B7 A4 as a daily driver

[rage385]

All,

I currently have a B5 S4 and a B5 A4. I have the opportunity to get a 2007 A4 2.0T 6spd quattro with the s-line and titanium package. The car does have 138K on it, with a timing belt job completed about 40K ago.

My question to you is, will the B7 A4 be a more reliable daily driver than my B5 A4? I have pretty much taken care of all the common issues with my B5 A4. I figured that as long as the common issues (per the sticky in the tech section) with the B7 A4 has been taken care of, I should to ok. What are your thoughts?

Thank you!

[drewgold]

Hmm, that's a tough call.

I moved from a B5 A4 to a B7 last year. Bottom line is it's an Audi and there are bound to be issues. Other than having my cam follower fail, I haven't had any major issues with my B7 but the follower failure was a major PITA and almost a month without my car.

Having said that, it seemed like my B5 had many more small nagging issues and was definitely feeling its age.

In general, I'd say that so far my B7 hasn't been any more or less 'reliable' than my B5.

[bcaudi]

Just made it a full 10k between oil changes on mine without any burned oil and my fuel pump cam follower (probably 2nd biggest 'oh shit' part behind the TB) was in flawless condition. I'm at 136k right now, feeling confident I'll be well over 200k by the time I'm done with 'er. And I'm tuned stage 2 - so yeah, they're certainly excellent DDs if they're maintained. So if you like it, I'd do it up, I love this car.

That titanium package though.. hnnnnghhh

[p0isin]

B7 a4 is fairly reliable if you keep up with maintenance and check your cam follower every so often. Other than that I don't think there are any huge reliability issues. Approach it like you did your b5 with preventative maintenance on a few parts and you'll be fine.

[rage385]

Thanks guys for the help!

[papadelogan]

I'm at 163k miles right now on my B7 A4 2.0T 6MT quattro and I love it. It's an awesome car and a great DD. Watch your cam follower, use quality oil, filters, plugs, etc. and keep on top of things and she'll be awesome! I'm at Stage 1 (APR tune, HFC, K&N air filter is all) and while not the fastest, she'll cruise @ 110mph just as easily as @ 20mph. I average about 26-28mpg, depending on the city/hwy split and how much I cruise "at speed".... :P Ti package is yummy....

[trj]

Daily driver where? how many miles commute and what road conditions?

If you don't need AWD, there are many more fun cars that can serve as a great daily driver. But if you are looking for an audi or AWD, then B7 is decent enough for a DD. Perhaps, I would lean towards RWD biased AWD for a daily driver if I were to do it again rather than this nose heavy B7.

[trj]

I'm at 163k miles right now on my B7 A4 2.0T 6MT quattro and I love it. It's an awesome car and a great DD. Watch your cam follower, use quality oil, filters, plugs, etc. and keep on top of things and she'll be awesome! I'm at Stage 1 (APR tune, HFC, K&N air filter is all) and while not the fastest, she'll cruise @ 110mph just as easily as @ 20mph. I average about 26-28mpg, depending on the city/hwy split and how much I cruise "at speed".... :P Ti package is yummy....

OT: How are you getting 26-28mpg in CO. I get 19 city and maximum I got is 28mpg on straight highway run at 70mph for 500 miles.

[Jake@JHM]

I went from a B5 S4 to a B7 A4. Very happy with my decision. I say go for it

[papadelogan]

OT: How are you getting 26-28mpg in CO. I get 19 city and maximum I got is 28mpg on straight highway run at 70mph for 500 miles.

See the mods listed, plus:

1. good plugs -was running Denso PK22PR; swapped to Autolite Platinums and lost a few mpg. I have ordered NGK BKR7EIX plugs to replace those turds. NGKs & Denso's have been great for me
2. check tire pressure
3. keep clean oil & filters in place (oil change every 7,000-ish, air cleaned every 20k
4. Diff/trans fluid replaced with Motul full syn
5. Never race from stoplights

On all-highway trips (over Berthoud Pass from Frederick and back for example) I have gotten 31mpg. I almost never go WOT. When I feel the need to race, I'll go get a bike again. That's my speed fix.

[vce1232000]

Daily driver where? how many miles commute and what road conditions?

If you don't need AWD, there are many more fun cars that can serve as a great daily driver. But if you are looking for an audi or AWD, then B7 is decent enough .

The AWD is what makes this car a . I feel it when in sunny hot days. I cant see myself ing a RWD or FWD only vehicle again

[Axis]

There's tricks to make the 2.0T fsi bullet proof.

- B6 oil pump conversion

and the infamous:



The other option is you do like the rest of us, you check your cam follower every 15k and if you have a low oil pressure cel, turn off the car and have it towed, the oil pump usually warns you before failing.

Other than that its pretty much like your B5.

[trj]

The AWD is what makes this car a . I feel it when in sunny hot days. I cant see myself ing a RWD or FWD only vehicle again

I am in the opposite camp.
I can't see myself driving a stock B7 in summer. :)

Too nose heavy.
Too much understeer.
Loud engine.
Puny brakes.
Not so great mpg.
Uncomfortable in long trips.
Awkward armrest position.
And if its a tip then you get that violent downshift when you jump on it.

The thing B7 has going for it are:
Super nice AWD, so driving in winter isn't a problem.
Easy to make power from that small engine.
Great support from tuners.
Functional trunk.

To sum it up, if I want to make the B7 as equipped, powerful, handling and fun to drive, I would have to spend a ton of money (which I am doing). Hopefully, it will get to a stage where I would make the above post like you did.
But again depends on every person what he/she needs/uses the car for.

[trj]

See the mods listed, plus:

1. good plugs -was running Denso PK22PR; swapped to Autolite Platinums and lost a few mpg. I have ordered NGK BKR7EIX plugs to replace those turds. NGKs & Denso's have been great for me
2. check tire pressure
3. keep clean oil & filters in place (oil change every 7,000-ish, air cleaned every 20k
4. Diff/trans fluid replaced with Motul full syn
5. Never race from stoplights

On all-highway trips (over Berthoud Pass from Frederick and back for example) I have gotten 31mpg. I almost never go WOT. When I feel the need to race, I'll go get a bike again. That's my speed fix.

I don't go WOT either. My trip is 5 miles which takes 30 minutes. Traffic light on almost every block in peak hours. And way past the age of racing at the lights. Everything else on your list is done on mine, except for the diff and trans fluid. Also I have a tip.
Strangely, my other car which is a 6 cylinder and has 185k miles gives 25 mpg and my B7 which has 80k miles gives 19 mpg on the same roads/same driver/same driving.

[jamerican1]

Meh... Keep them both ;) Ask me how I know:D

[rongeur]

I am in the opposite camp.
I can't see myself driving a stock B7 in summer. :)

Too nose heavy.
Too much understeer. easily correctable with rsb
Loud engine. nature of FSI
Puny brakes. ?? actually are not that small ??
Not so great mpg. depends how you drive - I get 28-30 on pure highway, 25 city/hwy, 22 mostly city
Uncomfortable in long trips. get recaros
Awkward armrest position. YES
And if its a tip then you get that violent downshift when you jump on it.

The thing B7 has going for it are:
Super nice AWD, so driving in winter isn't a problem.
Easy to make power from that small engine.
Great support from tuners.
Functional trunk.

To sum it up, if I want to make the B7 as equipped, powerful, handling and fun to drive, I would have to spend a ton of money (which I am doing). Hopefully, it will get to a stage where I would make the above post like you did.
But again depends on every person what he/she needs/uses the car for.

Added another perspective.

[trj]

Added another perspective.

Exactly. Too much needed to make it to how it should have come from the factory. I am on the process.
I am soon going with e92 335i because my e46 is getting old and want something I can really have fun with, without having to do a ton of stuff. And keep b7 as the winter car.

[Biged243]

Doing the upgrades is what makes it personal and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside when each one gets done.

[funky_snowman]

The car is what it is. Its a refreshed model built on a car made in the early 2000s made by a semi-luxo brand and sold as their entry level sedan. Its not a race car, but it was never meant to be. That said, it's a pretty good car.

For a DD I'd want a few things. Enough torque to deal with traffic, suspension that doesnt crumble on rough roads, decent/not horrible gas mileage, starts when I turn the key, engaging to drive, and can be driven year round. The A4 really has all of those things. It will need maintenance, like any car. Aside from the hit or miss motor issues, I really don't know what else I'd want to really drive every day.

As long as you enjoy it, its been maintained well and reliable enough for you, I don't see why you wouldn't want to continue driving it.

[mtroxel]

The OP's original question was about reliability.

I drove one B5 to 271,000 miles. Had one check engine light.
I drove my next B5 to 222,000 miles. Had one check engine light. Never had the valve covers off.
I drove my B7 for 1,000 miles now. Had 3 check engine lights and I'm doing a valve cover gasket tomorrow. I'm not impressed.

[aluthman]

The OP's original question was about reliability.

I drove one B5 to 271,000 miles. Had one check engine light.
I drove my next B5 to 222,000 miles. Had one check engine light. Never had the valve covers off.
I drove my B7 for 1,000 miles now. Had 3 check engine lights and I'm doing a valve cover gasket tomorrow. I'm not impressed.

Sounds like you bought a poorly maintained example then.

[mtroxel]

Sounds like you bought a poorly maintained example then.

Actually there is every reason to believe that's true. Previous owner did some pretty sloppy work. See this thread:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...PCV-valve-hole

But the two B5's were NA V6's. And my impression is that turbos are just more fussy.

[funky_snowman]

[.......

[aluthman]

Actually there is every reason to believe that's true. Previous owner did some pretty sloppy work. See this thread:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...PCV-valve-hole

But the two B5's were NA V6's. And my impression is that turbos are just more fussy.

More parts = more things that can break. As long as you stay on top of stuff, these are great cars.

[mtroxel]

More parts = more things that can break. As long as you stay on top of stuff, these are great cars.

Yea, the turbo adds its own layer of parts and cooling/lubrication issues, but it seems the increased pressure/vacuum makes the PCV system more touchy.

[A4SANDBEER]

i imagine, like any car, they are great if maintained properly. i like mine. its confortable. good MPG. mine is non s-line so its not the best on a turn.

the good thing about the b7 a4 is that there is just so many people willing to help who know there stuff who have been there before. i cant say the same for the bmw e90 chassis. all of them just say "go to the dealer". not the case here.and thats a big deal for me. theres a lot of technical support and DIY threads to help that might help you save money.
theres always some one who has been there before. no matter what the problem is


i think its confortable, good on gas, and reliable IF maintained. i sort of took on a project b7 when i bought mine for $5k
theyre finnicky though, according to audizine threads. maybe itll misfire on a cold start, maybe it wont.

[vce1232000]

i cant say the same for the bmw . all of them just say "go to the dealer".

BMW= Break My Wallet or Broke Man Walking

[mtroxel]

I can't think of any European car that has any room to brag about reliability.

[vce1232000]

I can't think of any European car that has any room to brag about reliability.

The Original air cooled VW beetle

[A4SANDBEER]

^break my wallet, yes. broke man walking, no. lol

i have the infamous air bag light which there was a recall for, but its based off the vin. and nope im not covered under that even though its the same damn car! i coudlnt find a diy on any forum on how to replace the sensor matt.
for the e90 its pretty common to have coolant loss, but there is really no explanations that i could find on forums for that either. the best answer i could find is.. "its natural for the coolant to evaporate" lol

for my b7, pretty much any issue i had has been covvered with great DIY threads that walked me through the job with pictures that were easy to understand

like any high end brand, it needs maintanence. and things are going to break. sensors will go bad. coolant hoses will leak and pcv's will fail. coilpacks will need to be replaced just as much as spark plugs lmao (exaggerated for effect)

BUT THE PLUS SIDE IS THERE IS THREADS THAT WALK YOU THROUGH IT SO ITS NOT EVEN THAT BAD

[mec]

I just wanted to stop by and say


RAAAGGGGGGGEEEE'N CAJUN!!!!

[allstock]

Having owned a B5&B7 long-term I've found that they have the same maintenance issues for the most part. I do take closer inspection of my B7 now than I did the B5 due to that fact, I find, the 2.0T is a bit on the softer side of reliability and a few things that make you ask "wtf Audi?". I put 230k on my B5 1.8T with lackluster maintenance. With my B7 it seems like planned obsolescence takes over noticeably more and I have the car up in the garage two-three times a month. I still appreciate the 2.0T isn't a difficult motor to keep up, partly due to the knowledge here. There is an advancement in cheaper, accessible parts online and things like vagcom. It seems the engineers have made some things easier to access and repair as well.

I agree with the poster that questioned what euros can brag on reliability. I've had a few issues myself with the 2.0T away from regular maint. I'd recommend someone look at the amount of resources they have and their priorities. Even things like time, which I wish I had more of!!! If you were someone coming from a strict diet of Toyota, Honda, Hyudai etc. then I'd say, possibly, you're in for a sobering experience that you might even enjoy - if you understand what I'm eluding to.

There are some B7 owners that claim they've had no issues, but I bet I can pick out a basket of things happening with the help of my cable. If you learn how to utilize it, this'll help alert you to things before they become a CEL; the tolerances on these cars' ECUs are pretty generous in some respect. So if you can nip things in the bud then you'll be that much more efficient at maintenance.

I want to add your region makes quite a difference on the pace of upkeep you might expect. Coming from Florida to Shitt-storm-salty Chicago I find that the cold weather is great at exposing flaws(in any car really). Good luck

[igjoe1989]

See the mods listed, plus:

1. good plugs -was running Denso PK22PR; swapped to Autolite Platinums and lost a few mpg. I have ordered NGK BKR7EIX plugs to replace those turds. NGKs & Denso's have been great for me
2. check tire pressure
3. keep clean oil & filters in place (oil change every 7,000-ish, air cleaned every 20k
4. Diff/trans fluid replaced with Motul full syn
5. Never race from stoplights

On all-highway trips (over Berthoud Pass from Frederick and back for example) I have gotten 31mpg. I almost never go WOT. When I feel the need to race, I'll go get a bike again. That's my speed fix.

I'm at 125k and get the same results. I also have the NGK BKR7EIX plugs, use liquid-molly 5w-40 oil, just changed my diff/trans fluid with Motul Gear 300 as well. I also replace my fuel filter every 40k as well. sometimes a little earlier.

[igjoe1989]

I don't go WOT either. My trip is 5 miles which takes 30 minutes. Traffic light on almost every block in peak hours. And way past the age of racing at the lights. Everything else on your list is done on mine, except for the diff and trans fluid. Also I have a tip.
Strangely, my other car which is a 6 cylinder and has 185k miles gives 25 mpg and my B7 which has 80k miles gives 19 mpg on the same roads/same driver/same driving.

My wife and I just recently traded in her 6 cylinder '03 infinti I35 that had 167K on it and it was averaging 27MPG. I get the same results as papadelogan and I have 125k (Uni Stg2 tune) on mine. check your fuel filter, carbon build up?, tire pressures should be 35-36 psi.... I feel that sometimes that trip computer can be deceiving though. I get 380 miles out of my tank before I have to fill up. and that's on the odometer trip, not the MDI or whatever its called. when I fill up it'll say I have 440 miles til empty but that NEVER happens unless im on long road trips.

[4rings5stars]

Every Audi I've had has been fairly reliable. But I obsess over maintenance and perform my own work, so YMMV

[Sanjman]

You're not getting that huge of upgrade from the B5. I would drive the B5 for however long it takes for it to die. By then you can get something better.