Audi itch

[Lee Levitt]

I own an '01 B5 A5 1.8t, a '99 A6 2.8 and a couple of C4 A5 2.8s. 
I've owned a number of other C4 A6s and an '02 A6 3.0.

In my experience, any of these cars can be quite reliable, 
particularly if you've bought them after they've been sorted out. 
My least reliable car was the '02...

I believe that the sludge issue was resolved prior to the 2.0T 
motors that came out in the '02 and later B6 A4s. I would not 
hesitate to buy either a B6 or a well kept B5 A4 turbo, and would 
prefer that motor over the 2.8 for both performance and economy 
reasons.

As others have said, any of these cars, if well taken car of by 
the previous owner, could be a great vehicle. If you want the 
ultimate in reliability (and boredom), buy a Honda. But if you 
want the experience of driving a sweet German car, a B6 A4 or C5 
A6 would be great. Personally, I think the '01 A6 is a very nice 
car. The '02s had improvements -- bigger motor, thicker window 
glass, better door seals, but the '01 seemed to be a good year.

Drive examples of each, then make up your own mind. Find a car 
that was well-loved, then take responsibility for taking car of 
it. If you treat it well, it will do the same for you.

I now have two cars that are at 180K, the first being a C4 A6 that 
we bought with 40K. It's been a great car, no more expensive to 
own overall than a late model Honda. The other is my '99 A6, which 
has also been a fabulous car. People think it's 2 or 3 years 
old...and it drives like it's got another 750K in it!

Just my .02

Lee