saxman42

Hi Everyone,

I'm currently a VW Mk6 GTI owner and have been thinking about upgrading to an Audi A4 or BMW 328i for some time now. I'm looking for a 2013-2014 model with a manual transmission and can spend up to $25k. I really enjoy both cars but have always been a bit hesitant due to the German luxury car maintenance horror stories I've heard over the years. These are the questions I was hoping you all could answer to help put my mind at ease:

What significant maintenance costs have you incurred over the time you've had your B8/B8.5 A4s? Could anything have been done to prevent them?

Is there a reason to seriously consider the 8 speed auto over the 6MT?

I would assume a lot of you considered a BMW 3 series while shopping. Why did you choose the A4? Do you regret not going with the BMW?

And finally, do you think owning an Audi is worth the extra cost and potentially expensive maintenance risks?

Thanks in advance for the help!