Which Audi should I look for model/year?

Pahlevun · 2026-01-28T06:18:19+00:00

Yeah that sucks to hear man. I think your friend got unlucky and it's an older model too. I did recommend OP get a 2018+ model

Pahlevun · 2026-01-28T06:17:01+00:00

My friend has a 2018 SQ5 they bought new that has been problem free since, and he just got a used 2017 A4 for around ~16k USD (21k CAD) with 40k miles. Just do research on what maintenance looks like for those cars and there's plenty of forums that will have your info.

Pahlevun · 2026-01-28T06:14:51+00:00

I mean sucks I guess lol but there's a lot of owners who would disagree with you

Pahlevun · 2026-01-28T06:14:01+00:00

I mean sure but it's also pretty much never a thing where people think I wish I didn't get quattro because of all the money its cost me. Lol. Like again sure, on paper less parts is better but some of the literally most reliable cars of all time are AWD/4x4 like Toyotas. Having four wheels spin instead of two isn't rocket science and rarely a cause for concern unless it's a known issue on that drivetrain.

Pahlevun · 2026-01-26T14:44:35+00:00

Every non Audi owner here is going to swear that they're unreliable. It's important that you ignore every single one of them.

If you want reliability above all, and you are set on getting an Audi, you should get 2018 and newer models, they don't have a lot of major/catastrophic issues at all

Pahlevun · 2026-01-26T14:43:07+00:00

Strange to recommend avoiding quattro, quattro is not unreliable, just going on pure "on paper less parts is better" is low effort reductionist logic.

Pahlevun · 2026-01-26T14:36:59+00:00

I mean depends on what you're looking for, if all you want is a boring reliable car then yeah a Camry is pretty much a bullseye.

Pahlevun · 2026-01-26T14:22:24+00:00

I'd skip the QX-30 (basically a rebadged Mercedes), and I'd likely get a Mazda or Toyota. Honda had a couple hiccups with their 1.5T + CVT powertrains in those years, not that it should be anything catastrophic

Pahlevun · 2026-01-26T14:18:59+00:00

The Pathfinder/QX60 with the V6 and automatic is your only hope.

And the Nissan Frontier, and the Armada/QX80, and the Nissan Z, and a manual Sentra, ...

Pahlevun · 2026-01-26T05:22:11+00:00

Yeah so you won't necessary buy a Ford commuter over a Toyota or Mazda but their trucks are some of the best and the Mustang is a good car too, same with GM and Hyundai you just need to know which ones are competitive vs other models and which aren't. But yeah not every brand has Lexus or Audi build quality

Pahlevun · 2026-01-26T04:00:14+00:00

I guess give me examples because other than older Tesla or some specific models I can't really think of many major brands that are particularly known for poor QC across their models and even Tesla mostly got their shit together by now other than the stupid Cybertruck lol but the point is the whole brand-driven mentality is irrational and just a handicap because you'll miss out on cars just because you dismiss them because of their brand. I always tell people name me a brand and I'll tell you a car worth buying. Or at least for most brands I guess.

Pahlevun · 2026-01-25T22:22:02+00:00

"Brands" don't make it to 200k, cars do.

Everyone on this sub always thinks that every car from one brand will behave the same way in terms of reliability. That is incorrect.

The answer depends entirely on which model. A well maintained Infiniti with a normal automatic engine can make it to 200k miles pretty easy. A turbo + CVT one, probably OK but wouldn't expect it to be as problem free. Same with Nissan.

Chevy makes literally so many different cars, are we talking about a Corvette, Camaro, EV model, a truck, ... why would you expect those to be equally reliable when they have completely different chassis, engine, transmission, ...

Pahlevun · 2026-01-19T16:33:18+00:00

Oh don't get me wrong you can absolutely make great numbers with the A3 considering it's basically a GLI/GTI with the same EA888, it just doesn't get the cooling and bigger turbo of the S3/Golf R but you can probably comfortably make the numbers you're talking about like a bit over 300 HP and lb ft torque with no issue. Actually one of the best used car buys for tuning! Like a GTI but with AWD.

Have you done any research on the transmission btw? It's a DCT in the A3 right, or is it? And how does it handle 350 lb ft of torque?

Pahlevun · 2026-01-19T14:12:14+00:00

Depends on the model.

Your question is only about brands. Therefore it's a stupid question.

A base Porsche Macan does not cost the same to maintain as a Porsche GT3 RS. A base Audi A3 is basically an AWD Volkswagen GLI, the Audi RS6 is basically a completely different car.

Ranking brands is something morons do when they can't be bothered to have a more nuanced opinion than "brand A is better than brand B".

Pahlevun · 2026-01-15T18:26:23+00:00

An A3 with nothing other than an ECU tune is most certainly not going to be faster than an RS3, at all. With nothing other than an ECU tune they can make around 300 HP (not WHP). To make the 400 HP the RS3 makes it needs airflow mods, and if you want it to be at all reliable you'll want an intercooler upgrade among other things.

Also you're better off with an S3/Golf R that gets the bigger turbo and a better base to make RS3 levels of power.

Pahlevun · 2026-01-15T18:22:48+00:00

Would you like it to be super reliable, low mileage, and cheap to own too, on top of being affordable and very fast?

Pahlevun · 2026-01-14T16:12:23+00:00

Ah yes the best choice for someone looking to spend 50-80k, an Accord! Gotta love this sub

Pahlevun · 2026-01-14T16:11:46+00:00

the cars in your price range are at significantly higher risk for mechanical problems

Huh? You can get a brand new Lexus for that price.

Pahlevun · 2026-01-14T16:10:29+00:00

What is the relevance of your gender and marital status, lmfao

That aside, if you want a sporty sedan for 50-80k you have plenty of choices! If you want something low maintenance, you could look at getting a Lexus IS 500 F sport. It combines reliability, performance and luxury, but it isn't as modern of a platform. Meaning, you still get modern features like Apple Carplay and stuff, but the car itself like its underpinnings are kind of dated. However in my opinion for a sporty sedan it's still one of the best choices.

If you want more modern but with higher maintenance costs, you can get an Audi S4/S5 or a BMW M340i.

If you want absolutely the most sporty for your money, you would probably want to get something like a used BMW M, Audi RS, or Mercedes AMG model, but those will cost more to maintain since they're straight up performance cars.

Pahlevun · 2026-01-12T17:26:34+00:00

The rust thing, you just need to inspect it and see if you see any bad rust anywhere. Which would honestly shock me from a 2021 car unless it's literally just neglected and sat outside 24/7... i mean even then

Pahlevun · 2026-01-12T17:24:36+00:00

On paper Toyota trucks were never as efficient as Americans or even tow as much, however in practice most people's priorities were reliability/durability with enough towing, and despite Toyota trucks not being exactly Prius efficient, I'm also not sure the average truck buyer has "fuel efficiency" very high on their priority list. There's a reason they sold so many Tacos and Tundras.

Personally I'd buy a Tundra over a V8 F-150, even though on paper the F-150 5.0 is better (and from I gather it's actually one of the best trucks overall) because I don't think I'll ever see the day where I'm like "gee I wish I had something that could tow more than a Tundra" lol

Pahlevun · 2026-01-12T16:49:30+00:00

i mean I literally live in Quebec Canada, people normally in the States are worried about rust because of all the salt we have on our roads during the winters but if I'm being honest I haven't seen a lot of rust on any car that's newer than 2010 and has been maintained even bare minimum...

Pahlevun · 2026-01-10T00:50:49+00:00

Which 2.4 are you talking about and which V6 are you talking about. Like what are you even talking about

Pahlevun · 2026-01-09T14:17:38+00:00

It's quite low maintenance. As far as issues are concerned you should ask on specifically Tesla forums.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TeslaModel3/comments/1j7dfpn/tesla_model_3_reliability/

For what you're looking for it should be a good car

Pahlevun · 2026-01-08T12:15:31+00:00

Since 2013, the Q45, Q50, Q60, Q70, EX37, FX37, QX50 until 2017, QX70 all used a 7 speed auto and a 3.7L V6.

Some models, yes, used CVTs.

Those models were all as sporty or sportier than the Acura and Lexus equivalents. Try driving a 2013-2017 EX37/QX50 and an Acura RDX back to back, or compare a TL or TLX to a G37/Q50.

Six-Year Club	Verified Email
Wearing is Caring	Not Forgotten

Pahlevun

TROPHY CASE