Member of the Month

JalmarKalmar
April, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

2003 Audi a4- thoughts?

profile picture
-Mugatu
Posts: 2579 - Karma: 84
So this is another one of those car threads... I know there are some peeps on here with audi a4 avants (wagons) and I was curious what you think of them, how they drive etc. Im looking at buying an 03 1.3t quattro. My pops is trying to convince me not to ( I know they are somewhat unreliable-apparently) but I just fell in love with the car when I took it out for a spin.

So NS, I come to you- my main source of entertainment, facts, and non-facts.. What do you think of the a4 avant? Ill be paying a little under 6000$ for it.


Mar 13 2013 11:07PM
12 6
profile picture
-Mugatu
Posts: 2579 - Karma: 84
Click for larger image The car
Mar 13 2013 11:08PM
0 0
profile picture
grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
Listen to your dad, when I was 15 or so looking for my first car I thought the same thing, now inrealize a 10 year old Audi, BMW, benz... Whatever it may be is still a old car that will require a lot of maitaince and not make you look cool by telling your friends you drive an Audi. In the end it's just a 6k old car with expensive ass parts do your self a favor, cool your ego that audis shit
Mar 13 2013 11:11PM
1 1
profile picture
whoa-dere
Posts: 10596 - Karma: 7,100
im interested in something like this too
Mar 13 2013 11:11PM
0 0
profile picture
grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
I'd prefer a v50/70 if I was looking for the same price/ year car...you can't brag you drive an audi but still like I said it's still only a 6k 'audi'
Mar 13 2013 11:13PM
0 0
profile picture
-Mugatu
Posts: 2579 - Karma: 84
Im 22, this is my second car.. I hear what your saying though. Before the guy (whom I know, and works at a recognized audi repair shop) Im getting it bought the car last summer it was owned by an elderly couple. I was originally looking for some volvos but there are currently none in my area, plus Im looking for a bit of an older car for a certain, undisclosed reason.. (2005 and under)
Mar 13 2013 11:17PM
0 0
profile picture
Chinchi
Posts: 1591 - Karma: 4,210
Not to thread jack but I was looking for advice (also excuse the spelling and what not because mobil). Over the course of my 17 year existence I managed to amass 13 k in my name, and I'm going to be using it to buy my first car. I was wondering what the best car for this price would be. I want 4-wheel drive, the capability of having speed (I don't plan on really pushing it until I am more experienced) and I don't mind a stick shift. I'm sure a wrx fits all these requirements, but I'd probably have to get an older one and after repair costs and what not I'm not sure if it would be practical, but who knows maybe it is. Any help would be appreciated because I need the car by the summer time, thanks guys.
Mar 13 2013 11:20PM
0 1
profile picture
HaleyL
Posts: 30 - Karma: 96
Click for larger image

I've had my audi allroad for a few years now and love it...never had any problems either!
Mar 13 2013 11:22PM
0 0
profile picture
jake_tom_sully
Posts: 356 - Karma: 242
kind of this, I did a ton of research on cars before i bought my first and just wanted something that was reliable and that would be cheap to maintain and last me, i saw a few crazy cheap audi's listed and that seemed like they were in good shape and was hyped then did a bunch of research and realized it was going to be a handful. my price range was a little less than yours but i know for that price you could get a sick subaru with decently low milage that would be just as good in every way as an audi (except for coolness) and would last you longer/ be way more reliable. audi and volkswagon make sick cars that have really legit performance but are also extremely unrelaible. If it's ur money ur putting into this car I would highly recommend checking edmunds.com and kbb.com to see the user reviews before you even go to look at a used car
Mar 13 2013 11:22PM
0 0
profile picture
grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
Cool, I was wrong than, it's not a bad looking car but I just can't stand when people drop name brands and a same year civic costs more. On a side not I use to live Audi, my parents have a passat and it costs out the ass to fix, also my buddy has a new s4 I have to say (and I know I'll get hate for it on here) quattro is shit, one of the worst 4 wheel drive systems I've been in
Mar 13 2013 11:23PM
0 1
profile picture
jake_tom_sully
Posts: 356 - Karma: 242
ha how many miles does that car have on it? you're never gunna have many concerns with a car that has under 100k on it. when you buy used you're usually looking down the road to see what's gunna happen to your car after you've owned it for a few years and a lot (definitely not all, especially well maintained) audis start unloading expensive problems around there
Mar 13 2013 11:26PM
0 0
profile picture
grapejuice3000+
Posts: 2132 - Karma: 1,985
had mine for about six months, it has a bigger engine than the a4 youre looking at, and its the same price. not to mention heated steering wheel. Just don't be an idiot and you'll get good use out of it. so far all ive done is got new tires and new suspension but that was my fault not the cars.
Mar 13 2013 11:27PM
1 0
profile picture
grapejuice3000+
Posts: 2132 - Karma: 1,985
yeah you probably go mudding in that s4 dont you?
Mar 13 2013 11:30PM
0 0
profile picture
skisalot111
Posts: 723 - Karma: 157
looks like a piece of shit to me
Mar 13 2013 11:30PM
0 0
profile picture
Where-am-I
Posts: 1635 - Karma: 281
2002 1.8t avant owner here. so of course i'm going to say yes. as for reliability its been great to me. i had to replace the catalytic converter this year, but that wasn't unexpected at 140k miles. in my two years of having the car thats the only real maintenance i've had. if you do get it just be sure to treat it nice, get regular oil changes with the correct oil and you'll hopefully you wont have any big issues.

i really love mine, quatro is boss in the snow and the wagon fits tons of gear, i once fit 5 hockey bags and two teammates in for a hockey trip. i also got an APR stage I chip for mine to make it a little faster and have not regretted it one bit. hopefully when i get a real job some bigger engine mods will be a possibility
Mar 13 2013 11:31PM
1 0
profile picture
grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
Exactly this, don't spend your whole budget on a car with 79k on it when in a few months your going to have to spend 600-1000 on a water pump and timing and 500-1000 on new tires...etc the list goes on and on
Mar 13 2013 11:33PM
0 0
profile picture
HaleyL
Posts: 30 - Karma: 96
It has almost 150,000 ...which I know what your saying because I've heard about a lot people having problems with audis with higher miles. Just depends if you keep the car well maintained.
Mar 13 2013 11:40PM
0 0
profile picture
grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
And Why would i do that...Stuck on a highway in a snowstorm
Mar 13 2013 11:44PM
0 0
profile picture
-Mugatu
Posts: 2579 - Karma: 84
Thanks for all the feed back so far! Shitty pic I posted but the car is quite literally in immaculate condition, inside and out.. Im not going to be blowing through forest trails and ken blocking the fuck out of it.. Mostly to and from work, going around town, and ski hill in the winter. All major problems that are typical with audis (water pump, timing belt) have been looked after in the last 15k of the cars life. Figured if I treat it good it should treat me with the same respect, no? haha
Mar 13 2013 11:46PM
1 0
profile picture
Where-am-I
Posts: 1635 - Karma: 281
buy that shit
Mar 13 2013 11:52PM
0 0
profile picture
grapejuice3000+
Posts: 2132 - Karma: 1,985
you are my least favorite member on ns.
Mar 14 2013 12:31AM
0 0
profile picture
jake_tom_sully
Posts: 356 - Karma: 242
damn well there you go. I'm definitely not speaking from experience just from statistics and consumer reviews that i've read but clearly if you treat your car well its very possible that the car will last ya. my moms volkswagon has had a myriad of problems as did a friends but seems like there are some good ones out there too. seems like the cost of repairing foreign cars scares some people too.
Mar 14 2013 12:40AM
0 0
profile picture
sammyk
Posts: 436 - Karma: 131
my dad and I (together) bought an 2004 audi a4 (not avant) with 120k miles on it.  it had just had the timing belt re-done.  really good condition and great in the snow so i sure have enjoyed having it

anyways, ive driven it for another 20k miles so far and it has had its fair share of repairs. thankfully my dad takes care of those, but yeah.  audi parts are sometimes hard to come by and therefore are expensive. for instance the goddam wipers broke and it took forever for a mechanic to find the right parts to fix it. 

recently, we've had another issue taken care of and im starting to think that maybe we could have spent more for a newer/more reliable car that we could sell back after a bit. 

didn't really look to see if you said how many miles its got so u may not be in my range of miles yet.

so it would be a sweet ride but beware of the possible break downs in the future
Mar 14 2013 1:12AM
0 0
profile picture
Ye_ol_wild_Koala
Posts: 270 - Karma: 121
i bought a 97 ls400 (lexus) and it sweet. Just know the maintenence history and that should be your final decision.

GL, but another piece of advice. Never fall in love with a car.
Mar 14 2013 1:15AM
0 0
profile picture
grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
thanks that means a lot to me....sorry I'm hating on a s4 man didnt realize youd take it so personally, use to be my dream car.  Ive driven through 2 foot drifts with my sub and had no problem, anytime snow went slightly above the bumber (4inches or so) we were stuck and needed to dig out, im a fan of awd just saying, quarto blows so many times we were pushing the car out and only one, three, usually two wheels werespining, i understand its trying be intelligence but give me awd and its 1000x better than quattro,  
Mar 14 2013 1:18AM
0 1
profile picture
.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
You are so fucking stupid. Aren't you also the same kid who said he wouldn't drive an RSX Type-S because it was a "glorified Civic coupe?" I bet you've never even driven an S4 and are no older than 16. Go spread your bullshit somewhere else.
Mar 14 2013 1:45AM
1 2
profile picture
Ribss.
Posts: 3442 - Karma: 3,344
You look like a piece of shit, why do you steal someones icon huh?
Mar 14 2013 1:58AM
0 0
profile picture
grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175

Nope a few years out of college, living on my own, working in finance in NYC-but you were pretty close. In my opinion quattro sucks, the S4 is a beautiful car, quattro is terriable though, and if you could read you would have noticed I said "in my opinion" it blows. But then again this is NS, and on the chance AR6rider has a different opinion than you, watch out NS' number 1 internet badass comes out.

I might have said that about Rsx' but si's are fun cars. I would never get a base rsx, cool you want a fast car and settle on a 160hp car that can barely break a 7 second 0-60 and think you’re the shit (sa basically a base rsx is pretty close to a civic coupe in my mind). The s, im sure is fun to drive-never have though, 200/10hp in a light nimble car-barely breaking mid-low 6's in the 60, doesn’t say much about it though.

Mar 14 2013 10:08AM
0 0
profile picture
fortyvalve
Posts: 1442 - Karma: 1,570
sorry but that's not always the case, my sister had an allroad just like yours and she treated it so well, my dad as well being an ex mechanic. at around 120k everything started going to shit, the turbo, the suspension compressor, leaks. turned into a money pit. cars with that many options are a gamble, could be a off a shitty line, could be routine mechanical faults.
Mar 14 2013 10:20AM
1 0
profile picture
XtRemE11
Posts: 5680 - Karma: 246
what year s4? i really really doubt you're telling the truth, either that or the s4 didnt have good snow tires, which will make all the difference.

saying that because quattro is easily the best AWD system, i used to have a B5 s4, it was a great car but unreliable as hell, anyway, i got places in mine on worn out snow tires that my friend with new studded snows couldnt get in his outback with a shit ton more ground clearance.

if its a newer s4, i dunno, it might suck, i know they are doing all sorts of retarded electronics and shit.

ive driven a lot of different audis and subarus, a b5 s4, b6 s4, b5 a4, audi 90 and a c4 s6. all but the b6 in snow. and a wrx, sti, outback xt, some older outback, and a 2.5rs and all but the wrx in snow.
every time ive been in an audi in snow its amazing, just an insane amount of grip, we were launching the s6 from a stop and you would only spin the tires for maybe 2 seconds before it would grip up and give you literally no wheelspin, and that was a damn fast car too.
subaru's are ok, definitely noticeably lacking in all out traction, and a definite disconnected, unresponsive feeling front end when you turn in in snow. not a bad awd system, but just nowhere near audi's.

plus its just pure mechanics in audis favor, torsen diff vs viscous coupling, that and subaru uses a lot of electronics to control the awd system while quattro is for the most part, mechanically controlled.
one of my best friends is a subaru tech and he even admits to audis superiority.
Mar 14 2013 1:59PM
0 0
profile picture
Deluge
Posts: 4398 - Karma: 767
You're an idiot.
Mar 14 2013 2:05PM
1 0
profile picture
grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
I guess people aren't intittled to opinions on ns any more. I live audis so not sure why ns is so balls deep with them that anytime you speak negatively of they you get hated on.

It's new I'm guess 2012. I'm only speaking from experience. Granted they were allseason tires but so did my sub when I had it and it worked much better. Like I said at times when we were digging it out only 2 wheels the majority of time were spinning I'm assuming this where the car though power was needed. It obviously didnt know we were stuck. Sometimes humans know a bit more than computers though. All I'm saying in my opinion- not sure why's its wrong voicing an opinion and so many kids on here who most likely can even drive yet blast it, I prefer full time awd to more intelligent system like quattro, and have had much better experiences in awds
Mar 14 2013 2:26PM
0 0
profile picture
grapejuice3000+
Posts: 2132 - Karma: 1,985
because youre an idiot
Mar 14 2013 9:02PM
0 0
profile picture
XtRemE11
Posts: 5680 - Karma: 246
in any AWD system, you can have 2 wheels spinning when your stuck. even in any 4wd system. you need front and rear lockers to avoid that. getting stuck at a standstill isnt a good judgment of an awd system anyways, its more a ground clearance/tire issue than anything else. new s4's are very low, and pretty much have a snowplow for a bumper. its how the car behaves at speed that differentiates between a good and bad awd system, how the car splits torque, how much, etc..

and being a 2012, i wouldnt be surprised if you have to go through and turn off a ton of useless electronic aids before you could really judge it. im not completely sure, but i think i heard audi's S cars still use the same old quattro system when the aids are turned off. its some of their non S cars and automatic transmission cars that have a more computer controlled awd system and those are supposed to blow.

and quattro is full time AWD, its probably the least "intelligent" and most mechanical which is why its the best. pretty much every other system out there relies heavily on electronics for it to function.



oh and for the OP, if you are set on an audi, dont let the B5 era cars scare you. check out the C4 s4 and s6, the audi 90, and coupe quattro. and the s4/s6 are pretty damn fast. not sure what the numbers but the s6 i drove felt a bit quicker than the stock wrx i drove, at least the powerband waas much better. those are all very tough, very reliable cars. i worked on multiple c4's at my friends shop. one was an s6 with 240,000 miles, stock everything, the guy took it in once, had the engine refreshed, all bushings and rubber bits replaced, that was 3 years ago and he's only been back in for oil changes..

with any older car, you just need to make sure your getting one in good condition that wasnt beat on or neglected, if you can find one thats been well taken care of id trust most 80's/90's cars over anything 2005+ its insane how many problems we see with newer subaru's, audi's, bmw's etc.. while the guys with hundreds of thousands of miles on their 80's bmw's are still ripping around problem free.

Mar 14 2013 10:06PM
2 0
All times are Eastern (-4)