Faults:

When we got the car, the radiator cooling pipe split. This was taken to an Audi specialist (cheaper than dealer) and cost £120 to be fixed.

The car has an anti-stall feature. You can tell if yours does by putting the car into 1st and lift the clutch slowly. When it gets to the biting point, you'll notice the revs climb to 1400 rpm to correct the stalling. The negative side to this is it's linked to accelerator, and your car can be prone to flooding, especially on 1st starts. Don't put the accelerator down whilst starting the car.

Brakes/tyes/exhaust bills are generally higher. Disks and pads cost in the region £340 from a specialist. Tyres cost a minimum of £90 per unit depending on brand.

Trim peaces can be expensive. I replaced one piece, and it cost me £52 + VAT for a little plastic guard.

The 1.8 20valve produces about 125 bhp on a fully serviced engine. This is a sluggish car. If you can find a 1.8T, buy that engine. You have to really rev the engine to get any performance. Keep it above 3000 rpm and it's nippy, but not quick. Top speed is a quite remarkable 128mph.

The fuel consumption isn't going to get any headlines. I for the life of me couldn't get above 33mpg. If I got a heavy foot for the day, it'd be 30 mpg. If I drove it like my mother, 33mpg. If I had the estate filled with wood and other man stuff, the car would achieve 25mpg.

General Comments:

The great thing about this car is it's an Audi. Every electric component has worked without fault.

Climate control. Works without fault.

CD player/multi-changer. Works without fault

Electric windows/mirrors. Work without fault

Trip computer. Works without fault.

I'm sure you get the picture.

The seats are a little hard in my SE model, and the ride can be wallowy without being soft and comfortable. It's not as composed and hard as a 3 series estate. Yet no where near as comfortable as a C class/Jag... any Jag..

The trip computer is quite annoying. It warns you about everything. Window washer fluid low... it lights up.. so you turn it off. Only for it to light up like you've won the bingo or something again.. and again.. and again.. argh.. stay off warning light!!!

The load space in the car is just about right. Not Volvo 940'esk, but enough space. Kids.. No problem, you can get 3 in the back and one rolling around in the boot. Or 2 medium dogs...

The front is a pleasant place to be. Excluding the cup holders. Some German brain child put them between the gear lever and the handbrake. If you have a coffee/coke/beer in them and go to change gear... well you guess what happens... they're an after thought..

This is an uber reliable car. They make excellent work horses. There quite reasonably cheap as well. A fully serviced mid to late 90's example will set you back about £1000. Go for one like mine with as many extras as you can get. They'll all work... Great value for money!!!

Great car!!!

Faults:

Leaking water into the car through the air conditioning system.

Unreliable wipers.

Air conditioning display blanks out.

General Comments:

I bought this car on August of 2008. After having it for around three weeks, I noticed the carpet at the rear of the car was soaking wet with water, wet enough to spark and splash by tapping my hand onto the carpet. Dampness also started to affect the central locking, air conditioning, and was causing the windscreen wipers to stop working intermittently, which is obviously extremely dangerous in any kind of rain.

Less dangerous but equally undesirable affects of dampness is the damp smell inside the car, which the magic trees do not cover up. After weeks of heartbreak (as this was a car I instantly feel in love with) and costing me money, I was only too happy to go back to the Vauxhall Corsa I had been using previously, and luckily hadn't advertised for sale up to that point.

The A4 1.8T would make me think twice before buying another Audi. Although beautiful to look at, and admittedly very nice to drive, I would defanitely think twice before buying an Audi again.