Faults:

- A/C needs a recharge.

- Steering rack needs replacement; $300 in parts.

- Timing belt service coming up soon; $500-800 in parts.

- Thermostat replaced at 113k; took me 45 minutes and $50.

- Rear wheel bearing going bad.

- Clunking in front end.

- Cruise control doesn't work, never had a German car where it did. No problem for me.

- Valve cover gasket at 120k; 1 hour and $200.

The car needs a small bit of work. I do all of the work myself, and will do some preventative maintenance while I'm at it. DO NOT GO TO THE DEALERSHIP. The dealership will kill you on costs. Fix this car yourself if you can, it is simple, and there is plenty of info online on how to do so. I tend to be very mechanically inclined, so I know what is going wrong, when to replace it, and the timing belt will cost me in parts, probably $500-800, if I do the water pump and coolant flush as well.

General Comments:

Even though it may seem this car needs a lot of work, it is the best car I've ever driven. The 2.8 30v is a great reliable engine. There isn't a market for modification so what you buy out of the box is what you get. That said, it is fast enough, and well mated to the quattro drive-train. It corners better than my FWD Jetta, which weighs 500lbs less. The suspension is comfy but surprisingly tight in the corners. The interior is lux and well put together, with no rattles. The interior and exterior compliment each other nicely, and in my opinion could not be much classier. I get 23-24 MPG, can't ask too much more out of an AWD V6.

The 2.8L and quattro in the New England winters is beastly to say the least. I was going to VT and didn't realize they had closed down a length of road for the season. Basically used as a snowmobile trail, 2ft soft and hardpack snow for 5 miles. Nothing but snowmobile tracks... until I killed it with the quattro and bald fuel efficient all-seasons, no worries. Didn't realize I went the wrong way until I saw the closed sign on the other side.

The maintenance intervals are above average. Parts are more expensive, and they seem to break a little more often. If you aren't prepared to do the work yourself, I would suggest you either learn or find a trustworthy mechanic.

Those of you complaining about brakes, tires, clutch, timing belt cost, seals etc gimme a break. Those are wear and tear consumables. Please include gas and oil in your complaints.

The guy on this site who needed to replace 4 batteries and an alternator... you probably needed an alternator and a new mechanic. No reason to dislike Audi or give the vehicle a bad rating.

Faults:

Transmission failure at 112900.

General Comments:

I was psyched when I bought this car. Nice radio, comfortable seats, nice look.

I had the car for one week and the car transmission stopped working. I was bummed. Occurred in the middle of winter. Immediately sent it back to the used car dealership. Fortunately I was able to get my money back. Buyer beware.

Faults:

Rear shock absorber on one side was totally broken, axle would jump on hard braking. New shocks cost £60 a pair and 45 minutes to fit myself. Central locking pump was shattered. Got a spare from a scrapyard and replaced my original. £5 from a scrappy!

Fan belt tensioner collapsed at 133k miles. Easy to change and cheap, however elected to do the timing belt as well. I do my own labour, so cheap, no worries.

General Comments:

I adore this car. It's very smooth, very quiet and very comfortable. Still looks modern, mine came with an ageless plate and the average person would struggle to put a date on the car. Previous owner had the car for 10 years, and had always had the car serviced and maintained at Audi dealers. Anyone who moans about the cost of parts isn't looking hard enough, very little costs more than on my Mum's Ford Puma...

Very easy to work on too, easy access and sensibly designed... Cambelt for example is dead simple.

These are all older cars now, but mine has ice cold A/C, smooth quiet ride and excellent reliability. What more do you want? Of course it might need a few £££s occasionally, but spend £30k on a brand new equivalent... ha ha yeah right. These are faster too!

Mine is painted a lifestyle metallic finish, so it stands out, and with Ash Grey leather it's a beautiful combo. Also has BOSE stereo with 6 CD and remote locking. Has 4 airbags for safety.

Do better for £600??? Doubtful... I will drive this car until it dies, I don't plan on that for a while.