Hi,

I'm thinking very seriously of purchasing either a 2002 A4 3.0 Quattro, or
the BMW 325 XI from roughly the same year.

I've read all the stuff about performance, safety, etc, etc. So I don't
need a lot of input in that department.

However, I am having a hard time finding good data on the reliability /
expense of repairs / maintenance of these cars. All the reviews I've seen
are from the year they came out. Now that 3-4 years have elapsed since the
release of the cars from that year I'd like to know which of these cars has
proven itself to be more reliable, have fewer problems and is less
expensive to fix.

A good friend who works in a used luxury car dealership, and is presumably
neutral on the issue, advised me very seriously to go with the BMW as the
Audi according to him "has a lot of problems and is more expensive to fix".

I'm aware that both are fairly high performance cars and as such will be
more prone to problems than the 1994 toyota pickup (135,000 miles and NEVER
been in the shop for anything besides maintenance) it will replace. But I
would think at this time one would have shown itself to be more reliable
than the other.

Does anyone have any input either way? Or better yet, some kind of long
term comprehensive data on the web I can look at?

 

karl@csu.edu.co (Karl) wrote in <96CE785C4karlcsueduco@216.196.97.136>:

>Hi,
>
>I'm thinking very seriously of purchasing either a 2002 A4 3.0 Quattro,
>or the BMW 325 XI from roughly the same year.

(snip)

Oh I should probably add, my interest extends only to a manual tranny. I
have no need for CVT, tiptronics, Striptronics or any of that kind of
thang.

 

For what it's worth, my wife had a '02 A4 3.0Q and it was the worst car
we've ever owned. I can't even remember all the things that failed. Some
major (engine issues) and lots minor (leaking hose clamps and bad
electrical connectors). It's the last Audi we'll ever buy.



Karl wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm thinking very seriously of purchasing either a 2002 A4 3.0 Quattro, or
> the BMW 325 XI from roughly the same year.
>
> I've read all the stuff about performance, safety, etc, etc. So I don't
> need a lot of input in that department.
>
> However, I am having a hard time finding good data on the reliability /
> expense of repairs / maintenance of these cars. All the reviews I've seen
> are from the year they came out. Now that 3-4 years have elapsed since the
> release of the cars from that year I'd like to know which of these cars has
> proven itself to be more reliable, have fewer problems and is less
> expensive to fix.
>
> A good friend who works in a used luxury car dealership, and is presumably
> neutral on the issue, advised me very seriously to go with the BMW as the
> Audi according to him "has a lot of problems and is more expensive to fix".
>
> I'm aware that both are fairly high performance cars and as such will be
> more prone to problems than the 1994 toyota pickup (135,000 miles and NEVER
> been in the shop for anything besides maintenance) it will replace. But I
> would think at this time one would have shown itself to be more reliable
> than the other.
>
> Does anyone have any input either way? Or better yet, some kind of long
> term comprehensive data on the web I can look at?

 

In an earlier thread about an '86 T44 I was suggesting that the problem was the
fuel tank lining peeling off and clogging the fuel pump intake screen
intermittently. I would think that this may be your problem too.

Fix:
-cut intake screen off pump and replace fuel filter more often.

You might also have a weak fuel pump relay.

JimV wrote:
> For what it's worth, my wife had a '02 A4 3.0Q and it was the worst car
> we've ever owned. I can't even remember all the things that failed. Some
> major (engine issues) and lots minor (leaking hose clamps and bad
> electrical connectors). It's the last Audi we'll ever buy.
>
>
>
> Karl wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I'm thinking very seriously of purchasing either a 2002 A4 3.0
>> Quattro, or the BMW 325 XI from roughly the same year.
>>
>> I've read all the stuff about performance, safety, etc, etc. So I
>> don't need a lot of input in that department.
>>
>> However, I am having a hard time finding good data on the reliability
>> / expense of repairs / maintenance of these cars. All the reviews
>> I've seen are from the year they came out. Now that 3-4 years have
>> elapsed since the release of the cars from that year I'd like to know
>> which of these cars has proven itself to be more reliable, have fewer
>> problems and is less expensive to fix.
>>
>> A good friend who works in a used luxury car dealership, and is
>> presumably neutral on the issue, advised me very seriously to go with
>> the BMW as the Audi according to him "has a lot of problems and is
>> more expensive to fix".
>> I'm aware that both are fairly high performance cars and as such will
>> be more prone to problems than the 1994 toyota pickup (135,000 miles
>> and NEVER been in the shop for anything besides maintenance) it will
>> replace. But I would think at this time one would have shown itself
>> to be more reliable than the other.
>> Does anyone have any input either way? Or better yet, some kind of
>> long term comprehensive data on the web I can look at?

 

JimV <jv9999@yahoo.com> writes:

>For what it's worth, my wife had a '02 A4 3.0Q and it was the worst car
>we've ever owned. I can't even remember all the things that failed. Some
>major (engine issues) and lots minor (leaking hose clamps and bad
>electrical connectors). It's the last Audi we'll ever buy.


Just goes to show you never know what you'll get. I have a 2002 A4 3.0Q
and I've had exactly two problems with it. One of the dozen of so speakers
had some light static on it -- I hadn't even noticed it at first, an
audiophile friend of my commented on it when I brought it by for a visit
a couple days after I got it. That was replaced, then a few months ago
(2+ years after getting the car) the sunroof sometimes would shut again
after I'd opened it. They had to order a part and it was replaced and that
was the end of that. Never had any problems with the engine, tranny,
brakes, steering, and other important stuff like that which is needed to
actually get where you need to go safely.

The guy who started this thread is probably WAY better off checking with
Consumer Reports or the like to see what their actual measured data states
about the reliability of the two models in question versus asking in the
Audi and BMW groups for personal or "friend of a friend" type individual
anecdotes.

--
Douglas Siebert dsiebert@excisethis.khamsin.net

"Pure democracy is three wolves and two sheep voting on what to eat for
dinner." -- Benjamin Franklin, on why the US is a Republic and not a Democracy

 

Save yourself money and get yourself an early 90's low mileage well maintained turbo quattro. A typical driver (not a newbie of
course), if you're one, wouldn't be able to maximze his car's capabilities anyways, at least from what I can tell from the new audis
I've smoked in my '86 TQ, which is more than a typical Audi driver can handle, though admittedly I did hit a traffic island last
winter, no more cr@ppy tires

Audi S6 Turbo Quattro

http://tinyurl.com/b493b
http://tinyurl.com/dzhxm

cp


"Karl" <karl@csu.edu.co> wrote in message news:96CE785C4karlcsueduco@216.196.97.136...
> Hi,
>
> I'm thinking very seriously of purchasing either a 2002 A4 3.0 Quattro, or
> the BMW 325 XI from roughly the same year.
>
> I've read all the stuff about performance, safety, etc, etc. So I don't
> need a lot of input in that department.
>
> However, I am having a hard time finding good data on the reliability /
> expense of repairs / maintenance of these cars. All the reviews I've seen
> are from the year they came out. Now that 3-4 years have elapsed since the
> release of the cars from that year I'd like to know which of these cars has
> proven itself to be more reliable, have fewer problems and is less
> expensive to fix.
>
> A good friend who works in a used luxury car dealership, and is presumably
> neutral on the issue, advised me very seriously to go with the BMW as the
> Audi according to him "has a lot of problems and is more expensive to fix".
>
> I'm aware that both are fairly high performance cars and as such will be
> more prone to problems than the 1994 toyota pickup (135,000 miles and NEVER
> been in the shop for anything besides maintenance) it will replace. But I
> would think at this time one would have shown itself to be more reliable
> than the other.
>
> Does anyone have any input either way? Or better yet, some kind of long
> term comprehensive data on the web I can look at?

 

The only complaint I have about my 2003 A4-3.0QM is that the manual transmission
is VERY GRABBY. It's hard to get smooth shifts, like I could get with many other
manuals I've owned. It seems like it's a pretty heavy duty clutch plate/disc/springs
mechanism. I don't know how long the drivetrain components (e.g., CV joints, U-joints,
etc.) will last with such a heavy duty clutch. And I would rather have a nicely geared
5-speed than a 6-speed. 1st gear only takes me up to 20 mph before it's at redline.
I start out in 2nd a lot. I've been to over 120mph on occasion and it handles like
a dream. Smooth and stable.

When the car goes, it really goes. I LOVE the performance when I'm pushing it.
With the snow tires I got, no amount of snow or ice ever gave me any problems.
In the winter there's no equal to Quattro and a good set of snow tires. It holds
the road in dry, wet, and snow without body roll (sport suspension). EXCELLENT
handling, and the 3.0 engine is great. I don't have experience with BMW's 2.5l engine,
but the 3.0 is fine for me. I thought of the 325ix as well, but I wanted
the power of the 3.0 vs. a 2.5. I was in a 325ix at the auto show, and I personally
liked the A4's interior better. I have a friend who drives a BWM (745i) and he says
he likes my interior better too.

I've had only one problem in two years - a "clutch switch" went faulty. No drivability
issues at all. I didn't even know until the MIL light came on. Dealer fixed it under
warranty. That's it. For the $$, I got the 3.0Q. I bought it new, and I don't know
what the differences are between the 2003 and the 2002 model.


Karl wrote:
> karl@csu.edu.co (Karl) wrote in <96CE785C4karlcsueduco@216.196.97.136>:
>
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>I'm thinking very seriously of purchasing either a 2002 A4 3.0 Quattro,
>>or the BMW 325 XI from roughly the same year.
>
>
> (snip)
>
> Oh I should probably add, my interest extends only to a manual tranny. I
> have no need for CVT, tiptronics, Striptronics or any of that kind of
> thang.