it seems hit and miss... there are things that "generally" fail with these cars (plus regular maintenance)
- timing belt
- control arms
- tie rod ends
- wheel bearings (although i have never done mine)
- turbos (hit/miss)
- cat flange
- down pipe
- separated flex joint
- cluster dies
- headlight switch
- ...

now see if you know what you're working on and how to DIY, this is all relatively easy + cheap fixes (buy from online vendors like Avalon motorsports/pure ms/ joe@ axis motorsports/ and tons of others)

But if you aren't a DIY'er and want to take it into a shop each time something goes wrong...


buy a honda

 

I gave my daughter my 96 2.8 when she went to university and have regretted it! Having to maintain the car from a distance is a nightmare! And it certainly requires its fair share of maintenance and repairs. I cringe when I get phonecalls saying there is a funny noise....! A 2000 car would be more reliable, but I would recommend going with the hondatoyota approach as you will be able to rely on it. Repairs are not cheaper, just fewer! More time to spend on your studies and more money to spend on beer!

 

however the upside seems to make it worthwhile

 

I too am a student. My first car that was actually MINE was a '98 Honda Civic strippo model. Being small, light, and a 5 speed, it was fun at first and got me through high school. After awhile, I decided that I really needed something nicer and I saw a great value in a used B5 Audi. I immediately accepted the fact that the car would cost more to maintain. Considering how much more a B5 has to offer compared to a strippo Civic, I was okay with the increased expenses.

Anyways, as much as I had accepted this car would cost money, I did not want an absolute money pit that would break the bank. The 1.8T was out. I bought a 1997 A4 2.8 with 89k on it. I figured that the 12v 2.8 would be the most reliable option (the 30v in 98+ models is arguably just as reliable). The car now has 105k. In those 16k miles, I have done basic maintenance that comes with any car (tires, oil changes, brakes, air filter, miscellaneous bulbs that burned out). Other than those things, I had the timing belt done which is one of the big, expensive procedures for these cars. This week I am having a broken flex joint in the exhaust fixed which should not cost too much.

I consider everything besides the timing belt and exhaust stuff that would need to be done on any car, but then again, my Civic required exhaust work and a timing job as well, so one could argue that those items can ALSO happen on any car.

With that said, I *know* that I can look forward to a laundry list of repairs in the next 50k miles. Control arms, tie rod ends, wheel bearings, cruise control, and I am sure there are more that I can't think of off the top of my head. Most of those items are NOT cheap. It is what it is. Maybe I will be out of college and have a real job by the time those start to go - lol. If not, I will deal with those problems as they come.

I guess my point is that it is possible for a college student to own one of these cars. I did a lot of research as far as what I was facing by buying a B5 A4. I also found an Audi tech that does good work at very reasonable prices.

Good luck!

 

160K two timing belts and one evaporator core included.

Mostly DIY.

 

they both are about the same mileage. i think the toyota got 10-15K more.

this is pretty much off the top of my head.

Repairs for toyota...
EGR position sensor
power door lock motor
engine mounts
tie rods
front strut mounts

Repairs for Audi...
power steering rack (with hoses)
wheel bearing X4
CV axle boot
MAF
vac lines
SAIP
combi valve with hose
engine mounts
rebuilt tranny
fuel gauge sensor
control arms/tie rods
gauge cluster (cluster pox)
inside dimming mirror
broken check valves and vac tubes
(i'm sure there's more)

long story short...it's a german car. german cars cost more to maintain and up keep.

 

almost. =D

 

You do have this excellent forum as a resource for solving problems (I don't know if the hondatoyota owners have similar), but you must have good DIY skills, a decent set of tools and preferable a place undercover to work - or a parent that is rich or willing to do your repairs for you

 

yeah there are some good forums but AW is the best mod for any Audi =)

 

Haha, I would lean towards the rich parents, but it's doubtful because I'm making this conscious decision.

This forum has been extremely useful and from what i'm reading i should go ahead and schedule my saturdays for the garage