[madki]

Hello esteemed members of Team-BHP,

I hope this message finds you all in high spirits. I am thrilled to be part of this passionate community and excited to seek your expert advice for my very first post. I find myself at a crossroads, and I humbly request your guidance in making the best decision between two enticing options: a used 2018-2019 Audi A4 and the Virtus 1.5.

To ensure that my post complies with the guidelines and expectations set by the moderators, I have carefully crafted the following details:

Price: The Audi A4 from 2018-2019 comes with a significantly higher price tag compared to the Virtus. I am keen to know at what price point the Audi truly justifies the premium over the Virtus.

Interiors: The Audi boasts luxurious interiors that are simply drool-worthy. With its whisper-quiet drive, heavenly lumbar support, and those satisfying physical AC buttons, it exudes sophistication. Conversely, the Virtus offers a sportier drive but falls slightly short in terms of cabin noise and interior quality. I must confess, my long-standing fascination with the Audi brand might be influencing my judgment here.

Test Drive Impressions: During my recent test drive, I found the 1.4 engine variant of the Audi A4 to be quite satisfactory. It met my expectations and left me with a smile on my face. However, I am eager to learn about any long-term experiences and potential issues related to this particular engine option.

Warranty: While the Audi comes with a 1-2 year warranty, the Virtus offers a more generous 3-4 year warranty. Since my plan is to keep the car for approximately 3-4 years, the warranty discrepancy raises concerns about maintenance costs and potential issues specific to each vehicle.

With these factors in mind, I kindly request your esteemed advice on the following:

Price Comparison: Based on your vast experiences and knowledge, could you provide insights on the price point at which the 2018-2019 Audi A4 becomes a compelling choice over the Virtus 1.5? I am eager to understand the optimal balance between value and investment.

Maintenance and Gotchas: As a first-time car owner, I would greatly appreciate any information regarding common maintenance issues and potential gotchas that I should be mindful of for both the Audi A4 and the Virtus. Ensuring a hassle-free ownership experience is of utmost importance to me.

I am more than willing to provide any additional details or answer any questions that will aid in a comprehensive understanding of my requirements and preferences. Your invaluable expertise will undoubtedly guide me in making an informed decision.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I eagerly await the approval of the moderators and the enlightening responses from the esteemed members of Team-BHP.

Warm regards,
Madki

[GTO]

Even with the 1.4L engine, the Audi A4 is a vastly superior car to the Virtus. The A4 is a global model sold in developed countries & built to very high standards, while the Virtus indisputably has some cost-cutting in it. The A4 is a 50-lakh car while the Virtus is a 20-lakh car.

Still, because it's your first car, I would recommend the VW Virtus. Take the extended warranty. It's one of the most fun-to-drive cars for 20-lakhs, all-rounded in nature and a much safer bet. The Virtus is a heck of a sedan and a far superior 1st car than what most of us had as our 1st .

If you do go for the Audi, first answer these questions:

- It's your first car. Hope you are not overstretching on the loan bit?

- What is your driving experience? Are you expert enough to handle a luxury car? An Audi isn't the best car for someone with fresh driving skills. Body parts are very expensive.

- It's a 5 year old car, so odds are, things will go wrong from time to time. Are you okay with that?

- Are you fine with big maintenance bills in 2 years, once the car is 6 - 7 years old?

- You will have to eventually go to an independent mechanic because the dealership costs will be 3X as high. Are you okay with that?

- Do you want to take care of the car yourself (A4) or would you rather have the might of VW taking care of the car for you (i.e. Virtus with extended warranty)?

[VwRabbit]

Not the 1.4 TSI A4, it offers only strictly average performance because of such a tiny engine in a big sedan.Being the owner of a 2.0 TDI A4 B9 for 5 years I can say that if you can find the diesel that’s a torque monster but then keep in mind the maintenance costs will be twice or even thrice of a VW Virtus even if you go for the 1.4 TSI.
Better option would be to find a used A3 with the 1.4 TSI as the engine feels better in the smaller A3 and since you are comparing with the VW Virtus that’s a much more fair comparison even though the A3 is in a competely different league.

[lamborghini]

Personally I would avoid any of the VAGs that come with the DQ200 gearbox - that means no 1.4, 1.5, 1.8 TSi at all!
That aside, buying a used German - even under warranty would have wear and tear. Does your budget allow for the same should something go wrong because repairs are expensive! So if your budget is 20 and you're stretching to 25 for the Audi - AVOID! If your budget is 30 and you're getting the Audi for 25 - it makes sense.

Also, I would look around for an Octavia 2.0TSi that is within manufacturer warranty - which can be extended. It would be a newer and more reliable engine / gearbox combo while not as luxurious as the A4 - is again miles ahead of the Virtus.
Other options to consider would be the Honda Civic (if you're ok with the performance).

[arighna.dutta]

You have mentioned "Ensuring a hassle-free ownership experience is of utmost importance to me"

- Given that the definition of "hassle-free ownership" is relative for different car owners; still probability is high that an used 5-6 years old car, mostly going out of warranty, possibly reaching out few major milestones w.r.t periodic maintenance, that too from VAG group mostly won't get you the experience which is of highest importance to you. Especially for a first time car owner.

- I'll recommend you to go for the brand new Virtus - experience what all issues a new car itself has to offer from the VAG group, while observing and keeping a note on what issues others owning a 5 years old A4 is experiencing and decide in coming years if its for you or not.

[Torque123]

As this is going to be your first car & you are looking for some performance oriented cars, I suggest a brand new Virtus GT for now which will form the base for a gradual upgrade (performance & luxury wise) in future. Else a used Octavia would be my 2nd preference. A gradual upgrade will help you enjoy the cars & also help you in saving up cash for your next purchase.

Do you have enough time & patience to do your due diligence for finding a well maintained & trouble-free luxury car? It's not easy & most probably will take months to even find one with the right price. As everyone has pointed out, in case of any repairs, the bills for the same will be exorbitant. I will go for a used luxury car (which has a year or two warranty left) only if I know the owner (relative, friend, acquaintance etc) as I would know firsthand how well the car has been maintained/driven etc. Again, that is me.

[Turbohead]

I'll go one step further and say that if you are very new to cars, don't buy either. The A4 and the Virtus to a large extent needs a lot of TLC. You really need to be a seasoned enthusiast and knowledgeable one at that to maintain it and deal with the subpar service centres (especially VW).

Go with a more mainstream brand which has a good reputation for after sales until you really know what you want and are ready mentally and financially. I'm speaking as an owner of a 9 year old VW.

If you know exactly you're getting into, go ahead. Hope you're prepared for the worst while hoping for the best!

[Shreyans_Jain]

Don’t bother with the Audi. The 1.4 engine in the A4 was one of the major reason behind the brand’s decline in India. It is not E20 compliant either, which is a problem from a long term ownership point of view.

[Sumer]

For a first car and a hassle free ownership, I personally wouldn't recommend a WAG in India. If you are looking for a new sedan and have to go WAG, go for the Slavia as it offers a Manual on the 1.5. I wouldn't recommend the DQ200 to anyone. If looking for fuss free ownership and willing to sacrifice power a bit, the City is a no brainer IMO. If willing to venture into the so called SUVs, that opens up a whole new can of worms. Choose smart and enjoy your ride.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by madki

be mindful of for both the Audi A4 and the Virtus. Ensuring a hassle-free ownership experience is of utmost importance to me.

Since this is your first car and the above criteria you came to the wrong cars ! VW and Audi aren't known for hassle free ownership and both reputation on this is very murky.

Go with a City hybrid or Verna 1.5 turbo as your first car, these should suffice most of your requirements for now. If required you can decide to switch/upgrade in couple of years and these cars would give you fantastic resale

[vattyboy]

1. I think you are just comparing them based on the Performance otherwise literally there is no comparison between Audi and Vw as GTO said one is a 50 lakh car and the other is a 20 lakh car.

2. From a performance point of view, go and check out Pratham Shokeen's YT channel where he did a drag race between his VW Virtus 1.5 dsg with AUDI A3 1.4 TSI Cabriolet. Talking about the result - the Virtus smokes the A3 1.4 TSI with ease. Keeping in mind that the A4 curb weight is more than A3, it will offer less performance than A3. So look for A4 2.0 Tsi for performance.

3. A4 1.4 tsi will give you a Badge value and Respect in the market and your friend circle that vw can't give at the cost of higher maintenance like-
Insurance- 60-80k per year
Service cost- 35-40k per year for basic service
Etc.

4. Now the choice is yours if you can spend 1- 1.5 every year then go for the Luxury german car.

5. I suggest you pass this A4 1.4 Tsi and look for a preowned A4 2.0 Tsi or Mercedes CLA 200 or Bmw 330i, Jaguar XE, etc.( all are 0-100 in around 7-8 sec) Which will satisfy the thirst for performance + provide its luxury badge value or that preowned fast Octavia 2.0 tsi which will cost the same as the new Virtus but it will be a lot more car for that money.

[RD150]

Originally Posted by madki

Ensuring a hassle-free ownership experience is of utmost importance to me.

Are you fine with a manual or want the convenience of an automatic. 1.5 DSG is exact opposite of hassle free ownership experience Go for the Virtus 1.5 GT manual which was revealed recently. An used Audi A4 as a first car is always going to be risky. Play it safe and go for the Virtus!!

[IshaanIan]

The Audi is the superior car in this instance but for a first time car owner I am not sure if one should bother with either VW or Audi. Go Japanese new yet discontinued Civics can be had in mint condition with warranty if you source through Honda Autoterrace folks for 15 lacs all day and I’d wager it’d be more reliable than a brand new Virtus. Considering it’s a global product it is superior to the Virtus in every department except outright performance.

[GoBabyGo]

Hi, contrary to others suggestion, if you have budget to get a low run Audi A4, go for it. NCR has some outstanding FNG who maintain these German machines with 1/3 of the cost compared to company's authorized service centres.

However, in case your experience go bad with A4, it will be difficult to get back to some 20 lacs car once you get into big 3, socially to be very specific.

[autobahnjpr]

I was in a similar situation one year back and thus can say from my personal experience how confusing and agonizing it can be to decide. You will get confused with so many diverse opinions and suggestions. Drive both and judge for yourself. Luxury brands can give you a special treatment which others cannot give you. The moment you drive into a hotel in Audi the way you are treated changes significantly. Even within family members, there is a very perceptible change even if you buy pre-owned luxury car. Whatever said and done, luxury cars are built differently and there are many small difference which you will realized in long run.

You have the technical data and other details in front of you. There is no guarantee that new cars cannot give you troubled times or pre-owned will haunt you. There is a reason why people go for pre-owned and just ensure that you get the per-owned car thoroughly checked to ensure there are no surprises. Make sure your risk mitigation is there. And ensure that you are willing to spend money to keep it up to date with regular repairs, checks etc. Audi cars can be serviced by many FNG and just ensure you find a good one. The regular service cost there may pleasantly surprise you.

Check your finances and then go with your heart. Listen to all but decide for yourself. And in the end, own that decision otherwise you will keep blaming someone else when you decide against what you wanted to do.