[abhijitaparadh]

Hi,

I am thinking of buying Audi Q5 (new or CPO) with 2.0T engine.
Any known issues that I should be aware of?

Also, can someone comment on the maintenance costs after initial 5 yrs if maintenance contract ?

Are Audis known to give nagging issues ?

[Technocrat]

I think there are two parts to it, one is the regular Maintenance cost & other is unreliability which will make to spend money.

The former in my opinion is more important if you are buying New or CPO. In my recent conversation with a guy in office who owns a Q3 I was astonished at the price he pays for regular stuff e.g. replacing wipers cost him around $120 that's insanely high compared to what one would pay for Jap & American regular & luxury brands(e.g. its cost me $10 for just inserts for my accord & the premium ones cost around ~40 bucks with DIY effort).

Again Honda dealership charges $99 for a/c air filter replacement, I bought it off Amazon for $13 & changed it in less than 5 minutes myself.

Having said that, this is also the same who never tried outside the service center & if he tried the costs would probably be more at par with Jap luxury brands.

What i would recommend is find out the prices for regular maintenance items like,

- oil change
- Wipers
- Brake Pads + rotors
- Wheel Alignment & rotation

Others can add more.

For buying one which is out of warranty check the specific make & model in relevant Audi forums to find out what kind of work/expenses to expect. Also you can find if any specific variant or year model was troublesome or not.

[abhijitaparadh]

Audi new cars come with bumper to bumper warranty for 4 yrs/60k miles.
CPO come with additional 2 yrs/30k of bumper to bumper warranty.

Audi sells a maintenance package for around $750 for 4 yrs which includes regular maintenance (parts and labor) for 4 yrs.

The CPO cars that I am looking at are 2013 or 2014 models with less than 10k on odo. So I think I am effectively covered for next 5 yrs for parts and labor (and other things that may break) once I take the service plan for $750.

Question comes after that

I test drove Acura RDX and Jeep Cherokee etc, but none comes close to the driving dynamics, interior quality, fit and finish and ride quality for Germans. So it is a toss up between Audi Q5 and BMW X3. BMW looks a bit bland and is termed as the "new Honda Civic" in Bay area They are just too common. Hence decided to go with Audi.

I have done some research, and there are some costs associated with regular maintenance. My question is more for unexpected expenses like break light failure or power window failure or audio system failure etc. These NEVER occur with Japanese cars but I am told that its frequent for german cars especially after first 4-5 yrs of ownership. Is it true?

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by abhijitaparadh

I have done some research, and there are some costs associated with regular maintenance. My question is more for unexpected expenses like break light failure or power window failure or audio system failure etc. These NEVER occur with Japanese cars but I am told that its frequent for german cars especially after first 4-5 yrs of ownership. Is it true?

Some of that is urban legend, but some of it is true too. If you take good care of your German car, they are usually ok on your wallet - not as cheap as the Japs to maintain, but certainly not incredibly expensive. Just find a good independent auto repair shop once you are near the end of your warranty.

Q5 is a good car, debatable, but I think that is the best car that Audi sells. It maybe a few years into the model cycle, but still has been kept fresh. I would take the X3, but that's just my personal preference for better driving dynamics etc.

[Jeroen]

When it comes to Audi's I would not worry to much. If you think the Audi dealer charges too much, go to an independent garage.

Parts are cheap if you get them from places like Autozone etc. Parts could be expensive if you get them from the Audi dealer.

If you go for pre-owned, check the maintenance history which hopefully is all with authorized Audi dealers. Give them a call, and ask for the service manager and see if he want to say something. You might also want to consider getting the history of the car through a service such as car fax: https://secure.carfax.com/creditCard...SiteLocation=4

Not a hundred percent correct, but it will give peace of mind.

You also might consider going onto a Audi A5 specific forum, such as http://www.a5oc.com/forums/. Like this one, its free of charge. You will find that on those forums there is a huge amount of practical knowledge on a particular car, surpassing what you will find here on this forum by a good margin.

They will be able to give detailled tips on what to look for on your particular model/year.

Jeroen

[LTAutoMad]

Originally Posted by VLOCT

I'm the one who made the statement.

I agree, in general, female drivers cause fewer accidents than males. However, it does not really mean much when it comes to motorcycling. Reasons such as lower driving speed in general, more deliberate and cautious maneuvers etc. can be attributed to the low accident rate, but, it could still be fatal to a rider, while a car may just get a dent.

While a lot of males, I find, have some kind of interest in motorcycles, significantly fewer females have any interest and many are downright hostile. Let alone an understanding of the capabilities and handling limitations of a motorcycle.

It is my observation that, in United States anyway, many more females than males deliberately or not do endangering stunts like abrupt braking in front of riders, merge lanes within a foot of the motorcycle and do other such stunts, indicating limited understanding of motorcycle handling/braking capabilities. In general, exhibiting lack of awareness of the presence of a rider (seen or not), which was what I was stating.

Unlike an automobile, on a motorcycle you may not get a second chance. So when I make an observation on riding, political correctness is not exactly a priority. Getting back in one piece to your family is what I'm thinking about.

I have to agree with VLOCT that a person will definitely take one's own life observations and road experiences - Politically Correct or not - into account, especially when on a motorbike in a country where you are an insignificant minority.

Yes, the statistics say women are far safer drivers than men. But, I have been nearly run over a few times by drivers who changed lanes without looking and the bald truth is that every single time it has been a young lady. How can you not see a fullsize Harley with three big lights at the front? I have to agree with VLOCT that young men are much more interested in motorcycles and at worst will try to race you, which I ignore, having nothing to prove to them rather than deflating their ego and risking them run me over!

Again, my self-preservation radar starts flashing when a young girl sits one metre behind my bike at 80km/h, totally oblivious of the harm she could do to me. Or my bete noir - middle-aged moron men drivers (why, oh why?) who keep turning their head a full 90deg to talk to their passengers!! In both these cases, if I had been in my car, I would have ignored those fools and muttered "Ok, dumbo, run up my back and pay your at-fault claim". Yes, the same at-fault claim will also pay for my motorbike, but not for my life.

[kraft.wagen]

Originally Posted by maddy42

....

Congrats on the duc. I read you plan to do a track day, its definitely a great decision it will help you understand your bike better and gives you confidence on its control. Trackdays usually require you to have a full suit(1 or 2-piece). Do you ride with any local forums? Get to know a few local riders and go with them to track, its helpful to have folks help you and take (good) advices on improving techniques as long as its comfortable to you. Different people have different style so jus ride at your comfort.

That being said as long as you are careful and aware of your surroundings you should be able to enjoy your ride. Never forget to gear up!

(sorry for so many advices)

[balajird]

I am planning to buy a Toyota Camry from a dealer, it is a 2002 make, all power options, sunroof, no leather, alloy wheels, 126000 ODO, tyres are like 30% left, exterior looks great except for very few small chips and interior looks good as well. The dealer is quoting 5000 CAD. is it worth the quote?

Also, is it beneficial to have BCAA do inspection on this car for 200 CAD? How good would it be?

Thanks for your time to provide inputs / advise.

[mohit]

Originally Posted by balajird

I am planning to buy a Toyota Camry from a dealer, it is a 2002 make, all power options, sunroof, no leather, alloy wheels, 126000 ODO, tyres are like 30% left, exterior looks great except for very few small chips and interior looks good as well. The dealer is quoting 5000 CAD. is it worth the quote?

Also, is it beneficial to have BCAA do inspection on this car for 200 CAD? How good would it be?

Thanks for your time to provide inputs / advise.

Are you OK gambling $5k (plus any unforeseen expenses) for saving $200? Ask around for an independent to do the inspection. Should be a bit cheaper than BCAA.

[rameshnanda]

Heard that Nissan (and dealers) is offering huge incentives on new cars. Altima 2.5 S which is originally tagged at $23k+ is being offered for $17,300. Is it really worth considering this offer? Are they any hidden costs? Any one here availed this offer?

Too many questions.

[balajird]

Originally Posted by mohit

Are you OK gambling $5k (plus any unforeseen expenses) for saving $200? Ask around for an independent to do the inspection. Should be a bit cheaper than BCAA.

I dont mean to save 200$ by NOT doing it, but whether they do justice for the job we are paying as I am hearing mixed reviews on the websites.

Unfortunately I dont know any independent mechanic who can do the inspection for me. Another gentleman who accompanied me "feels good" about the car but he does recommend taking the service of BCAA.

[mohit]

Originally Posted by balajird

I dont mean to save 200$ by NOT doing it, but whether they do justice for the job we are paying as I am hearing mixed reviews on the websites.

Unfortunately I dont know any independent mechanic who can do the inspection for me. Another gentleman who accompanied me "feels good" about the car but he does recommend taking the service of BCAA.

Anyone you know in office who can recommend one?
You can ask here: http://forums.redflagdeals.com/automotive-f40/
Maybe someone from Vancouver can suggest one and provide opinion on the BCAA service too. A friend got his car checked by CAA here and the service was decent.

[balajird]

Originally Posted by mohit

A friend got his car checked by CAA here and the service was decent.

Thanks Mohit, I will check around and see how it goes.

[kraft.wagen]

Originally Posted by rameshnanda

Heard that Nissan (and dealers) is offering huge incentives on new cars. Altima 2.5 S which is originally tagged at $23k+ is being offered for $17,300. Is it really worth considering this offer? Are they any hidden costs? Any one here availed this offer?

Too many questions.

Not sure what you mean by hidden costs. A friend of mine picked up the '14 2.5S a couple of months ago for around the same price(17k OTD) in CA. The reason for rebates must be since they are selling the 2014s not the current year models.

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

Congrats on the duc. I read you plan to do a track day, its definitely a great decision
Get to know a few local riders and go with them to track,
Never forget to gear up!
(sorry for so many advices)

Thanks so much and i need all the advice lest i get very casual over it. I did meet couple of folks in the cyclegear store and am incontact with them. Will plan riding with them some time in the future, as i am trying to get some miles under me alone.

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

Nissan 2014s

Nissan seems to be on a overdrive throwing a lot of discounts mind you towards new car buyers. In phoenix there is a deal going on for group buying.

I know this as a big group of folks from a IT Company which starts with T and ends in A ended up buying as a group. Number of cars were more than 30. There was one guy in the group who had some commision system setup for him as he went with each of the 30 people and got them a fairly good deal for the cars(Sat in the showroom from 8am to 8pm).

Maddy