MincerRay

I currently have an '02 A4 3.0Q MT6 that is a great car to drive, but drives me nuts with the CEL going off when I need to get the car smogged (I live in CA). It's gotten to be where I just want to sell this car and replace it with something easier to live with. I am a reasonably competent amateur mechanic with above average diag skills, and prefer to do most of my own work. So, the cars I am considering are the two cars shown in the title.

I LOVE the UrS4/S6 and have always wanted one. My wife and I used to have a '93 100CSQ that was our all time favorite car, and the S4/S6 is a more powerful and sportier version of this car. The plus side is that it's pre-OBDII and *should* be easier to pass smog. The drivetrain is very durable and simpler than the 30V V6 I have to deal with now. It is an older car, though, with likely more wear out parts to deal with.

I've also always loved the B5 A4's, and the 1.8TQ is a simpler car than what I have now. It is OBDII and possibly a pain point when smog is due, but there are less sensors and stuff. I would think it's easier to work on than the V6's. There are also a LOT to choose from around here, and price will be less than the S4/S6 (and likely less than what I can sell my A4 for once I get it to pass smog!).

I also love the '88-'91 90Q or coupe Q's as I currently have an '88. It's a simple car with simple needs. These are getting very hard to find in a condition that hasn't been beaten to an inch of it's life.

I figure I'd post in this forum as the audience is likely to be more familiar with both cars than in the B5 forum.

I'd love to hear all opinions on the S4/S6 and B5 1.8TQ with regard to ease of repair, durability, longevity, occurrence of niggling faults, etc.

Thanks!

-steve

sciroccosven

I've got both. I will say the nice thing about the b5 a4's is that it's like having a Chevy. You can get parts galore and there are tons of parts cars out there.

Mine is an older aeb, Ive had it for over a decade. Regular maintenance, stay away from automatics and you can't be wrong. Just replaced my turbo at 170000 and have done the front control arms recently. I'd go with an aeb and get a mechanical throttle body but I'm biased because I've had such a good experience with my a4

I have a 95 s6 and a ton of little crap seems to always be going haywire with it and I'm getting the feeling that no matter what I do it's always going to be like that. Parts are not as plentiful and not as many parts cars. That being said I feel like it worth putting money into my s6. There are few out there and you could say they are incredibly rare when compared to a b5. Never had anyone put a "for sale?" Not with a phone number in my a4.

Both cool cars but if your looking at something to throw miles on go with the a4

moorewr

Based my experience with a C4 S6 and a B5 A4: If the cars at similar mileage, the bones of the C4 are a lot tougher.

It is true though that I keep dealing with fiddly things because of the age of my S6 - coolant hoses & tank, door handles, and so on. On the other hand, when I sold my '97 A4 (at about 142k miles) I was dealing with leaking power steering, bad wheel bearings, a leaking differential, a broken sun roof, and compromised front control arms.

LarryDallas

My C4 S6 is more fun to drive, more comfortable and more solid feeling, but you can tell you're driving a big, heavy car. The engines, transmissions and turbos in these cars are solid, but many of the parts are pretty expensive. The front bumper cover is broken on the C4 and these are virtually unavailable. If I needed one for the B5 I could find one at almost any junkyard. And a power steering pump for an AAN can set you back $450.

Since these cars are older, higher mileage cars I had to do some neglected maintenance work on both. I replace worn suspension parts like control arm bushings and front and rear dampers, and the B5 needed a rear wheel bearing. I also installed timing belt kits on both, along with voltage regulators and a cam sensor on the AAN. The C4 had a misfire so I ended up upgrading the coils to 2.0 units. On both cars I also replaced spark plugs, all fluids and filters and fuel pumps.

If you spend the money to get a lower-mile car with excellent service records you may not have to do these things, but with most examples I've seen putting about $1,000-1,500 in parts after the initial purchase will go a long way toward reliability and driveability down the road. Or you can get a AAA membership.

MincerRay

Thanks for the feedback, guys! Most likely any car older than 10 years old is going to be needy. Seems to me it would be better to put my time and money into a more interesting older audi than a common one. The urS4/S6 are certainly interesting and rare. The 20V 90Q and coupes are getting rare, too, and are a little simpler. Hmmm. Decisions...

Steve