1997 Audi A6

I can buy a A6 station wagon, 1997 for $3900. It has a new transmission. I have always had questions abt audi reliability. What am I getting myself into?

If the A6 is a bomb, what else can I get for about $4000?

~99 Land Rover Discovery

95-97 Volvo 850 Sedan or Wagon

2 98 durangos

Any particular year better on the Durango from 98 to 02?

Don't take Josh too seriously!

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/the-unthinkable-suv-buying-advice/4255/page1/

Thanks, that really helped. I borrowed my brother in laws durango a year ago for a 1500 mile trip and it was pitiful. I normally drive a wrx and have a ford explorer as a second vehicle to go to home depot etc. The explorer is now gone so looking for something else. The link mentions the grand cherokee as being a good possibility.

Early Subaru Forester? Seats 4 and a little one in the middle, tows small stuff, gets 25-28mpg on the highway(30 if you're an angel and everything is mechanically tip-top), parts bin engineering means lots of WRX suspension parts bolt right on, beats snow banks to death, great in mud with the tires aired down, and has plenty of room for goats out back.

Just a thought.

I owned a 98 A4 for awhile. AWD w/ a 5 spd. It was a very nice car. Comfortable and well appointed. I sold it for reasons that were not really the car's fault... although gas mileage played a part. Even watching the OBC MPG gauge like a hawk, the best I could get out of the 2.8 V6 was around 25 mpg. Far too little for the amount of miles I drive.

Pretty good price. Maintenance for German cars are definitely expensive. Timing belt on the V6 is $1k - 1.5k.

Nice driving car but pleny of other cars in that price range depending on what you need and want.

97 2.8 is a 12 valve motor that chassis (C4) is bullet proof it is a mc pherson strut front end very tough Slow but tough. And AMG RX-7 if you know people who are spending 1k-1.5k on 12v timing belt please send them to me so I can retire soon! you can do that timing belt blindfolded w a hand tied behind your back. A new trans, that car is good to go for another 150k no problem if you do buy it do trans flush every 30 k and you have some serious reliability in that car plus they take a hit like a panzer i would be more than happy to take on that so called truck of a durango in that A6 in terms of passenger protection and the adverse weather capability. Quattro makes almost everything else w AWD seem like a joke with the exception of and STI or EVO everything else pails in comparison. Good luck

audifan wrote: 97 2.8 is a 12 valve motor that chassis (C4) is bullet proof it is a mc pherson strut front end very tough Slow but tough. And AMG RX-7 if you know people who are spending 1k-1.5k on 12v timing belt please send them to me so I can retire soon! you can do that timing belt blindfolded w a hand tied behind your back. A new trans, that car is good to go for another 150k no problem if you do buy it do trans flush every 30 k and you have some serious reliability in that car plus they take a hit like a panzer i would be more than happy to take on that so called truck of a durango in that A6 in terms of passenger protection and the adverse weather capability. Quattro makes almost everything else w AWD seem like a joke with the exception of and STI or EVO everything else pails in comparison. Good luck

Completely unbiased response

yes totally un biased
I will say that these cars can be tough to own if you don't understand them, or if you don't have mechanic that does. But also keep in mind for those of us that are mechanically inclined you get a whole lott'a car for cheap cause of old memories that die hard (great for me!)

Buy an older one, the previous generation with the 5 cyl engine was a way better car. The 91 avant quattro was also available in a 20V turbo which is a total rocket.

Porsche nut, Totally agree w you but they are essentially the same money and the 3b engined 200 turbo owners know what they have and the A6 is just an overall understressed vehicle therefore making @ longer lasting vehicle overall. The Best of both worlds is a 1995 S6 wagon all the go fast you could ever want (4-5 k over the purchase price nets you 385 ish hp @ the wheels! that is sports car killing territory all the while your kid is waiving @ the person in the sports car that you just pounded into the ground from the third row rear facing seat. trust me this is all possible and there are a few of them roaming around so be careful what you picka fight w) This is all provided you are looking for a manual trans. Really nice ones go for 13-18k higher mileag are down in the 6-10k range. www.audifans.com has a RS2 equipped s6 avant for sale (private not related blah blah blah) for 9k RS2 is a turbo, MAF, injector, manifold, and ECU upgrade (porsche originally did the R&D on the RS2 for Audi on the engine the result is a totallyu reliable 315 hp) you could not build an S6 avant w that equipment for that money today even in the business I could not do it using all of my pass go and collect 200$ cards up I could come no where close to it.