arsenal

To be succint, the Mrs. would like a new car (used) that has the following...

Manual
Sunroof
AWD
Fun to drive.
Decent amount of space (camping)
$5-6K.

We've ruled out Subaru's.

It's come down to a 2002 A4 Quattro 1.8T with 130K, or a 2003 BMW 325ix with 90K.

Both cars are the same price. The car will be in snow for skiing etc. so descending and ascending a mountain fairly often in the winter.

We're looking at the Audi this evening and the BMW tomorrow morning.

Any thoughts or suggestions as far as reliability, cost of ownership etc. Have experience with BMW's but not Audis...

Thanks!

d1rtyc4r

I'm not sure either of those cars has TOOORQUES!!!!

Just kidding. AFAIK, but not from personal experiences, you should avoid Audi's from that generation.

arsenal

Hmm, I thought it was the previous gen to avoid, the 1996-2001

limbo

Why no Subaru's? I'd be leary of either one of those cars at that mileage/price point, make sure to have a mechanic check it out either way.

sam_spider

We've had a 99 A4 and an 05, the 99 was used when we bought it and was fine, the 05 was problem free too but was only a 3 yr lease. Look out for electrical issues on the older Audi's, it tends to be hit or miss, check the VIN (on both cars) at a dealer to get a service history. We've also had an 07 328xi. Gas mileage in the Audi was quite excellent, the 05 (1.8T) was good for 31-32mpg highway, I could never get anywhere near that from the 328.

The Audi will have a lot more storage (trunk) space than the 325, plus the rear seats fold down in the Audi, in the BMW's it was/is an option, our 328's did not fold down.

I'd say they'd both cost the same for maintenance/repairs.

d1rtyc4r

Volvo S60 R
Volkswagen Passat W8

But yeah, Audi seems to dominate AWD manual at that price range, at least in my area.

mosesbotbol

Audi scares me when it's out of warranty. I'd pick the BMW for sure. BMW is easier to fix with less expensive parts. How about a good FWD runner like a SAAB? They are great in the snow. Parts are unusually expensive, but they are reliable cars.

arsenal

We did consider SAAB, she would just like the assurance of AWD.

Volvo was an option, until we realized it's impossible to find a manual version.

There is no way I am going anywhere near a W8 engine. The V6 4motion maybe, but not a W8.

No on the Subaru for driving enjoyment and looks.

The Audi comes with FSH etc. owned by an elder couple, same with BMW

mosesbotbol

I hear you on the W8 (or W12) engines. Would love a Bentley Continental, but would only buy one with V8. I can tell you from 1st hand experience and that of thousands of people in the North East that a Saab with snow tires is unstoppable in the snow. New England has the most Saab's in the world.

arsenal

Oh I know about the SAAB's, but in this case, I think the comfort of knowing it is AWD is what she wants...we did just find a 2000 1.8T Avant, looking at that this evening, fingers crossed it's a good one