1997 Audi A4 Avant Quattro from UK and Ireland - Comments

Front suspension ball joints and bushes repeatedly failing. Main suspension arm actually snapped. I have since replaced almost all the components, at considerable cost.

Catalytic converter disintegrated and blocked the exhaust pipe, rendering the car useless. A replacement was only available from Audi and hence, very expensive.

Four wheel alignment was all wrong and I shredded £400 pounds worth of tires in only 1200 miles.

Rear windscreen washer sheared off at the base inside resulting in the hatch filling with washer fluid.

Engine and exhaust currently shakes badly due to one, or more, soft engine mounts.

This car is stunning to look at with it's lower Quattro suspension and dark pearlescent paintwork.

Interior build quality is superb and is virtually indestructible.

Quattro four wheel drive gives reassuring road holding in all weather conditions.

I sympathize with your views. Great looking car - shame about its ability to chew money in maintenance costs. I sold my car and purchased a Japanese car (Subaru Liberty) which doesn't look or feel as solid yet is far more reliable (and AWD for less cost than the FWD A4). Build does not equal to quality! Do yourself a favor and get rid of your Audi. If you cant handle a Jap car, buy a Merc.

Subaru cars (you're probably from Australia -- the only country where it's not sold as a Legacy) appear to be reliable when maintained correctly from the onset. In NZ, seecond-hand Subarus from Japan are known to be trouble, and very expensive at that! Of course they could be ill-treated, but Jap used-car Toyotas and Nissans, despite possible neglect, are nowhere near as notorious or expensive to fix as a Legacy.

Who said that Merc is reliable? You just need to do some homework to find that Mercedes is certainly not more reliable than Audi. I have done 80,000km with my A4 without any problem except a broken gear cable. It is a bad design (plastic connection rather than steel, faulty design). I could not find replacement in Malaysia. I had to order it from abroad. I have a 5 series BMW. It is much better than Audi. BMW and, of course, Japanese cars are more reliable.

Who said that Mercedes is reliable? You just need to do some homework to find that Mercedes is certainly not more reliable than Audi. I have done 80,000km with my A4 without any problem except a broken gear cable. It is a bad design (plastic connection rather than steel, faulty design). I could not find replacement in Malaysia. I had to order it from abroad. I have a 5 series BMW. It is much better than Audi. BMW and, of course, Japanese cars are more reliable.