in terms of reliability, which one is the best and also least cost effective when it comes to parts and labor? Looking for a nice dd and im torn between the two.
I can give you plenty of examples of what goes wrong with Audi’s. Which model were you thinking? It’s safe to say that all audi’s (96ish to 2004ish I believe) will have control arms that need replacing and wheel bearings that will go bad. Other then that, you have to make sure to keep up on preventative maintainance (ie timing belt, t-stat, water pump, etc.) and always use synthetic oil. From there, each model with have litte quirks but they really aren’t all that bad.
word. yeah control arms and wheel bearings are the big audi issues. sometimes you run into problems with minor electronics like ABS control modules, or the HVAC control panel with the older Climatronic systems, older A4’s like to eat heater cores, and as nick and chris found out the D2 Audi A8(or A6 with the 4.2 V8) has a faulty oilcooler bushing type plastic piece that fails are requires a ton of work to change this tiny part.
cant speak on behalf of BMW’s but fnskanks or jclark may know
looking into a4s and a6s, trying to get 04 and up if i can find a good deal. BMWs i was looking at 328xi’s 330xi’s and 330i’s. Before i liked the audis more, always wanted an a8 but i feel like that car is just to much, now im leaning towards bmw though.
e46s have just as many problems as the audis do in the form of suspension bushings and wheel bearings as well. They’re not bad though. I’d go with an e39 5er.
I know very little about Audis but BMWs have been tanks, in my experience, if they get regular preventative maintenance. But with neglect, they seem to go bad quicker than your average Chevy pickup.
95% of them dont have timing belts, so you wouldnt have to worry about that headache, but some of the models need 60k cooling system parts, etc.
No car is perfect.
Wow this post wasnt really much help, eh? :rofl
i do the bmw is all honesty ,we have audi,s in the shop for dumb shit all the time .mostly front end shit axles on occasion …bmw,s are rare for dumb shit
no wonder i can get more for the buck with audi, hmmmmm
Between comparable models of the two makes, I would take the BMW over the Audi. BMW’s are more “pleasing” to work on when you actually have to get down and dirty with the cars. Some things on Audis are just a clusterfuck to work on. Components are no more expensive than any Audi counterpart and are just as easy to locate and get your hands on in a pinch.
that and most audi,s fall on there face around 80k if not anally maintained…and like adam said they are a bitch to work on …like a t-belt on a 6cyl whole nose off the car
I was under the impression that the 96’ though 2000 something Audi’s had a tendency to have electrical problems. My ex had a 97 A4 and along with the wheel bearing going, there was always something electrical wrong with it.
nose off takes no time at all. nick can do a T-belt, WP job on a B5 A4 in no time, far less time than a shop rapes people for.
we can get the nose off the A4/S4 in like 20 minutes taking our time
I think the '04 3 series is a much better looking car than the '04 a4/a6.
Just throwing that out there.
ask Lconrad how he likes 330Ci’s
my 2003 A6 hasnt needed anything major yet. im at 80kmi. i changed rotors and pads just past 60kmi, regular oil changes, new set of tires and so far thats basically it.
Yet.
correct. im looking forward to my wheel bearings and control arms
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I tried to simplify using a 1-5 out of 5 chart. Hope this helps 
I’ve been with Audi for 5 years - as these guys said - preventative maintenance is the key. The more you neglect it the more you will hate it because it will nickle and dime you to death (or just bankrupt you all at once). BMW is a little bit less of an extreme from what I understand but both cars are about equally expensive to buy parts for. In the end it comes down to what you like and what you want to spend. If you don’t mind replacing turbo’s I’d recommend getting an A6 2.7T and getting the K04 upgrade Quick and fun car, also big and comfy. That’s just me though
im with you on that A6 thought
Audi interiors FTW!