread but the fact they can't fix it speaks volumes about their QC.

These malfunctions imo are unconscionable. I could see them happening 30-40 years ago when auto tech wasn't what it is today. But not now.

You bring up rule #1 with owning car - pick a make for which you can find a good independent mechanic. One I frequent has a very good electronics tech and the dealers send their cars to him when they can't figure something out. There are a lot of electronics in cars these days, and it's important to know how they work. Dealers don't always know the stuff you think they should. I wouldn't blame the car in this case, at least not without knowing the competency of the mechanic.

mikebw wrote:
I suspect if you go with a new model that has a warranty you should be OK. Would advise against going used unless you have proof of a through maintenance history.

I think most of not all Audi's come with maintenance included up to around 50k miles. It's pretty easy to get a VIN and call AoA to find out its maintenance history. Otherwise you can find good owners who keep track of the history. I bought mine at 56k, it has 106k, and I plan to keep it until 200k or so.

weapon wrote:
Great styling but amazing amount of electrical problems.

Friend of mine just got rid of her a4 due to the gremlins.

Which model of A4? What kind of electrical issues? The B5's were known to have some issues. Most are caused by:
1. Bad battery
2. Bad generator
3. Poor maintenance

#3 is a little tricky because Germans assume you're going to take care of the car when they engineer it. Most people don't.

jdc wrote: Get an Audi/VW/Jag/Saab/Fiat/Volvo if you only plan on keeping it for 3 years or less.

After that, value drops like a stone.

Yeah, there are plenty of people with cars on that same list that will brag about how long theirs have run -- but its an exception, not the rule.

Three years after I bought my current Audi it was worth more than what I paid for it.

Well maintained, Audis will run a long time. Poorly maintained, they don't run as long as JDM.

----

For the OP:
1. Research the model you're looking at getting and find out if/what the problems tend to be
2. Make sure you have a good mechanic
3. Maintain it properly (eg don't take it to jiffy lube and use non-spec synthetic oil.)

[Spock]

If you're not in a hurry you could have a look at the new Cadillac ATS. It will be competing in the same market segment as the BMW 3 Series.

[microchip]

My parents recently went with a TSX Sport (Decided against the TL). It's a great car, but it puts me to sleep.

Here's what I say. Change the 'A' to an 'S'. Midlife crisis? Get an S4 or an S5 (I'd recommend the '5 as well). You don't need four doors.

[jdc]

Like I said, theres always an exception to the rule.

EDIT: didnt you do a a sh!tload of work to your allroad? or some big giant tear apart?

and FWIW, allroad is returning: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/10/audi-...roit-2012/

[Mr645]

Audi will be a lot more fun to drive. But from a quality standpoint, not even within sight of a Honda product. Lease the Audi, the repairs will be steady and you don't want one out of warranty.