Addison Cox

I have come across a fair priced good condition A5 (147k miles, $7990) in my town and I'm looking to gain some insight as to what kind of reliability the 2010 A5 2.0T Quattro has. It's the coupe body style with the Premium Plus package. The engine is the 2.0 TSFI with a 6-speed auto trans. I have always wanted an Audi but I don't know much about their reliability other than them costing an arm and a leg to repair. The car is absolutely immaculate and I would love to be the next owner. I can easily afford the monthly payments but worry about expensive repair bills. Any and all input is helpful. Thanks!

findalex

As much as I love my A5, I would not recommend a 10 year old Audi to someone who isn't prepared to spend a few thousand dollars everytime something breaks. At 147K, just about everything is ready to break on the engine and the transmission.

Even if the previous owner followed the EXACT manufacturer's specs, the engine and transmission is ready to be replaced. The 2010 engine has a problem with the timing chain tensioner and the timing chain stretch. Both are running on borrowed time at 147K. If those fail, it'll cost $2 - 3K+. Just changing out the parts before they fail will cost you $1K+ You will probably need your 3rd water pump, $1k+ at a dealer. The fuel filter, located beneath the passenger seat, in the gas tank, is also ready for a replacement. Think another $1K.

Audi says transmission+quattro has lifetime fluid. Lifetime means is about 100 kiloMETERS to the Audi lawyers. New transmission is $3 - 5k. Even if the prev owner changed ATF at every 50K, it's still a crap shoot because there are 3 differentials that also need be changed. The quattro differential fluid ALONE is $100+ per liter and is often neglected.

If you really want an Audi, get one just off-lease that's 2 - 3 years old, with less than 50K miles. You still have time to do all the preventative maintenance, and you'll probably get 5 years of troublefree driving out of it.

millersntx

I'd had a few Audi's over the years and unless it has clearly documented and correctly performed (dealers, audi specialty shops) maintenance, I'd walk away from a 10 year old 150K mile car.

Agree with Findalex - if you're a first time audi buyer, target something (preferably a CPO) with less than 50K miles and you'll have a car you can enjoy for a while.