About to purchase my first 2010 A4 Quattro 6MT, need some tips

[j3r]

Hello all,

I am new to this forum, this will be my first post. I am looking to replace my 1997 Honda Prelude SH which I've had for 6 years now. My options were originally BMW 328I XDrive, Lexus IS250, and an Acura TSX. The latter two I know are not as fast or as exciting as the BMW. However, I came across a 2010 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro MT with 48,000KMs through a non-Audi 3rd party dealership that is pretty respectable according to dealerrater.ca (Mark Wilson's Better Used Cars)

Link

What are the first things that I should check when looking at this car? At this year, and at the amount of kilometers, what should I expect to do in terms of maintenance within the next year?

Thanks in advance,
Jeremy

[j3r]

Hello all,

I am new to this forum, this will be my first post. I am looking to replace my 1997 Honda Prelude SH which I've had for 6 years now. My options were originally BMW 328I XDrive, Lexus IS250, and an Acura TSX. The latter two I know are not as fast or as exciting as the BMW. However, I came across a 2010 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro MT with 48,000KMs through a non-Audi 3rd party dealership that is pretty respectable according to dealerrater.ca (Mark Wilson's Better Used Cars)

Link

What are the first things that I should check when looking at this car? At this year, and at the amount of kilometers, what should I expect to do in terms of maintenance within the next year?

Thanks in advance,
Jeremy

[raudiace4]

I would get a A4 over the 328. Not biased at all.

[csullivan]

I had a 97 prelude. and a 2001. haha. Loved those cars.

[KompressorLOgic]

check if its had any problems with oil consumption( a fairly common problem on 09-10) or if its had any of the oil consumtion stage 1 or 2 fixes done( stage 2 involves replacement of the pistons and rings ) as this is a well known defect audi often covers this for free even out of warentee, to a certain extent.

[LINDW4LL]

Jeremy, the 2.0T is very reliable, the only issue that sometimes is present is the oil consumption, as mentioned above. If it doesn't consume oil, you're golden.

I don't think you should have to do anything other than oil changes as scheduled maintenance. Maybe spark plugs at 75k.

[name.goes.here]

Hi Jeremy,

As noted by the others, oil consumption is a potential issue for early B8 models. Not all owners encountered this problem, but for those who did Audi implemented a fix. Unfortunately, you can't spot the issue by simply opening the hood, so you may want to take the VIN and see if a dealer can pull the service records. Otherwise, I agree that the 2.0T is a well designed and robust motor, and should serve you well. I'm not a big BMW or Lexus fan, so the Audi - if everything checks out - would be my choice. FWIW, my 2012 has been flawless. I don't drive much (only 16k miles in two years so far), but Audi offers an experience that I've found other cars to lack.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide. I've found this forum to be a great resource of knowledge and advice.

[Phrost]

Can't expect us to not be biased. But I'd pick the A4 hands down.

AWD (once you go quattro in the winter, you'll never go back)
2.0 gets low-mid 30s mpg on highway
With software and basic bolt-ons my personal record was a 13.6s 1/4mi time (beat that, other cars listed above)

BMW looks better from the outside IMO but the A4 drives a lot better

[ny tdi]

Dear OP,

Doesn't it all really depend on what's important to you? Here is the brake down:

Drivetrain: BMW
The BMW's naturally aspirated Six, manual tranny, and AWD. It's an amazing combination that everyone should experience. I had one, I miss it. Not a fan of small turbo engines.

Features: AUDI
A4 premium plus with 6MT offers the most comprehensive list of standard features of any small luxury sedan. You get TONS for your money, especially of you opt for the Nav.

All-weather handling: AUDI
Quattro is unstoppable. Plus, the 17" wheels and tires on the 2010A4 are FANTASTIC in the snow. No need for snow tires when you are running the OEM 17" wheels with the OEM Conti ProContact Extreme 225/50/17 tires.

Connection the the road: BMW
That car will be an extension of your brain. There is no middle man. You think it, it does it.

Reliability:
That's a tough one, as everyone's experience is slightly different. From personal experience, I can say that that BMW's x drive, NA 6 cyl, and manual tranny will never let you down. Ever. Other things like window regulators and suspension bits... Yeah those tend to go bad often.

But Audi's aren't know for being pillars of electrical stability either. VAG cars have historically had electrical gremlins. Plus, there's the oils consumption bit.
So if reliability is a factor for you, I'd say go with the BMW.

Look at it this way, BMW will bleed your wallet slowly (regulators, sensors, control arms, radiator fans, ect.
While Audi, just mugs you at gun point: "need a new engine? Ok, that'll be $10,000 please..."

Personally, I would find a 2010+ Certified Premium Plus A4 with Manual Tranny, Sport Pkg and Nav. Then you can have the best of all-worlds: Fun and Sporty, tech-laden, and CPO reliability at a very reasonable price.

Otherwise, if you can't afford a CPO/in-warranty A4, then I'd say go with the BMW. It's an amazing machine that will give you very few problems until about 80,000 miles. After that, the BMW is likely to bleed you dry. Slowly, very slowly...

So there, hope that helps.

PS- the accelerator pedals are VERY different...

[wyld]

There are only 3 things a man needs to be happy in life:

Quattro
Turbo
6MT

Choose accordingly. (Also see sig :)

[mr_milo]

Well I've owned two Audis and one BMW before my current Audi.

The first Audi was a 1986 4000cs Quattro which I bought used with 40K miles and sold to a good friend seven years later with 115K miles.

The second Audi was a 1999.5 A4 1.8TQMS which I bought new and drove for 11 years / 150K miles before selling it.

I also bought the 2011 BMW 328i E93 new and sold it 2 1/2 years later with 27K miles. I'll spare everyone the details of that story.

Now I have a 2014 Audi A4 P+ fairly loaded which I expect to keep for a while.

I think the above gives you an idea of which car I'd buy.

[nerv81]

I recently bought a 2013 A4 and compared it against the 328 with x-drive. The BMW was def nice to drive (a little stiffer than I prefer). There's 3 things that killed the BMW for me. Rear leg room was less, I hate run flats and the idea that if I go on a long road trip I better hope to god if I get a flat it's near a run flat dealer since there's no spare, and BMW's IMO have boring interiors. If none of that matters to you then flip a coin and enjoy.