I know, right?! Why don't we get any good wagons over here? They get the allroad in A4 and A6 body, with manual transmissions, diesels, and the S4 Avant. We get the A4-based allroad with the auto only. It's so weak! (the allroad is still fantastic, don't get me wrong)

I pay 1% of MSRP per month for six months. I also have a vehicle allowance that covers more than half of that, so my payment is tiny. I also don't have to pay for maintenance because I hand it in before the first service interval! When I hand it in, I'll take the vehicle allowance towards the Subaru and have nearly the same monthly payment, except I'll own the car after 5 years :)

They are nice, and lots of fun! I'm mad that they stopped offering a 6spd manual here, unless you get the super-rare TT RS. STaSIS USA just acquired a European tuning company and they'll be sharing technology; you could get the ECU tuned for short money and see some nice power gains over stock! Someone just traded a TT roadster 3.2 6spd, but it's a roadster, and I don't want the thirsty V6. If it were a 2.0T coupe 6spd, I'd be all over it!

I had a 2005 S4 for a few years. Before it had 50,000 miles I had to:
1) Have the window linkage rebuilt
2) Have an oil seal replaced
3) Have the steering rack replaced.

The only one I will take responsibility for is the oil seal. I think I might have been a little too aggressive on a downshift one time too many times. My little 318i takes it like a champ though.

All I can say about Audi...Get rid of it before the warranty is expired.

(I actually just dropped off my wife's passat at the mechanic this morning in fact.)

Guilty as charged...:D

Yes because the dipper on the back means you won't have to run around cleaning up after it all the time.

I was saving $$$$ for the FRS but cave in to my house refinance....I dropped 20K into the new loan and is negotiating for a '05 RSX base 47k miles asking for $13.5k.....I offered $12.5k but he takes a strong stand at $13k even....i'm not sure what to do yet....

That's an awful lot of money for a base RSX (160 hp, right?) that is seven years old. Heck, you might be able to pick up a bare bones new car for about that much.

What is it about the base RSX that you like?

So what's the over/under on how long it will take the OP to spend more than the cost a new FRS just to keep his Bimmer on the road?

i would check KBB for your pricing. i would NOT pay 13k for a 05 base RSX.

another thought, research on rsx transmission 3rd gear problem before you guy this car *only if he sells it for 9k* lol

Ended up selling the STI and buying a FD. Yes, I would rather have a nearly 20 year old car over a new one. :]

Ehh, you never know. I've known plenty of people who've never complained about maintaining their German cars, and plenty who do. It's always the complainers that speak up louder than everybody else, though. I know several people who've taken BMW's, Audis, Mercedes Benzes and even *gasp* Land Rovers (yes, British cars!) past 200k without too much issue. It makes a big difference if you're proactive about maintenance and not reactive (hence why my mother's E320 is sitting broken down in our driveway - she didn't maintain it for $#!T).

It is definitely more costly to maintain them vs. your average Japanese or American car, though. The parts used are simply higher quality and thus, more expensive to replace. A 330ci is pretty run-of-the-mill, but you still have to be aware of what you're getting into. I had to walk away from a great deal on a 2003 Audi RS 6 sedan: 450bhp 40-valve biturbo V8, 8 piston brakes, 19" wheels with Michelin high-performance tires, leather and alcantara everywhere inside the car, all for $23k - originally $93k!!! ... but I'd cry as soon as it came time to replace brakes, tires, or the timing belt (which has a 40,000 miles replacement interval!), never mind anything else that could potentially fail. Oh, and then there was the 16mpg average fuel economy... Ouch. You definitely gotta pay to play!

It's the same reason I'm not considering a used Corvette, 911, or M3 (and especially not a Viper like one of my friends suggested). The consumables cost would be twice that of the BRZ! And would it really be twice as much fun? I doubt it.

I agree with pretty much everything you said but this....

I think you only got that half-right. They are more expensive, but I don't believe the parts are of any higher quality than a US or a Japanese manufacturer in general. I think there is a perception they are higher quality, hence the higher cost.

It's possible it was true 30 years ago, but I don't think it is any longer.

I walk through the shop at my Porsche/Audi dealer every day and examine the undersides of various cars, just as I used to do when I worked at a Toyota dealer. Zee Germans definitely build their cars to a higher standard with better quality parts. Thicker, stronger (sometimes heavier), less mass-produced-feeling parts.

[QUOTE=Turbowned;204091]Ehh, you never know. I've known plenty of people who've never complained about maintaining their German cars, and plenty who do. It's always the complainers that speak up louder than everybody else, though. I know several people who've taken BMW's, Audis, Mercedes Benzes and even *gasp* Land Rovers (yes, British cars!) past 200k without too much issue. It makes a big difference if you're proactive about maintenance and not reactive (hence why my mother's E320 is sitting broken down in our driveway - she didn't maintain it for $#!T). QUOTE]

Lies! No way a Land Rover goes 200K without spending months in a repair shop or costing thousands of dollars to repair :D

But on a serious note, my old MB CLK 430 was rock solid, but the maintenance was expensive. My stepmom's BMW X5/uncle's M3 have been service/repair nightmares!

The 2001 Land Rover Discovery had to have the head gaskets replaced at 140k for the cost of about $5,000. I think they got taken for a ride on that repair, but if that's all it needed in 12 years and 200k miles, that's really not bad in the grand scheme of things. Way cheaper than buying a new car! He got his money's worth out of it. The guy makes $300k+/yr. He traded it in for a new Audi A4 6MT; cheapest AWD A4 we could find. Some people are just smart with their money.

Best quote I ever heard: "You'll never be rich enough to buy something cheap".