120K on my 05 1.8T, car is solid like a rock w/ all preventative maintenance done. Despite all the new Audi models with the fancy LEDs and new designs, my 05 is still turning heads.

This is my favorite generation A4.

Is that Micheal Fisher from pocketnow?

I have a 2004 1.8T FWD model, which is almost exactly the same (minus the quattro). I haven't encountered any problems, but the timing belt has been changed at 75,000 miles (before any failure). It is essential that the timing belt is changed before 100K miles since many owners have reported failure, which can destroy the engine. Otherwise, it's a solid, reliable car. Superb handling, decently smooth ride especially with the CVT. Luxurious high quality interior. Fun to drive. I love it. 8/10.

I own the 1.8T quattro version of this car and absolutely love it. Like any good car owner, you should familiarize yourself with the owner's manual so you can perform basic maintenance like topping off motor oil or windshield washer fluid. If you're more mechanically inclined (like I am), go out and purchase a Bentley service manual so you can learn how to perform more costlier maintenance like oil changes, brake repairs, ignition coil replacements, timing belt, etc. You'll save a ton of money.

She's better looking than the car :)

I love my A4 - 1.8T - 2003 Mod. Solid sterring, Tiptronic and nice interior. Recomended for all 1. time buyers!

Can't you just say B6?

@katanamast279 Do you mean does it have good acceleration, or does it have torque steer (the tendency for front-wheel drive cars to pull to one side under hard acceleration)? I think the answer to both is yes. Acceleration is reasonably good with the 1.8T four-cylinder engine (and improves considerably with the 2.0T in 2006+ models), and very good with the V6. Front-wheel drive cars have some torque steer (although it's not excessive) -- opting for the four-wheel drive quattro alleviates that.

@todon8181 Yes -- over the CVT. That means finding one with the quattro all-wheel drive system.

I have one, once you hit about 2500 rpm the turbo pulls quite hard, enough to push you back in your seat.

thank you ! immensely helpful

Michael fisher from pocketnow

@Rasimbacko2 We probably can't recommend a specific car since every used car is unique. 72,000 miles on a 9 year old car divides out to just 8,000 miles per year, well below average -- so that's definitely a plus. And $10,500 seems to be in line with the price of other similar vehicles for sale on AutoTrader (although not knowing the specifics of the exact vehicle, it's hard to say for sure). We would recommend avoiding a 2002 A4 with the CVT.

Getting mine next month!

Hello. I just had to come and comment. I bought a 2002 european audi a4 b6 sedan this summer, in 2015. It's with a 2.0 gas engine, manual transmission. It is my first car that is completely mine. I'm not very experienced with many cars but I just love this thing to bits! Through these first months I've been recieving lots of compliments on it, and people have been shocked at how little it cost me, under 4000 euro. The ride is so smooth and it's so quiet inside, excited to drive it around every day. The interior is in such fine condition that the age is only given away by the some of the plastic buttons on the console that have started to live, to bubble a little bit. Anyway, ranting done, thanks for this review you did, it was instrumental in that moment when I was making my purchase decision. Had to come back and comment. =) cheers.

@Rasimbacko2 A traditional automatic transmission works a lot like a 10-speed bicycle; It has different size gears (typically 4-6, though some cars now have 7 or 8). You start in a low gear when you need extra power to build momentum, and then keep moving up the gears once the car is moving and it takes less effort.

Hey there, Ms. Nuñez! Looking phly as always!!

ANY KONS ON THE DRIVE TRAIN: EXPENSIVE REPAIRS OR WHAT 2 LOOK 4 I'M LOOKN INTO POSSIBLE GETN A 2004

Pocket now FTW!

@AutoTrader So that means you should probably look for a an A4 with a manual transmission -- or one with the quattro all-wheel drive system -- they come with a more traditional "Tiptronic" (meaning you can shift it if you're feeling sporty) automatic transmission. The quattro system may be the only way to distinguish the Tiptronic cars from those with CVTs -- look for "quattro" badges on the car.

@katanamast279 The 0-60 time with the 1.8T engine is 7.8 seconds (slower with the quattro all-wheel drive system because it adds weight). That's reasonably quick, and should feel fairly sporty. You do get an extra bump of acceleration when the turbo kicks in. There is some turbo lag, but it's not excessive.

Older Audi A4 models tend to have a number of common issues including electrical problems, coil pack failures and front suspension problems, all of which can be very expensive to repair. They also tend to have issues with the instrument cluster information screen going out. These are no longer available from the dealer and nearly impossible to find refurbished.

have the CVT checked if so equipped.

A lot of owners have reported problems with the continuously variable transmissions (CVT) in the first couple of model years. Later models seem to be better. Replacing the CVT could be a very expensive repair. You should definitely consider having an independent mechanic who is familiar with Audi vehicles check it over thoroughly before buying.

@AutoTrader A Continuously Variable Transmission or CVT doesn't use fixed gears, so it can always exactly match the power needed to the effort required. This makes a CVT more fuel-efficient, but since it doesn't need to change gears (there's no pauses as you accelerate), it can seem strange, and a lot of driving enthusiasts don't like it. Some cars with CVTs get around this by using artificial "gear changes" (the Audi A4 does this in "S" mode).

2004 1.8T Quattro was my best purchase. I can turn on a dime at least 40MPH. I love it. Sure it is pricy with maintenance with regular coolant issues but overall a must in snowy weather. At 100k miles only a Thermastat replacement and a sensor, still running strong. Just have to keep the regular maintenance on oil changes due to the Turbo. The sport trans and the CVT is great! Just my opinion.

So you recommend if I buy a 2003 A4, that I should try to find one with an automatic Tiptronic?

Im stuck between deciding if i should purchase a volkswagen passat (05-10) or an audi a4 (04-08). Could you please help discuss the pros and cons of each and which is the better option to purchase used at around the normal 100k mileage? Thanks!

@davemann1017 The A4 is a good car (particularly if you avoid early models with the CVT transmission). The nice thing about a premium/luxury car like this is that they offer more amenities. Unfortunately that also means there are more things that could break -- and in a premium car repairs also tend to cost more.

So i was gonna buy an 04-07 acura tl but sum unexpected expenses came up. Im looking to get myself either a 99-02 audi a4 or an 02-03 acura tl. I was wondering what big problems these two have, what car is more likely to hit 150k more smoothly, and what car is overall better in cost maintanence over 2 years

i dont understand whats cvt transmision ? and would you recomend buying 2002 audi a4 with 72k miles for 10,500k $

How is the turbo on this car? Does it pull hard? Thanks

what happened i did not know michael fisher from pocket now did car reviews lol

Dammm young Michael Fisher

@xicot86 It may not be as reliable as you like. We recommend avoiding early CVT-equipped models (you should look for a Quattro model which has a traditional automatic transmission). If you can afford it, you're better off with a 2006+ model. It looks very similar, but the A4 received a significant upgrade in 2006. In particular the 2.0T engine is much better than the earlier 1.8T.

Great Idea, love browsing the site for used cars. How are Jaguars on reliability?

@davemann1017 A good alternative to the A4 is the VW Jetta GLI (or GTI if you like the hatchback). VW is Audi's sister company, so you get the same 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, and the Jetta GLI and GTI use the much better DSG dual-clutch transmission. Those cars are still very nice, but they started out cheaper than the A4 -- which means you can buy a newer one with fewer miles for that same $10K.

I've been eyeballing an used '03 A4 SFI. And it's about as much as I can afford really, around 7000€. It's a manual transmission though so does the transmission issue affect me? And also should I worry about the fuel pump? The car has been thru service just about 500 miles (eu miles) ago and some stuff has been replaced ie. the water pump. Other then that the car looks to be in brilliant shape with about 12 000 eu miles on the engine! Would you consider this a good buy? Thanks in advance!

@AutoTrader Like is the overall excelleration good. Basically do you notice the turbo kicking in when you drive the car aggressively. I know its not extremely fast or anything though.

Love my 05 convertible S-Line A4.

I want to buy a 2003 Audi A4, but a 1.6 petrol engine :) - I'm from Europe. I found one at 170.000 on the clock. Besides filters, oil and glow plugs that the previous owner changed, what other component tend to break down?

is this a good first car

this lady is distracting me I dont know what to focus on anymore , starring at her beauty or the car review lol

ps...that CVT almost got me killed a few times with slow acceleration...an sometimes it mimicked an manual which i couldnt get use to.then its FWD...if yore buying an Audi an its not quattro...what the point really of owning one?

I just bought an 04 Quattro 3.0 from a dealership , because it only has 59k miles on it and seems to be in great condition. 3 weeks later it’s doing a crank no start. Thankfully the dealership is ok send it to an Audi specialist to see what the issue is, most likely fuel pump or sensor or something along those lines, as everything else seems fine. I also have the option to just return the car and get something else. I really hope the car is not a complete lemon because I absolutely love everything about the car. Super smooth ride, amazing handling , the interior is very nice and the heated seats really help with my back issues . Is it crazy for me to be getting an Audi this old ? Or with the low miles and it getting fixed by an Audi shop, good for me to drive for perhaps a year or two and then sell ?

Some owners don't like the way the CVT feels - overly responsive in some situations, sluggish in other driving situations. Also, owners in several Audi forums complain about long-term reliability.

@TruJoker1 According to JD Power & Associates 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study, Jaguar ranked third out of all automakers for overall dependability. It was beat out only by Lincoln and Lexus.

hi i hope this comment can get a response. i am a recent college grad in the market for a new used car. my budget is just a little about 10,000 usd. i am a car enthusiast so the thought of getting a nice car like an audi a4 is a large draw for me. i found a few at local dealerships for around the 10,000 price point. the cars have just above 50,000 miles. would you recommend those or is there another particular model/year you would recommend? thanks so much.

anyone own a 2003 A4 1.8T Quattro? if so any common problems these cars have? and what rating out of 1-10 (1-horrible, 10-Amazing) would you give it? thanks!

nice

Holy shit it's Mister Mobile

Any used car will have issues...i used to run a honda civic and ford focus, both of which gave me more trouble than my audis and vw's. always ensure you see a full maintenance schedule with these cars though. i always look for a manual shift with the audi or vw, they're so much more fun to drive than japanese or american cars in the same price range...enjoy, but choose wisely.

@wafrederick I guess Lamborghini, Bugatti and Bentley are glorified VWs too since they owned by the same company...if that's your logic, I'd love to own a couple of VWs!

@davemann1017 The Subaru Legacy sedan is another good alternative. It even has all-wheel drive like Audi's optional quattro system. The Legacy's reliability is likely to be a bit better than the Audi or VW models. Another cr worth considering is the Ford Fusion. The Fusion also offers good performance, distinctive styling and lots of features -- including Ford's slick voice-controlled Sync infotainment system.

2002 and 2005

i wish i was that passenger seat.

One Hot mama !!

If you really have your heart set on the A4 or TL, the Acura is probably the safer choice. There is only one common issue, which is a problem with the automatic transmission. The 3rd gear clutch assembly fails causing the transmission to slip. This usually occurs around the 100K-mile mark. If you find a good TL, I would take it to a dealer and have them check the transmission and the condition of the fluid. Otherwise, the TL has a good reputation for longevity.

My god what are they wearing?

Any car is likely going to have some natural wear and tear issues past 100K miles. You'll likely be spending money for a timing belt, water pump and possibly things like the fuel injectors and sensors. You might be better off looking for a newer, non-premium car. You'll spend the same money and get more life from it. The Toyota Camry, Mazda6, Honda Accord (which shares a platform with the TL) or Nissan Maxima, would be good alternatives.

That lady is so Beautiful.

If it wasn't for the beautiful lady presenter I wouldn't have finished watching this...

You guys don't believe in seat belts? I know the Audi is safe but Jesus It's the law

Really said there names twice like anybody gives af

The 1.8T is a turd and the Audi is a gloified VW.VW and Audi are owned by the same company.

2002 and 2005