Quattro Expense

I was talking to my local mech about AWD/quattro vs FWD and he said that while it drives nicely the added long term expense is not worth it. I am going to buy an A4 but not sure about FWD or AWD.

Any comments about the long term costs of Audi AWD?

Thanks in advance.

Reply to
Richard Potato
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Long term expense? Can you ask him to elaborate on this? The system is = nearly bullet-proof. Sure, it would cost a lot if you had to replace = it, but the fact is, it rarely ever needs any fixing/maintenance.

The only added expense I can really see is slightly higher fuel = consumption. For me, that's a small price to pay for the fun and = convenience it delivers.

Cheers,

Pete

Reply to
Pete

By higher expense I mean costs associated with the quattro system that would not occur with a FWD. Running costs would be higher vis a vis fuel but I am concerned about 'hidden' costs laying out there to ambush my wallet.

Reply to
Richard Potato

There are none. I've been driving Quattros since 1986 and wouldn't have anything *but* a Quattro. There are no "hidden" costs as far as I have experienced. My first Quattro was actually a VW Sychro (VW badge and body, but Audi 5cyl engine, xmsn, and drive). I put 80K on it without any problems except normal maint (tires, oil, shocks, brakes). The same with my 90 2000 Turbo-Quattro. I put more than 80K on it, and my son-in-law drove it for another 30K without any problems. Both of these cars were TSD Rally cars; they saw a helluva lot of dirt roads at high speeds and never quit or failed. Front wheel drive? For kiddies. d;o) Dave

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Reply to
Dave LaCourse

Perhaps he was referring to the Ur-Quattro (quattro turbo coupe). That ca be expensive to look after when it gets old. Fantastic car though. I also don't believe any of the expense is directly related to the 4wd system- more to other parts (suspension, braking, exhaust manifold & system) that are very expensive. I don't think a quattro A4 would carry any horrors over the FWD version.

Reply to
Chris Bartram

I put over 140K miles on my '95 A6Q wagon and currently have over 130K miles on my '98 A6Q wagon. I have never spent a dime on a repair related to the AWD.

Bob

Reply to
eBob.com

Interesting.

I have been googling AWD and also similar vehicle comparisons for the past few months. I hve been collecting qualitative info before I 'actually' get in the cars I am interested in trying/buying.

I will try the FWD and AWD A4 saturday. Should be interesting.

Reply to
Richard Potato

150k miles Quattro perfect, infact tyre wear is less with quattro, FWD cars waste front tyres for a pasttime.

You will regret not getting Quattro because people will say, "why didnt you get it" and you have no argument to back up the fact :)

Oh and its safer.

Ron

Reply to
Ron

I own a 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V bought in 92 with 65,000 kilometers on it. Presently nearing 300,000 kilometers. Not a single Quattro related problem during the time I've owned the car.

Taking a chance on this car was the best investment I have ever made in a car. I was expecting it to cost me a small fortune in maintenance, but this has not been the case.

Andre

Reply to
Andre Denis

Less that driving a 2WD vehicle into a tree? Or other relatively fixed part of the landscape? ;o)

TBH, it all depends upon how you drive, how you'd prefer to drive (given the opportunity), how many miles, and the likely terrain.

Impossible to comment without more information (the country might help, as well, as running costs can vary a /lot/ between (e.g.) the USA and most everywhere else)

Reply to
Hairy One Kenobi

Driving a '80 quattro with about 160k miles now the only quattro-related costs I had, were the bulbs for the illumination of the diff-lock switch symbol plate...:)

In my view the "higher consumption because of the AWD" practitcally is a myth. Since you need less braking

*before* and (therefore) less acceleration *after* a bend to gain the same *average* speed over a given (twisty) strech of street you actually will use *less* gas than with the FWD version; all else equal of course. I never used more than 5% over the figures for the FWD version of my car, and thats with a tiny 4cyl engine.

If you drive faster -- and you will :) -- it's your problem :-)))

The added weight in my car over the FWD version is 80kg, as much as a passenger. Compare that little more gas for city driving with the absolutely even wear between front and rear tires and you are quit.

So long! Ero.

Reply to
abcde

My last 3 cars have all been quattro, and I have been more than happy with the fuel consumption,given the performance and handling. All have averaged over 33 m.p.g. (UK Imperial gallons).

-- Doug Ramage

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Reply to
Doug Ramage

It appears I'm the one guy who has spent the *most* on Quattro-related expenses here.

The rear differential seals can eventually leak - at around 150K miles, IME and IIRC. It costs about $80/side to replace them. It takes a long time for it to actually damage the car; it won't strand you anywhere, and you should have noticed the drips and fixed it well before that time. You'll only ever do it once per side on a car. All other rear suspension issues (struts, bushings, etc.) you might encounter are similar to those of the FWD cars.

I also have had one Quattro (a '90 90 20V) get loose rear driveshaft splines. I understand this happens in the higher-powered older cars like the turbos and the 20V 5-cylinders with manual transmissions. It's very progressive. I had a noise from 132,000 miles (when I bought the car) that gradually got louder until 178,000 miles (when I sold the car). It is not a debilitating problem, only a growing annoyance. On 3 other older Quattros I've owned, I saw 232,000-266,000 miles with no AWD-related problems other than the diff seals.

That said, I love the Quattro drivetrain and I would *not* consider an Audi without it.

-- C.R. Krieger (Been there; done that)

Reply to
C.R. Krieger

There are more CV joints and boots on the quattro. The CV joints as in most cars are pretty much bulletproof UNLESS the rubber boots tear and then dirt in the CV joint will rapidly destroy it just like any FWD car. Other than that, I have driven quattros for 17 years and found them to be trouble-free.

Reply to
Ian S

trouble-free.

the AWD part that is. Other components are less reliable. My 98 A4 offers the renowned old British car feature of external lubrication of the garage floor. I am preparing for a timing belt change at 66,000 miles that the owners' manual says is due at 90,000 miles but which often fails prior to that point taking a variety of expensive engine parts with it. At least my electrical coil has been reliable which is more than can be said for some newer A4s. Good grief, wasn't that technology pretty much perfected a century ago? I will grant that Audi has finally mastered the technology of door handles that don't fall off. I've heard they're now working on tie rod ends and control arms.

Reply to
Ian S

My last company car was an A6 Quattro which replaced a 2WD A4 - the big A6 gave much better tyre milage and was a much more balanced car to drive fast on twisty roads. In terms of overall cost, I didn't have it long enough (60k miles) to discover whether the drive train was problematic in any way, but I'd have been very surprised indeed if it had given trouble!

The only issue which was drive train related in any way was having to replace ALL four tyres having written one off! The remaining three were all relativly worn and the advice was to change the lot. Whether that was good / accurate / real advice I don't know as I wasn't paying for it at the time. If I were paying for it, I'd have been more concerned.

When finances allow, I'll be back with a Quattro - what superb roadholding it gave!

Mike.

Reply to
Mike Buckley

nearly bullet-proof. Sure, it would cost a lot if you had to replace it, but the fact is, it rarely ever needs any fixing/maintenance.

For me, that's a small price to pay for the fun and convenience it delivers.

Agreed. It makes little sense at all here in the US where every soccer mom is driving around in a gas guzzling 4WD SUV. For me, the driving experience, safety, and creature comforts far outweighs the slightly lower mileage. As for repair costs, my experience with Audi vehicles doesn't jibe with the original poster's hearsay.

Regards,

C
Reply to
Chris Mauritz

I average about 24mpg in the US with a '99 A4 1.8T quattro with a number of performance modifications (ECU upgrade/exhaust/etc) and "spirited" city/highway driving. On a long highway trip with a light foot, I get about 28mpg.

Cheers,

C
Reply to
Chris Mauritz

Cost related to higher consumption of consumables related to more moving parts. Trees and other unmovable objects are the subject of another thread.

Not very many km's, highly varied terrain but mostly 11 km back and forth to where I type out these missives. And highway speeds,

Canada, wet coast. Everything is more expensive here than any where else in the couuntry except for the rain. Falls from the sky year round here except during the summer and other times of the year.

The opinion of the mech is just that. Ultimately the question would be: Audi but no quattro? I am just trying to stay away from the emotional part of this thing but ask me on monday after the test drives.

Reply to
Richard Potato

If you're determined to get an Audi, then get a quattro. It's the most reliable part of the car, IMHO. Indeed, I don't recall EVER hearing of people having problems with it in the over two decades and several versions it's been around. One caveat, A4s are not known for neck-snapping acceleration so an un-chipped 1.8T quattro may be a little anemic in that department. The 3.0 quattro would be more balanced IMHO. However, chipping the 1.8T is a way around that problem. Be aware too that there are not a lot of independent mechanics who work on Audis so you might be forced to have work done by the dealer. Nice thing though is the long and comprehensive warranty.

Reply to
Ian S

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