To compliment my 300E, i've been thing about
Audi cars. Boy, they look sharp, well built
and the specs. are pretty darn impressive.
I am not sure if it is standard to all dealerships,
but the dealership here in Vancouver, Canada even offers full service coverage for 5 years!! Full service includes regular oil change.

Mid 90's and up are good. I was in a very bad accident several years back and the Audi saved our lives. Only complaint on the newer ones would be that they depreciate quickly.

In the last couple of years, 97-present, Audi/VW have come a long way in build quality and materials. We own a 1999 Passat Wagon with the Audi 1.8 20v turbo engine. At highway speeds, this car accelerates quick. You forget you're driving a wagon, in my case. The doors have that solid "thud" sound that I found missing from the latest C class MB. As fara as the 5 year service. All Audis come with the service plan. Audi/VW have 2 different warranty plans for their cars, even though they are using the same engines. VWs currently have 2/24 bumper to bumper with free maintance for that 2/24 and power train for 10/100,000 miles. Audi has free maintance for 5 years I believe, but the powertrain warranty is only for 5 years, whereas the VWs get 10 years. Recently my dealer said VW was going to discontinue the 10/100 warranty and go with somewthing similar to what they are using for the Audis. The new Audis are far better than the 4000s and 5000s of the 80s.

We had a 91/H Audi 100 2.8E that was a lot of trouble.

Replaced it with a 96/N A6 2.6 that never missed a beat. 85k miles in 3 years, never needed anything other than routine maintenance (i.e. oil change every 12,000 miles). No rattles, no parts failures, no nothing. A very reliable and well built car. Definitely the most satisfying car we've yet had (current fleet includes 2 x MB, Porsche 996 and Range Rover).

NB: the car also had excellent climate control.

i am looking closely at the A6 model.
is there an A6 with 2.6 engine? thought it
comes only with 2.8 and 4.2 liter engines.

In the UK, the A6 came--at various stages--with the following engines and transmissions:

1.8 fwd
2.0 fwd
2.6 fwd
2.8 fwd
2.8 4wd
2.8 30v 4wd
4.2 4wd (badged S6 in the UK)

The V-6 engines are all very smooth and refined; definitely a match for the BMW in line 6. The 2.6 when mated to the 4 spd auto was perfectly fine.

The 4.2 is a good engine, too. A different car, I suspect, to the tame 2.6!

Audi produced the best diesel engines at this time. In particular the A6 2.5 V6 TDI diesel.

Joel;

Audi is a good bet. I have not only owned several 4000's from the mid 80's, I now own a 1993 Audi 90cs (v6)(as well as a MB 300E). Aud is reliabale and has many virtues.

It has excellent handling, although it is a bit over-powered. On the negative side: the engine has little torque, and thus seems underpowered --esp. for a 172hp w/5sp. The parts tend to be expensive -- perhaps more than MB. Some things are oddly designed. For instance to change the thermostat you must remove the timing belt. Cost: $275. In most cars its a 10 min job. Also the v6 tends to burn oil(even the new ones). Just look at the web board at "Audi World". Frankly, I'm not impressed with this engine (v6) in any of its incarnations. Still, its not bad. The engine is reliable, and the car is excellent in the snow. And let's face it, if you want a front wheel drive German sports car, Audi is not only an excellent choice, its your only choice. German reliablility, road-feel, and design.

-Steve7

In the UK, the A6 came--at various stages--with the following engines and transmissions:

1.8 fwd
2.0 fwd
2.6 fwd
2.8 fwd
2.8 4wd
2.8 30v 4wd
4.2 4wd (badged S6 in the UK)

The V-6 engines are all very smooth and refined; definitely a match for the BMW in line 6. The 2.6 when mated to the 4 spd auto was perfectly fine.

The 4.2 is a good engine, too. A different car, I suspect, to the tame 2.6!

Audi produced the best diesel engines at this time. In particular the A6 2.5 V6 TDI diesel.

Everyone says that Audis used to suck, but are good now.

My main problem is that people have been saying that for YEARS!

So I don't know what to believe.

I remember in the 80's, people were talking about how greatly improved Audis were. "Yeah, the ones in the '70s were terrible, but these new 80s are really good."
Then, in the 90s, people would say how bad the 80's Audis were, but wow, the new 90's were great!

Now, its the 90s that in retrospect were not good cars. But, the current ones, wow, they are great cars.

Audis seem to me to have historically used lower grade materials that don't hold up well over time. Thus, the cars don't seem to hold up well over time. Most 5 year old Audis that I see feel and drive like worn out cars. I'm not sure that the current Audis won't feel the same way 5 years from now.

Audi resale value also is horrible.

I'd never buy an Audi. I'd either just spend less and buy the VW equivalent (like a Jetta or a Passat) or spend more and buy similarly sized BMW or MB.

Just my opinion.

My daughter has owned Audi's for years - and I have fixed them for her. Fun cars to drive but nowhere near the quality of a MBZ. Lots of plastic that breaks and really crappy power windows, etc. If you buy a new one and get the free service for 5 years, sell after 4 years.

We have a VW Passat 2.8 V6 Tiptronic and I have to say that this is one heck of a car. Smooth and rapid and totally fuss free. It has now clocked 20000km and so far has been absolutely non-temperamental even during our hot summer months (40c degrees plus). Fit and finish excellent. Highly recommended. We chose the Passat over the Audi for space and value for money.

I believe the A6 also comes with the 2.7 liter bi-turbo engine, over 250 horses! I know it comes in the All-Road, but it has a very decided taste like the Volvo Cross-Country. I think the S6 has it too, but not sure about plain jane A6 models.
I have owned a couple of the 1980s Audi's and they are bullet proof cars, in terms of drivetrain, suspension, body (galvanized way before anyone else, now mostly aluiminum). They are very comfortable highway cars, very easy to drive, very quiet, way too fast in the snow! I would NEVER own an Audi without the quattro system or a turbo engine, they are the absolute best at this. You have to look at the people who own Audi's too, I worked at an Audi/VW dealer for a few years and the Audi's were decidely beaten by their owners, they were ignorant and drove very fast (I DO NOT mean any insult to any Audi owners out there, just my thoughts), therefore the cars went through a whole lot more then most people demanded of their car. The downside of the older Audi's was the power options, they were unique and under designed, prone to frequent failure (MB climate control-sound familar).
The new Audi's are at the top of their game, way ahead of anyone else for the all wheel drive, aerodynamics, price vs features. I would take the Audi over the VW, the dealer service must be much better.

I owned an '85 5000S. It was good until around 120K. Then it started falling apart. I finally got rid of it with 190K on it. The last 50K mile probably cost $10-$12K. Fortunately, I purchased a five year UNLIMITED MILEAGE warranty, so the insurance co. took the bite for most of the cost.

The weird thing is, I loved that car. The interior was so plush compared to a 300D of the same year. I think the Audi retailed for around $20K and a Mercedes around $32K. Although when you factor in all the $$$ spent on repairs, the Benz was still a better deal.

I have always liked the way Audi's looked and drove. The big draw back is resale value, they have had a history of poor resale. Audi still hasn't recovered from the hatchet job 60 Minutes did on them.

I'd own one again, except I've had such good luck with Mercedes.

what is most intriguing too with Audis is
their cars are more expensive that MB's.
you really have to think why!!

The answer to your question is sort of like the answer to "How long is a piece of string?" It depends on what you had in mind.

I like mine. I've spent $$$ to replace the a/c evaporator, which meant the entire front interior of the car was removed and reinstalled.

I've had the 120,000 service to replace the belt. I had the water pump replaced because it was accessible and easy to do.

I had rear suspension bushings replaced.

It's a lot of fun, and a great sporty sedan. Remember, it's a sedan!

BCingU, Jim