Re: Quattro's

[MSV96@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/13/98 kahng@nimo.com writes:

<< I own a plain Jane 86 5ks..........non-quattro and live in upstate NY where
mega-snow is a fact of life for over 6months out of the year. As long as I
have a decent set of tires on this car, it pretty much goes through anything.
>>

That is true...with good tires a fwd Audi isn't a bad car in snow. This is
kinda an old thread and there seem to be two schools of thought. One belief is
that quattro enhances driving enjoyment and control in all conditions. This is
why some of us who live where it seldom (if ever) snows own them. I am of this
belief but there are others who feel the sacrifices in weight and extra
complexity are not worth it in the dry. The fact that you have an advantage in
poor conditions is just a bonus ;-)

<< I've been watching with interest at the discussion lines on this list
talking about the inherent handling superiority of the quattro system under
all driving conditions and I'm starting to weaken, BUT I'm having a hard time
justifying the extra cost associated with quattro's versus the basic fwd
Audi's. >>

To make a fair comparison you need to determine what costs are "extra."
(Another old thread.) You *can* potentially run into extra maintenance/repair
costs in the areas of the driveshaft cv joints and center bearing, rear axles,
and (in the case of the type 44 especially) all the extra little goodies in
the suspension. Those areas are ones you are not likely to deal with more than
once during your ownership experience unless you own the car for a very long
time. All of the common failure areas in the cars are shared in the fwd and
quattro models--both are high maintenance. To me that means that the cost of
care and feeding an older type 44 Audi is *only* worth it for a
quattro...there is minimal added cost because it is a quattro (as a percentage
of total maintenance/repair cost) IMO.

<< Every time I try to find parts, the first thing they ask me is......."Is it
a quattro?" which translates into " Empty all of your wallet on the counter or
just part of it". >>

Hmm...my translation is the parts people are trying to spec the correct part
for your car. Audi parts are not cheap...quattro or otherwise. Use the
collective resources here to find better places to buy your parts at more
reasonable prices. I tend to like The Parts Connection for most things and
Linda at Carlsen for "dealer only" items....but ymmv and there are other good
vendors as well.

<< Do you guys REALLY feel that the AWD setup is that much better and worth
the extra bucks in keeping this already expensive beast roadworthy? >>

Yes! (Again...IMO not worth it without "the AWD setup.")

<< I would appreciate your experiences and input as I have my eyes on a well
worn 87 5kq of a co-worker and am wavering on whether to buy the car from
him at some point. >>

"Well worn"? Quattro or not, I suggest you go in with both eyes open. These
cars will last a very long time but you will almost certainly have to deal
with many little things along the way as well as some frightening ones. That
would be the case for any "well worn" 87 5k... Keep in mind (another thing
often said here) that it is best to pay a premium price for the best condition
you can find when looking for an older Audi. If the price is right though you
may want to follow up on your co-workers car anyway. HTH and apologies to
those who find this a rehash of a couple old threads.

Mike Veglia
87 5kcstq (wearing well...and well cared for)