Parents want to buy a car

Koenig

Koenig

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 27, 2005
Messages
1,977
Location
Ottawa, Canada
My parents want to buy a car, and I'm trying to steer them in the right direction considering the fact they know next to nothing about cars (we drive a '99 Camry and an '03 Cavalier, YUCK!). Thankfully, they realize that my knowledge of cars far outweigh theirs, and have let me find a good deal for them. The only thing they want is a nice reliable car around $25k. These are some that I'm considering:

2000 Audi S4, fully loaded, about 100k km, $21,900

2001 BMW 330I, fully loaded, about 90k km, $22,900

2002 Jaguar S-Type, fully loaded, 65k km, $24,995, it's the 4L V8

Any thoughts/suggestions? I'm not too sure about the reliabilities of the Jag, and the reason why there isn't a Japanese car there is because I don't think that they want another one (we've had a few).
 
Re: Parents want to buy a car

Koenig said:
2000 Audi S4, fully loaded, about 100k km, $21,900



Any thoughts/suggestions?
Click to expand...


I'll give you some suggestions with this one, because I was looking to buy an S4 for a long time and did more research than a normal shopper.

The 2000 S4 was plagued with a few problems. Primarily, the longevity of the turbos. History shows that around 60k the timing belt should be changed (Audi recommends 100k, but that?s when most people are out of warranty, and just a way for them to make more money off you.), and about 60k-90k the turboes will go. The turbos blowing (which sounds like a high pitched dentist's drill) costs about $3,000-$5,000US (depending on labor), and among other things, gave this car a reputation for notoriously expensive maintenance.

Many people interested in bumping the power and dependability of their turbos and motor with up grade to the RS4 turboes. (S4's are called K03, RS4's are called KO4) The KO4 are a bit bigger but can handle more air, and therefore, boost. The KO4's are much more dependable because of this and with them, some ECU work, and exhaust mods you will easily be seeing BHP numbers in the 400's. But that doesn't come cheap, about $6,000-$8,000US (depending on labor).

Some things you can do prolong your engines life is monitor the Throttle Body Boot. The factory one was a cheap plastic/rubber with a clamp that had sharp teeth on its underside, and it would tear the boot letting in air/shit. Another thing is to maintain the Diverter Valves, switching to the stock Audi TT valves (you need two) works perfectly. No need to Spend 200+ on aftermarket, the stock ones will be fine (these cars don't like Blow Off Valves, BTW). The F-hose (common term for a certain vacuum hose) needs to be monitored so it doesn't break as well. CV (a.k.a. Drive Axles) boots tend to rip from all the power.

Many people will recommend when buying an S4, to buy a 2001.5 and up one. The car was only made till 2002 but there are a good amount of these cars out there. People recommend this because in the 2001.5+ the F-hose was done away with, and they sent oil-cooling lines to the turboes in order to prolong their lifespan. Many people argue these additions don't matter too much in the life of the car, but to me, it's a piece of mind thing, and a 2001.5+ isn't that hard to find. You can tell the difference between a 2001.5+ and one before by the badge.


S4badge.jpg
Is from 2000-2001.5

s4_badge.gif
Is 2001.5+

The best S4, and most dependable one, will always be the one that was taken care of and one on which all of the aforementioned were monitored.
A big law, but also Catch22, is to avoid S4's that have been modified slightly, as they were probably driven hard. But, an S4 that has been modified with the KO4 turboes properly... is, well, virtually bulletproof.

S4 is a great car with LOADs of pedigree. But if this car is for your parents and they want a dependable car that is cheap to fix when it does go wrong, it may not be the car for them.

I've driven one and it was FAST, SOLID, and FANTASTIC... but the way I see it is, I've spent enough time bashing knuckles and getting dirty trying to fix a car. And while it's a fantastic car, it just wasn't going to be worth the work.

edit: heheheh.... I just realized how long this was. Hope it helps :thumbsup:
 
Saab 9-5 Aero maybe?
 
If they previosuly owned a camry and cavlier I dont think they will want an S4 or 330ci.

Just go with a 2.0T A4 and a 320 bimma.
 
What about a second hand Evo or scooby?
 
yo man, am in ottawa too and you can surely find better deals than that.. there are tons of auctions or dealer auctions you can hook yourself into. My friend bought a 300c for 11 grands, the fender was hit, that was the only thing about it, fixed it for 1500$ .. in the best shop in town.. and now he drives a brand new car for 12500 CAD. don't buy from dealers they rip you off or autotrader, its overpriced in canada, true maybe those cars are very clean but i can guarantee you you can find better deals because i've seen alot. anyways good luck with any purchase.
 
Going from a Camry to any other car is a big downgrade in RELIABILITY. Do your practical parents really want to sacrifice that? Car enthusiasts don't mind doing so in the prusuit of performance. Your folks don't sound like people who would.

I'd let them buy the car they want and save your dreams for a faster car for yourself.
 
Out of the original 3 cars he listed, the winner for reliability is probably a toss up between the BMW and the Jag. BMW's are quite reliable, my family had a 323ci for 6 years and nothing big went wrong with it, just a front suspension bushing we had to replace. But we didn't drive that car very much, we only racked up ~65k km in those 6 years. The S Type you listed is considerably lower mileage than the other two cars for not too much extra money, which makes it more attractive.

As for the Audi, I love Audi, but... a turbocharged performance sedan with 100k on it?

Personally I'd go for the Jag, but that's because I'm bored with BMW 3's.
 
Well, the S-type is nice, stands out, whereas I reckon the BM looks plain, although the handling is brilliant. I would go for the Jag, however none of those three are Toyotas, so expect a few things to go wrong with any of them. Just, I think the 200 A4 and BM look plain, and the Jag will ahve more interior space, and a better interior, along with that rather nice V8. I've been in a 4.0 SE, and they sound nice.
 
Jag has scored high in relaiability tests lately so that shouldn't be a big issue, atleast not compared to the others you have mentioned.
For your parents I think the jag is the right choice. The two others are more "individualistic" drivers cars. It has a nice ride, smooth V8, and is a class bigger than the two others + it has lower milage.
 
Should I also be looking at Saabs? Not too sure about the reliability on those....

The thing is, my parents want a "high-end" car this time around. At first I was thinking maybe a Lexus or Acura, but my dad said no (dunno why) so started looking elsewhere.

And the Jag S-type is rear-drive right?
 
Yes, the Jag is rear-drive. Dunno if you should be looking at Saab or not, they tend to be trickier to drive quickly since they're FWD. Could be better in bad weather, though. Build quality and reliability (I think?) are two big concerns with Saab as well, since they're essentially warmed-over GMs.
 
:wall:

Warmed-over GM cars my ass. Saab reliability is on par with the German marques, they are that not horrible as you'd think. The 9-5 is very underrated and is a great used car buy. Skip the 3.0t V6, I'd go for the top-level Aero with the proven and stout 2.3 high-output turbo (same basic block they've been using since the Saab 9000). Torquey in the low-end, great gas mileage of the four-cylinder, and very comfortable ride for those long trips. Plus, everyone has a BMW, MB, Audi, Volvo, etc. I like them all, but why have the same car as them? Your parents like exclusivity, right?
 
Z Draci said:
Going from a Camry to any other car is a big downgrade in RELIABILITY. Do your practical parents really want to sacrifice that? Car enthusiasts don't mind doing so in the prusuit of performance. Your folks don't sound like people who would.

I'd let them buy the car they want and save your dreams for a faster car for yourself.
Click to expand...

Toyota reliabilty is just a myth these days and JD power surveys are bullshit, example, a BMW i belive got low ratings because the cup holder was shit, and so it was bottom of the pile when everything else on the car was fine.


Audi is the most reliable of the three Id say, comes with forged pistons as standard and in the UK there are plently with over 130miles going strong. American dealers must not know how to service the cars or something seeing as you guys think they give up after a measly 100k because it isnt the case.


The jag is nowhere as good as the equivelant germans in any category, and the saab is ok and fun to drive but they depreciate heavily. Audi is the best choice if you want a car that holds its value.
 
Vette Boss said:
Dunno if you should be looking at Saab or not, they tend to be trickier to drive quickly since they're FWD. Could be better in bad weather, though. Build quality and reliability (I think?) are two big concerns with Saab as well, since they're essentially warmed-over GMs.
Click to expand...
Wow, there's absolutely no truth in what you said. The interior is great with every button, switch, and knob having a nice, solid feel to them. It's comfortable, fantastic power, and gets good fuel economy. There are a few reliability issues though. First, the ignition module will fail every 4 years or so, that's $200US. The crank position sensor will also fail about every 4 years too and that's about $50US. But the big one is the sludge issue with the 4 cylinder turbos. These engines need fully synthetic oil and no more than 5000 miles between changes. Before you buy one make sure you take it to a mechanic and have the valve cover pulled. However, it won't have to be rebuilt at 80K like most GM's if they aren't sludged. Mine has 81,000 miles on it, I rev it to 6000 rpms several times a day and it loves it.

As for tricky handling, you're just flat out wrong. I took my car on a fun run this weekend on the hilly backroads of virginia and it was absolutely brilliant. It's so easy to feel exactly what the car is doing and it really gives you confidence to get your foot in it. and if you get over enthasistic with your right foot you only smoke the inside tire, lift off and grip is restored.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top