need a car - Page 12 - Snowboarding Forum

ShredTaos · 12-26-2011, 11:58 PM

They really don't blow up all that "randomly", although they do take out headgaskets when pushing for high power. You've gotta rock some aftermarket ARP headstuds and a good gasket to safely run 300+whp. On stock boost they will regularly see 180-200k which is pretty good for a stock turbo vehicle. Most of the ones blown up were done so by idiot kids trying to make them "fast" and have no clue about air/fuel ratios.

As for the bigger car thing, you've got me there. I don't think you will find much else for that price range. Maybe you could find a mirage vr4, but those are so damn rare.

SPAZ · 02-25-2012, 06:44 PM

So, at a max price of 5000 (going to go for the loan, probably not going to happen though) I've found two cars on autotrader that I really like. I figured if I got an Audi, I wouldn't get a turbocharged model as they tend to be more problematic (but I'm still slightly hesitant because of their reliability issues) and I would prefer the space of an A6 (been headed to the mountains with my friend a bit, he has a '97 model).

My criteria is pretty similar, but I'm more open to six cylinders now than a turbocharged four. I definitely want AWD (I think Quattro is better than Subaru's Symmetrical AWD), a sunroof, heated leather seats, and decent mpg as gas is going to cost five bucks a gallon this summer. Plus I want a reliable and easily maintained car, since I plan on getting 5-10 years out of it.

1997 Audi A6 2.6 Avant Quattro with 120k - $4995

I like the older body style a lot, as I said my friend has the sedan version, which by the way fits two boards, a pair of skis, and all our equipment in the trunk with room to spare. But they have minor bugs in them, and are regarded to as much more reliable than the more recent generations. The interior of this particular one is excellent by the looks of the pictures, but the lack of side curtain airbags in the newer one's as well as the lack of other modern amenities sort of sucks.

2001 Audi A6 2.8 Avant Quattro with 94k - $4900

This one is a newer generation, and while it has more quirks (namely door panels popping off and strange drivetrain issues) it has very few miles for the year and it is the most reliable model year for that gen according to Edmunds. With a bigger engine and more safety improvements like side curtain airbags I would feel more comfortable in it. I also like the black leather interior and is bigger than an outback. But I'm still antsy because of the problems the early 2000's Audi's and VW's are known for, especially if anything electrical goes wrong and the car just becomes a mechanical nightmare.

2000 Audi A6 2.8 Quattro with 115k - $5900

And, if I can pull together another grand I wouldn't mind getting a higher trim in the sedan body style. This 2000 Audi A6 is by far the coolest of the cars I've posted. And as I said, theres enough space in trunk for our boards and bags, I would most likely get one of the thule racks too.

Then theres the Subaru's. They would be the much more sensible choice since their much cheaper to repair, insure, maintain, and fill at the pump. But the four cylinder models don't have the power I want. Subaru turbocharged engines are much more refined than the Audi's, with the exception of the 2005. If I could find a Forester XT in my price range with decent mileage, I would jump on it. But their also smaller than the Audi. And less comfortable on longer drives (seats and road noise), and are less fun to drive as opposed to a German sportwagon.

2001 Subaru Legacy Wagon with 80k - $4995

I could beat the shit out of this car and it would be fine. Not that I would as I am more responsible than that, plus it has low miles. It would definitely get me to where I'm going everytime, and with some style, not to mention be cheap. But it is sort of slow, not to mention it's a four cylinder and is sort of dull looking compared to the Audi. It would be really cheap to run and maintain for the most part, once I take care of the headgaskets. However, it isn't as safe as the A6 being smaller and lacking side airbags.

2002 Subaru Outback H6 L.L. Bean Edition with 151k - $4950

This car has higher miles than the others, but it fits the criteria better. It has heated leather seats, DUAL sunroofs, a H6 engine, and side airbags. Not to mention, the red is really sporty. But the interior still isn't the interior of an Audi. I can live with that if the car will last longer than an Audi, though. I think it would be cheaper to insure, too.

Any input on which car I should go with and reasoning for so would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot!

Chef Jer · 02-25-2012, 07:08 PM

I'd personally avoid the Audi's. I've owned a number of VW's and while they have all been fun to drive and had nice interiors.... I will never buy another because of the reliability issues I've experienced and the cost of parts/labor when they are in the shop.

FWIW I have been shopping for and just ordered a new car and while I love the way Audi's look and drive... I never considered one because of my previous VW experiences.

Smokehaus · 02-25-2012, 07:27 PM

I would never own my VW if I did not know how to work on cars. I personally have not had any problems with mine over the past 6 years, but then again I have one of the more solid engines and I am religious about my maintenance.

Chef Jer · 02-25-2012, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smokehaus

I would never own my VW if I did not know how to work on cars. I personally have not had any problems with mine over the past 6 years, but then again I have one of the more solid engines and I am religious about my maintenance.

I dont know how to work on em

I really like Audis... just couldn't stomach the reliability and maintenance $$$.

Smokehaus · 02-25-2012, 08:20 PM

I would not go as far to say that they are any less reliable than any other cars with proper routine maintenance, but if something goes wrong and you can't fix it yourself you will be paying more for parts and labor generally.

Chef Jer · 02-25-2012, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smokehaus

I would not go as far to say that they are any less reliable than any other cars with proper routine maintenance, but if something goes wrong and you can't fix it yourself you will be paying more for parts and labor generally.

My personal experience is hardly a scientific study... between my GF and me we've had 3 VW's and 3 Acuras/Honda's.

The Acura/honda's were more reliable than the VWs we've owned. We're trading in her 2004 civic with 104k that still runs great on my new car. She's taking my 06 RSX type S that has required nothing other than standard services and a set of tires since I got it new. Much different experience than the $$$ we pumped into the Vdubs.

If my personal experience had been better with VW I probably would have bought a new A4 instead of the Subaru I ordered this week.

Smokehaus · 02-25-2012, 08:38 PM

Yup, all personal experience. I see cars of all types come in with every problem you can imagine. Some cars are notorious for having certain failing parts and I can almost guess what I will be working on even before I pull them into my bay.

As for older Hondas, you just have such a hard time breaking anything on them.

I personally would of gotten the subie as well, but that is more because I like their AWD system better in snow.

Argo · 02-25-2012, 09:04 PM

I wil stick with my truck. I have had it for 2.5 years and put 60k miles on it driving across the country a few times. I replaced the batteries when I moved up to the mountains as a preventive deal. no problems otherwise. I have pulled out so many subies, audis and other small cars/trucks that it isnt even funny..... usually in deep snow while its dumping going up or down mountain passes...

Chef Jer · 02-25-2012, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Argo

I wil stick with my truck. I have had it for 2.5 years and put 60k miles on it driving across the country a few times. I replaced the batteries when I moved up to the mountains as a preventive deal. no problems otherwise. I have pulled out so many subies, audis and other small cars/trucks that it isnt even funny..... usually in deep snow while its dumping going up or down mountain passes...
http://www.snowboardingforum.com/att..._4434166_n.jpg

Nice Argo

I wanted something a little better mpg

I think my WRX with 4 snows should get me up and back from the resorts in all but the worst conditions

02-25-2012, 06:44 PM	#112 (permalink)
SPAZ -LIFETIME MEMBER- Join Date: May 2009 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 1,818	So, at a max price of 5000 (going to go for the loan, probably not going to happen though) I've found two cars on autotrader that I really like. I figured if I got an Audi, I wouldn't get a turbocharged model as they tend to be more problematic (but I'm still slightly hesitant because of their reliability issues) and I would prefer the space of an A6 (been headed to the mountains with my friend a bit, he has a '97 model). My criteria is pretty similar, but I'm more open to six cylinders now than a turbocharged four. I definitely want AWD (I think Quattro is better than Subaru's Symmetrical AWD), a sunroof, heated leather seats, and decent mpg as gas is going to cost five bucks a gallon this summer. Plus I want a reliable and easily maintained car, since I plan on getting 5-10 years out of it. 1997 Audi A6 2.6 Avant Quattro with 120k - $4995 I like the older body style a lot, as I said my friend has the sedan version, which by the way fits two boards, a pair of skis, and all our equipment in the trunk with room to spare. But they have minor bugs in them, and are regarded to as much more reliable than the more recent generations. The interior of this particular one is excellent by the looks of the pictures, but the lack of side curtain airbags in the newer one's as well as the lack of other modern amenities sort of sucks. 2001 Audi A6 2.8 Avant Quattro with 94k - $4900 This one is a newer generation, and while it has more quirks (namely door panels popping off and strange drivetrain issues) it has very few miles for the year and it is the most reliable model year for that gen according to Edmunds. With a bigger engine and more safety improvements like side curtain airbags I would feel more comfortable in it. I also like the black leather interior and is bigger than an outback. But I'm still antsy because of the problems the early 2000's Audi's and VW's are known for, especially if anything electrical goes wrong and the car just becomes a mechanical nightmare. 2000 Audi A6 2.8 Quattro with 115k - $5900 And, if I can pull together another grand I wouldn't mind getting a higher trim in the sedan body style. This 2000 Audi A6 is by far the coolest of the cars I've posted. And as I said, theres enough space in trunk for our boards and bags, I would most likely get one of the thule racks too. Then theres the Subaru's. They would be the much more sensible choice since their much cheaper to repair, insure, maintain, and fill at the pump. But the four cylinder models don't have the power I want. Subaru turbocharged engines are much more refined than the Audi's, with the exception of the 2005. If I could find a Forester XT in my price range with decent mileage, I would jump on it. But their also smaller than the Audi. And less comfortable on longer drives (seats and road noise), and are less fun to drive as opposed to a German sportwagon. 2001 Subaru Legacy Wagon with 80k - $4995 I could beat the shit out of this car and it would be fine. Not that I would as I am more responsible than that, plus it has low miles. It would definitely get me to where I'm going everytime, and with some style, not to mention be cheap. But it is sort of slow, not to mention it's a four cylinder and is sort of dull looking compared to the Audi. It would be really cheap to run and maintain for the most part, once I take care of the headgaskets. However, it isn't as safe as the A6 being smaller and lacking side airbags. 2002 Subaru Outback H6 L.L. Bean Edition with 151k - $4950 This car has higher miles than the others, but it fits the criteria better. It has heated leather seats, DUAL sunroofs, a H6 engine, and side airbags. Not to mention, the red is really sporty. But the interior still isn't the interior of an Audi. I can live with that if the car will last longer than an Audi, though. I think it would be cheaper to insure, too. Any input on which car I should go with and reasoning for so would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot! __________________ 2011 Never Summer Revolver-R 156 2011 Flux RK30's 2010 Rome Libertines Last edited by SPAZ; 02-25-2012 at 06:48 PM.

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12-26-2011, 11:58 PM	#111 (permalink)
ShredTaos Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 98	They really don't blow up all that "randomly", although they do take out headgaskets when pushing for high power. You've gotta rock some aftermarket ARP headstuds and a good gasket to safely run 300+whp. On stock boost they will regularly see 180-200k which is pretty good for a stock turbo vehicle. Most of the ones blown up were done so by idiot kids trying to make them "fast" and have no clue about air/fuel ratios. As for the bigger car thing, you've got me there. I don't think you will find much else for that price range. Maybe you could find a mirage vr4, but those are so damn rare.

02-25-2012, 07:08 PM	#113 (permalink)
Chef Jer Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 395	I'd personally avoid the Audi's. I've owned a number of VW's and while they have all been fun to drive and had nice interiors.... I will never buy another because of the reliability issues I've experienced and the cost of parts/labor when they are in the shop. FWIW I have been shopping for and just ordered a new car and while I love the way Audi's look and drive... I never considered one because of my previous VW experiences.

02-25-2012, 07:27 PM	#114 (permalink)
Smokehaus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NoVA Posts: 891	I would never own my VW if I did not know how to work on cars. I personally have not had any problems with mine over the past 6 years, but then again I have one of the more solid engines and I am religious about my maintenance.

02-25-2012, 08:20 PM	#116 (permalink)
Smokehaus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NoVA Posts: 891	I would not go as far to say that they are any less reliable than any other cars with proper routine maintenance, but if something goes wrong and you can't fix it yourself you will be paying more for parts and labor generally.

02-25-2012, 08:38 PM	#118 (permalink)
Smokehaus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NoVA Posts: 891	Yup, all personal experience. I see cars of all types come in with every problem you can imagine. Some cars are notorious for having certain failing parts and I can almost guess what I will be working on even before I pull them into my bay. As for older Hondas, you just have such a hard time breaking anything on them. I personally would of gotten the subie as well, but that is more because I like their AWD system better in snow.