How Reliable are Audi's?

marlot

Check them both out here:

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/reliability/search/346
http://www.reliabilityindex.com/reliability/search/16

(Not gospel, but it is at least evidence rather than opinion)

parking_question_chap

At that age the reliability mostly depends on the previous owners.

fishybusiness

I have an A6 estate TDi, 2003 130.

Engines are reliable as they come, 6 speed box has been rebuilt - bearings wear and become noisy, 5 speeders are fine.

EGR's can be troublesome, £100 for a new one, can clean them, never the same as new. Suppose most older cars could have similar issues.

Front suspension complicated, fairly easy to change if you are a DIY mechanic, £500 in parts to do the whole lot properly.

Door latches often don't catch properly, especially in cold weather and passenger side strangely. Latch replacement only real long term fix.

Timing belt every 40 or 60k depending on model - TDi's, plus pulley and water pump aint cheap.

Front brake wear heavy, fairly cheap to renew. Rear calipers seize.

Before I bought mine I thought about Avensis, from a pure cost and hassle viewpoint, wish I had done.

Gorie

Its always a tough call choosing a car, especially if you buy used and don't swap them every three years...

As others have said consider service histories, age, mileage, timing belt changes (as if this needs doing you can haggle / at least factor the cost in) and extras such as MOT certificates (to check mileage) and receipts of spending etc...

I have a used Audi (A4 Avant 2008) and I love it, I have also had an Avensis (2006). Toyota was very reliable and my Audi for the past two years I have owned it has been equally reliable.

I noticed the following differences:
Audi: Smoother more comfortable drive with more power, OK with diesel consumption if you drive economically. Reduced leg room in rear (probably this is better with A6), stupid rear seats don't fold completely flat, for servicing a little more expensive (but I use a local independent and it wasn't a massive difference in price - I'm sure if you went to Audi it would be more).

Toyota: More rear leg room and space when you fold the rear chairs down, good fuel economy, a little more engine noise and road noise.

I'm no mechanic or car expert but I enjoy the Audi more and I'd pick it again, it is likely more expensive to buy, as you have noted, mechanics may say its not quite as easy to work on and although I've heard Audi's described as reliable I'm sure Ive heard that Toyotas are bullet proof. Still for me I drive a lot and enjoy driving and don't mind that additional expenditure.

Good luck with your choice and let us know!

Marktheshark

Know someone who had a 2.5 Quatro TD and it was an absolute money pit nightmare.
It was not that quick, guzzled diesel and everytime he put the key in it was another large bill.
The air suspension was failing almost monthly and the immobiliser was a barrel of laughs that even Audi could not fix.
It went to auction and he took a£ 5k hit, but he regarded it as worth it to be rid of it.
Look at taxi ranks, they dont do repairs as its no wage and you see a fair few toyota estates, you dont see an audis.

kripel

Thanks Gorie , thats what I wanted to hear, from someone who has owned them.
Think will just go with the toyota as I need it for work-stuff mostly anyway, don't want to be afraid to start abusing the audi

kripel

well just went for a testdrive today in avensis and A6, and let me tell you.. That damn a6 just blew that avensis away in terms of overall feel even thought its 9years old car looked better inside/outside than most of the 2013-15 cars I have been in.

Gorie

Thats the problem and exactly what I thought. The Audi is just a really comfy nice car to drive and thats more difficult to put on paper and factor in to logical decision making

mgfvvc

patman99 wrote: »

A well-services car will be reliable regardless of make/model.

Sometimes a car is just a dud and no amount of servicing will make it reliable. My wife had a Volvo 480, bought as an "Approved Used Volvo" with a good service history and it was serviced by Volvo main dealers at the correct service intervals while she had it.

In spite of that she had to call breakdown services out at least twice a year and it went through too many parts to list here, including gearbox, water pump and speedo.

Against that, a similarly maintained Octavia lasted 8 years with only 2 recovery callouts, both times for batteries. It went through fewer parts in 8 years than the Volvo did in 3 years.

There are good cars and bad cars. Today's bad cars are rarely as bad that Volvo, but I still wouldn't buy any Renault or another Volvo.

alleycat`

Friend owns an avensis of the same age (well a 56 plate).

It's been all over europe so is pretty high mileage now.
The servicing is followed religiously but everything else (including a wash) is 100% optional in their eyes.

The only two "issues" i've known it to have is the brake pipes needed replacing as they'd started to rot badly and the aircon packed in.

Apart from that it's been pretty much a solid reliable vehicle.