Renegade

I need a new car, I'm starting to think about the 06 audi a4 2.0 s-line. Does anyone have any experiences with this car here? I think overall its a very good value. I would be looking for one with the tech package as xenon lights are a must have. I will also chip it with the APR chip, anyone know the stats on what it runs chipped? Thanks.

iTimmy

http://www.goapr.com/products/ecu_up...tfsi_long.html

I wouldn't touch any modern european car outside of the factory warranty, if you can get a good deal on a CPO with a super high, super inclusive warranty I don't see a problem with it, just make sure you get it in writing don't take the salesman's word on it. I drove a friends fathers 07 A4 cabrio, 2.0 S-line and while a nice car, factoring in the original purchase price makes it almost funny how over priced it is, used they are a much better value, however, it must make one scratch their head and ask why a car would have a low residual value.

Renegade

Any specific reasons you wouldnt touch a european car outside of the factory warranty? I dont think the residual value is that low, from what Ive heard everyone who has owned one really enjoyed it.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

too expensive to repair things

TheMirror

http://www.alltuner.com/a4_engine.shtml

Here's a somewhat lengthy review of the standard A4 2.0T, FWIW.

-Mirror

JD23

Generally, Audis have poor residual values because they have a reputation for producing cars that are not particularly reliable and are expensive to maintain.

alexSU

iTrader: (3)

If you can get warranty up to 100K then you should be alright. I think its a nice car, awesome interior and great engine. Looks pretty neat on the outside too. My cousin has an older Audi A6 and the only thing that's gone wrong is the electrical stuff, audio controls, etc.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

There are several Audi topics already in this forum that you may want to investigate.

That said, we had a B7 A4 2.0T and absolutely loved it. It was rock solid, had pretty much zero problems, and the only time we had to bring it to the dealer was for scheduled maintenance (which was free and we got an Audi loaner each time, no questions asked). Not only was this car more reliable then my TLS was, but Audi service blew Acura service out of the water. We loved the whole experience so much that we traded it in for an A6 (which, incidentally has also been bulletproof thus far). FWIW, our car was not an S-Line, but it was fully loaded minus Navi... so it had HIDs which turned with the wheel, sports kit, and so on, and so on.

Audi gets a bad wrap for their reliability, however, they have made tremendous strides the last 5-7 years and IMO are currently on par with some of their Japanese counterparts. That said, the A8 still needs a little improvement and, as was mentioned, you may want to look into an extended warranty as they can be expensive to repair.

So go for it... it's a great, fun little entry level luxury car and I think you'd enjoy it!!

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

junior, you've heard me say it before, but again, I agree with all of your points.

To the OP, here's my thread on the purchase of our '08 A4 Avant, 2.0T, 6spd : https://acurazine.com/forums/car-talk-5/our-08-audi-a4-avant-339742/

I'll chime in later tonight, but if there's one thing I can say right now, remember that people that cry fowl are the ones that are heard the most. That being said, Audi got a very bad rap when it came to the B6 because of many reliability issues with coilpacks blowing, but it was an easy fix. That said, the B7 is far, FAR more reliable and the B8 so far looks to be even more reliable, I haven't heard of any major issues with it. And I agree with what junior said, it is just as reliable as some of the Japanese counterparts. The problem is that they are more expensive to maintain, but that doesn't mean they are difficult to maintain.

I'll chime in with more tonight.

Moog-Type-S

The whole reliability thing with German cars is overblown.

Audi is vastly improved.

Never had any major issues with the German cars I have owned.

Get the A4.

Renegade

Looking right now to buy the S Line, but those are much more rare, I really want the xenon's and those only come with the tech package, so a s line and tech package in one is very hard to find.

I'm also concerned about warranty, the car is too slow stock, I'd need to chip it with APR, I just dont know if that voids any warranty or not, and I'm concerned about the turbo blowing out. Extended warranty's are like $3500 too if your past the 50k mile mark.

iTimmy

The problems are overblown until you start experiencing them yourself, then you will sing a very different tune. Any brand can turn around, or regress for that matter, however, with how I was treated and the constant stream of problems I had with multiple VAG cars not too long ago it leaves a VERY sour taste in my mouth. Conversely my experience with Honda and Nissan products has been outstanding, when minor things came up they were fixed promptly and I was not blamed for the problems(which I new to be very wide spread from to the information on forums) as I was with VAG. It was not a lone dealership either, it was all of them in this area. Everyone is allowed to share their experience, and hopefully the OP can analyze the information and make what he feels is the best decision.

I am familiar with JB's experience with Audi being better then Acura and I am happy his experiences have been good. Then again, he is comparing Acura of yesterday to VAG of today, much the way I am comparing VAG of yesterday to Acura of today. Sadly, even in this day and age purchasing a car is a crap shoot, some people have outstanding luck and others are left frustrated and with sour tastes in their mouths - regardless of brand.

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

the chip does void your warranty, if the dealer finds out. That's why you put it in stock mode and lock it down when you go in. However, there are dealerships that are mod friendly, some that even chip your car for you and you keep your warranty.

You're much more likely to blow your diverter valve first. people have started replacing their diverter valves with the new one that is on the B8 (don't know if it's helped) and there are aftermarket solutions for that as well. As for blowing your turbo, well a nice A.W.E. intercooler to keep it from getting heat soaked can help reduce the chances of that happening.

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

if there is one problem you should be concerned about is the cam lobe. That is one thing that all dealerships are checking out when you take it in for service. Other than that, there are no major problems with the B7 A4.

Are you getting a 6spd or Auto? FYI, the Auto's aren't handling the power of modifying as well as the 6spds are.


You really should dig around audiworld.com, audizine.com and see what other's have to say. some are modifying their cars to hell, other just there because they like the community.

vwong

I had an 06 A4 2.0T quattro 6MT for a little over 3 years. During my ownership of the car, I had the PCV and driver side window switch assembly replaced under warranty. That was all. My TSX had more problems than the Audi. So I really think that Audi has improved their cars and became more reliable than the past. My car was also flashed with APR 91 program. It was a nice upgrade, giving a little more torque in the commonly used rpm range. But like Sly said, most dealers will void the warranty if they find out that your car has been flashed.

Moog-Type-S

My Acura CL-S was one of the most poorly built/poor quality/unreliable vehicles I have ever owned. A lot of people had the same issues I had with their Acura vehicles......I was not a "lone lemon client".......that being said, I would not say to anyone that Acura is unreliable. Did Acura make some ....sure....but on the whole they are a decent vehicle mfg.

Same goes for my view of VAG, BMW. It varies about mfg. product.
To "label" one maker on the whole to be poor is overblowing the issue, when clearly there are some great vehicles that are made by the same mfg.

Renegade

So after searching, since I need the car asap and I need to find it somewhere fairly local, it appears finding an s line with tech package is very rare. (need tech package for xenon's). I'd rather load up on more conveniences than I guess the little sportier look the s line gives, since its all cosmetic.

After reading this, I'm assuming the 2 yr certified preowned is the only way to go, as if my car has a problem itll be very expensive most likely to get fixed without certified preowned. (heard extended warranties are a farce)

Really want to chip the car, but I don't want the certified pre owned warranty to be voided. If I can take the APR put it in stock mode, lock it, and the dealer wouldnt know, and this works that is very interesting.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Ironically I was at Audi today, while there I went into the service department to see our rep (who is an awesome guy) and was asking how business was, etc.

Turns out that my wife and I are in the majority. Where most dealers make most of their money on the service side of things, their business is down to the point where they had to downsize service. Why is business so down? B/C people do not need to bring their car in for service. They even showed me a spreadsheet with the percentages YTD, and they have been on the downtick for a while now. Funny enough Acura service was up YTD. So it's not just us... Audi's overall have improved significantly.

So believe what you may, but experience like mine with Audi are more and more becoming the norm rather then the exception. People (as well as magazines and other publications) can play with statistics to make Audi (or whomever) look like it's not as reliable as other brands, but of course when you sell less cars any problem becomes more magnified. If one brand sells 2 million cars and there is a problem with 100k of them... no biggie. But, if a brand sell 250k cars and there is a problem with 15k, all of a sudden it's a huge deal. Now, shoot over to Europe where Audi outsells BMW and Mercedes COMBINED and you'll begin to see that Audi knows what they are doing and that the problems of the past are just that... in the past. For some reason it's taking American's longer to understand that... but to those that have grasped it, they are enjoying a quality car with quality service to boot...

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

damn straight.

And to the bolded comment.

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

Dude... reallly:

I hate you. And you had to get it in Ibis White too. There goes my only chance at having a car to show off on AcuraZine.



Congrats! I can't wait to see her.

Steelers Wheels

Gotta agree with Jr- I have had a few minor issues with my allroad, but nothing concerning and absolutely love the car- APR chipped 2.7 FTW

The beauty was that because of the lingering misconceptions around quality, I stole it from the previous owner

Anyway, I'd by another in a heartbeat- as a matter of fact trying to talk wifey into a Q5

taitando

No, you don't need the tech package for the Xenons. It comes with the Premium package, which is optioned with the majority of S-line equipped cars. I have an '06 A4 2.0T S-line w/ Titanium package, no tech package, and it has Xenons.

As for your situation, I also wouldn't buy a used one unless it was CPO'd. But I'd do that regardless if it was an Audi, BMW, Acura, or Lexus. Also, if you're looking for used A4's, be sure to note which ones are FWD versus Quattro. Lastly, just chip it. You don't have to worry about the dealer knowing unless they're going to update and reprogram the ECU. If you're picking up a CPO '06, it should already have all the updates done, if not, just make sure they do so before you get the car.

Renegade

Well someone the next day was ready to come down, so my dad drove up an hour from his place and bought it tonight! I know most of you are saying don't get one unless its certified pre-owned and get low mileage etc...but I really liked the car and the deal was good.

It's an 06 s line auto with every feature/package including nav, except for sirius/xm radio. It's black on black, the paint is in good condition, only 1 ding and very small 3 inch hairline scratch. Also nice 18's that I guess come with the S line. He will also be including for free the timing belt package service which is like $1k if you went to the dealer. It has 68k miles, a bit high, and no warranty, but the car drove smooth as butter my dad said and he took it on the turnpike to test it at high speeds. The car is a 3 year stop gap until I get a new car. Extended warranty's were like $5k on the car no joke, so I'll just test my luck. At the price I paid I truly think it was worth it.

Renegade

I realized I went against all your guys advice, hope it doesnt bite me in the ass.

If anyone here has one of these or had one, and knows some stuff regarding turbo engine, diverter valve, etc...please let me know, I had a few quick questions and I dont mean to be rude but the audi guys are very slow to respond or dont at all

SodaLuvr

Congrats on the new car!

Renegade

Wow, I looked briefly into the cam lobe before buying the car, but I didnt realize its such a widespread problem where most seem to fail. The car has 68k miles on it and no cam lobe problems or fixes..is there a high likelihood it'll break at this point? I heard its a $1k+ fix, not good!

Do you happen to know where in the car it is where I can find it, I was told there is an older 1 piece revision and a newer 2 piece revision that is much better.

SodaLuvr

These engines are also incredibly hard on oil. They have a lot of fuel dilution problems and cause oil to deteriorate very quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a contributing factor to the cam problems.

It is important to keep the oil changed regularly with a VW 502.00 approved engine oil, preferably every 5,000 miles if you are chipped.

Also, since yours is an auto, you are probably already aware that the DSG requires a service every 40,000 miles. If yours hasn't been done, get on that ASAP.

Renegade

What is the DSG? I'm not sure if it's been done or not, if its included in the audi maintenance intervals it should have been done.

SodaLuvr

oops, I misread the thread title-- I thought you had an A3.

A4s don't have the DSG...just a normal automatic. I would still change the fluid on it though, even if it is not required.

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

If it's under warranty shouldn't be a problem. if you get it under CPO, shouldn't be a problem to get fixed. But there are a lot of people that are having the problem, but what I've noticed, it's people that have modified their cars and/or drive their cars hard, this doesn't mean it won't happen to others though. Where did you do your searches? Also as far as how to repair, unfortunately I don't know how to. There are a lot of threads and discussion about it on audizine.com and I'm sure there is discussion about it on audiworld.com.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=295208
http://www.audizine.com/forum/search...archid=1562828

As for diverter valves, some are using the new diverter valve off the B8 platform, some are using aftermarket solutions. I don't know how well the new diverter valve is working for people, but supposedly it's a stronger part than the one that comes on the B7. One of the aftermarket companies, I think APR, came out and did a test of it and said it's stronger than the B7 diverter valve. As for aftermarket and oem solutions for the diverter valve...

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...diverter+valve
http://www.awe-tuning.com/pages/shar...train&IL=awedv
http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B7_A4-..._Valve/ES9603/

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

Just saw your post, congrats on the purchase!

First things first, take it to an Audi dealer to get a checkup to ensure that the cam lobe is fine. Some dealerships even do what's called a used car checkup. When I bought my used integra last year, they did a 100 point inspection for like $60 and found a couple things that are always recommended you do when you buy a used car like get the brakes bled and fluid changed, transmission fluid changed, oil change (unless you are certain you know when the last one was done) and any other minor preventative care items you would like to do.

Preventative care > unexpected repairs.

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

Oh and if you don't want to take it to an Audi dealer, just find a shop you trust. It's a force of habit that I say take it to the dealer but you don't have to. But if you're gonna get the cam lobe checked, I would take it to the dealer.

Renegade

Thanks, I'm going to need a new diverter valve since I will be chipping it, I wonder how much install will be.

Also unfortunately its not under warranty and is not certified pre owned, didnt realize how extensive the problem was. I will be driving the car fairly hard, that would really suck if I had to replace it.

This looks promising though:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4484254

But at the price I paid, I guess I can take some hits as compared to buying a cpo where the dealers were ripping me off like crazy

Renegade

Thanks, the guy I bought it from actually is an Audi Tech at the dealership where my parents live. The 100 point check up is a good idea, I will take it to Audi to take a look at the cam lobe, hopefully they dont charge much for that. The last complete service was done at 65k, there is 68k on the car now, so shouldnt have to worry about changing fluids etc..

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

Many guys just wait till the oem diverter valve blows and then swap them out, but like you, i'd feel more comfortable simply swapping it out before that happens. You may want to look into the OEM solution that comes off the B8. From what I've seen on the boards, it's not hard to swap out the part so you could probably save some money and do it yourself.

Join up with audizine.com or audiworld.com. Many of the members on both sites are very helpful. Many have local meets as well. If you join up on audizine, my username is the same as it is on this site.

Good luck dude!

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

In case you didn't hear....

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=292911

Sale on the APR tune, full tune for the price of the base tune.

I had mine done last Saturday....

https://acurazine.com/forums/showpos...&postcount=282

Renegade

Yeah I saw, thats why I'm jumping on it quick! Was the install free? you just buy the APR chip online, then go to a local dealer and they do it?

alexSU

iTrader: (3)

Congrats on the purchase! Post up some pictures, the S-line looks hot!!

Renegade

Thanks, right now my dad is picking it up, cant post pictures until I get the car. Spoke to the audi tech who sold it to me, he said in the service records they brought the car in for the cam lobe TSB so I should be all set

Moog-Type-S

congrats!