Cherished A4s is totalled...what now?

[elmurphy9]

I was in a massive accident (caused by some idiot illegally exiting an HOV lane and sideswiping the car in front of me in the fast late) and my 6spd '06 A4s is without a doubt totalled (I was hit by the driver in front of me as I tried to dodge on the right, then hit by the driver who started behind me, and then t-boned by a 15-ton truck as I slid across the freeway). I am extremely happy to just have my life, but not, not sad about losing this car I loved. It only had 86k miles on it, so I assume whatever value I fight their insurance for won't match the long term value to me - I'm hoping I get more than $4k.

Anyway, the car is at a body shop now and I have to speak with the adjuster Monday. Are there any steps I should take to maximize the insurance payout? Should I be trying to sell some of the car's parts? It had upgraded mirrors, exhausts, headlights, bose system, etc.

Finally, what is the best case for a replacement Audi with a ~10k budget? Hoping I find a 6spd B8 with less than 100k (preferably ~75k) miles? Is that ambitious?

Thank you for any and all help and please let me know if this should be on a different page!

[Theiceman]

B8s are.a nightmare, many many oil burners sitting on lots looking like beautiful cars. then you drive them away and find they are 5-8k to fix.

I would suggest reviewing the stickies on the b8 forum.

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[elmurphy9]

B8s are.a nightmare, many many oil burners sitting on lots looking like beautiful cars. then you drive them away and find they are 5-8k to fix.

I would suggest reviewing the stickies on the b8 forum.

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Wow just read a chunk of the oil consumption sticky...thank you for the heads up. Is there a way to check for the issue before purchasing or is B8 just luck of the draw/not worth the dice roll?

[SlvrArrw]

Sorry to hear. Just went thru that in April.
Mine was hit by a Suburban. I closed my eyes and let it go to copart, got a check for .
$ 4k and change minus deductable(194k miles) .Now the proud? owner of a 2014 B8 S-line (totally different animal). I will park it soon and get something else as a daily.

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[Theiceman]

Wow just read a chunk of the oil consumption sticky...thank you for the heads up. Is there a way to check for the issue before purchasing or is B8 just luck of the draw/not worth the dice roll?Very very difficult to tell.
Only way is to get proof pistons were replaced by Audi under recall or warranty.
Im sure some dont burn oil, but the risk is huge.
Timing chain and tensioner is an issue on pre facelift cars too.

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[EvolutionArmory]

Stay away from the B8 A4’s. If you have 10K in cash, use it as a downpayment on a 3.0T S4. They’re getting pretty cheap. Private sale S4’s are going as low as 16K.

[Audi 4 Life]

I was in a massive accident (caused by some idiot illegally exiting an HOV lane and sideswiping the car in front of me in the fast late) and my 6spd '06 A4s is without a doubt totalled (I was hit by the driver in front of me as I tried to dodge on the right, then hit by the driver who started behind me, and then t-boned by a 15-ton truck as I slid across the freeway). I am extremely happy to just have my life, but not, not sad about losing this car I loved. It only had 86k miles on it, so I assume whatever value I fight their insurance for won't match the long term value to me - I'm hoping I get more than $4k.

Anyway, the car is at a body shop now and I have to speak with the adjuster Monday. Are there any steps I should take to maximize the insurance payout? Should I be trying to sell some of the car's parts? It had upgraded mirrors, exhausts, headlights, bose system, etc.

Finally, what is the best case for a replacement Audi with a ~10k budget? Hoping I find a 6spd B8 with less than 100k (preferably ~75k) miles? Is that ambitious?

Thank you for any and all help and please let me know if this should be on a different page!Buy the car you want. Don't listen to what anyone else tells you to do. If you want a B8 a4 manual go get one theirs plenty that have been fixed and maintained properly. Well the manual part may not be easy to find but its not impossible.

I love my B8 granted I've spent ten times what anyone else has. I flew to get my ibis on black and had to do a manual swap and add a few oe options to get it how i wanted, But still I did what I wanted and I don't regret it.

Do what you want but obviously like others have said make sure the car checks out.


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[EvolutionArmory]

Yeah, don’t listen to anybody trying to stop you from making a mistake. You go ahead and spend that money anyway!!! 🤣🤣


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[Theiceman]

[o_o] <--- go in eyes wide open ...
i see we have a responsibility to make sure people are knowing exactly what they are getting into , not romanticizing about about how great its gonna be ..
if you get a good one its a great experience ... if you get a shiny turd ( which there are a LOT of shiny turds out there ) it will be a miserable experience .. so do your homework and have money saved for repairs as these cars are in the 10 year range now.

I have had a B7 and a B8 amongst others.. i wish i had done more research as you are doing and someone had advise me, the way Evo and I are advising you ..

[elmurphy9]

I really appreciate the advice to be cautious Ice and Evo. I appreciate the push to go get whatever I want from a4l too but, while I'd love to learn, I'm not super mechanically-oriented so I won't have the wherewithal to carefully solve issues that come up. I am also finishing grad school in a bit over a year and joining an extremely time-consuming field so that would also complicate things.

Seriously, thank you all for the insight. I guess my new questions now are: 1) would it be safe to buy a b8 that had a record showing the piston replacement by Audi (is this even common)? and 2) do you all have recommendations on how to figure out what is (and then find) the best deal on a replacement for (hopefully less than) 15k? Evo mentioned S4s starting at 16k but that being the low point makes me feel like I'll be priced out, and I haven't seen anything like that anywhere I've looked online so far. Being stuck on a manual transmission seems to really limit my market.

[EvolutionArmory]

B8 manuals are hard to find. If I was crazy enough to buy a B8 I’d look for a 13 or later with documentation of a piston replacement that has the 8 spd auto.

It’s a pretty good transmission. I’ve only owned one automatic in 22 years but since it’s real hard to find a B8 manual, settle on the 8 spd. The 6 spd in the early B8 is lame but the 8 spd in facelift models isn’t. They’re faster cars too.

Now here’s advice that you totally don’t want to hear. If you’re a student with little money, less time and no mechanical aptitude, old Audi’s aren’t for you.

Get something with low maintenance costs. It might not be as fun but live within your means.


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[elmurphy9]

You're right that I didn't want to hear that! hahaha.. [:|] One thing worth noting is that money won't be an issue after I finish grad school (and I have access to personal financing which I prefer to avoid). Maybe that means I should put some money down and take on payments until I can pay it off as a lump sum? Or maybe buying an A4 to resell in a couple of years is a good solution? I might move into NYC in a couple of years and would need to resell whatever I buy if that happens.

I read 20ish pages of the oil consumption thread and am curious to know if Audi really does take calls or emails with a list of VINs to let the caller know if stage 1 and 2 of the engine fix have been performed on each car? It doesn't seem to be evident on CarFax reports but maybe it also hasn't been done on the 40ish cars I've looked at so far.

Also, something I didn't see discussed in length is the consequences of refilling the oil as it burns.. That can't be a technically "good" solution, but I put very few miles on cars - less than 5k a year. That makes me think that, absent dire consequences, keeping a bunch of oil in the trunk could be a temporary solution if I somehow screwed up all this due diligence.

Finally, do you as Audi enthusiasts have recommendations on lower maintenance cars that Audi people generally like to drive? Again, I don't think I'd buy anything that's not manual (maybe when I can afford to have more than one car). My friend who got me into Audi 10 years ago is in love with his STI but they seem to hold their value really well so are generally more expensive than what I'm looking at (if I don't go the finance route).

[Theiceman]

i think if you want evidence of mitigation your best bet is to just stick to cars with service records. I dont think Audi will give you the time of day.
Remember as soon as these things start burning oil at a horrific rate and owner find out the repair costs , they dont say anything and just trade them in on other vehicles. and these vehicles look really nice on lots waiting for their next victim. if you can get one with validated repair you might be good. Many now state this has been done in the advertisement, as it is becoming such a well known issue on these cars...

Like EVO said your best bet if you want a reliable car in your situation is do NOT get an out of Warranty high mileage Audi ..

my story ... i bought a beautiful brilliant black high mileage Audi. i didnt think twice about it as i got service records and every single maintenance had been done at the purchasing dealer.. fully maintained by exclusively Audi .. fully loaded 2014 Premium plus Technik edition.
drove it home and oil light was on so added oil ... 180 miles was on again ... week later engine was out in my garage.

[EvolutionArmory]

And that’s a 14^^

2 years past what year Audi says is the last year bad pistons were put in.

Most B8 A4’s are trash.

We used to rent a room in our house to a mutual friend of ours. She bought a 2012 with under 80K. Audi would not rebuild her motor even though she was under the 8 year 80K warranty extension because she was the 3rd owner. Most of these cars are just traded in like he said. That’s what my roommate did. Bought a Subaru.


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[EvolutionArmory]

“Money won’t be an issue when I finish grad school”

You live in the present, not the future, right? Can’t spend money you didn’t make yet. That’s the worst way to think and it gets a lot of people in financial trouble early in life.

Sorry. I’lll take my adult hat off now. 🤣


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[Audi 4 Life]

Yeah, don’t listen to anybody trying to stop you from making a mistake. You go ahead and spend that money anyway!!! [emoji1787][emoji1787]


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)Its only a mistake if you fail to be smart about it. Its really not that hard to find a clean B8.

Bring a Ross tech, scan the car, check records, Get a PPI. Or find a reputable seller with records that you can trust your getting what its claimed to be.

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[Theiceman]

Its only a mistake if you fail to be smart about it. Its really not that hard to find a clean B8.

Bring a Ross tech, scan the car, check records, Get a PPI. Or find a reputable seller with records that you can trust your getting what its claimed to be.

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i can absolutely tell you 100% this is not true.

no scan will tell you anything about oil consumption , a PPI will reveal nothing about oil consumption, the ONLY way is to have documented proof it has been done.
Even then i would get a borescope to make sure the issue has not returned and scored the bores. ( this is the failure mode on the 5% of cars that the issue reoccurs on after Audis oil mitigation atempts)

Not to mention those looking for this car don't have this car , so they are not familiar with even what to look for .. id be surprised if a cursory PPi would tell you more than brakes tires and any repaint. takes a deeper knowledge to be checking phase adaption to asses timing chain stretch, verifying if it has a new tensioner, or even if the pcv is pulling the right vacuum.

that old school thinking of " scan for codes" and get a PPI has the potential to get you into a world of hurt on this platform.

Just my 2c but i think my 40 years of wrenching cars has earned me it.

[Black Jack]

i can absolutely tell you 100% this is not true.

no scan will tell you anything about oil consumption , a PPI will reveal nothing about oil consumption, the ONLY way is to have documented proof it has been done.
Even then i would get a borescope to make sure the issue has not returned and scored the bores. ( this is the failure mode on the 5% of cars that the issue reoccurs on after Audis oil mitigation atempts)

Appreciate the tip there. I spend much less time on the wifes wagon than I should concerning preventative maintenance. The car failed oil consumption test 1 and 2 at the dealer, they replaced the rings and pistons and everything has felt good ever since. But. We'll see.

[Theiceman]

Appreciate the tip there. I spend much less time on the wifes wagon than I should concerning preventative maintenance. The car failed oil consumption test 1 and 2 at the dealer, they replaced the rings and pistons and everything has felt good ever since. But. We'll see.

well done sir !! how many miles since your mitigation ? i'm sure OP would be interested if you are thinking of selling . Im sure your documentation of this repair will live with the car , its probably worth more than the car :)

i see you are like me and a few others are cursed with a B7and a B8 .. you must have run over a kitten in a previous life or something .

[EvolutionArmory]

Iceman, some people just cant handle good advice.

Like you said, PPI’s don’t tell you much of anything that is really important.

[Solarsuplex]

B8 S4 if looking at the chassis overall. the 3.0t is amazing and the seats will help you feel better about the decision.

[Black Jack]

well done sir !! how many miles since your mitigation ? i'm sure OP would be interested if you are thinking of selling . Im sure your documentation of this repair will live with the car , its probably worth more than the car :)

i see you are like me and a few others are cursed with a B7and a B8 .. you must have run over a kitten in a previous life or something .

The dealer took the long way around. Looking at my records...53k KMs they updated the camshaft bridge, then there was a few years of rough idling and just a wild array of things were updated to newer revisions including the entire manifold at 110k plus all injectors, a few PCVs, n80, test #1 @ 114k, test #2 at 115k quickly followed by the engine out piston replacement. Since then it's just been oil changes and the water pump assembly @ 145k and current mileage is ~160k. So, 45k kms to answer your question. Since my second hand purchase of the car I'm only into it for ~$13k. I'll be sitting on this one till the wheels fall off or a repair comes around too big for me to handle. The money is in the B7. For some odd reason.

[Audi 4 Life]

i can absolutely tell you 100% this is not true.

no scan will tell you anything about oil consumption , a PPI will reveal nothing about oil consumption, the ONLY way is to have documented proof it has been done.
Even then i would get a borescope to make sure the issue has not returned and scored the bores. ( this is the failure mode on the 5% of cars that the issue reoccurs on after Audis oil mitigation atempts)

Not to mention those looking for this car don't have this car , so they are not familiar with even what to look for .. id be surprised if a cursory PPi would tell you more than brakes tires and any repaint. takes a deeper knowledge to be checking phase adaption to asses timing chain stretch, verifying if it has a new tensioner, or even if the pcv is pulling the right vacuum.

that old school thinking of " scan for codes" and get a PPI has the potential to get you into a world of hurt on this platform.

Just my 2c but i think my 40 years of wrenching cars has earned me it.A PPI will absolutely reveal it by a competent shop if you specifically tell them what you want done during thr inspection. I assumed that was a given with what we were talking aboout to check the car out this isn't rocket science. Sorry it seems so difficult for you.

Your making it sound like its impossible to find a clean B8 and thats not true. I bought mine knowing this was issue and I made sure it was taken care of. I know lots of people who don't burn oil.



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[Theiceman]

A PPI will absolutely reveal it by a competent shop if you specifically tell them what you want done during thr inspection. I assumed that was a given with what we were talking aboout to check the car out this isn't rocket science. Sorry it seems so difficult for you.

Your making it sound like its impossible to find a clean B8 and thats not true. I bought mine knowing this was issue and I made sure it was taken care of. I know lots of people who don't burn oil.



Sent from my SM-G960U using TapatalkI give up.on you, you obviously know better but with no.detail. carry on...

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[Audi 4 Life]

I give up.on you, you obviously know better but with no.detail. carry on...

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I'm sorry you think its difficult or had a bad experience with your car but that doesn't mean its absolute.

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[Audi 4 Life]

OP I'd offer to sell you my car but its gonna be at least a few months before I'm listing it and may not be what your looking for as its is not your average B8 its 1of 1 and I'm not quite sure I want to let it go yet, but I'm trying... I've been working on getting it ready to list.



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[Theiceman]

Its just obvious you are doubling down and cant back off. there is no point as you just dont understand what evo and i are trying to say..
But post is not for you..i think op has an understanding of the issues.of this platform.and thats the point..

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[Audi 4 Life]

OP I'd offer to sell you my car but its gonna be at least a few months before I'm listing it and may not be what your looking for as its is not your average B8 its 1of 1 and I'm not quite sure I want to let it go yet, but I'm trying... I've been working on getting it ready to list.

I think there was a k04 manual in the classifieds not even too long ago it was super clean and enthusiast owned I forget who's it was but I've seen like 2 or 3 manuals for sale worth buying.

If you really want something and are patient enough and willing to do due dilligence and be smart about it. I see no reason to not to pursue what you want.






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[Audi 4 Life]

Its just obvious you are doubling down and cant back off. there is no point as you just dont understand what evo and i are trying to say..
But post is not for you..i think op has an understanding of the issues.of this platform.and thats the point..

Sent from my SM-G973W using Audizine Forum mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)No I fully understand but what your saying I just makes absolutly no sense. You think nobody should buy any B8s just because they had issues? You make it sound like their all fucked and its impossible to find a good one which just is NOT true.



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[EvolutionArmory]

Yes. Nobody should buy B8 A4’s unless you own the whole Snap On catalog and can work on them yourself. They are the worst used car for someone with no mechanical ability to own.

Even if the expensive major engine exploding problems are fixed, the car will still nickel and dime you to death like any old Audi can.

This is what I tell people now. Don’t buy a used Audi unless you can afford to buy 2 used Audi’s. Especially B6 and B7 S4’s and B8 A4’s because the engine’s are prone to have expensive maintenance and catastrophic failure.

He’ll, I probably wouldn’t recommend anyone buy a B7 A4 at this point either and I love my car....a lot. But I can afford to just go buy another one today for cash if I really needed to so I drive old Audi’s. I also have very little other financial responsibility because the wife and I live a very modest life within our means. Little debt, no extravagant purchases. The simple life.

You gotta give the advice best for the person asking for it, not what works for you. A student with no mechanical ability is the worst person for a 10 year old or older Audi.




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[Audi 4 Life]

Yes. Nobody should buy B8 A4’s unless you own the whole Snap On catalog and can work on them yourself. They are the worst used car for someone with no mechanical ability to own.

Even if the expensive major engine exploding problems are fixed, the car will still nickel and dime you to death like any old Audi can.

This is what I tell people now. Don’t buy a used Audi unless you can afford to buy 2 used Audi’s. Especially B6 and B7 S4’s and B8 A4’s because the engine’s are prone to have expensive maintenance and catastrophic failure.

He’ll, I probably wouldn’t recommend anyone buy a B7 A4 at this point either and I love my car....a lot. But I can afford to just go buy another one today for cash if I really needed to so I drive old Audi’s. I also have very little other financial responsibility because the wife and I live a very modest life within our means. Little debt, no extravagant purchases. The simple life.

You gotta give the advice best for the person asking for it, not what works for you. A student with no mechanical ability is the worst person for a 10 year old or older Audi.




Sent from my iPhone using Audizine (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)Sorry you feel that way. But there thousands and thousands of people who obviously feel different since they are everywhere on the road.

I think the issues is over exagerated and most have been fixed by now. Audi has made over 2 million cars since the b7 was made the issues are such a small percentage IMO and is just dramatized. Both of you are arguing nobody should own Audi's yet you justify owning them. Guess you don't see the hippocrisy.


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[EvolutionArmory]

I have the money to maintain an old Audi. I thought I made that perfectly clear.

I also have the ability to diagnose what’s wrong with it when things go wrong. It’s not hypocritical if you actually listen.

[Theiceman]

Evo just leave him, let the court of popular opinion decide..
Op ignore this shitshow thread and just go in eyes wide open and go hang out on the b8 forum and learn from real experiences guys see everyday.
It will become painfully obvious bullshit statements of " everything should be fixed by now" is just that.

I spend all day every day helping guys on the b8 forum. I have never seen one post by this audi4life guy so its obvious he has no clue what's going on around him.
Look for threads by guys like, dalmation, nitroviper and many others who just bought " clean b8s "..
Strap yourself in though as it gets pretty ugly.

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[EvolutionArmory]

The people who seem to think buying a B8 is a good idea are usually the ones that already did and now need to justify their purchase to themselves after the fact.

The truth is as far as quality used car purchases go, 09-12 A4’s are low on the list and the B8.5’s aren’t much higher.

B7’s are only slightly higher on that list. Definitely not by much though. 🤣🤣

[Theiceman]

The people who seem to think buying a B8 is a good idea are usually the ones that already did and now need to justify their purchase to themselves after the fact.

The truth is as far as quality used car purchases go, 09-12 A4’s are low on the list and the B8.5’s aren’t much higher.

B7’s are only slightly higher on that list. Definitely not by much though. 🤣🤣

what i think rates the B7 higher for me as outside of the balance shaft assemby , there are a lot of PITA falures none really will kill your engine and you get lots of warning...

the B8 is the silent killer, that tensioner goes, game over , major repairs if not new engine, oil consumption, game over. so that rates it lower in my book and the incidents are huge compared to the balance shaft assembly on the B7 which is really small in the big picture.

[EvolutionArmory]

I agree.

On top of all the things you mentioned about the B8, add the possibility of your IHI wastegate going out and needing a 1000 dollar turbo on top of that. That’s a common problem on the B7 BW turbo too but on top of all that stuff you mentioned, it makes B8 A4 ownership a non starter for me.

Then you also have water pump issues, wonky MMI stuff and the list goes on.


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[Charles.waite]

[o_o] <--- go in eyes wide open ...
i see we have a responsibility to make sure people are knowing exactly what they are getting into , not romanticizing about about how great its gonna be ..
if you get a good one its a great experience ... if you get a shiny turd ( which there are a LOT of shiny turds out there ) it will be a miserable experience .. so do your homework and have money saved for repairs as these cars are in the 10 year range now.

I have had a B7 and a B8 amongst others.. i wish i had done more research as you are doing and someone had advise me, the way Evo and I are advising you ..

Trying to reign it back in here, but ^^this.

Having owned two b7s and a b8 your experience will vary wildly mainly on the basis of luck.

My first b7 had no issues but it was a non-s-line tiptronic Avant with no options except Bose. It had the typical tiptronic torque converter issues and shifted rough, but otherwise was 100% reliable and didn’t burn oil.

My current b7 I took a flier on (because 6mt Ti Avant) and while it isn’t a choice I regret, it’s been a long (somewhat expensive) road to get it where it needs to be. And I’m not done yet.

Out b8 (q5 2.0t) was an amazing car...for us. I had to do the timing chains, which sucked because the car only had 70k miles but wasn’t all that terrible a job. Basically just oil
Changes for the majority of our ownership.

Now I said “for us” for a reason. We sold it a year and a half ago to upsize to a Q7. The new owner contacted me earlier this year asking about if I’d done any head work. Well turns out a valve dropped and destroyed the engine. Could be a random failure, could have been the result of some underlying issue i never knew was there. In any event the b8 was perfectly reliable...until it wasn’t. Even addressing the major chronic issue, it still up and failed.

Just be sure of what you’re getting into and much like the b7, have a rainy day fund set aside for something like this.

[Audi 4 Life]

OP wants to buy a B8 Manual. My point was unbiased and simple I told OP to do what he wants not listen to what bunch strangers on the forum say. All of you sound like someone who had a poor experience and couldn't handle fixing it properly..... Edit let me rephrase that as I just noticed both evo and ice SIG. Its obvious you both are just trying to justify ownership of your 15 year old base model A4.

These are German cars, and there is no failure that cannot be repaired properly and is no longer a issue. Every generation of Audi has had some kind of issue, its a European car if you can't expect that and know how to handle it or do the research to avoid it or be aware of it then you have no business buying one IMO.

Anyone who expects Audi's to be like some pos honda or other ricer, doesn't understand what they are driving and should not be buying any German car IMO.

Edited...
And this isn't a B8 vs B7 thread that isn't even a comparison. OP asked if he could find a clean serviced B8 manual. And the answer is simple YES if you do your research and buy the right model with good options (sline, manual crown diff not torsen, 3g+, etc) and service records. If anyone thinks that is not possible is flat out lying.

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[JRYtheS4]

I spent almost a year waiting for a B8 S4 6MT. You might get lucky but if you're constrained to 6MT like I was.. they're hard to find priced right. People are trying to get 3-5k more for a 6MT over a dsg. It was well worth the wait. I had settled for a 6MT vw cc and someone smashed it so I was able to shop again. S4 is sooooo much better.

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[Charles.waite]

I quick 30 second search of autotrader shows 20 6MT S4s listed nationwide. They’re not unobtainum at all.

[Charles.waite]

OP wants to buy a B8 Manual. My point was unbiased and simple I told OP to do what he wants not listen to what bunch strangers on the forum say. All of you sound like someone who had a poor experience and couldn't handle fixing it properly..... Edit let me rephrase that as I just noticed both evo and ice SIG. Its obvious you both are just trying to justify ownership of your 15 year old base model A4.

These are German cars, and there is no failure that cannot be repaired properly and is no longer a issue. Every generation of Audi has had some kind of issue, its a European car if you can't expect that and know how to handle it or do the research to avoid it or be aware of it then you have no business buying one IMO.

Anyone who expects Audi's to be like some pos honda or other ricer, doesn't understand what they are driving and should not be buying any German car IMO.

Edited...
And this isn't a B8 vs B7 thread that isn't even a comparison. OP asked if he could find a clean serviced B8 manual. And the answer is simple YES if you do your research and buy the right model with good options (sline, manual crown diff not torsen, 3g+, etc) and service records. If anyone thinks that is not possible is flat out lying.

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I wasn’t trying to pile on, I actually have far more faith in b8s than others do. The failure of ours didn’t occur during my ownership so frankly I have no clue how it happened or if it was caused by the driver, etc. If Audi made a 6mt b8 Avant, I’d likely be driving one right now. Personally despite the issues, the EA888 engines are fantastic. They have their issues as with nearly every Audi engine ever made.

And also agree, you roll the dice with any used Audi purchase. I don’t have issues with potential issues because I have the ability to work on them myself. Not everyone does, though.

[JRYtheS4]

I quick 30 second search of autotrader shows 20 6MT S4s listed nationwide. They’re not unobtainum at all.I mean yea, I could have driven 1000+ miles to look at a car I might not want. Still ended up driving 400 miles for mine. There were probably 3 dozen A4s and 15 dsg S4s available close by. It's certainly not unobtainable but a 6-speed is still less than 1% of the S4 market from what I experienced.

I have a friend that has a B8 A4 and loves it. Certainly see a ton of them on the road and they're not billowing oil smoke. It's all going to come down to that individual car. I think it's a given with any used luxury car that you'll need to either be mechanically inclined or have deep pockets. Or both. I just did all new front control arms and tie rod ends. Needed a battery, needs sport diff axle seals, shifter linkages, tires, and it might need a rear main seal or lower *timing cover gaskets. But I bought it knowing I'd want to spend whole weekends wrenching on it. You might need to spend more to get a car that will need nothing or very little as you finish grad school. Or, spend money on a warranty.

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[Charles.waite]

I mean yea, I could have driven 1000+ miles to look at a car I might not want. Still ended up driving 400 miles for mine. There were probably 3 dozen A4s and 15 dsg S4s available close by. It's certainly not unobtainable but a 6-speed is still less than 1% of the S4 market from what I experienced.

I have a friend that has a B8 A4 and loves it. Certainly see a ton of them on the road and they're not billowing oil smoke. It's all going to come down to that individual car. I think it's a given with any used luxury car that you'll need to either be mechanically inclined or have deep pockets. Or both. I just did all new front control arms and tie rod ends. Needed a battery, needs sport diff axle seals, shifter linkages, tires, and it might need a rear main seal or lower *timing cover gaskets. But I bought it knowing I'd want to spend whole weekends wrenching on it. You might need to spend more to get a car that will need nothing or very little as you finish grad school. Or, spend money on a warranty.

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Agreed. I drove 200 miles to get my b7 Avant. There werent many 6MT Avant a locally that had the Titanium package i was after with the low mileage. I could have been more picky but I wasn’t.

[csevans]

I rode my bike 3 miles to buy my B7.

[Lorenzo816]

Yes. Nobody should buy B8 A4’s unless you own the whole Snap On catalog and can work on them yourself. They are the worst used car for someone with no mechanical ability to own.

Even if the expensive major engine exploding problems are fixed, the car will still nickel and dime you to death like any old Audi can.

This is what I tell people now. Don’t buy a used Audi unless you can afford to buy 2 used Audi’s. Especially B6 and B7 S4’s and B8 A4’s because the engine’s are prone to have expensive maintenance and catastrophic failure.
.......................A student with no mechanical ability is the worst person for a 10 year old or older Audi.
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^^^This all day.
I started to do some digging around on B8s when my B7 took a sh!t and decided to just fix mine.
But again, what Evo says, I CAN WORK ON MY AUDI. I probably saved I dunno 5-7grand doing the work myself. This is why there are so many B7s and B8s in the junkyards and part-outs these days.
Same question I brought up a year ago, I eventually learned why.

Now I don't totally disagree with aud4life but Charles is right here, the audi will be reliable until it is not and the costs of that failure are usually jaw-dropping to most people if not everyone that can't work on it and pay for the parts/labor/time. etc.
I don't have any other car or truck that will rape me when it decides to fail like an Audi does. Sorry that's the truth and I have 8 vehicles spanning 50 years.

I vote for the 3.0T S4 like Evo said.
Now I'll go back to my cave.
Good luck man and sorry for the totaled Audi.

[Theiceman]

jesus well you guys stop adertising that car ?? majes my job of finding a reasonably priced one tougher.

secretly on the hunt for an S5 or an RS5 coupe.

[EvolutionArmory]

S5, S5, S5!!!!!

2021 might be the year I get one. Depends on how a couple things pan out.


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[Theiceman]

My problem is my B8 is running fantastic now .. i actually love the car .. and no one i dont think would want to pay any decent money for a 220KM car even though its a 2014, has a rebuilt engine and brand new suspension .. so that is my cunundrum...

[Hdale85]

Stay away from the B8 A4’s. If you have 10K in cash, use it as a downpayment on a 3.0T S4. They’re getting pretty cheap. Private sale S4’s are going as low as 16K.

I've seen some as low as 12k or so with higher miles. That 3.0T is nice and relatively solid.

[Charles.waite]

I don’t know man, a rebuilt engine on a b8 is likely a value add, haha.

[Theiceman]

I don’t know man, a rebuilt engine on a b8 is likely a value add, haha.

well until tjhey find out i did it ,,, according to posters here buyers will run when they hear that ...

my kiji add will say : "rebuilt by the Notorious ICE"

[Charles.waite]

To me, if the car is clean and well maintained, I wouldn't be wary of a self-rebuilt engine. However if the car is a mess then to me that signals "run away" because they likely put as much care into the rebuild as they do maintaining the car.

But yea, to many it scares them off regardless.

[EvolutionArmory]

There’s a 2014 Allroad in the B8 section. Has somewhat mild oil consumption but the owner just pawned it off to someone for 18.5K.

B8 A4’s are all trash. Even Allroads apparently. The only B8 A4 I’d even maybe consider is still trash. It’s too bad. Does anyone know if the gen3 EA888 2.0’s are trash or did VAG get their shit together yet?

[JRYtheS4]

Slight counterpoint, tonight just added water pump/thermostat to my list... [emoji37] Got coolant pissing out the front of my block onto the undertray. 3.0T will still require maintenance, especially if you're up near 100k miles like me. So now I'll be pushing back everything on my previous list for this job. $407 in parts.

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[Charles.waite]

There’s a 2014 Allroad in the B8 section. Has somewhat mild oil consumption but the owner just pawned it off to someone for 18.5K.

B8 A4’s are all trash. Even Allroads apparently. The only B8 A4 I’d even maybe consider is still trash. It’s too bad. Does anyone know if the gen3 EA888 2.0’s are trash or did VAG get their shit together yet?

Not sure about the gen3 engines.

The frustrating part about the EA888s is that we’re it not for those major Achilles heels (aka engineering failures) they would be fantastic engines, way better than our ea113s.

Frankly, though, the dual injector, supercharged CREC 3.0t engines are where it’s at. Aka, the one in my Q7. Haha. Port and direct injected, so no worries for carbon buildup. Water cooled supercharger so no major “turbo reliability” issues. Easy to tune the bejeezus out of (APR Stage 1 goes from 330 stock to 430, with zero supporting mods). And they’ve got no major faults, really.

Okay maybe the supercharger pulley clutch can fail occasionally, but that just basically puts you in limp mode, nothing major.

I sorta disagree that b8s are all trash, but again, these are opinions, and we’re goddamn entitled to them, right?!

Oh and also the water pump on the Q7 was replaced under warranty, it was leaking a bit of coolant. So, yea, Audi still has issues manufacturing basic shit well, but hey, maybe they’ll nail down the whole “don’t leak” thing by the 12th pump revision...

[Hdale85]

Yeah the 3.0t is a dream :) Eventually I'll get a B8/B9 wagon and swap it I think.