farcus

Hi everyone, I never ever post on these new member or intro threads because I usually like to get to the point but I feel like a bit of intro is need as to why I'm on this thread.

I recently bought a brand new 2015 Lexus IS 250 F Sport shown here in January of this year, its not the fastest car of its class or for the money but it was reliable and looked "purty" to me.





Unfortunately, 5 month later to now, my car is totaled from the historical flooding that has happen in Houston, Texas


My car was in this garage to the left of that

white 350Z

white 350Z

(not shown) because I can't get to it


So that is that, the car is totaled nothing electronic works and i'm 99% the engine is fried but still waiting for insurance appraiser to check it out and if he says other wise I'm gonna have a fit.

I have always wanted an Audi, as matter of a fact I was going to get an A5 last year but the new lexus IS design caught my eye and I use my car MAINLY as a DAILY DRIVER, so I figure I don't need a fast car just a reliable car but low and behold this thing happens and the Lexus is dead . Now I'm pretty much set on getting an Audi although I will admit I have always had Japanese cars and most of the German cars are relatively foreign to me and so I thought I'd best get acquainted with these cars before I buy a new car and style (European) that I've limited knowledge on.

Questions:
1.I have my eyes set on a couple Audi's including A5, S4, S5 though I'm not sure what to pick from there other than that is has to be an automatic. Again this car is meant to be a Daily Driver, I do not and will not race these cars as I think its stupid though it never hurts to have a little bit of fun when driving.
2. My second concern is what are the reliabilities relatives to other German cars? I did a quick search on Audiworld and Audizine and nothing really concentrate with some say BMW>Audi, other say Audi=BMW in term of reliability. I'm not expecting it to be a Lexus but I would expect to drive the car fine for the next 4-5 years from the time I bought it.
3. Third is CPO vs Used, would everyone generally agree that CPO is worth the money and will save you money the long term? I'm planning to get either a 2015 or 2014 CPO/USED later this year but I'm not sure which way to go, or I could get a as another option.
4. Fourth is aftermarket mods, are there generally limited mods for A5/S5? I'm not looking for anything crazy may be just a diffuser+front lip+wheels. I have goggled this a bit but it seems everyone of these thread use very foreign abbreviations that doesn't really tell me if it'll fit in which year model or not.
5. Lastly would the rims I have on my lexus fit on a5/s5? The specs are

VELGEN VMB5 Matte Gunmetal Front: 19×9 w/Pirelli P1 Plus 235/34R19XL, Rear:19×10.5 265/34R19XL

Also would the best time to buy an Audi around new years or it doesn't matter since it'll be a CPO/Used car? Hope this wasn't long

jeff968

Sorry to hear about your car. I'm on my 4th new Audi and very happy with them. I find them very reliable and they have much driver "soul" which you'll find different from your Lexus. Although I'm a diehard manual transmission driver they make a fine automatic. I've had nothing but inline 4 cylinder Audi's. They are easy to work on if you like to do your own maintenance. Great performance and excellent fuel economy. I just picked up my new A5 S-line a few weeks ago and I love it.

lyleswk

1) As to which car would be your choice, that's purely personal. The S4 / S5 has 335 horsepower, is very quick, gets 27 MPG on the highway, and with a 3 pedal manual, is a blast to drive. The only other transmission choice is the flappy paddle dual clutch which has a definite "personality" from talking a couple of S5 owners that I know. What I mean is it provides a driving experience very different from a full automatic. You would need to drive it and then decide for yourself, especially if you are dealing with Houston traffic going downtown everyday. Yuk! The A4 / A5 has 225 horsepower, is quick enough, and comes with manual and the tiptronic which has much less "personality", especially around town. You need to drive both, spend some time and decide.

2) As to reliability of German cars, all I can do is tell you my experience. I have owned several German Cars, all of which I would say have been as reliable as anything on the road. I have have always purchased used being careful to find a well maintained example. My cars: a) 1986 Audi 4000 Quattro; drove it for 150K and 7 years and think I had it in the shop twice for repairs. Decided with 174K and looking at a clutch job and control arm work to sell and with a 30K mile 300ZX turbo in the garage to just sell it. b) 1999 ML320; still in the family with 265K. It goes in about once a year some something which runs $500 to $1000, but hey, she's old give her some cred. c) 2002 Audi A4 1.8t sport; drove for about 25K and 2 years and with 230K miles, it was totaled. Same story as the Mercedes; in for a repair about once a year. d) 2003 Audi A4 1.8t sport; still in the family after 2 years with 125K. Same story; 2 major repairs in 2 years. e) 2004 BMW 325 Ci sport; again, same story. Owned for just over a year and 1 major repair.

3) CPO or not. My vote is yes. I purchased the Benz as a CPO and purchased my current S5 as a CPO. You spend a little more, but you have the peace of mind of no repair bills until 100K or 7 years.

That's my 2 cents.

lmariorod

Wow. That hurts. Sorry to hear about your car. As a former Airman that trained in San Antonio, San Angelo and Houston. It's shocking to see what's happening down there.
You've possibly lost a car, which is tough. But others have lost a family member, that's devastating.

As for some of your concerns, should your car be declared a total loss and possible purchase of an Audi. I can tell you from our experience that our now gone 5 year old Q5 was a great CUV. Warranty work of replaced water pump and DRL modules, otherwise, just reg. maintenance.

As for my current S5, It's an awesome vehicle. And it is a dual clutch 7 speed AT that is seamless and a joy to drive. I've had it now 3 years with no issues, and although not my DD, (I use a Silverado for bad weather) I still enjoy jumping into this car to drive it. It's great in every way possible, except for 2 very minor issues. The sunroof only tilts and the gas tank should hold a couple more gallons.

If you managed to own a '15 IS, you should consider the S, simply for its power train. The A5 and S5 look similar except for some aggressive features of the S and of course the power train. You'll love some of the interior details in the S as well as the flat bottom steering wheel.
But keep in mind, you have a four door IS, the A5/S5 are coupes and the back seat is not as roomy as your IS or the S4.

If still concerned about Audi reliability, (although the Audi of 20 years ago was a different animal) you may want to lease and buy out, if happy after 2 or 3 years.

Maintenance and repair is higher for Germans and the dealership experience is hit or miss with Audi, but the driving dynamics make it worthwhile.
In addition, if handy, the oil changes on both my former Q and this S5 is one of the easiest. The oil gets extracted thru the dipstick and the filter is right on top. 20 to 30 minutes tops.
On a down note, you'll have to purchase a dipstick to double check the electronic oil gauge in the MMI and also possibly a VAG-COM cable to reset the service reminder. Yea Sux big time.

As for your rims fitting any Audi, very unlikely. Audi's generally run a 5 X 112 bolt pattern and 66.6 bore. Usually higher end Benz's are compatible.

Best of luck to you going forward.

farcus

Thanks for the information guys I appreciated it, are the S5 CPO usually hard to come by there is usually very few and the ones that are available are 55k, I was hoping to get slightly used 2014/5 for 51-52k, searched everywhere too.

19hole

You might be better off looking at new S5s. They can be had in the low $60K range and you have the joy of a new car will full warranty. A CPO is also a great way to go, Audi has a great plan and builds great cars, but for the prices you are seeing new might be a better deal.

lyleswk

$55K is pretty high for a CPO, at least in Texas. I got my 13 with 35K miles for $45K

dseag2

You summed it up really well. The S5 is an absolute blast to drive, even with the dual-clutch automatic. It almost feels like a sports car, with the exhaust note, torque and planted feeling around corners. The interior is also a huge step up from the IS. (I looked at the IS because I traded a '13 GS F Sport for my S5.) The back seat is really small but I've driven around with two people back there for short periods of time. I agree re: the sunroof only tilting (although I don't care) and the need for a larger gas tank. Aside from that, it's about as perfect as a coupe gets.