Audi Reliability (and slew of other questions)
 

Hello all, from my other thread about Toyota reliability, I'm rather curious about Audi's. I have a friend that's looking towards buying an Audi and I'm just trying to help them out with some research. I'm currently wondering how reliable Audi can be (in particular, I'm looking at the S5). From the most part, the perceived vibe that I get from most German car manufacturers is that well... reliability can be really hit or miss. I think the most important thing is constant maintenance but... well... that is a cost against convenience?

Note, my friend is most likely going to least the Audi which probably has its own sets of pitfalls. I think an important think to get is GAP insurance (is that covered by regular auto-insurance?) and make sure that everything is fine with the total mileage that they would drive. Any tidbit you guys want to add about leasing? My friend will most likely not lease then purchase, but rather just start a new lease on a new car (I honestly have no idea how they're going to afford this...).

Also, how is the performance on the new S5? I'm reading some reviews and they seem pretty good overall, minus I suppose the cost and gas mileage (... is there really a fuel-efficient luxury vehicle?).

And if anyone quips to why I didn't mention the FR-S/BRZ, well I did, but I think they're more interested in the idea of luxury and well the Audi brand name mostly. So what do you guys think, offer an opinion on?

Reliability is fair in my oppinion.

That usually isn't THE issue with me and my audi's.

the problem i have is the Maintainence cost....i don't feel its worth paying that much considering this is just a CAR, and i really don't understand how the "mechanical" maintainence cost translates to having a better luxury car.

Hmmm how much maintenance cost do you think will be applied on a hm... 3 year lease? I doubt my friend has any mechanical skills and I certainly don't have them. Are you able to take the car to just any shop? Or is it just really back to the dealer?

And let me garner a guess, parts aren't that expensive but labor is off the roof?

parts are expensive, and labor is about 90-100$ / hr.

Oil change on the Audi A3 = $110 at dealers.
perhaps $70 at a local shop.

You can take it anywhere as long as they know what they're doing. But I don't know how your Lease works, so maybe they MUST have you do it at the dealers.

The labor rate for Audi will be MUCH higher than that in California, especially in populated areas (Bay Area, LA, San Diego)

Even Hyundai dealers charge over $100/hr here.

I think it is sometimes more luck then wisdom ( dutch saying don't know if it makes sense to you guys haha )

My dad drives a 06 A6 tdi V6 and has done over 230k km on it and never had any problems what so ever. He doesnt give a shit about his car...floors it when it's cold etc etc

I drive a 03 A3 2.0 fsi and i have a list of repairs the length of my leg! it has only done 110k km and i treat it better then i treat my girlfriend! always use premium fuel, let it warm up and let her strech her legs every now and then.

The only thing you will need to worry about the S5 (v8) is carbon build up which results in power losses and engine errors.

Do a search on google and you'll find thousends of threads including pictures from people who own a S5 with complete black valves and intakes. Some clean it and only after 25k it's back again.

Dont know how this is with the v6 compresser though.

Those seem like standard shop rates, and a $70 oil change is what happens when you use synthetic oil. When purchasing a car it is smart to calculate fuel costs as well as basic maintenance into cost of ownership. This way you are not surprised by the cost of an oil change when you hit 5k miles.

@Hasjwandje- carbon build up is standard on direct injection. There are many reasons and theories as to why this is... but no matter what it doesn't change. My car has it and if I don't keep up cleaning the rear bumper valance, it will seriously take over the whole back end where the exhaust comes out.

I know it affects all direct injected cars. However what i've seen is that it is pretty serious the S cars of audi. And cleaning a V8 is a expensive procedure ( assuming your not doing it yourself )

This is just purely to inform people who are interested in buying a S5.

But to also say some positive stuff about audi. It has beautiful an well made interiors which will last a life time if you treat it right. I cant believe how nice my 8 year old audi interior is compared to other premium cars that are much younger.

Same goes for the exterior, all audi's are coated with a special layer which makes rust virtually impossible.

Regarding handling i think the S and RS cars are the perfect balance between sporty and comfortable. It's not as sharp as a BMW M and its not as comfortable as a Mercedes AMG but it hits the spot right in between. And if you ask me it's a sweeeeet spot.

You know, I don't think the v8 is being offered at least for the new model this year in the US. I think its only the v6, though I believe it also uses fuel injection?

And yeah, I'm not sure about the lease terms, I'd have to check with my friend. But eesh repairs seem to cost an arm and a leg... Then again, I did expect that, just not that high... lol