Hello

First thread/post on here so be nice

Im having a hard time deciding what car to get next and thought maybe you guys can help.

I've narrowed it down to 2 cars, 02 amg c32 or 06 A4 s-line.

Im from australia and down here these 2 models are selling for similar money (about $30k AU)

basically it all comes down to reliability. How good/bad is the c32?

Keep in mind I service my cars myself and do as much of the repair work as possible. Im not a certified mechanic but I know how to use a spanner.

I'll need to spend a few Ks on the A4 to get out decent power out of it while the c32 already has enough and I wont be modding it.

It will mainly be used as a weekender/long distance cruiser.

Any thoughts/help/advice would be heaps apreciated!

If you're asking, get the A4. Bye.

audi b6 s4 what u should be comparing to c32, a4 s-line is 2.0t, with apr stage 3 it would be par with c32, thats $6-7k in mods. I personally like c32 more than s4/a4, its more fun to drive, while also being more reliable, 2.0t are not very reliable, i speak from personal experience I had one.

I used to have an 07 A4, awesome car, as long as you get Quattro. If you're going reliability, A4, fun, C32, but I had a ton of fun in that car. Fun for back roads with the AWD

It cringes me to know I picked up my C32 here in Aus not even 2 years ago for $41000 and now they have dropped 25% off their value in such small time.

In regards to your question I actually like both cars, I think you will win either way.

There's no comparing the 2 cars. You're talking about the A4 2.0T? That's a terrible motor. As already mentioned by another member, it's an unreliable motor and also completely gutless. I preferred the previous gen 1.8T. It had less power but was easier to mod. C32 VS S4 is a good comparison. A4 2.0T should be compared to a C240/C320.

You're asking the wrong forum for advice. How many people in a Mercedes forum would tell you to get a slower Audi over a faster AMG mercedes? Our opinions will be biased.

S4 > C32 but way more expensive.
C32 > A4 without a doubt.

Bry

Somewhat OT, but there was a black B6 S4 a while back that tried to race me. I let him get the jump from 40 mph, and I hit it when his front door was in my front bumper. Needless to say, I pulled by at least 4 car lengths from 40-80 mph even after the jump.

I would love to get an Avant B6 S4 in Nogaro Blue/Blue Suede interior though!

Damn, you guys are nice.

I'd go for the Audi because they make much better cars than Mercedes.

/thread

Gee, and I too like to paint with a broad brush............

Be careful with "finite" statements...................

Audi interior, red.

MB interior, **** yellow.

Seems simple really.

haha guys here aren't as biased as i thought

S4 is worth a good 10K more than the A4/C32 over here hence why i didn't include it as i'm not spending more than 30K

i was told the A4 is miles more reliable and much cheaper to maintain than an AMG which is why i was asking, just wanna be sure...

basically what i like about the C32 is stock for stock it will chop most cars on the road while staying comfortable and stylish and i can have all that for no more than 30K. my question basically was, what's the catch? why is it cheap? thats not normal for an AMG :/
you can get an older C43 for the same price...

as for the A4 s-line, i just love the looks (anything that looks like an RS4 wins me over)

IF YOU WANT TO BLEND IN, RIDE THE BUS IF NOT YOU KNOW WHICH CAR TO PICK. in 7 years i only drove by maybe 9 other c32 on the road, you know how many A4 or S4 I've driven by I stopped counting after a 100 just my $0.02

I don't see a lot of Ford Pinto's driving around, doesn't make me want one


Rarity is no indication of how good a car is, and a car being commonplace can come in handy in some cases. You should buy a car based on its performance, reliability, etc. Rarity is one of those things that is cool to be able to talk about once you have the car, not a deciding factor in buying it (in most cases)

Catch is the parts (ie/ $1200 alternator) and the petrol (ie/ $90-100 a week on fuel these days in ozzieland to get me 300-350km)

Those catches is what is inclining me to sell up after next Summer as I only just put a bigger heat exchanger on and more mods, I want to live through next Summer with it.. great fun car, just wish I was doing more long motorway driving with it than city driving.

2.0t a4 is worst it has cam follower problem which if it fails you need new cams that's $2-3k job if it fails, fuel pump goes out on those, timing belt needs to be changed around $80k, Subframe problems. Worst for me was cam follower failed twice and subframe made noise, that was only within 30k miles.

[QUOTE=pww;4689677]I don't see a lot of Ford Pinto's driving around, doesn't make me want one

I dunno, I'd love to have a retro Pinto or a Cosworth Vega!!! Rarity does have its privileges!!! Its the WOW factor. An AMC Gremlin or the fishbowl-like Pacer would be really cool.

although the c32 in particular is a rare car here, the c-class merc is one of the most common cars on the road and look exactly the same as the c32. so even though its a rare car it is not a rare sight...

motorway driving is what i intend to use it for (long drives) and the occasional twisties... would you recommend it? sell me yours? :p

i never stress about petrol aslong as it puts a smile on my face when i drive it. i've had a few mild-highly modded skylines previously so i'm used to spending big on fuel...

C32, but I'm biased.

Are you in Sydney?

On a good tank I'd aim for 16L/100km

In saying that I've done nice 50km motorway driving (80-110km/hour) and I've gotten it around 10L/100km which I was happy with considering that the supercharger was still engaged just not putting out boost as it was at around 2100rpm

Deff a fun car, not so much in the wet as the esp takes over and the computers go a bit crazy but come Summer time it's lots of fun.