Re: S4 Owners: Please Comment

[MSV96@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/12/98 "Richard Haroutunian"
<Richard_Haroutunian@inso.com> writes:

<< S4 Owners:  If you have the time, could you please comment on the overall
'reliability' of the car?  In other words, If I bought one and drove it for
a few years would I need to invest serious money in the car like I do now
with my 5KTQ? >>

I can't speak as an "S4 Owner" but I will give you a "reality check" on this.
Your 1987 5ktq is (like mine) a 12 year and over 100k mile old German luxery
car. It, like they all do, requires more than what the weak of heart (and
wallet) considor "normal maintenance". While Audis have improved in many ways
quality-wise since the 80's I would not think for a minute that going up in
miles and age that nwear ones are any better off than the older ones. Your
first step should be to have service done by a good independent that
(hopefully) will allow you to bring in some parts that you source via
knowledge from this list. Cases in point:

You say you paid 500 bucks for a starter motor?! I just did mine for $119.95
and it was an easy job that took me less than 45 minutes in my carport.
(Thanks again Igor for the Pep Boys tip).

And worse yet 1300 bucks for a brake job?! Huh???? Something is way outa whack
here.

Not to be cruel, I know that many here do not do their own wrenching. The way
I looked at it when I paid $2950.00 for my 87 5ktq was that I was basically
getting the car for free (PO had paid more than that for just one <of many>
work order less than 10k miles before I bought the car) and she had intended
to "keep it for life" prior to a job transfer to the far east (I bought it
through her father...she had already moved away). I also knew going
in...partly from past experience with 6 other Audis and moreso from this list
(thanks again Dan!) that my "maintenance" budget would be around the same as a
car payment for a cheap new car. I weigh that against what would my car
payment, insurance, and let's not forget depreceation, be for a like car.
Let's see...needs to be big, got 3 kids, needs to be an Audi quattro cuz I'm
hooked on that color of Kool-Aid, like to have a turbo cuz I tend to like them
too now...hmm, no new choices out there at all the way I see it. Closest I can
see would be an A4 1.8tq...to small, and the monthly outlay would still be way
more than what I have paid thus far for the 5ktq for the past 10 months and
12k miles.

The bottom line to this long winded saga is this...if you want to drive an
older luxeery car, plan to do as much of the work as you can yourself, search
out sources for lower cost parts/upgrades, and go in with both eyes open (also
read the current thread about that "green badge" cuz I think it applies to all
older "luxery" and/or "sports" cars). HTH...and BTW, it does sound like you
have a very nice 5ktq...if I were still looking for one and you were nearby, I
would give it a serious look. They are wonderful cars...

Mike Veglia
87 5kcstq (prolly not over 2k yet in the first year...so no "green badge" for
me I suppose...but I don't keep as accurate a tab as our tax preparer friend
in AZ. ;-)...)