Has Audi's reliability improved?

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My wife has a new job and wants to trade her Mazda3 in on a new 2015 Audi A4 Quattro with a manual transmission. Consumers Reports says Audi's reliability has gone up in recent years. Are there any known issues plaguing the current generation A4's to be concerned about?
 
Anecdotal evidence, but.... a coworker has an Audi A4 2.0T that's only a couple of years old that needed a new engine due to excessive oil consumption.

Audi took really good care of him though, and the new engine is nice and tight. With this particular issue it seems as though if it's going to happen it's going to happen really early.
 
Having owned a couple of Audi's and having been burned by CR's trends more than once, I am skeptical.

However any vehicle that is new will likely be relatively reliable early in it's life, and you get a warranty to boot. How long would she intend to keep it? I'd not want an old one I'll tell you that.
 
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
My wife has a new job and wants to trade her Mazda3 in on a new 2015 Audi A4 Quattro with a manual transmission.


Save your salary increase, don't blow it all or you never actually got a raise.

If she 'needs' a new car, though, why not a Mazda6 manual? Or Accord Sport? I feel that these would be a much better value over an Audi, that who knows how it will cost over time.
 
ahh there goes that "everyone recommends mazda" but never buys one
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Yes, the overall VAG reliability is pretty good these days. Is it at Hyundai levels? No, but they're certainly average or above average, depending on the specific vehicle.

The A4 is Audi's bread-and-butter machine. It's pretty solid.
 
Accord Sport with manual transmission is a sweet car, better quality also.

I would keep the Mazda (nice car) and just increase retirement contributions.
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I suppose this is where everyone jumps in and reccommends (insert japanese car here).

Obviously Id be a bit partial, but I had a 2007 A4, for 30,000 miles of its life and now a 2007 s4 for 27,000 miles of its life. No major issues with either. Where in the midwest are you?

I wouldn't say that their reliability was in a place that sucked either. I have seen WAYYYY worse quality control on many other manufacturers.

Im always very well taken care of at dealers (with their warranty or with my third-party warranty) and have only been at one that I would not recommend.
 
Reliability is relative. Basic maintenance on a German car is very different from basic maintenance on a Honda or Toyota.
 
Define reliable. Me, I want no repairs whatsoever before 100k. After 100k typical stuff (struts, brakes). After 200k, more expensive stuff, like an altenator or starter. 300k+ and then maybe a transmission.

But I'm not typical. YMMV.
 

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Accord Sport with manual transmission is a sweet car, better quality also.

I would keep the Mazda (nice car) and just increase retirement contributions.
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Yup. When I was still working, I rode my motorcycle to work most of the time. When it rained, or whatever, I drove my ancient '88 4runner. One of the guys I supervised was always making comments about why the boss would drive such an old heap. One day, I said to him, "Drive a new car, or retire a year earlier........That is the choice I made." He got a funny look on his face, and said "I never thought of it that way!"
 
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I've been wondering if Audi's quality has improved too. The A4, A3 and VW GTI are of interest to me.
 
Originally Posted By: surfstar
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
My wife has a new job and wants to trade her Mazda3 in on a new 2015 Audi A4 Quattro with a manual transmission.


Save your salary increase, don't blow it all or you never actually got a raise.

If she 'needs' a new car, though, why not a Mazda6 manual? Or Accord Sport? I feel that these would be a much better value over an Audi, that who knows how it will cost over time.

lots of people like blowing their hard earned cash . Its the american way. Look at the government we elect.
 
As a tech that still works on some, I would say its got better in some areas but added other issues as well. So yea a little better but if you are expecting Asian or even American reliability then I would say no.

Then on top of that repairs are usually more costly as well.

If its under warranty then they are ok as long as you are ok losing time dropping it off from time to time. But after warranty I would pass.
 
My friends S5 had a full transmission (auto) fail at 160miles!!! He complained it was shifting funny and they said it was him not used to car and blew him off. It broke down in the middle of downtown Boston in the center lane. He left it in the road and called Audi corporate.

After that Audi corporate drove him off in a S8 he got for a week and $2000 of least payments for his trouble to keep the lease.
 
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
Reliability is relative. Basic maintenance on a German car is very different from basic maintenance on a Honda or Toyota.


Yeah, but what's so drastically different?

Between my Volkswagen and Toyota it's all the same basic stuff. Fluids, brakes, filters, spark plugs, etc....

Maybe the higher end German cars need more attention?
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Define reliable. Me, I want no repairs whatsoever before 100k. After 100k typical stuff (struts, brakes). After 200k, more expensive stuff, like an altenator or starter. 300k+ and then maybe a transmission.

But I'm not typical. YMMV.



Pretty much what we get from our fleet trucks and exactly what I expect from my new Ram...
 
Originally Posted By: Mykl
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
Reliability is relative. Basic maintenance on a German car is very different from basic maintenance on a Honda or Toyota.


Yeah, but what's so drastically different?

Between my Volkswagen and Toyota it's all the same basic stuff. Fluids, brakes, filters, spark plugs, etc....

Maybe the higher end German cars need more attention?


Maybe I am incorrect but I understand DSG fluid change costs nearly $400 for a dealer to perform and it seems often from VW/Audi owners I know. Acura(aka Honda) is bolt affair.
 
Originally Posted By: rjundi
Maybe I am incorrect but I understand DSG fluid change costs nearly $400 for a dealer to perform and it seems often from VW/Audi owners I know. Acura(aka Honda) is bolt affair.


That's fair, I forgot about DSG servicing costs; it's supposed to happen every 40k miles.

Mine has a manual clutch, which is why I hadn't considered that.

Unfortunately my Toyota doesn't have one of the nice old drain and fill type transmissions. It doesn't even have a proper drain plug, which makes me sad.
 
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