Any tips on what to look for when buying a b6?

[AdrianM18]

I'm in the market for a audi a4 b6 and since buying cars is not my expertise i need some guidance. I have found a couple of B6's in my price range(4-5k) ,but i have been reluctant to call because they seem like to good of a deal.Any way if you guys can give me some tips on what to look for and what to avoid it would be most appreciated!(btw i want a 5 or 6 speed manual )

[LINDW4LL]

4-5k certainly isn't too good of a deal, IMO. I almost bought an '03 1.8 5MT with new clutch, timing belt etc... and 129,000 miles for $2,500 last week. Good deals are out there, but ~ $4,000 seems to be about average, at least around here.

Make sure timing belt service was done, and see if the car has been well maintained in general. Past maintenance is key in how reliable the car will be for you in the future, and thus I would avoid cars that the owners know little about, service-wise. Other than that, the 1.8T is pretty reliable and if anything goes wrong it is pretty cheap to fix compared to other engines.

[Spike00513]

i have been reluctant to call because they seem like to good of a deal

[forevraudi]

Avoid CVT (continually variable transmission). If you go for an automatic, make sure its a quattro so it won't have a CVT. my 2 cents

edit: just read you want a manual. well, still. avoid CVT!

[Lysergik]

I'm in the market for a audi a4 b6 and since buying cars is not my expertise i need some guidance. I have found a couple of B6's in my price range(4-5k) ,but i have been reluctant to call because they seem like to good of a deal.Any way if you guys can give me some tips on what to look for and what to avoid it would be most appreciated!(btw i want a 5 or 6 speed manual )

Buy from a private seller only, no used car lots!

Pick one that has the lowest miles, least cosmetic interior/exterior issues, e.g. check for broken/missing, scratched, dented pieces and parts, etc. these little things are expensive to replace and will become an eyesore after a while.

Find one completely stock, this is the MOST important part. No aftermarket CD players, speakers, gauges, body kits, or headlights (unless of course this is what you're after). You want one completely unmolested. Especially when it comes to wiring. These cars have become very affordable now days. The kids are getting ahold of them and filling them up with aftermarket Chinese garbage from Walmart and Autozone. These once $35k + cars are being hacked up with backyard mechanic skills for what looks cool. Poor electrical connectors and connections, this causes resistance in the wiring and potentially numerous other issues which is a nightmare to track down. Leaving out bolts because they are hard to reach or put back in, which is just lazy, and may cause vibrations and rattles throughout the car and you'll never know what bolts/screws are missing.

Also, you cant always trust receipts. If you plan on keeping the car for a long time, do the timing belt, it is the most crucial maintenance, regardless if someone tells you it has been done already, it will provide you with piece of mind. However, I am fortunate to know a mechanic that owns a shop who installed my timing belt kit for $300, even though the person I bought it from said he did it already. Turns out he was telling the truth, regardless I still feel better it was redone with the parts I wanted to use, metal propeller water pump, Kevlar belt, and genuine Audi tensioner.

[Mister]

Tiptronic for auto, or go 6 speed manual. 1.8T are most liked but if you're not planning to upgrade the turbo at any time then I would be careful. Oil seals tend to go bad on the stock turbos at around 100k miles and then you have real problems. A 3.0 V6 will give you less liabilities but lacks the performance and room for mods/upgrades the 1.8T has so do your research to figure out what you want to do. Also make sure to find out the last time the timing belt was changed.

I would also add the B6 is an aging model these days and unless you're buying one with brand new everything, be prepared for those wear and tear replacements. For example the coolant flange loves to pop on these cars (blame Audi for making vital components out of cheap plastic) and the typical Audi/VW electrical issues. Best of luck.

[DiertyEuroSpec]

If you fell comfortable paying a high price for one with a solid maintenance history PM me

But all kidding aside deff get one that has maintenance history that can be confirmed, the farther back the better. Otherwise be ready to pull out the pocket book for all the repairs that have gone by the wayside.

[RRF985]

Buy from a private seller only, no used car lots!

Solid advice. This was my mistake. I paid way too much for my car and have had to put too much into it for the price I paid, but I love it.

[AdrianM18]

Thanks guys i will keep looking for the right one, but all the b6's 02-04 seem to have 150k +. I have only found a couple of decent cars that meet my requirements ,but they are ridiculously over priced .Also one more thing i live in the south and rarely get bad weather ,yet i have Quarto as one of my requirements would it be a big deal loosing it ?

[Timtheguru]

Brown coolant = skip.

[Knives1010]

Thanks guys i will keep looking for the right one, but all the b6's 02-04 seem to have 150k +. I have only found a couple of decent cars that meet my requirements ,but they are ridiculously over priced .Also one more thing i live in the south and rarely get bad weather ,yet i have Quarto as one of my requirements would it be a big deal loosing it ?

If you like driving fast through corners I would say yes. Also FWD = So if you like to and then I would advise keeping the quattro as a requirement.

[Lysergik]

Thanks guys i will keep looking for the right one, but all the b6's 02-04 seem to have 150k +. I have only found a couple of decent cars that meet my requirements ,but they are ridiculously over priced .Also one more thing i live in the south and rarely get bad weather ,yet i have Quarto as one of my requirements would it be a big deal loosing it ?

Quattro is Audi's trademark, literally. Without it you'd shorting yourself, as it is one of the main reasons people buy these cars.

[Mister]

Thanks guys i will keep looking for the right one, but all the b6's 02-04 seem to have 150k +. I have only found a couple of decent cars that meet my requirements ,but they are ridiculously over priced

These are Audis my friend. At time of sale they were over $30k brand new. If you want a nice B6 with good mileage, good maintenance and no immediate problems it's going to take time and some luck. Most B6 A4 owners don't sell cheap otherwise.

[PreciseD]

I hope you realize you are buying a $35k plus car and it will require maintenance of that caliber $$$$. This is not a $3-5k car to maintain. If you don't have the money for repairs (and there will be many if you buy a "cheap" high mileage car that some kid "bro'd out") then you better look into something else.