I recently saw an ad selling a 1998 A6 Quattro for $9500 but some members (and car reviews) suggested that it was very expensive to maintain. Is that because of the labor, or the parts themselves? Consumerguide.com says that changing shocks/struts costs $1600 (and brakes for $745). Is that due to the shocks (and brakes) being expensive, or because it's more work? If I find a cheap (but good) mechanic, can that lower the price? I found a set of 4 shocks on the Net for $200 (although they weren't for Quattro), and that's more or less what I pay for shocks for a '90 Volvo 240DL (about $50/shock). In terms of awards, Consumerguide.com gave it a Best Buy. On the other hand, JD Power says that reliability of 1-3 years and 4-5 years was only 2/5. The funny thing is that the 1997 model received better reliability numbers in JD Power (most were 4/5). How come? Needless to say, I just love how the car looks.
Thanks.