Hi
I own both, I bought both used so I can't say how they stack up from new. We got the A6 quattro when it was one year old in 2000' since then we have had the following things replaced:

vavle gasket cover (twice)
radiator hose due to bad design (got brittle due to heat)
aligment issue (later a recall)
cam adjuster seal
compuyter display dim on one side
stereo unit
brake rotors
Headlamp (xenon)
outside that it burns through tires. And it has only gone 75k, I am glad we got the extended warranty to cover most of these repairs. But it is still a very nice car inside out and handles great, it is still much faster than the 4runner even with the slow changing tiptronic system. The quattro is great in snow and rain. In short fun yes, reliable no.

The 4runner I bought 3 years old, I did not not get any extended warranty because I simply trust its reliability much more than US or Euro brands. I tracked down the old owner (got name from dealer) and he had never had a problem. I have gone 15K now, some of it on pretty hard offroad (well it was for me) and only had one minor problem (throttle sensor cheaper than any on the A6 repairs). It is reliable but not as fun on the highway or as plush as the Audi.

Look at consumer reports and you will see that any German car has average or below reliability, but some of the models still get recommended due to their sporty handling, looks and safety. German cars do look better but I think I will get a Lexus or an Infinity next time I purchase a sporty sedan (or a Toyota if they come up with nicer designs).
So take a close look at the all options in the sporty sedan secment before going for an A4 (oh yeah dealers can be a pain too so make sure you research who to buy from).
Just my 2 cents
Carsten

 

I see a lot of you guys are comparing the "fun factors" between driving a german sports car and a Toyota truck and saying the german car is more fun to drive. NO CRAP! I can honestly say that I have never found my 4Runner "fun" to drive, on road that is. My Integra was great fun to drive. The S2000 I drove a week ago had me grinning ear to ear. If you guys are gonna compare, compare apples to apples, not apples to carpet padding...

 

Bought my 96 Limited new. Had only one problem and that was the recalled head gasket. Other than that, replaced shocks and timing belt and it still runs like a champ at 180K miles. Still not a speck of rust on it and it looks like new minus a few scratches. We also bought a 2003 Altima 3.5SE. So far so good except for a fuel pump recall. My newest toy is my 04 Limited Runner. No complaints, runs like champ, lets off gas at people who piss me off . I know everyone complains about the sulphur smell (which I really noticed following this new Corolla the other day after it gassed by me, so it is not only the 4 Runners).

 

my uncle has one...hates it...bought a camry this year and the audi sits and gets battered by the elements....end of story..

bought my 96 limited brand new with 30 miles on it...100k miles later..still runs the same and looks the same...a friend jumped in and said...what year is this? i asked him to guess and he said..2000? i said 96 and he was SHOCKED...flawlesss interior and the engine purrs like the day i drove it out of the showroom..but i drove my friend m3 and yea that thing pulls like a mother but the supra i drove owns the m3...only $2k of mods on the supra and it eats the m3 for BRUNCH....i'm stayin yota for life.

 

bought '93 2wd extended cab pickup new. had my first problem at 210k. heater control valve needed to be replaced. then at 230k needed to replace the radiator becuase it was just so old and developed a small pinhole.)

i did have the headgasket recall performed at 155k (got a new motor) and all other maintenance as scheduled. Car runs like new; sounds like new (240k right now).

my friend has a 2002 jetta. this thing has been in the shop for as long as he's had it. furthermore, it burns a quart of oil every thousand miles and VW says it's normal for that engine and they won't fix it. car only has 30k on it.

buy toyota@!!!

 

Thanks for all the info everyone - very helpful. At this point, the major contendors are:

Acura TSX - from the numbers, I don't see how this can compete, but I haven't driven it yet, so...
- 200hp
- 166ft/lbs
- 6-speed
- front-wheel drive
- 0-6 in 7sec

Audi A4 3.0 - a blast to drive.
- 220hp
- 221ft/lbs
- 6-speed
- Quattro all-wheel drive
- 0-60 in 6.9sec

Audi S4 - pretty expensive, but c'mon... the performance is amazing
- 340hp
- 302ft/lbs
- 6-speed
- Quattro all-wheel drive
- 0-60 in 5.3sec

Volvo S60 R - numbers look promising, not sure about owning a volvo though.
- 300hp
- 295ft/lbs
- 6-speed
- all-wheel drive
- 0-60 in 5.4sec

I did test drive a Maxima... it did surprise me, but ultimately felt sluggish (persumably because of its size) compared to the A4. I also test drove a SAAB 93. Nice, fun, but not in the same league as the Audi (IMO). I thought about the G35, but the AWD version is only available in an auto, and I want a manual. The Lexus IS300 is only rear-wheel drive, and I need something better in the snow.

I'll never buy a mitsu, so the Lancer evo is out. WRXs are all over the place, I prefer something a bit more "unique". My wife has a BMW, don't want another one.

 

What year/model does she have? Just asking because my wife's 97 BMW 328i has had very few problems in 80K miles, but I hear some years/models have more problems.

 

2003 325xi. Still pretty new, been pretty happy with it so far. I don't have anything against BMW, just don't want the same car my wife has (diversity is good).

 

jacksonpt:

i actually bought my 93 4runner to replace my 97 audi a4. i can't be emphatic enough when i say that the audi was fun to drive but a COMPLETELY UNDERWHELMING experience when it came to reliability and mechanical integrity. audi service sucks, too -- more than most dealers' service.

i actually had to replace the engine with only 50k on the odo. how long did that take? gee, lemme think, oh yeah 9+ WEEKS!!! i actually had to fight with audi corporate to get them to comp me a loaner car until the repairs were complete. that was the most major of all my problems, but i will say that i had to fight with audi to get them to even semi-stand behind their product EVERY TIME i had an issue. i've heard lots of people wonder if audi has such a great warranty because THEY HAVE TO (i.e., the thing is going to fall apart, so they better do something to appease legions of PO'd customers).

if you have cash--and time--to burn, the audi is a lot of fun to drive. but, to put things in perspective: i LOVE MY 93 4RUNNER AND IT KICKS THE BUTT OF MY OLD 97 A4. counter-intuitive? sure. the gods-honest truth? HELL YEAH.

hope you get what you want and that you interpret this advice in the vein in which it is meant.

 

Ok, every one of the cars I suggested were WAY cheaper than most of the cars on your list. I didn't think you were looking to spend that kinda cash. For the record the Maxima is .6 seconds faster 0-60. That is a VERY noticable difference even from a seat of the pants test and the car is *5* grand less. The S4 is a sweet little car no doubt. A buddy of mine here at school has one that is the model before the current one when it was still a bi-turbo. It is a fun car but at 46,340 you are paying quite a bit for performance that still doesn't even come close to the WRX STi. An STi starts at 30,995, 6,500 more than the standard WRX and with 73 more horses under the hood and 83 more lb-ft of torque (the STi has 300 total of both), limited slips front and rear and a driver controlled center diff, there is hardly a comparision between the two. With a 0-60 time of 4.8 seconds it would spank even the fastest car on your list. Not to mention, while I definately see a few WRXs on the road, I have yet to see an STi model in person.

EDIT: On a side note, that Mitsu Evo that you won't consider does 0-60 in 4.5 seconds...

 

First of all......I will never trade my 4runner for anything other than another 4runner!!!!!
That should explain sufficiently how I feel about it (and it was a 96...the first year out!)
With 110K on the ODO, done nothing but a timing belt and routine maintenance.
I won't let the dealers touch my truck to do the recalls (they screwed too much up already).

On a side note....

I am looking for a sedan for the rest of the family.
Anyone have any experince good/bad with the Volvo S80 T-6 ?

 

If your looking at something like an A4, check out the Lexus IS 300... they are SWEEET! Plus, they're made by Toyota. I haven't heard anything bad about them and I was very close to getting one before I bought my Taco.

Plus, there are a ˟˟˟˟˟ load of mods available for them. It's crazy what some guys do to them... over 500 hp!

Here is a good website:

www.is300.net

 

Maxima - I test drove it, lethargic and lacks agility. I'd much rather have a car that's more nible but a half second slower 0-60 - the way I drive, I'll enjoy the agility much more often than I will the half second 0-60 time advantage.

STi - there are 3 that I can think of (off the top of my head) just where I work. Generally speaking, I just don't care for the look of the Subis.

Evo - my wife had a mistu for her last vehicle, was a lemon. Took 2.5 years of us and our dealer harassing Mitsu corp to get them to take it of our hands. It left her stranded 3 times (twice with our 2 year old daugther, once in below freezing temps). While I like almost everything about the Evo, I will not support Mistu, ever.

 

I did... I can't have rear wheel drive and expect to make it through winter (I live in the northeast).

 

Yeah, that's the only thing going against the IS 300. I live in the Northeast as well and I wouldn't be abe to get anywhere in the snow.

A lot of BMW owners swear that Blizzacks(tires... not sure who makes them) are awesome in the snow and that they can go almost anywhere with them.

If I didn't live in the snow belt, I'd have an IS 300. Doesn't BMW make a AWD model(or several?)

 

yea, BMW makes an XI (all wheel drive) version of both 3-series models. There is talk that there will also be an all-wheel drive version for the 5 series soon. My wife has a 325xi that does fairly well in the snow. It's not a true all-wheel drive system though.. it's one of those deals where if the rear wheels start spinning, the front wheels kick in.

and BTW... bridgestone makes the Blizzak tire.

on a side note, where in PA are you?

 

I'm located in Pottsville, PA. Home of Yuengling, America's oldest brewery. Oh yeah, we also have a lot of coal around here as well.

Our claim to fame: www.yuengling.com

 

you still seem to be leaning towards the Audi in your line up.
Well OK but get the extended warranty you will need it.
Good luck
C

 

I would go for the Volvo. My mom has an s70 t5 and the car is a blast to drive. When you think volvo you think big and slow...but this isn't the case with their new cars. They are powerful, extremely safe, reliable and suprisingly agile. I think this would be the perfect car for your situation. A great family mobile but still a blast to drive(and the six speed!!!) At least test drive it and let me know how it is...I've been dying for a report

 

Right now, it's probably between the Audi and the Volvo. I've driven the Audi and I love it, but it's reliability is a concern (my only concern). I was planning on testing out the Volvo tomorrow, but not sure anymore with all the snow we are supposed to get.