Audi/VW owners chime in (1 Viewer)

[Heckraiser]

Hi Folks,

My Acura is getting pretty worn out and I need a presentable 4-door vehicle for work (luxury brand or top of the line Honda/Toyota type vehicle). I'm looking for something used in the $20k ballpark. The kicker is that my garage is tight and I would like something definitely under 190" total length, preferably under 186". Cars just keep getting bigger and bigger, so the size is tough to work around. AWD is a plus (though definitely not necessary), reasonably fun to drive is almost a requirement. I would like to stick with a sedan/wagon body style and avoid cute utes or crossovers.


The car I find myself coming back to is an Audi A4 with the 2.0t. Right size, right "image" (lol), good performance, etc. The problem is that I have never really trusted any volkswagen/audi vehicle in terms of reliability. My wife's Jetta left her stranded twice before 30k miles before we took it back to the dealership and bought a Honda. I've also read that the 2.0t burns a lot of oil, which I can deal with, but also seems like a knock against the vehicle for overall quality. I've heard a lot of horror stories, but I don't know if I'm just retaining that information due to my personal bias. I also have a friend with a 2.0t Golf that has never given him a single problem.

I know some of you guys probably have experience with these vehicles. Should I stay away? Was your experience positive? Is it going to live in the shop and drain my wallet?

TIA

 

[Skillet]

I've owned five Audi vehicles of all years from mid-80s to early 2000s. Also, a few VWs. Love driving them, hate fixing them, and I am handy with most mechanics. Since then, I am sure they have become even more of a PITA. My conclusion for VW / Audi is they are great as lease vehicles. Once you hit the end of the lease, give them back before all the real problems start and let someone else deal with the BS. Just one man's experienced opinion...if this will be a used vehicle with some miles on it, STAY AWAY FROM AUDI / VW.

 

[scottm]

Nope, I used to love Audi/VW, but they are still not reliable enough for me or my family.

This might be too long: 2009 Lexus LS 460 AWD, $22,999 - Cars.com

I own one of these, absolutely love it (and it is exactly 190" long): 2007 Lexus GS 350 , $22,995 - Cars.com

2010 Lexus GS 350 , $22,995 - Cars.com

2010 Lexus GS 350 , $22,990 - Cars.com

2011 Lexus GS 350 Base, $22,950 - Cars.com

 

[Heckraiser]

Hmmm the GS is 190" I always thought that car was bigger than that. That could be a possibility, but it is definitely on the large side for me. What I would really love is an IS350 but the back seat is barely suitable for a toddler

 

[OregonLC]

G37x. 187.9" in length. 328hp. Meets your 'image' requirement. The Nissan VQ series engine is the best V6 out there. Factory Nav is actually pretty good and intuitive. Easily meets your price target. Probably not quite up there with Lexus durability, but it's a only a small trade off for performance. I've had a number of Nissans and they've all been flawlessly reliable and more fun than Honda/Toyota offerings of similar type.

 

[scottm]

The GS is truly fun, very lux, very Toyota. Mine has GS F-springs lowering it about an inch, and custom cat-back exhaust, slightly less lux and more fun. Pic from PO, had it less than a year now.

 

[Heckraiser]

I have two friends with the G37 and they both complain about the transmission being a bit wonky. My wife considered that car too, and was deterred by transmission horror stories on the interwebs. Both my buddies' cars are racking up miles and still going, but they both complain about the funky transmission.

 

[Skillet]

Nissan blows anymore.

 

[Heckraiser]

I used to have a '99 G20 which was completely terrible to own, but pretty fun for a econobox. I know the new g37 has nothing in common with that car, but it did leave a bad taste in my mouth with regard to nissan quality. Maybe I should bum one of my friends' g37 for a week and see what I think

 

[ryanCA]

I have a Acura TSX Wagon. 2013 Model Tech package. My garage is 190" and it fits in there perfectly.

2011-2014 is when they are made.

I have two toddlers under 4 years of age, with child seats.

 

[Heckraiser]

I do like the TSX--my wife currently drives a 2009 It's a swell car, but I would like something a little peppier. They do make a 3.5 v6 version but Acura only sold like three of them

 

[Heckraiser]

GS dash layout is too dated for me--bleh. Aside from that, the GS would be a strong contender.

 

[ryanCA]

My wife had a GTI and a A3. They were nothing but problems. Will never buy VAG product with hard earned money. Will take it for free.

How about Acura TL-S, Quad pipes, manual trans. 300+HP?

 

[dieseldog]

GS dash layout is too dated for me--bleh. Aside from that, the GS would be a strong contender.

Dated? That's pure class and functionality.

 

[Heckraiser]

I hate the round buttons alongside the nav screen. Other than that, it looks fine. The whole reason I'm shopping is because my 2005 TL is getting dated (and a little beat up), and IMO that dash is more dated than my Acura's.

There is a sleek black GS450H in the local classifieds for $19k

 

[dieseldog]

If round buttons are dated, then we're all fxxxed.

 

[MJM]

I am a big fan of Audi
owned A4 put 100k on it in 3 years traded for another A4 put 100k on it traded to 07 A6 put 150K on it now have 14 A6TDI.
Only issues with A4 2.0 the turbo boots would always pop off. Simple to put back on took less than 3 min but annoying.
No issues with the 07 A6 beyond normal stuff
14A6 TDI the verdict is still out only 50K on it.

 

[Skillet]

is that a cassette player at the bottom?

 

[OregonLC]

They're old man cars. What'd you expect?

We had a 2007 ES 350 and that thing was a bloated Buick. It was the worst driving car I've ever had. Zero feedback, horribly under dampened, huge turn-in lag. At least it didn't have a tape player.

 

[OregonLC]

I have two friends with the G37 and they both complain about the transmission being a bit wonky. My wife considered that car too, and was deterred by transmission horror stories on the interwebs. Both my buddies' cars are racking up miles and still going, but they both complain about the funky transmission.

What year were those? I only have around 27k on my 2012 but it shifts flawlessly. And the rev-matched downshift is a thing of beauty. And manual mode in the G won't try to outsmart you like on some other brands; it will hold rev limiter until you command otherwise.

And in Sport mode, it's very, very good and doing multiple downshifts when you brake hard into corners so that when you come back on with power it's right at the peak of the power band. It's rare that Sport is doing something I don't want it to do, other than maybe holding a gear because it thinks I'm still playing when I'm waiting on traffic to pass.

The only complaint I have is that regular Drive is biased heavily toward fuel econ. It's a 7 speed so you can end up with some pretty tall gears at relatively low speeds. Sport solves this but can be a little on the buzzy side for just driving around town (4k upshifts).