Audi S4 1993, thoughts?

Contemplating one of these as a semi-daily driver. I just don't know a lot about parts, maintenance and reliability. Clue me in.

Potentially very reliable. My dad's '91 200TQ with that motor went to way over 200K without so much as a head gasket failure or clutch replacement, in spite of the fact that it was chipped and making lots of power. None of the major parts failed in its lifetime (ie, diffs/trans/engine). It was never particularly aggressively driven, though.

Very prone to nickle-and-dime you to death, though, That 'reliable' 200TQ still cost around $7K-$8K over his 50k mile tenure with the car, all in small repairs. He wasn't doing all his own repairs, though.

Parts aren't too much worse than standard Audi fare. I can't remember if the '93 S4 got the UFO brakes? I think not. They're rare enough cars that used parts aren't real common, though.

Just sold a '92 S4. Drivetrain in that car is bomb proof. Many are rolling with 300k+ miles on them. You have to keep up on the maintenance, otherwise they'll bury you, just like any other old german car.

Watch out for electrical problems and check to make sure the hydraulically boosted brakes are working properly. There's a big community for these cars and lots of help available at quattroworld.com.

Finally a post I am qualified to expound my knowledge about! I DD a 93 S4, and have a winter beater '91 Audi 200 20V. Just spent a few weeks helping get my friends 93 S4 running, and my uncle owns one as well.

Why not start with the good. The engine is great to drive and like stated before pretty much bombproof. The 200TQ currently has 283,000 miles on it and has never had the engine or transmission apart beyond a new clutch and timing belt in its lifetime. Along with a pile of sensors and supporting accessory parts. Lots of torque for its size, decent fuel economy and screams a great 5 cylinder noise at 7000 RPM. I could go on for awhile describing exploits with these cars proving reliability, but will instead go to the bad.

The car will run forever, but anything else electrical / vacuum related may quit working at any time. If you don't like to do your own work, pack away some spare cash and make sure there is a local shop that will deal with European cars. Where I live it is fix it myself or drag it 40 miles for a raping at the dealer. Some areas do have great local shops. Shameless plug for a friend: Salisbury Motor Car in Salisbury Center, NY is the best example of this. Parts are out there, but don't expect them quick as Autozone will be confused as to why you want an odd number of spark plugs or some obscure electro-vacuum switch.

As I tell people, I am an Audi owner not always an Audi driver. Mine spent the last month sitting and waiting for the correct clutch slave cylinder. After three iterations of parts I finally am driving it again. As something to tinker with, drive hard, pile through snowbanks, rally or autocross I would whole heartedly recommend one. If you are looking for a cheap, low maintenance, get you to work every day of the year vehicle some disappointment may await you.

Feel free to hit me up for any questions specific to the car you are looking at.

GhiaMonster wrote: Finally a post I am qualified to expound my knowledge about! I DD a 93 S4, and have a winter beater '91 Audi 200 20V. Just spent a few weeks helping get my friends 93 S4 running, and my uncle owns one as well. Why not start with the good. The engine is great to drive and like stated before pretty much bombproof. The 200TQ currently has 283,000 miles on it and has never had the engine or transmission apart beyond a new clutch and timing belt in its lifetime. Along with a pile of sensors and supporting accessory parts. Lots of torque for its size, decent fuel economy and screams a great 5 cylinder noise at 7000 RPM. I could go on for awhile describing exploits with these cars proving reliability, but will instead go to the bad. The car will run forever, but anything else electrical / vacuum related may quit working at any time. If you don't like to do your own work, pack away some spare cash and make sure there is a local shop that will deal with European cars. Where I live it is fix it myself or drag it 40 miles for a raping at the dealer. Some areas do have great local shops. Shameless plug for a friend: Salisbury Motor Car in Salisbury Center, NY is the best example of this. Parts are out there, but don't expect them quick as Autozone will be confused as to why you want an odd number of spark plugs or some obscure electro-vacuum switch. As I tell people, I am an Audi owner not always an Audi driver. Mine spent the last month sitting and waiting for the correct clutch slave cylinder. After three iterations of parts I finally am driving it again. As something to tinker with, drive hard, pile through snowbanks, rally or autocross I would whole heartedly recommend one. If you are looking for a cheap, low maintenance, get you to work every day of the year vehicle some disappointment may await you. Feel free to hit me up for any questions specific to the car you are looking at.

Thanks for that. Considering my other cars are a '86 Alfa Romeo Milano, '91 Lotus Elan and a '91 BMW 318is, I think I can handle the parts scrounging and working on them myself. :) I'm used to that as you can imagine. I'm just glad that the drivetrain is pretty durable.