Come Spring time I'm planning on buying myself a new(er) car... I've already started my research (I actually started a similar suggestion thread this time last year) and am now in the market again with some different criteria.

I've decided to leave FWD in the dust and I'm still not confident enough to have a RWD car for the entire year, so, it seems as if AWD will be in my future.

My criteria is:

Manual transmission is a must
4 Doors
Something that didn't require service every other week
Good on the highway (low cabin noise, decent MPG)
AWD
Under $20k

Currently I have a B6 2002-2005 Audi A4 on my mind. I love these cars but have never driven or sat in one. Another car I've loosely been considering is the Subaru Legacy.

I know that there are people here that own, have owned, or have experience with these cars and I'd like to hear what you have to say. Of course, any other suggestions are appreciated.

Cheers.

Exactly what I'd want mine to look like

 

g35x

 

^werd

 

G35x doesn't come in manual.....get a 04 S4; fun as hell

 

I think that picture is S4 but it could be a moded A4 too. You said you dont wanna be at the mechanic every second weekend and with an audi, thats highly possible. I like them but that old and under 20 000 in canada, they probably have lots of KM. If you are looking at a specific one, look for engine sludge for sure.
Legacy I know nothing about so I cant help you but like ppl said above g35x is good too. I dont know if they came manual in canada before 2005-2006 so they could be more than 20 000

 

on Audi being unreliable but it sure is a fun car to own/drive

I heard a lot of good stuff about the Legacy's but don't have any first hand experience.

 

Yeah G35x was a good idea, no manual unfortunately.

I'd LOVE an S4 but I wonder what the maintenance and upkeep is like on it...

 

Get yourself a 04 A6 2.7T 6 speed for around 14-15K and save 5K for maintenance/issues. You should be allright

 

Another candidate: Mazdaspeed 6. Turbo, AWD, 6 speed. You can pick one up with like 25K miles for 17-19, warranty 4 yrs/50K miles....

I just picked up a 6 grand touring and I love it....only had it a few days tho. You'd be surprised at the options list these can come with and how cheap you can get them.

 

Interesting... I saw your thread on the 6 you just bought, it's a nice car... Thanks for the suggestion

Regarding the A6, I actually prefer the styling of the A4 more; Regardless of how similar they actually look

 

http://www.trader.ca/Search/Details....3&ADS=7370943|

A little more than 20K but with some research, you can find them. They're AWD with 274HP...

A4's you can get for cheap now, you can go with the 2005.5+ sedan
Just a FYI 04+ are 6 speed, 02-03 are 5

 

Legacy GT Spec B 6MT

/thread

 

+1. Owned a B6 prior to my TL, and they're hard on the pocket to maintain.

Legacy > A4.

 

2006 -07 Mazdaspeed 6

 

+2

 

+3

But I don't think he can find one for 20K or under Canadian. Their 40K+ up here new.

 

A4 fo sho

 

Yeah, prices on Autotrader are very high for Spec B cars. They are great looking cars too...

Any comments on the 2.5 GT?

 

i love the legacy gt
beautiful car and hella fun to drive.

 

Are those even 20K?

 

There's quite a few actually. Most are close to 20k, but here's a nice example at 18k... http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/detai...1&adid=7398716

 

audi or subi. subi will have better perf and cheaper to maintain. audi looks better and def has better interior

 

That's a pretty good summary...

Looks like I have to do some test driving...

 

+1 on a Spec B, I've been on the look-out for used Spec B's around here and they are hard to come by.

 

I have a (look left).... Love it. Fun, sporty, and AWD FTMFW....

 

Even the standard '05+ Legacy GT has more balls than the A4s. Plus, if you plan on modding, STi longblock ftw!

I don't know if its available in Canada but you could also consider an Impreza 2.5RS or a WRX up there if available.

 

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/detai...3&adid=7227466


/THREAD bishes

go get your insurance quotes on all the other cars and compare to this one, the extra 3k will be made up in insurance savings in a year or 2

 

^That would be my pick as well. RL...if you feel it's too big or luxurious for you, get a Legacy GT.

 

I forgot it's not stick, but it's a damn good car at that price.

 

fail.

 

FWIW: I maintained my wife's 2000 VW Jetta (Audi) it's entire life, and after a while, parts of the car just seemed to disintegrate. All coolant hose connections / junctions / distribution blocks were made of plastic and only took so many heat cycles before crumbling to pieces! The waterpump impeller was made of plastic and fell apart leaving the car inoperable on the way to work. The engine oil dipstick tube crumbled (plastic) one day while checking the oil. The glovebox handle fell off. The power mirror switch fell apart. Hood release lever fell off. The cup holder broke and slid out of the dash all the time. Keep in mind, my wife is tiny @ 4' tall and all of 110 lbs, hardly an animal. Although the car handled extremely well and drove smoothly when not broken down, it became a real PITA after about 100k miles.

Moral: If you're only gonna keep it for a few years and then sell it off before things start to go awry, go for it, they can be fun, sporty cars to drive. Based on my experience, though, I won't buy or recommend a used VW/Audi.

 

i go for a4 or mazda6... those were both good for me btw...

 

Then that would be my pick. Good luck.

 

So wait, they don't have metal hose clamps and all that, and of all things they have a plastic dipstick tube? Say it ain't so, that seems silly on a modern car.

I knew VW's were a PITA to work on but wow!

 

If you can drop manny tranny as a requirement, the 2005 RL is selling in some corners for around $20k. It meets all your other criteria.

4 Doors--check
Something that didn't require service every other week--it's an Acura....check
Good on the highway (low cabin noise, decent MPG)--26-28 mpg on the highway, noise cancellation....check
AWD.....SH-AWD FTMFW and yes it is that good.....a few bennies of RWD without actually being RWD....double check
Under $20k

 

I clicked this thread and saw that you posted last. I knew you had to state something about that SH.

 

A customer of mine came to me offering his car on trade....

2002 A4 1.8T Quattro Manual with Premium and (I think) Sport Package, Had Xenon headlights too....81k(or was it 88k? ) miles, silver/black, nice car, original paint too....I felt that the clutch had little life left and would probably change it if I bought it to re-sell. It drove fine, didn't slip or anything but the point of engagement was VERY high compared to what it would normally be, telling me that the clutch should be changed soon (owner told me it's the original clutch). Other than that, the front bumper had a few scratches and the driver's side rear door had a small dent that would need to be fixed. Of course I would have everything fixed before I sold it. If I did sell it, it would definately be under $10k US....Interested? As of now I offered less for the trade in anticipation of having to fix everything, but the owner felt he can sell it on his own and make more money, but if you want to know some more about it, I can get some snapshots for you. It's a pretty clean, well maintained car. Let me know!

 

Love the look of the A4s, but I just wish they were more reliable. I have just heard too many horror stories of the Audis that I would be hesitant to purchase one especially if I was thinking about running the car for a long time. I would just pick up a Legacy GT and add some exterior mods to spice it up. I've seen some really nice ones around after its been lowered, aftermarket rims and exhaust.

 

The R32's are close to that range maybe a lil bit higher, but those cars are definitely worth it

edit. i forgot you are asking in Canadian $

 

What issues you have with your B6?

I really enjoyed my A4, it was the longest car i ever owned.

Granted i didnt have high mileage (45k) i did however have decent about of mods that put more stress on that motor. No major issues besides the typical coilpack failures. Which is cheap and easy to fix without tools.

Other common issues were fuel pump failures (never had it) and oil sludge. Oil sludge was mostly from those not doing regular oil changes with synthetic. So get service records if you can to make sure those were done regularly. Window regulators also were issues but i had only one fail.

Otherwise its a great car. Also do the timing belt and water pump change around 60k miles. They tend to fail around 80k+ miles.

Most of the stuff i listed was from being on the audi forums for 3 years and listening to other peoples issues.