# Most reliable Audi my money could buy



## apzak (Dec 30, 2003)

Hey everyone,
I'm looking for a reliable car that is safe. I have $5000 to spend and really like the 95-97 A6. I currently drive a 1998 Nissan 240sx but decided to sell it and get a less expensive car, and use the extra money I save to invest. I have considered the Audi 100 (91-94) and the Audi 90 but the 100 is older than the A6 so it'll probably be less reliable, and the 90 is smaller so it probably won't be as safe. I want a (1)manual trans, (2)quattro, and (3)heated leather seats. (the order I listed is the order of most importance) Which Audi has real leather seats? I know any BMW less than a 540 has fake leather (vinyl). I probably shouldn't be picky with $5000, but I'd like to consider all my options. Another car I'm looking at is the 98 Accord but it isn't nearly as safe as the Audi A6 and I hear the 98 Accord has reliability issues (according to msn.com) Well let me know what you guys think. If you want to suggest another car feel free to. I drive in snow and quattro is a nice feature, but Audi's safety is what has me hooked. I'm unsure of their reliability, I've heard horror stories of people with 96+ A4s but also heard all new German cars are having problems so maybe the older Audis would be more reliable. I've seen some with 40,000-60,000 miles on them and will probably get one of those. How long should it last before things break? Any advice when picking an old Audi?


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## Phatbastard (Apr 16, 2003)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (apzak)*

Buy a mid 90's GMC or Chevy Pick Up - really, I'm not kidding. 
For $5k in an Audi you are going to get something in the over 100,000 mile range so reliability goes down. In a 100 or A6 quattro for that price you are going to get a beater so unless you can do all the work yourself it will eat you out of house and home at some shop.
For safety you can't beat GMs big American (Canadian) iron around you and mine just keeps on running and running.
Now if you want something fun to drive, fairly good mileage and a great opportunity to test you mechanical skills on then the older Audi's are ideal - but that wasn't part of your criteria







. Not hating just recommending


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## Quattro Krant (Sep 15, 2004)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (Phatbastard)*

$5000 isn't going to buy you that new of an Audi, they were never known for being cheap cars to purchase/maintain. Buy a car like a MK2 Jetta for $1000, then invest the other $4000 and be done with it http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## apzak (Dec 30, 2003)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (Quattro Krant)*

Phatbastard - Your right. Anything American is going to be cheap and offer me the most "bang for buck" simply because they aren't imported. 
Quattro Krant - I don't think any VW older than an MKIV is a very safe car. They probably are good safety wise, but I'd like something very safe. I do alot of driving and have seen my share of idiots on the road. 
I have owned a 1989 Jeep Wrangler with 130,000 miles and that car was problem after problem. It cost more to maintain/repair than a Porsche 944 (the $1000 a year rule for the 944) because though parts were cheap on the Jeep, things kept breaking probably more frequently than on a 944. I've never owned a 944 but I'm just going by what people say "expect to pay $1000 a year for repairs and upkeep." I was at $1000 in parts with the Jeep after 6 months. I'm also not saying I cant repair cars, I did all the work on the Jeep myself. But if things break so frequently my problem is lack of time which means I've got no ride until I find time to fix it. I also hate SUVs and don't have much of a need for a pickup, nor do I think I'll look right in one. I'm looking for a car. I don't need AWD or 4WD, the RWD 240sx with an open diff got me around in snowstorms but with some trouble so 2wd is do able. A Subaru Impreza will probably be more reliable than an Audi, but definetly not as safe. If I can get an Audi and maybe only have no more than 2 things break each year that'll be fine. But if it'll be like my jeep and something will break every two weeks then I'll look elsewhere.

I have found two Audis on autotrader. http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/...st=66
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/...st=78

_Modified by apzak at 10:03 PM 9-29-2004_


_Modified by apzak at 10:05 PM 9-29-2004_


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## Phatbastard (Apr 16, 2003)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (apzak)*

Just FYI - neither one of those cars are quattro and if you have less than 2 things a year go wrong with ANY early 90s cars run right out and buy a sh!t load of lottery tickets cuz you are one lucky sum bitz.
On the reliability issue - thats why I have 3 cars (4 if you count the Jag) because at any one time at least one is **** up


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## billzcat1 (Sep 10, 2001)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (apzak)*

Apzak - you will be very disappointed in the reliability of any Audi in the $5000 price range. Also, the $1000 year a year rule on 944s is understated. A 944 owner who spends only $1000 a year on repairs is also lucky.
If you must have an Audi then consider this...the 100 and A6 are exceedingly rare as a manual transmission car. I would wager around 1-200 imported of each model in 5-speed and quattro. 
The 90 quattro from 93-95 has the same engine as the 100 or A6 and was only available as a 5-speed. They are one of the safest cars in their class for that time period, and Audi in general has always been a very safe marque. Of course, they will have problems! The biggest problem in the 2.8L v6 cars is oil leaks. It's something like a rear cam seal that fails and it seems to happen like clockwork at 45k miles or so. It drips onto the cat and makes the car smell like burnt oil when its shut off.
No Audi is complete without its share of small annoying problems. Flickering switches, relays that occasionally click, things like that. If you have problems with little things like that, you will hate any Audi pre-97.


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## audiquattroturbo (Feb 20, 2004)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (apzak)*


_Quote, originally posted by *apzak* »_
I don't think any VW older than an MKIV is a very safe car. They probably are good safety wise, but I'd like something very safe. I do alot of driving and have seen my share of idiots on the road. 


I thought you said you wanted an Audi? Just to let you know, Audi is not a vw and does not classify by "MK". You are making a few contradictions so it is hard to help you out. If you are looking for an Audi in your price range you'll be looking at a "b4". I would say you are going to feel and be safe in many audi models going back as far as a b3 90 quattro. Don't think that you can compare audi and vw safety standards of older genberations, the audi's are just far superior. If I was you i would try ot find a low mileage 96 a4 and try to get it for the price you are looking for. I know of a quality 94 90 up for sale at 4k$. 




_Modified by audiquattroturbo at 11:08 PM 9-29-2004_


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## haygood (Sep 8, 2000)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (apzak)*

I have a hard time believing (I have a hard time spelling believing, apparently) that a '95 A6 is going to be significantly safer than a '95 Passat. Safer, maybe, but not significantly so. I'm kindof a safety nut, and an accident investigator, so I'm not blowing you off here. A '95-'97 Passat GLX fits right into your budget and they are great cars. I have owned one since it was new, so I'm biased. They aren't hard to find used, either. Go check it out, do some safety research at nhtsa's website if you like. 
I do know a guy trying to sell a '91 Audi that would be well within your price range. He's a good mechanic and I'd feel good about buying a car he has maintained. Give me an IM if you are interested. He's in Baltimore, MD
Brian


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## apzak (Dec 30, 2003)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (apzak)*

Here is something I find intresting:
http://www.highwaysafety.org/v...6.htm
The 95-97 Passat actually did POOR in the offset crash test. So now I'm wondering, doesn't the A6 and Passat share the same chassis? I don't see 95-97 A6 offset results but Im starting to have second thoughts now after seeing the Passat's because afterall they are the same chassis, right? 
The new A6 (99+) only got "Acceptable" in offset:
http://www.highwaysafety.org/v...7.htm
The new Passat (98-05) got "Good" in offset:
http://www.highwaysafety.org/v...2.htm
I'm looking for something that got atleast a "Good" in offset or "Good" in the European test.


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## delta v (Jun 8, 2001)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (apzak)*

95-97 passats and A6's do not share the same chassis--those A6's are based off of the larger C4 platform, while the passats are based off of a hybrid A3/B4 platform (i believe). Its easy to tell this, because the passats have a transverse engine layout, while the A6's (and 90's) have a longitudinal engine layout.
The current passats (98-present) run with an enlarged B5 platform, correct? Ive also heard it called a hybrid between the A4(B5 platform) and the A6 (C5 platform), but im not exactly sure what it is.


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## billzcat1 (Sep 10, 2001)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (delta v)*

The 95-97 Passat is the VW B4 chassis and has nothing to do with any Audi chassis whatsoever. It's very similar to the Corrado/A3 in terms of suspension and drivetrain, but naturally a bit longer wheelbase.
The current passats (B5) are a lengthened Audi B5 chassis - that is the Audi A4 of course. No relation to the A6 (C-chassis)


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## audiquattroturbo (Feb 20, 2004)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (billzcat1)*

Can we pull out his 4th post on here























haha, just realized i only have 45 on this name


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## apzak (Dec 30, 2003)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (audiquattroturbo)*

audiquattroturbo - What 4th post? This is my 4th post before I had 3.
So, the 95-97 A6 has no relation to the 95-97 Passat's chassis, but what other cars share the 95-97 A6's C4 chassis? How about the 98-05 A6, how did Audi change the chassis for the new A6? When you say the new Passat shares the A4's chassis, what year A4? How does the mid 90s Audi reliability compare to the 944s? Newer cars should be more reliable but I have read on the VW forums that newer german cars are having more problems than the older ones.


_Modified by apzak at 2:04 AM 10-3-2004_


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## delta v (Jun 8, 2001)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (apzak)*

The C4 chassis was used by the 92-94 100 and S4, 95-97 A6, and the 95 S6. The 100 and A6 are basically the same car, just with a slight facelift, and the S4&6 have the 20vT I-5 instead of the 12v V6.
The 98-current passat shares the B5 platform with the 96-01 A4, although it got an updated version (B5.5) for 2001 (could be wrong on that date...)
Not sure about reliability, especially vs. a 944--as usual service history would be a key thing to consider. I'm pretty sure that the 12v V6 in 90's, 100's, early A4's and A6's is reliable, though--you can check over in the audiworld forums, since lots of the 12v guys seem to be over there.


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## apzak (Dec 30, 2003)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (delta v)*

How are all these cars I mentioned comparable to the Corrado? I've heard those cars are probably the least reliable things out there. Doesnt the Audi 200 have a turbo I5 like the S4&6?
I'm probably going to take a look at the 97+ A4 and probably just sell the 240sx for $10,000 and spend that on a newer A4 with side airbags. The 944 turbo is very tempting as it can be bought for the same price, and if I move into one of my dads appartments I could use his car as a backup if mines ever broken because hes retired. The 944/968 are said to be one of the most reliable Porsches ever built.


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## StormChaser (Jan 3, 2000)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (apzak)*

They will allbe more reliable than a rado, heck even a Ugo would be...


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## SuperGroove (Aug 20, 2000)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (apzak)*

Reliable+Older German Performance Car=Oxymoron.
Everyone I know that is serious about maintaining their car, as well as upgrading them, has spent at least as much in maintenence, as they have in performance. I'm not one of them. My maintenence costs have far exceeded my performance mods.
That's all about to change though Hopefully








Edit: I own a S4.


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## delta v (Jun 8, 2001)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (SuperGroove)*

Audi 200's all have turbo I-5's. 91 200 turbo quattro's have the 3B variant of the 20vt engine--slightly different than the AAN 20vt in the S4/6, but the same basic engine (I believe the main difference is the AAN has coil-on-plug ignition, while the 3B has a distributer). All other 200's (90 and earlier quattro's, and all automatic 200's) have the MC2 10v turbo 5--less power stock, but still easily modable and strong.


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## 84cgtturbo (Apr 3, 2003)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (SuperGroove)*


_Quote, originally posted by *SuperGroove* »_Reliable+Older German Performance Car=Oxymoron.
Everyone I know that is serious about maintaining their car, as well as upgrading them, has spent at least as much in maintenence, as they have in performance. I'm not one of them. My maintenence costs have far exceeded my performance mods.
That's all about to change though Hopefully








Edit: I own a S4.


Cough, cough, bullshift, cough, cough.....








The older the Audi the more reliable. This has been my experience with them. I just got rid of my '79 5KS last year and that bastid ran great since I got it in '90. If it hadn't been rear-ended I would have kept it. Oh yeah the "fragile" 3 spd slushbox everyone talks isht about was still in perfect working order. As were most of the systems -power locks had a vacuum leak, A/C needed recharging but hey the car was 25 years old for crying out loud. 
My '84 CGT ran flawlessly when bought totally stock in '96. I did not start breaking things until the MC motor was put in in '99. Since then I've upgraded the peripherals enough to handle the power. So this car does live up to your statement about upgrade $ vs. maintenance $. But I did bring this on myself.








On to my '86 4KCSQ, no major problems. Replaced timing belt, water pump, expansion tank when I bought it (minor stuff). Since then the only other thing was new springs/shocks & delrin bushings (elective surgery). Oh yeah I had a buddy weld on a new muffler. 
So maybe it's just me getting lucky with my rides or checking them out thoroughly before purchasing, but I honestly believe the older Audis were built better. 
J.


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## apzak (Dec 30, 2003)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (84cgtturbo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *84cgtturbo* »_

Cough, cough, bullshift, cough, cough.....








The older the Audi the more reliable. This has been my experience with them. I just got rid of my '79 5KS last year and that bastid ran great since I got it in '90. If it hadn't been rear-ended I would have kept it. Oh yeah the "fragile" 3 spd slushbox everyone talks isht about was still in perfect working order. As were most of the systems -power locks had a vacuum leak, A/C needed recharging but hey the car was 25 years old for crying out loud. 
My '84 CGT ran flawlessly when bought totally stock in '96. I did not start breaking things until the MC motor was put in in '99. Since then I've upgraded the peripherals enough to handle the power. So this car does live up to your statement about upgrade $ vs. maintenance $. But I did bring this on myself.








On to my '86 4KCSQ, no major problems. Replaced timing belt, water pump, expansion tank when I bought it (minor stuff). Since then the only other thing was new springs/shocks & delrin bushings (elective surgery). Oh yeah I had a buddy weld on a new muffler. 
So maybe it's just me getting lucky with my rides or checking them out thoroughly before purchasing, but I honestly believe the older Audis were built better. 
J. 

That's what I was thinking. I've read that newer Mercedez, BMWs, and Audi have been giving people a handful of electrical problems and other problems that are really unacceptable in cars in their price range. I figure and older car has less electrical crap to go bad. I found a nice 1991 Audi 90 Quattro 20V 5cyl 5spd in my area for $5800 but I think I can negotiate that to my price range. Says the interior is "fully loaded" with leather, sunroof, cruise, ABS, drivers airbag, power seats and heated seats. What options were out in 1991 Audi 90s? That way when I take a look at this car I'll be able to tell if the guy is lying. They also say the car is a one owner with 60,000 miles. I still think thats kinda overpriced but it's so close taking a look can't hurt.


_Modified by apzak at 3:51 AM 10-8-2004_


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## billzcat1 (Sep 10, 2001)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (apzak)*

pretty much everything came standard on the 90 20v. heated/power seats, heated/power mirrors, airbags, ABS, 4-wheel discs, 15" alloy wheels, power locks/alarm, fog lights. All 20vs are quattro, and all quattros are 5-speed. Most 90q 20vs are in the $2-3k range these days. 
Oh! anyone who thinks that they can get a 20v without experiencing electrical gremlins is delusional...


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## Phatbastard (Apr 16, 2003)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (billzcat1)*

Oh! anyone who thinks that they can get a 20v without experiencing electrical gremlins is delusional... 
Yup - Just yesterday my AC started to run (comp cycling, rad fan on) with the digital controller turned off







Didn't clear after pulling all the AC related fuses so I had to pull the wire to the comp untill I can get this fiqured out - See, even the most reliable of us - and mine has been - can get PMS once in a while


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## nuugen (Jan 2, 2002)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (Phatbastard)*

If you want mechanical reliabilty, the I-5 motor is infamous in that respect...
Those are just virtually bulletproof, ask anyone on here...Having owned over a dozen 5-cyl cars, I can attest to their ability to endure much abuse and huge odometer readings with ease..All of my I-5's have gone into the 260k+ range, with the highest being my 4kq which FINALLY blew the HG at 410,000







but was STILL running(albeit w/a _little _White smoke puffing from the tailpipe







)...All my current q's are in the 200k+ area now...To be honest, I haven't experienced an overwhelming amount of electrical gremlins on my cars...The seat heater lights always go out, sometimes you lose a window switch, and the regulators will eventually fail---but they will also fail on any car of that vintage with that many miles on the clock, electrics don't last forever...Now, that asking price of 5800 for the 90 20v seems a little steep, unless it has extraordinary low mileage...Most of these can be had in the 2500-3k range...I will say that when the suspension bushings/tie rods/ball joints/etc. start wearing out, that can become costly, so if you are on a budget you will probably need to do these a little at a time, and it helps to either know how to do the maintenance yourself, or have a buddy or mechanic that can do it for a reasonable cost---some Audi mechanics charge an exhorbitant amount of money for doing the routine maintenance on your car







One thing that can really bite you on the 90-91 90q and Coupe Quattro 20v, though, is the crap Hitachi injectors...If they go bad they are around a thousand-1200 bucks to replace...There is an alternative which I am working on that is far cheaper, but it is slow-going on getting the aftermarket injectors








Someone else can chime in here about the V6 cars, I have never owned one--although I am planning on getting an A4 soon--so I can't really tell whether these motors can go the distance like the I-5...I do know that there are some nice B4 90 V6 q's in the 5-6k price range, and some of the early A4's are down there as well, but as someone mentioned before i would want to know the service history behind any car that i am spending money on, that can make the difference on a good buy and a nightmare bank-account-draining money pit that can make your life miserable










_Modified by nuugen at 2:20 PM 10-10-2004_


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## apzak (Dec 30, 2003)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (nuugen)*


_Quote, originally posted by *nuugen* »_...Now, that asking price of 5800 for the 90 20v seems a little steep, unless it has extraordinary low mileage...Most of these can be had in the 2500-3k range...I will say that when the suspension bushings/tie rods/ball joints/etc. start wearing out, that can become costly, so if you are on a budget you will probably need to do these a little at a time,_Modified by nuugen at 2:20 PM 10-10-2004_

The $5800 1991 90 20v has 60,000 miles and one owner. I'm going to try to find a one owner car because I figure it's less likely to be a lemon. Whos going to keep a money pit for close to 10 years? 
Also, when I say I'm looking for reliability I think I can live with electrical gremlins unless they effect driveability (ignition?). I'd hate having a car capable of getting me places during snow storms leave me stranded during a blizzard. 
My Jeep (130,000 miles and 1990) had so many problems and half of them I could live with (engine had piston slap, the tranny grinded, and just about every component in the suspension was shot (bearings, bushings to shocks). What kept me from driving the Jeep are mechanical things like fuel pumps, ignition, cooling system, starter or anything else that'll leave me stranded so just to clarify what I mean by "reliable"; I want the components that effect drivability to be reliable. I don't think german cars can be worse than american cars when it comes to reliability.
Also, I've been on the A4 forum which seems to get more traffic than this forum and got a feel of the problems with the A4. Are there more problems on the A4 than say a 90? That's the vibe I'm getting. So the I5 20V motor is sounding good, what kind of gas mileage do you guys get with quattros? I need a AWD car for around $5000, and don't like SUVs. That leaves me with Subaru and Audi, but Subarus arent nearly as safe as Audis. Anyone have a site that gets traffic and would be a good place to go if I'm intrested in the Audi 90 and 95-97 A6?
TIA


_Modified by apzak at 7:07 AM 10-11-2004_


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## nuugen (Jan 2, 2002)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (apzak)*

Wow that is definitely low mileage, but I would probably only go 5k on the car(check to see if the timing belt has been done though)...For 5800 you could grab the ur-s4 on ebay or audifans, and have a sweet car with the I-5 20v turbo motor








Now for the leaving you stranded part...I have personally never been stranded in my any Audi's, and I have owned many, >>>knocks on wood<<<...I have been stranded in a few of my vw's though, mostly due to a cv or tranny breakage...However, this is just wierd, I have had a couple of incidents where the car would be running fine when I park it at home, then I go out the next morning and no start







Which isn't too bad considering the number of cars I have owned.. Both times on 2 different cars it was the ignition coil....Maybe someone else here has been stranded in theirs and they could speak up here and let us know...Like I said, I believe the drivetrain/motors are built very well from that era. I have had to do regular maintenance on my cars, but you will have to do that on ANY used car that you decide on... Timing belt/water pump maintenance is essential to your 20v's longevity, if you break one it is an interference motor so repairs will be costly...Suspension bushings, upper strut bearings, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, radiators, etc, all fall into the category of routine maintenance...One problem area is the wiring plug for the cooling fan---The plugs tend to warp over the years, causing the terminal to lose contact with the connector inside, in turn preventing your fan from kicking on...This has happened with EVERY one of my 20v cars, as well as the corrado fan setup in my scirocco...I usually end up cutting the plug off and crimping on a set of heavy duty female terminals to solve that problem.
If you want some good info(just about the only info







) go to 
http://www.20v.org and check out the list of fixes for certain problems..Also check out these sites:
http://www.audifans.com
http://www.audiworld.com
http://www.humanspeakers.com
There are no guarantees of any kind, though, that your car won't leave you stranded, no matter what car you buy...All you can do is check out other people's past experiences and buy a car with a good maintenance/service record...I have seen an unbalanced share of problems with the Cherokees, so I feel where you are coming from on that issue...


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## cis8vgti (Jun 19, 2002)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (apzak)*


_Quote, originally posted by *apzak* »_
That's what I was thinking. I've read that newer Mercedez, BMWs, and Audi have been giving people a handful of electrical problems and other problems that are really unacceptable in cars in their price range.
_Modified by apzak at 3:51 AM 10-8-2004_

Correct. My E46 had numerous problems. No heat, won't not stay running, driver's door not opening, windows motors not working (3X's), door moldings failing (5x's), Sun roof stuck open (2x's). I know forgot some stuff. I have pages of maintenance records. The service manager at BMW said that my car's repair history "is not that bad".







I think he said that because it was under warranty and the repairs costed me nothing. Car was new when purchased, 3 miles. Five years later it has 56K. Oh yeah, I'm buying another BMW when ready. 
Now back to the cars I love. Unless you are playing chicken with a 18 wheeler, most of the older cars are going to be reasonabley safe. An older A3 jetta with duel front air bags should be good enough. I found A2s to be extremely reliable when properly maintaned. Not much power, but for a daily beater (I drive 500+ miles a week), an 8v A2 is just fine. I just make sure I have everything in/on the car that I like. I've seen/heared some pretty bad accidents on I-295 and I-76. These people had really nice cars and still died. When it's your time to go, it's your time. 
I do have one off topic question that I would like to ask since this topic seems to have some knowledgeable Audi fans commenting at this time. I'm looking at an Audi 90 this weekend. The auto tranny is shot. I was wondering if my A2 Golf tranny and pedal cluster will fit the 90? The 90 is a 4cyl. I know I need other parts to complete the swap. I'm just trying to determine how many parts are transferable. If this will not work, I guess I willl buy a 90/80 or 4000 tranny. 
Any information is appreciated. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Phatbastard (Apr 16, 2003)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (cis8vgti)*

I'm pretty sure the VW box won't fit mostly because of Audi being inline and VW being transverse. Don't know about the pedal cluster. If you check the http://www.audiworld.com forums under 80-90-cab search on user Miktip and his page shows all the details of an Audi 90 auto to 5 speed swap - a major pain as I read it.


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## StormChaser (Jan 3, 2000)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (Phatbastard)*

Agreed, won't fit. and a 5-speed swap is a MAJOR PITA and major $$ (have to cut parts of the floor pan and weld in parts from the donor) You're just better getting a junk yard tranie and then selling the car and buying a 5-speed car. The 3-spd auto (not avail for quattro) was basically a bad internal design causes the seal between the differential section and the automatic section to overheat, bake hard and then leak. The trans then begins to swap fluids in one direction or the other....90w gear oil gets into the automatic, or ATF gets into the diff. There was no real cure until the 1993 VW's came out with the redesigned trans.
There was/is an upgraded high temp silicone seal available for use in salvaging them. If the ATF looks golden, and/or smells like gear oil, you know what's going on. If you pull the diff side fill plug and 2 quarts of ATF run out...well, you get the picture.


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## cis8vgti (Jun 19, 2002)

*Re: Most reliable Audi my money could buy (duandcc)*

Thanks guys. I appreacite the information. I thought it would be an easy fix. It doesn't seem worth it, even if I purchased the car for a few hundred dollars and brought the swap from another 89/90 or 4K. And I'm got going to buy another auto tranny that is destined to fail again. I'm going to pass on thsis sale. Thanks again. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## apzak (Dec 30, 2003)

*What I'm lookin' for*

Well, if this helps you guys to recommend other cars let me know.
What attracts me to German cars is when I test drove a new VW Golf GLS TDI. There was a unique feeling I felt when I took turns that I never felt in any other car. Maybe a "rock solid" feel. I also can feel this when I shut the door on any German car including my 1969 Porsche 911T in rusty, poor condition (barely runs) I also been in passenger seat of a friends 2001 or 2002 BMW 325i automatic and that car truely impressed me. The motor had a unique pull that would give me a wierd sensation thats hard to explain. I test drove a 1986 BMW 325e and though it was slow, the I6 had that same unique feel, like its giving me a small rush. Its smooth yet exploding with power, very hard to explain. The 1986 bmw 325e didn't feel as rock solid like the new 2003 Golf GLS. Anyone know how I can check how a cars chassis ranked? I've never driven an Audi or a Mercedez so I don't know what unique "only german car" features they have to offer, but I'm attracted to Audi's safety, AWD, and rally heritage. I'm also a Porsche nut (can't afford a nice one yet) so it's nice to stay in the family. Someone also told me the Mazda 3's chassis is very solid with a german feel to it. How are the 96-01 Subaru Impreza's chassis? I remember those were rally cars too. I know it's best to test drive cars but I hate going to dealers and wasting everyones time. I'd like to narrow it down to a couple cars before I start test driving.


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