Audi A4...Right Answer or Run Away?

I'm in the process of replacing my '09 Mazda 6 after it suffered a catastrophic sub-frame failure (long story for another thread) and one of the possibilities I keep noticing is the 2010-2013'ish Audi A4.  This car checks a lot of boxes for me but the the "Audi-factor" has me feeling nervous about the potential for repair costs down the road.  I've always associated Audi's with frequent reliability issues and excessive repair costs.  I've found most of the online reviews seem to contradict my bias.  I'd be really interest in seeing what everyone has to say.  Am I wrong or will one of these leave bankrupt and car-less?

Also, feel free to compare and contract the A4 against similar era 128's and 3 series as they are also on the shortlist.

Thanks!

I will own an original A4 before I die. Stylistically they blew the market away. Before that I remember Audis as having the most solid door thunk of all. Of course I also think the same thoughts about the Altima and Focus. 

These are German cars.  That means when you're shopping for a used one, you buy the owner, not the car.  What I mean by that is you buy a car from a person who understood how to maintain it, did that and has the documents to prove it.  If you have to pay more for that, you do.

Get one that's been neglected and you (and your wallet!) will be very, very sorry.

I have a 2015 A4 quattro and a 2015 allroad (A4 wagon basically) for Mrs. PMRacing.  The '13+ (B8.5) were less prone to oil burn issues. Also, bluetooth music streaming wasn't standard until '14.  I love mine and have put almost 40k miles on it in two years and it has been great!  The sport package suspension does firm things up a bit, but it is still quite comfortable, even on Michigan roads.  The allroad soaks up everything and still handles quite well. It is one of the most comfortable cars I've ever driven (and I work in suspension development). 

Try and find one with sport seats. I find them much more comfortable than the standard seats. The interiors hold up well when cared for. I test drove a 100k+ mile S4 and the interior was still new looking.  

Definitely buy based on maintenance records. I bought CPO and have had a couple things taken care of (front wheel bearing, MMI controls), but the car has been otherwise perfect. I change oil every 5k miles, keep the leather treated, and rotate tires every 5k miles and that's about it.   Great long distance cruisers and with the sport package pretty fun to drive for a sedan. 

Good luck in your search!

Appleseed said: $$ kaboom $$

This.

Don't walk, run away screaming.

They're better than B7's at least. 

Thanks very much for the feedback everyone.  I ended up passing on the A4 I was looking at as it definitely hadn't been maintained well and the owner couldn't produce any maintenance records at all.  I did end up coming across a 2011 323i in excellent shape and low miles.  It fit the bill so I pulled the trigger on that one this evening.  Hopefully it has years of reliable service left in it.

Thanks again!

Every time we've shopped for sedans in the last 15 years, I've looked at Audis, new, used, and CPO.

I really really want to like them, but I always find myself disappointed by the experience during test drives.  I know that's not a lot of time to render a decision, but they always leave me cold.  It won't stop me from trying again in a few years... but I also don't really expect a different outcome.

In reply to nutherjrfan :

My neighbor’s son has an original A4 and it’s a very attractive car but he says something that needs to be fixed so often should be easier to work on. 

Contrast.