Alright, looking for another car. With 2 other vehicles on the go, I'm looking in the $8-14k range, and I've narrowed it down to about 11 choices, in proper enthusiast fashion, and a couple of them are from our friends in Ingolstadt. The 02-04 A4 with the 1.8t is pretty common around here, and I like the idea of decent fuel economy for my 60k daily commute - trying to keep my choices in the 30mpg or above range. Anyway, I've had experience with newer VW's with the 1.8t, all of which have been negative. Most of the 'I wanna drive this fucking thing off a cliff' experiences were electrical, and I can't specifically remember any actual engine issues...but I'm still wary. From what I understand, all the VW shitboxes in the late 90's - early double-naughts were made in Mexico and other countries without running water or governments, and were subsequently crap. I also hear the Audi's were/are all made in Germany, including the 1.8t shoehorned into them. True? I know I'm looking for anecdotal evidence, but anyone else have experience with the 02-04 A4's, or have any useful input along these lines? Should I look for a 3.0 version instead? Any other known problems? Obviously I'd look for a Quattro, and ideally a manual, although the auto with Tiptronic would be fine.
Or should I go with plan B and get a newer Accord/G35/TL/CSX/Altima/Jetta TDi or the like? I basically want a car that's more enjoyable to be in on the highway - more passing grunt than a Civic, with a nice interior, more class than anything America has to offer, and doesn't drink more than my alcoholic ex on payday? I'd love an 02+ E46, but everything around here has super high milage, and I don't want a BMW with an automatic.
If you can get your hands on a 04 1.8t or a 2003.5, you'll end up with the 6pseed gear box which dramatically improves economy. They're great cars, Ive had two 1.8t A4s, and now currently swapped out my built 1.8t for a 2.7t. (Kinda wish I didn't =/)
The key things to look for in a used 1.8t.
Engine:
Just by looking at the motor, (pop off the plastic cover) the state of the valve cover seal, if the entire valve cover is fresh oily, its time for a new Valve cover gasket / cam seals. Bad valve cover seal can cause spark plugs to foul and cause misfires for the car.
Take the oil cap off, smell the oil, does it smell burnt, is there any sludge build up on the oil cap. This will immediately tell you how often someone changed the oil. Oil in this motor is EXTREMELY important. If a 3-4k MAX oil change schedule is not being stuck to, expect to have sludge issues, poor turbo longevity, and the degradation of the OE catch can system.
Take into account if an entire timing belt service has been completed on the car if it has more than 60,000 miles. The hydraulic tensioners on these cars fail, belt jumps timing. Sometimes the timing belt strips the teeth. Its very crucial that this service is performed at 60k miles, after that its honestly playing russian roulette. This service goes hand in hand with the water pump and thermostat replacement.
The other concerns are as follows:
Coil packs (There has been a recall issues, the new coils have a glossy surface, and they apparently don't fail frequently, if the coil packs are satin black in color, the recall has not been performed.) Bad coil packs cause misfires
MAF - Mass Airflow Sensor - they get dirty over time and fail, they dont always cause a CEL and they create a number of drivability issues, most commonly LIMP mode.
Suspension:
CV axles, the boots generally don't fare winter very well, and once they rip they require a new boot, or the entire axle needs to be replaced if they are clicking.
Control arms, the B6 A4's come with aluminum uprights and aluminum control arms. They are not made to withstand pothole ridden roads, if you have bad roads in your area, expect to be replacing your control arms about every 20-30k miles.
This is not a very easy car to own, while at the same time, not entirely horrible either, they just can be a headache to someone who has no experience with them, some boost issues, and other performance related issues can be slightly difficult to figure out, especially if you mod the car.
In terms of 3.0 vs 1.8t. You're better off with the 1.8t, with a simple chip, the car will be faster than its 3.0 counterpart, more fun to drive (not front end heavy), and more economical / reliable in the long run. The 3.0 generally has similar issues to the 1.8t, minus some of the boost / performance related issues. Also, if you want to go faster, it doesn't cost too much to do so with the 1.8t.. The key is to find a well maintained car from the start, so these potential issues don't pile on. The car as a whole is great fun, with the potential to really do a lot.
If you feel this is something you can't handle, I suggest you look for a e46 330i instead, they're very reliable if they have been serviced through out their life, my close friend has a 330ci with 151k miles, the car is revved to 6500rpm daily, driven hard, and has no issues apart from typical maintenance. (Again, very important.) I work on these cars on a daily basis, and they're definitely worth the little headaches they may give you sometimes.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me, I'll be glad to help you.