BOB
I'd go with a midrange Japanese car if pillowy handling and mundane
styling aren't a problem. They're cheaper, more comfortable, and
usually very easy to maintain.
Based on my personal experience, I'd stay clear of the Honda hybrids.
There's no reason why the turbo engines won't be long-lived and reliable if
they're maintained properly. However a NA engine has one less thing to go
wrong so I'd expect it to be more reliable.
I'd have thought that you'd be able to get a 3.2 A4 for similar price to the
325i if you'd rather have a NA engine. The Volvo is a step down in terms of
quality
Can't speak for BMW or Volvo but there isn't much difference between the
maintenance programs of Audi NA and turbo engines.
The Volvo is a step down in terms of quality but maybe that doesn't bother
you too much
HTH
Audi has been "doing" turbos for many years. I've had three and none
of them gave me any problems. Audi is noted for its trouble free
turbos. I have put more than 100k miles on two (1990 200T wagon and
1994 S4) and currently drive an RS6 with twin turbos.
Dave
Perhaps your friend was not aware of how to let the turbo cool down
correctly? Or maybe he just got a bad 'un.
There was a time in the US when Volvo dealers would put mineral oil in
turbocharged Volvo engines (like the T5) and suggested keeping it there
for the duration of the oil change interval which was something like
7.5k miles. I could see where the turbos wouldn't fancy it.
Pete
Why wouldn't you consider something like the Mazda6 wagon? It's got a
nice V6 and being Japanese, should give you many years of trouble-free
motoring. It's a great-looking car as well, and certainly less
expensive than the ones you list.
Dan D
'04 A4 1.8Tq MT-6
Central NJ USA
Doesn't it use Ford engines (not that they're bad or anything)? Or is it
only the 4 cylinder ones that come from Ford?
Pete
I think it was co-developed by them, since Ford owns a chunk of Mazda,
I believe. But I think it's primarily a 'Mazda' engine.
Can we get this in a manual tranny? The other half is lusting after
the Lexus RX300, and I really want to avoid buying a SUV, but she's
not really interested in getting another Subaru (we've got a 1999
Legacy OBW, which is fine with me), so this is a point of contention.
One advantage the Lexus does offer is a hybrid version, so ....
Me: I just want a TT sooner or later. I love my 98.5 A4 and will keep
driving and feeding it, but ultimately I need my little sportscar.
Thanks for the suggestion. The Mazda6's are a bit long. Unfortunately,
I live in Hawaii, where the garages are absurdly small (most people
park on the street and use their tiny garages for storage). I can
barely shoe-horn in my two cars.
My TT's turbo cools itself when you shutdown the motor. At least I think
that's what the manual says.
I had a 2001 1.8T Jetta for 5 years and I didn't have any turbo problems
(other than the speeding tickets).
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com