That's funny and true. I owned a 1986 Audi 5000S, the auto tranny went @ ~80k miles. About 2 weeks later, I got a recall letter from Audi on the tranny, which said if you had a tranny problem, to send your receipts for reimbursement. Sent mine in, and Audi only sent me half the money, stating some BS like "it represented the portion of the bill that was related to the recall." Total nonsense.

I did write and demand the additional half, to which they sent me a check for the other half, with no letter or anything, just a check.

 

I owned an Audi for 8 years. It never stranded me, but I had a list of about 70 things that went wrong, some several times. I have owned Honda products ever since and had very few issues.

Audi's do drive great and I have driven a Biturbo S4 recently. It is a totally different driving experience than the TL, but I do not want to keep $6,000 in reserve for new turbos when the time comes (and it will) to replace them.

 

I`d take a new M3 over a new S4 ANY day of the week

 

as I recall, the e46 M3 is about 2 tenths of a second quicker than the S4

 

And MUCH nicer looking. Especially with those wide rubber and flaired wheel wells. Much more aggressive looking car!

 

thats subjective and furthermore proves that you are on CRACK!

my guess is that your no older than 21, if you are please accept my sympathies.

 

I test drove the S4 before buying my TL. I have to say the car is a rocket which corners as if it is on rails. On the negative side, the interior is blah and the biggest deciding factor is the car is built for only 3. I am 6' 3" and you there is absolutely no room in the rear.

just my 2 cents

As for any A4 comments it is an inferior car in all aspects performance, economically, curb appeal, and interior is like I said BLAH!!!!

 

My friend has a A4 AWD and at 60k miles she's had the timing belt go (destroyed half the engine 6.5k to fix) and some multi-function switch that cost a ton to repair plus lots of other small stuff. No thanks...

 

You better buy it quick because the way exchange rates are going, German cars will cost a lot more next year. I read in Autoweek that some BMW's could go up 20%. The last time this happened Porche almost stop exporting to the US because their sales tanked.

 

I suggest you learn the ways of the internet before you start attempting to trash talk me. I was making a GENERAL statement but chose not to scroll through the entire thread and copy and past quotes. I chose the last post that contained that topic and posted my GENERAL comment.

 

I haven't driven the new S4, but the numbers are not much better than the old. 0-60 is about the same and the 1/4 mile is only slightly better. The bi-turbo version has NO lag. Full torque kicks in at 1850 RPMs and holds strong all the way past 4000 RPMs. VW/Audi turbocharged cars are known for not having any lag. I think you will see that about 99% of previous S4 owners will tell you that they do not like the V8 version. Turbocharged cars are much easier to mod. With a $600 chip, an older S4 will not only keep up with a new S4, but surpass it as well. Try getting a 60 HP and 100 ft/lb bump out of the V8 with only $600.

 

You're kidding right? To each his/her own, I suppose. When I was shopping the A4, my spouse told me to forget it, because she thought it exterior aesthetic was boring and tired. She's not a Volvo fan, but liked their styling (exterior) much better. Perhaps she's been anesthetized to them because A4s are a dime a dozen, as are 325s (at least in my neck of the woods).

The A4 does have a great interior, however, esp. the top-of-the-line leather.

 

Amen! :bowdown:

 

See for yourself...

http://www.audiusa.com/inc/wallpaper...50805_,00.html
http://www.acura.com/models/model_ga....asp?module=tl

 

...Were they lookin' at the car, too? :lol2:

 

My 99 TL gets way more looks that the crappy S4......please I had girls pull me over.....one even show me her naked ass out the window......give me a break :lol1:

 

Ya the TL is MUCH better looking car IMO.

 

I'd still take a V8 engine over it. Much smoother, better low end torque, generally less problems. Turbos are one of the first things to have problems in cars if you do have problems. I'd rather not have one.

 

Speaking from painful experience the first time that S4 leaves you stranded on the side of the road you will regret it. As the former owner of 2 Audii, THERE IS NO BIGGER POS ON THE ROAD!!!

 

Well considering I see broken down Audis, especially the A4, on the side of the highway at least once a month; I think my '04 TL was a better choice.

Oh and for future reference: I see at least 3 borken down Mercedes Benzs each month.

 

And I see more junked Honda's than anything. A car's reliability is more of a reflection on how the owner took care of it. My friend's TL had WAY more problems than my S4. It got to the point where the dealership told him they were not going to fix any of the warrantied stuff cause they said he didn't take care of it. I don't see any broken down Audi's around here. The people who have blown their turbos on S4 are the ones who get a chip, don't do exhaust and run around all day flooring the car. It needs to be able to breath better when you start boosting higher. IMO, you should not raise the boost level on any car without first addressing the exhaust issue first.

 

I am in big shock to see this post! I didnt even think that you can really compare and S4 with the TL. I think that they are in a totally different league. I currently own an 00 S4 eventhough I have not test drove the 04 S4 yet, I have test drove the 04 TL. I love the way the TL drives but when I start pushing it to its limit it just cant meet the S4 standards. I think that all vehicle has problems its a matter of the owner to take care of the condition of the cars. I think that the TL is the best bang for the buck right now but if you buy TL and decide to push it to certain limit then you will be disappointed. I feel that the TL is not built to compete with the S4/M3 standards. With that said, Both cars are great and you just have to get what fits your driving habits. I personally would buy a either one. If you can afford an S4 then you shouldnt have to worry about repair cost.

 

lol, I'll take Honda's reliablity record ANYDAY over Audi. Take a look at consumer reports and get an education. Not EVEN close my friend. Talk about being bias to the point of being blind. Audi's are not reliable, if you think they are you just haven't owned one long enough. You will learn. :lol2:

 

As the previous owner of both an Audi 5000 and an A6, niether of which were more than 5 years old or 75,000 miles, let me share my experience. 2 rebuilt engines, 2 transmissions, 3 clutches, fuel pump, oil pump, upper control arm, idler arm, a set of injectors, 3 window regulators, 2 clocks, 1 ECU, and I don't know how many brake rotors.

 

I'll let consumer reports back me up instead of arguing with you.

I happen to have the 2004 "Annual auto issue", mostly because the '04 TL is pictured on the cover, but I also read how it compares to others. Better pick up this mag and read it. You might learn a thing or two.

 

Either you're my mom, or you've got the same POS A6 she does..... :lol2:

BTW mom, I didn't know you and dad had an A5000 - I thought that POS was a Lincoln Continental.

 

A4 vs. TL? TL would smoke the A4 1.8t or 3.0!
:hitit:

 

Having driven a friend's 04 S4, I would say it's a kick in the pants to drive. Would I want to own one...maybe, but not for $50k. The TL is jus' right for me!

-X-

 

And to those that are telling me that I am wrong. I have owned both a 92 legend and a 2001 S4. The S4 never gave me a single problem. The Legend however, had tranny issues that kept coming back. I loved the car and wish I still had it, but in my expierience, the Audi was way more reliable. Sorry you guys seem to take that as a personal knock to your masculinity. My Audi had less problems with my Acura, PERIOD.

 

Doesn't surprise me really. I had a 98 VW VR6 that gave me absolutely zero problems, but I knew I was in the minority. Nearly everyone I know has had problems with their VW (and I know a lot of people with VWs). I think the fact that I bought a 98 (the last year of the Gen. III design) helped. But you have to admit Audi/VW OVERALL has lower reliabilty than Honda/Acura.

 

I can't admit that because I have known a lot of people with VW's ir Audi's and none of them had any problems. I have known quite a few that had Acura's or Honda's that did have problems. That again falls more into my theory of it is more how the owner treats the car than anything else. My friend is on his 4th tranny I believe on his TL. Beautiful car, but has had more problems with it than any person I have known that has had a VW or Audi. He does drive it hard though and I believe that contributes to the problems. My biggest issue is when people make a blanket statement such as all VW's suck and are unreliable. That is just plain stupid.

 

Well, according to the April 2004 issue of Consumer Reports, Honda/Acura appear at the more-reliable end of the spectrum, while VW/Audi appear at the other end. Please explain THAT.

 

WHY? Is it an attack on your manhood that I think that VW is every bit as reliable? In MY experience, VW's have not had as many problems, PERIOD.

 

No it's just a well known fact. It's called research backed by facts. Just because you've owned 3 cars and have some very limited personal experience doesn't come even close to compare to the massive amount of historical NON-BIASED data on cars that Consumer Reports has. I know I would defend the car to if I paid $50k for one too. But let's be realistic...

 

Sigh. Why are you as defensive? I'm glad you have/had a great experience with your Audi. My VW was great; zero problems. I'm just saying OVERALL, chances are an Audi/VW owner is more likely to have problems than a Honda/Acura owner. Obviously, there are Audi/VW owners who have had no problems, like you and me, and there are Honda/Acura owners who had loads problems. But the OVERALL numbers don't lie.

 

I didn't pay $50K, or even $40K. There was less than a $5000 difference between what I paid and what my friend paid for his TL. Second, explain to me why people feel the need to bash a car? Any car? Seriously, Acura's are nice. I like them a lot. My favorite car I have owned was my Legend. I still don't find the need to find any little thing to nitpick about a car. Why do people feel the need? I don't have a very limited experience. I have known MANY people that have owned both VW's and Hondas. I cannot think of one major problem ANY of the VW's had. I can think of some major problems that some of the Hondas had, including mine. It doesn't make me like them less. If I were to go by every single article written about every car, then I would own nothing but BMWs cause those always have, and always will get the best reviews in every category.

 

No bashing here. I love the S4s, both the V8 and the bi-turbo V6. One of my favorite cars in that price range, behind the E36/46 M3s. But when one company is listed as having above-average reliability and the other is listed as below-average, I think that has to be taken into consideration.

 

Perhaps you do. I don't personally. I am a firm believer in "if you take care of your car, your car will take care of you." Like I said, most of the people I have seen with Honda's that have trouble really beat on their cars. I was very nice to my S4, and in turn I was rewarded with thousands of trouble free miles of pure fun. I don't read articles in magazines like consumers report, because I don't believe they are accurate. Even if they are, it has never effected me in any way. I shop for what I personally like the most, and then I take care of that product. Now, with that said, who in CT has a 2004 TL that is 6 speed with a navi that is willing to give me a ride. I wanna check one out.

 

What about your friendly neighborhood Acura dealer?

 

Do disrespect to TL or Acura but after scrutinizing the Audi A4 3.0 and the Acura TL I have decided to purchase the Audi. Build quality, prestigeness, Audi's race history, recent victories in the American Le Mans Race, and brand image are simply the reasons why I am buying the Audi. Of all the reasons I mentioned above, I think only brand image is subjective others can easily be verified. Again, no disrespect to TL or Acura but I think those of who have bought the TL were motivated by the "bang of the buck" factor because after all you do get the most bells and whistles for the money. The same can be said to the a buyer who is debating between Audi and BMW since BMW does have a higher brand image over Audi as Audi has a higher brand image over Acura. There's no need to argue really as long as you are happy about your purchase who cares what others say. Arguing against the truth will only reveal insecurity.