Help me find an AWD car.
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Anything Subaru. The interiors are plain, boring, and pretty much suck, but you know it's because they spent all of the money and design on the rest of the car. IMO, they're pretty solid as long as they were maintained properly.
The Legacy is nice...but any non-turbo model just lagged in acceleration and excitement IMO and wasn't all that fun to drive.
There are lots of other cool AWD options, but if you're considering a fairly used car, I just wouldn't count on reliability as much as I would with a Subaru.
The Legacy is nice...but any non-turbo model just lagged in acceleration and excitement IMO and wasn't all that fun to drive.
There are lots of other cool AWD options, but if you're considering a fairly used car, I just wouldn't count on reliability as much as I would with a Subaru.
The Box
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,680
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From: Milwaukee
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
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 checkUnder $20k
has Gloryhole Girls in
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,473
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From: Ballston Lake, NY
I will sell you my sti for under 20k...
It is an 04 with 57k on it and is driven only about 6-7 months a year. No mods except an K&N intake, wrx wing, and whiteline swaybars.
$19,900 OBO
It is an 04 with 57k on it and is driven only about 6-7 months a year. No mods except an K&N intake, wrx wing, and whiteline swaybars.
$19,900 OBO
Thread Starter
That was uncalled for...
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,288
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From: Toronto, Ontario
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!
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!Personally, I actually prefer the Legacy over the WRX, sorry Phil
. The Legacy is more mature looking, and it's bigger. Thanks a LOT for the info everybody
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,989
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From: Short Pump, VA
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
/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's a heck of a name for a dealership.
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,989
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From: Short Pump, VA
Thread Starter
That was uncalled for...
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,288
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From: Toronto, Ontario
I've been there before. The showroom is very large but they have about 300 cars 1/2 a foot from each other packed in there. If you wanted to take out a car for a test drive they needed atleast 2 hours to get it out.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,588
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From: District of Corruption
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.
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.
That doesn't really say much about you Jesal
My vote goes to the Legacy 2.5GT.
Thread Starter
That was uncalled for...
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,288
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From: Toronto, Ontario
I hate shopping for cars... I really do... It's so hard to settle on one, especially this far in advance... I can't tell you how sold I was on an A4, now, I can't wait to take the seat of a Legacy GT... I wonder how many times my mind will change before the Spring...
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I think I found car shopping more stressful than house hunting. Car shopping is just so hard when there are so many good and different options that fit what you want. When all different models work for you, it's hard to decide. For me, houses were much simpler to figure out: location/floor plan/price/size either worked or didn't.
I need an auto for DD....cant take it anymore
Someday, an RS6 Avant+
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,807
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From: Japan
Nice looking WRX Phil, and it is well priced.
Back on topic, If you're looking into next year, then whenever Subaru started offering the 3.0 Legacy would be a good year to start. The HP numbers are about the same, but available a lot lower in the power band and no turbo lag / heat soak from the TMIC. And you don't have to have a GT to look good.
I think a NA Legacy looks just fine.......
Back on topic, If you're looking into next year, then whenever Subaru started offering the 3.0 Legacy would be a good year to start. The HP numbers are about the same, but available a lot lower in the power band and no turbo lag / heat soak from the TMIC. And you don't have to have a GT to look good.
I think a NA Legacy looks just fine.......
Someday, an RS6 Avant+
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,807
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From: Japan
I was in auction for either a GT (2.0 WRX motor here) or a 3.0 spec B. I wanted a 6MT, but a GT w/6MT would have ran me about $22K, and I was not going to go there (plus all the other expenses). This 3.0R ran me, with all tax and fees about $18K. 2 years old and 18K Km on the odometer.
Thread Starter
That was uncalled for...
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,288
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From: Toronto, Ontario
Without ever having sat in a Legacy I don't know what the interior space is like. How do you think I'd fit in it? I'm 6'2".
I know I have to sit in one and drive it to be sure, but just give me an idea...
If I can't get comfortable in a car I can't drive it, and so far the only car I couldn't get decently comfortable in was a Mazda Protege 5.
I know I have to sit in one and drive it to be sure, but just give me an idea...
If I can't get comfortable in a car I can't drive it, and so far the only car I couldn't get decently comfortable in was a Mazda Protege 5.
Someday, an RS6 Avant+
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,807
Likes: 1,291
From: Japan
I'm 5'9", and I fit very well. The power seat lowers, so I have a fair amount of head clearance. And if I move the seat back, my feet come off of the pedals quite a ways. Does this help?
Here are some interior shots....Just don't expect the steering wheel in the same location
The steering is nice and tight, not much play on center. If you can find a spec B, that's the way to go (18" wheels, Bilstein suspension, Torsen LSD in the rear, and about an inch lower than a GT).
Here are some interior shots....Just don't expect the steering wheel in the same location
The steering is nice and tight, not much play on center. If you can find a spec B, that's the way to go (18" wheels, Bilstein suspension, Torsen LSD in the rear, and about an inch lower than a GT).
Someday, an RS6 Avant+
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,807
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From: Japan
Well, I own a 3.0, not a GT. But the mileage sucks if you are on the gas a lot. If you have SI-Drive, and leave it in the intelligent setting, you can squeeze better mileage out. Really, with a GT or 3.0, mileage is solely dependent on your driving style. I drive almost to the point that I stole it, therefore mine sucks.
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.
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.
), my wiper didn't work all of a sudden!!! so I had to get the wiper "fuse" replaced. During that time, my fuel filter was replaced 3x, got a new water pump, replaced my taillight bulbs 2x...my front bumper headlight washer nozzles were frozen, and I had to go get my window roll up/down "fuses" replace MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE times...and there's a number of other things that I haven't listed which I had to get repaired. The list goes on, but the thing is, I had to replace things numerous times that shouldn't have had to be replaced. I have over $10K in mods alone on my TL, but I spent almost that much in just "maintenance" on my B6. The only mods I ever did to my B6 were a K&N drop-in, and 19x8.5 Oettinger RZ's. It was almost totally stock.
But, even after all of this, I still do miss my Audi. Even though my TL Type-S is much more powerful, handles better, and has navi, my Audi (due to the Quattro most likely), felt like it took turns much better, and I still miss it. When I traded her in to get my TL, I told my wife to promise me she would discourage me, prevent me, from ever buying a German car again, ever, be it a Bimmer, Mercedes, or Audi. They're all unreliable.
However, like I stated, I still miss my Audi sometimes, and would love to drive a "M" anything from BMW, or an "AMG" from Mercedes, or an "R" or "RS" anything from Audi.
Senior Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Chicago Burbs
Yea I guess im just more forgiving to minor issues that happen. As long as its cheap and i can do the work myself then im ok with it. So replacing bulbs and ignition coils wouldnt bother me much. Totally can see why some would be annoyed with it though.
Water pump should have been changed at 60k miles anyways. So thats just routine maintenance. Same with the fuel filter but not 3 times. My guess that fuel pump had issues and the dealer just kept replacing the filter. There was a recall on the pump, dealer should have just replaced it. Dealers suck.
I wouldnt swear off all German cars just from one bad experience though. I had issues on my 02 TL-S but wouldnt swear off all Japanese cars.
With that said i wouldnt recommend Audi to my family members unless they willing to research known issues. Its a delicate flower.
Im sure your TL will be trouble free for a long long time. They did a good job on the 3rd gen.
Water pump should have been changed at 60k miles anyways. So thats just routine maintenance. Same with the fuel filter but not 3 times. My guess that fuel pump had issues and the dealer just kept replacing the filter. There was a recall on the pump, dealer should have just replaced it. Dealers suck.
I wouldnt swear off all German cars just from one bad experience though. I had issues on my 02 TL-S but wouldnt swear off all Japanese cars.
With that said i wouldnt recommend Audi to my family members unless they willing to research known issues. Its a delicate flower.
Im sure your TL will be trouble free for a long long time. They did a good job on the 3rd gen.
Take a look at the Volvo S60 R's, they look awesome with the OEM kit. I feel like these cars are a notch above the STI in the luxury department, but a step below the B6 S4. Performance isn't all that bad either.
I Shoot with a Camera
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 23,082
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From: Vancouver BC
Senior Moderator
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 9,296
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From: Toronto
I have always wanted to drive one because the stick looks like it wouldn't feel nice to shift with at all (at least the model years I sat in at the autoshow etc). I am guessing I would hate it, but will probably never know.
Your avatar always cracks me btw.
Last edited by West6MT; Nov 29, 2008 at 11:35 PM.
Someday, an RS6 Avant+
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,807
Likes: 1,291
From: Japan
When I lived in Europe, I had a Volvo 1999 V70, and those interiors were a bit dated. Once they changed in 2003 (I think) it made it look nicer. But look above at the pic of my interior. I think the Subie is functional, and while it does not look like a CTS-V, it does not look like any of the BS coming from Pontiac (worst interiors IMO).
The S60 is a nice car, but I would take a look also at a V70R. It does look like a grocery getter, but 300 HP is nothing to sneeze at. I almost bought one, but I got my moving papers to come over to Japan, so that was out of the question. I am a Volvo fan, and my car was fairly reliable.
10th Gear
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Waretown, NJ
The hose clamps are metal, but the pieces the hoses clamp to are plastic (at least that was the case on my wife's 2000 Jetta). The dipstick tube was also plastic. It was like everything attached to the engine was beginning to crumble around the engine block and head. No more VW / Audi for me, unless there are some serious quality of materials changes.
P.S. I re-read my above post and it should read that my wife is 5' tall, not 4' tall - I'm not into the whole midget thing.
