I’m in the market for an AWD convertible, and am currently considering Audi A5/S5 and BMW 4-series. I have test-driven both brands, and enjoyed both.
The Internet appears split on which one people prefer. Any thoughts on that comparison?
I’m currently considering a 2022 Audi and a 2018 BMW. The BMW has a hardtop, which I think is neat, but would buying a car that is 4 years older be unwise, compared to a 2022? Reliability is very important to me. (To me, reliability is a measure of how long a car will last, assuming I do the recommended maintenance.)
I’d avoid the retractable hardtop both because of age and complexity. My BIL’s BMW hardtop convertible was totaled after a 5mph parking lot bump that mid-aligned the trunk. It was 2 years old.
Between the two cars, even though it is older, I’d lean toward the BMW. This is b/c from my observations BMW’s tend to drive and stop really well, and that Audi’s have more of a tendency than BMW toward developing grief-causing hard to diagnose and expensive to repair problems.
However, either car should do the job admirably, which is better is probably a coin-flip. Suggest to hire a shop to do a pre-purchase inspection report on your choice before writing any checks.
Given the 2 choices, I am with Mustangman, Audi due to warranty, but dump it once the warranty is up, unless you can do the repairs yourself, or have a really good budget, cause I have seen many Euro owners car broke… BMW’s require special procedures for the alignment if done properly, they tend to run a lot of caster which wears the front tires out mush faster then normal, rear camber is normally -1.5 to -2.0 which wears the inside of the tires faster than normal, so you are buying expensive tire more often… They also like to use Euro spec’d engine oil which cost more, and a lot of aftermarket oil filters don’t fit correctly, Mann is the only one I have found that fits correctly ever time… A lot of mechanics shy away from Euro vehicle cause they are over complicated, and require special tools to work on them, sometimes just for the basic stuff, Hope you have/know of a good Euro repair shop or don’t mind paying big money at the dealer for repairs when needed… Good luck…
I have also seen a customer replace only one tire on an AWD Audi and it cost them a $3,000 AWD unit, that was around 2015 money…
Unless you require AWD for snow in your area a lot, stay away from it… Most BMW’s require 4 matching tires unless staggard wheel/tires, then 2 matching at a time… I assume Audi is about the same…
The BMW will probably have more issues with the retractable hard top and you’re limited to part of the trunk space with the top down, The shop I’d be taking the car to works on both as well as Mercedes and Porsche, a shop that works on lots of BMW’s and Audi’s could give you an idea of cost to maintain and have some ideas how to keep the car long term.
Reliability is a Rational decision.
A Luxury car is an Emotional decision, a Used Luxury car is a hopeful decision and a Convertable, Used, European, Luxury car boarders on the delusional.
And as Mustangman pointed out, maintenance will be costly and I’d add that the initial cost, repairs and and insurance will bleed you dry.
“If you can’t afford a new one, you can’t afford a used one.”
Doing online research, I’ve read lots of people who say they’ve had almost no issues with their Audi or BMW, and others who say they’re money pits. It makes this an interesting decision.
Here is my reason for looking at this brands:
I live in Minnesota, where we (usually) have cold, snowy, and icy winters. I owned a Mustang convertible several years ago, which I loved, but the RWD is not ideal in the winter. So, with my love of convertibles, I am trying to get another one, but one that is better year round, as this would be my primary vehicle. I don’t specifically need a luxury vehicle. I actually wish Ford made an AWD Mustang convertible. However, the luxury brands seem to be the only ones that make AWD convertibles. There are some FWD convertibles, but I’m not a small person, and I don’t fit in most of them (MINI, VW Beetle).
I had also considered buying a Mustang as an extra car, and storing it during the winter, but I don’t like the idea of paying for extra storage. But would that be a better way to go, financially?
Regarding “If you can’t afford a new one, you can’t afford a used one.” - I am in a position to buy one of them new, but the budget I’ve been granted (by my wife) puts me in the $30K-$35K range. She does understand the maintenance and repair costs will be higher, though the Internet gives me different ranges of “higher” compared to other brands. Some say only a little, some say lots.
A) Are you planning on driving around with the top down in the snowy weather months?? Do convertibles hold the heat as well as non convertibles??
B) Do you really want to be driving around in a luxury vehicle on snowy and icy roads where I would assume (no data proof) where it seems like you have a higher chance of a fender bender etc??
C) Would it cost less to store a Mustang in a garage/storage unit during the bad months vs the maintenance, ins etc of a luxury vehicle as a daily driver?? (I have no idea)…
Me? I would buy a winter vehicle to drive and swap them out in the good weather months with a Mustang convertible…
I have a friend way up north in the bad wintery weather that drives an old Dakota in the winter months and his reg Mustang in the summer month(s)… He gets to play the garaged car dance swap out twice a year… lol
A) I’ll often drive top-down when the temperature is 40F or higher, which in Minnesota, means the top stays up basically from November through March (or so). I drove that Mustang year-round before, and it seemed to hold the heat well enough.
B) This one I’m okay with the risk of. (I’ve driven through 20+ Minnesota winters and never had a fender bender, but yes, the risk is there.)
C) Car storage may cost me $150 a month, year-round, assuming I’m keeping the extra car there all the time, so about $1800 a year. Not sure if maintenance and repairs on a BMW would cost me $1800 more than that of a Mustang.
I currently own an Audi Quattro sedan, AWD. It is one of the best AWD vehicles I have ever driven. Given that Audi has 2 years of warranty left, I would recommend that over the BMW. Audi essentially perfected AWD and forced other car makers to respond. I do a lot of my own work and I pay to have some done at a local independent shop. Maintain the car well and you will have fewer problems.
As @davesmopar already mentioned, us the proper VW spec oil and Mann filters (NO Jiffy Lube, NO quick lube shops of any type!) Both will help prevent issues. I’d suggest intake cleaning treatments every 15K miles even though it is not an Audi recommended service simply because the intake valves tend to carbon up and these treatments help.
Although looks is subjective, the problem with Audi’s is that they look pretty bland. Maybe when I get older I’ll feel differently. But for now I admire vicious looking vehicles, such as the one in your display.
I almost pulled the trigger on a BMW 340i when shopping for a new car in 2020.
I have to be attracted to a vehicle in order to keep it long term. So warranty plays very little role in my decision when car shopping.
P.s. cars these days are becoming more and more unattractive. The newer BMWs are ugly as sin, with those massive beans grilles. Even the newer mustangs ( in my opinion ) are not as attractive as the older ones.
Right now I don’t see any vehicle on the road that I find attractive from a design perspective. Maybe there are a few but not as much compared to the 90s to 2000s.
Yes, looks for automobiles is subjective. For instance, I think the catfish grill in the 2018 Lexus IS 300 is ugly as do many people. You might like it @Clueless33.
