I would love to do exactly this, because I love the A4. But the maintenance cost fears stop me. I was really hoping it was one of those "Macs cost more" type myths, but the more I read the more it appears to be true.
to be honest, I was in your boat. I always bought Hondas/Acuras since I was afraid of maintenance issues. So for the last car I decided to take a gamble and buy an Audi. An A4 quattro for winter driving. Figure, worst case scenario, I'll just drive the other car.
Maintenance isn't too bad, I mean yes, a lot of things need a few extra steps compared to other cars...but there are plenty of forums with step by step DIY instructions on how to do everything.
Basically a good rule of thumb is that a Toyota/Honda will cost you $500/yr to keep running. And an Audi will cost you $1,000/yr.
Reliability wise, the mechanical bits are pretty reliable. They had a major issue with the coilpacks, but they did a recall on those, and the new ones are supposed to be bulletproof. The electrical bits on the other hand have their fair share of gremlins...but those are an annoyance, not anything serious + Audi has an onboard computer that catches these things...so you'll know when your turn signal burns out.
It's tempting. Though "coil packs" sends a shiver down my spine. My 2000 Miata blew its coil packs at 50,000 miles and after that, every 2 years, right before emissions testing time, the check engine light comes on and I spend a lot of money on emissions repairs...
I sold my 2006 Audi A4 S-line last year because I was tired of putting it in the shop every quarter. I purchased it used, owned it for about 27 months, and it was covered under the original warranty for the first 12k miles I put on it, then under a powertrain-only warranty offered by the dealership. Ultimately, I came out of pocket twice to get the automatic passenger window functioning again, and had to replace a fuel canister -- total out-of-pocket for me: ~$1000. I also had the coils replaced (under recall), and ultimately ended up in the shop with a major engine problem, totaling ~$2400. Fortunately, the 2nd powertrain warranty covered it.
All said, I was so tired of the "check engine" light coming on that I put it on Craigslist for a reasonable price, and sold it in a week. Incidentally, the day before I was to meet the new owner at her bank -- after all, it had been 3 months since the major engine problem -- the electronic display in the center console started to flicker and dim. The new owner was financing it, and was to hand over $500 in cash, but I told her about the problem and said she could keep the cash -- "You're likely going to need it" -- if she still wanted to proceed with the purchase. She did, and I am so happy to be rid of that car.
I've been driving my wife's '99 Honda Civic since, and while I've had a couple of minor problems with it, I wouldn't hesitate to drive that car anywhere today. So, if you can live without luxury, buy a reliable brand -- e.g., Toyota, Honda -- that is several years old, or if you have more to spend, most 2009 and newer vehicles will be reliable or perhaps still under warranty. If you desire used luxury, pay more for a Lexus or Acura, and stay away from a German car not made in the last couple of years or not under warranty with a dealership (read: repair shop) just down the street.
One last note: that Audi was the best car I've ever owned… when it was running. I'd buy German luxury all day long if I had the inclination to purchase a brand new vehicle.
Maintenance isn't "that" bad, but be aware if you're out of warranty and anything major breaks it will kill your wallet. I have an S4 so it's even pricier than the A models. If you know how to change your own oil, do it; you'll save $75+. As far as scheduled service goes, let Audi take care of it. It's expensive($600-ish), but they're extremely thorough. I have an aftermarket big brake kit and Audi quoted me $725 for new pads and installation. I did it myself for $250 (keep in mind, I have 6 piston calipers w/ 14.5" rotors so it's not cheap).
Fellow S4 owner here. It can be expensive to maintain, but worth every penny.
Anyways, I figure the price he was quoting is average yearly for an out-of-warranty vehicle. I spend about $300 on routine maintenance a year, then every once in a while something actually breaks and it can be expensive. I think when I needed new exhaust it was about $3k. I'd say it averages out to about $1K a year. More if you take into account that I have a seperate pair of winter wheels and tires.
well the cars have a pretty decent aftermarket, so if you needed a new exhaust you could have just gotten an aftermarket one...or bought a used one on the forums for a few hundred
