[badtz]

I'm not sure what to do .......

I have an Audi TT that's paid off and has about 80k miles on it. The water pump and tires have recently been replaced ......

here's the question:

I have no need to replace the car at all [love it], the only thing I'm concerned is the ongoing price of maintenance for the rest of the life of the car.......

Generally, it's expensive to maintain this car .... would it be wise to keep the car until it no longer runs while paying for all of the maintenance of the car? I'm not that great with cars in terms of maintenance .... are there other major maintenance related services I'll need in the future? clutch/brakes?

Not sure what to do. Any opinions would be great!!! esp. if you've kept a car for a long period of time and could comment about ongoing maintenance

thanks!

[Eriamjh]

Uh.... Are repairs more than a car payment?

Keep it at least until 100-120k, then ask again.

[Nivag]

i kept a car i'd bought from new for 10 years, it defiantly got very expensive to keep from years 6-10.

[baw]

Keep it. My 1994 Ford Ranger hit 219,000 miles this month. Exhaust, starter, water pump, and timing belt are the only major things I've replaced (I did the work myself except for the exhaust).

[wallinbl]

A new car is going to run you what, like $500-700 every single month? Are you expecting that much in repairs? Do the math - that's like $7000 in repairs per year to make it better to buy a new one.

Brakes and tires will be the same on any car (new or used).

[G4ME]

if you drive it like its stolen, then I imagine other things will start to creap up (clutch, breaks) but if you baby it and rack up the highways miles then you should be able to get by with nothing major in the next few years.

[Dork.]

I just replaced the water pump and timing belt in my Jetta, at 95k miles.

Now, a Jetta isn't really a TT, but I do like to drive it. I'm expecting this car to last at least another 50k miles for me, hopefully I can get another 100k out of it. (It helps that I trust my mechanic.) It's only used for commuting now, but at 50 miles a day round trip the miles will add up. Maintenance will definitely cost less than new car payments!

What you might want to do is set aside the $500-$700 a month that you would have spent on a new car over the next four or five years. (If you're bad at budgeting, get another savings account somewhere and make regular deposits into it as if you were making payments). When your TT needs work, take the money out of that fund. What you will find is that if the TT lasts for another three or four years for you, at the end of that time period, you have enough money saved up so that you can pay for a good chunk of your next car, if not buy it outright!

I plan on doing this once we get my wife's car paid off....

[cenutrio]

80 k miles is nothing.

I would keep it and make a classic of it. A great car. Once your kids get a driving license, they'll love you kept it.

I heritaged a '78 Mini Cooper british green racing, most charming car ever. It had glue in its tires when cornering.

[ghporter]

Audis are supposed to be BUILT. That should mean that they should last and last with the exception of a few bits and pieces now and then. Ask your most trusted mechanic what it'll need to stay running over the next several years, and instead of waiting for stuff to fail, schedule and budget for the stuff it'll need. Whatever else, have the timing belt/chain checked soon. That's often a high dollar part to fix, because if it breaks, it means a lot of work to get things back in sync.

Stay on top of oil changes, filter changes and the like, and you should be able to keep the car you love for a long time.

[Nivag]

Originally Posted by G4ME

if you drive it like its stolen, then I imagine other things will start to creap up (clutch, breaks) but if you baby it and rack up the highways miles then you should be able to get by with nothing major in the next few years.

i think that's where i went wrong with my car, i drove it to within an inch of it's life every time i got in it - but they were fun miles

[quilmes]

The devil you know is better than the devil you don't know. Keep the car. Change and watch the oil on a regular basis, that is the most important thing you can do. Unless you have major problems there is no way that a new car would be less expensive. I agree with the numbers that Wallinbl put down.

[cenutrio]

Yeah, but that Audi has been driven in the US (lived there for 8 years). That engine should be pretty much new.

[Dork.]

It might be a coincidence, but every American car I have ever owned has had the head gasket blow at some point before 100k miles. When you buy a used car at 60k miles, having to do major engine work at 80k is a bummer! (Luckily, the last one literally blew while under the 2-month Used Car warranty that New York State mandates for cars in that mileage range....)

Can I safely assume that German cars will generally not have this problem if the engine is taken care of properly?

Also, I get my oil changed on a regular basis by my mechanic (who specializes in Imports). But I get it changed every 5k miles. Everyone I've talked to who knows cars has said that changing every 3k miles is overkill. What does the peanut gallery here think?

[cenutrio]

On the oil question.

My renault Megane 1.9 dCi diesel user manual states clearly that a oil change should be every 20.000 km (I do 15 k just to be safe).

While driving in the states I rarely drove faster than 85 miles/h and what it is more important I didn't have corny roads were get excited and really get the rpms high. I've been in Europe for 9 months now and my high way average speed is 90 miles/h (at that speed my car rps are still low, around 2400x, blame the sixth gear and engine torque). In corny roads, the speed average is, of course, lower but still i push the engine much harder. No doubt about it. of course, brakes, tires, etc are also pushed.

In the states is just another mood, more easy going, no rush. It took me some weeks to be back and drive decently.


On the other hand, I saw a couple of nasty accidents (but those happen in the US too, in most cases blame the SUVs).

[Doofy]

It's a German car, so it should last forever.

Make sure that it was actually built in Germany though. Some of the "German" cars which are being built elsewhere (South Africa for the Golf, US for some Mercs) aren't quite built as well.

[Mastrap]

It's an Audi. Why would you want to sell a car that's just been broken in? If you like the car, keep it. It'll do you a couple of 100.000 miles easy.

[Dork.]

Originally Posted by Doofy

It's a German car, so it should last forever.

Make sure that it was actually built in Germany though. Some of the "German" cars which are being built elsewhere (South Africa for the Golf, US for some Mercs) aren't quite built as well.

My 2000 Jetta has an engine which was built in Germany, but the car itself was assembled in Mexico. It has had its fair share of minor problems, and a few more recall programs during its life than I would expect. The engine and drive train is fine, though.

If I had to get a new car right now, I'm not sure if I would get another VW at this point. Might be tempted to get an Audi, if I could be convinced that the build quality was sufficiently highter than VW. But I'm hoping I can afford a BMW by then.

[villalobos]

Originally Posted by Doofy

Make sure that it was actually built in Germany though. Some of the "German" cars which are being built elsewhere (South Africa for the Golf, US for some Mercs) aren't quite built as well.

My 'In Deutschland hergestellt' GTi was the biggest POS.

[badtz]

wow, AWESOME suggestions from everyone!!!! Thanks for your time

How long do cars generally last? I know that's very ambiguous, but I'm unsure how "long" I should keep the car? Does the cost of maintenance change drastically after the 100k mark compared to the first 100k? What other parts may need replacement that weren't already replaced at one point in the first 100k?

My other thought is if I possibly sell the car now @ 80k, then I can use that amount (roughly 13-14k) and buy a cheaper car (mini or civic hybrid, or something along the sub-20k line) and then acquire a car that would be less costly in maintenance costs....

not sure

[quilmes]

We have had five cars in our family, Audi A6, Audi 100cs quatro, Volvo, Volvo, and a Chry minivan all last clear over 200k. You take care of your car properly you can do it too!

WIll save you a ton of money. You also need to get a trustworthy mechanic (yes i know that sounds like an oxymoron)

Eventhough some visits that will cost you a grand or so sound expensive, depending on how much they are and how often "most of the time" they will be less than buying a new car.

Insurance is less too.

[badtz]

Is it unrealistic to think the car may last until 300k miles? Do cars normally last THAT long? lol

how do most find a 'trustworth mechanic'? thru recommendations? I've never been to a mechanic that I felt 100% comfortable with

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by badtz

Is it unrealistic to think the car may last until 300k miles? Do cars normally last THAT long? lol

Well built Germans will do that easily.

[quilmes]

yeah, work through recommendations. find someone that works with some of your friends and make sure they know that you are friends. that way the guy will worry that if he/she screws you over he can loose more than just you as a client.

with todays cars, i don't think it is asking too much to get 300k. maybe too much to expect, but you should be able to expect 200k.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by badtz

Is it unrealistic to think the car may last until 300k miles? Do cars normally last THAT long? lol

how do most find a 'trustworth mechanic'? thru recommendations? I've never been to a mechanic that I felt 100% comfortable with

Are you serious? If a car lasts less than 300k miles you have a problem. Realistically, a car can last millions of miles with proper maintenance and care.

The car you currently own is almost always cheaper than a new car.

Think about it, a $30k car at 6% for 4 years is $718 a month. That's $34,464 total. How much maintenance can you afford for that much money? For half that much money? For one-fourth that much money?

[angelmb]

Originally Posted by Doofy

It's a German car, so it should last forever.

If it is a Benz, that would do… there is a greek cab, a 76's Mercedes-Benz 240D, it has 4,6 millions Kms.

Volvo used to be reliable and last likely forever… 200 series and company, sadly enough under Ford umbrella is a different thing.

My renault Megane 1.9 dCi diesel user manual states clearly that a oil change should be every 20.000 km (I do 15 k just to be safe).

You safe there, some Diesels have 'ridiculous' maintenance periods, the 420 cdi engine from Mercedes-Benz gets an oil change every 40.000 km… now that is top notch engineering.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Railroader

Are you serious? If a car lasts less than 300k miles you have a problem. Realistically, a car can last millions of miles with proper maintenance and care.

The car you currently own is almost always cheaper than a new car.

Think about it, a $30k car at 6% for 4 years is $718 a month. That's $34,464 total. How much maintenance can you afford for that much money? For half that much money? For one-fourth that much money?

One caveat to what Railroader says: some systems cost more than the car is worth to fix, so you have to decide hard when they break. Example: the A/C in my 1993 Civic Hatchback (made in Ontario-yeah, I know: another freakin' import) went out at the 9 year point. (It had nearly 90K on the odometer.) It just gradually stopped working. Think clearly here: it was an R-12 air conditioner, so fixing it would be outrageously expensive. Instead I went to a trusted dealer (they do exist) and traded it in on a new 2002 Civic Coupe (with an R-132 air conditioner!). This one was built in Marysville, Ohio, by the way. That's my car today, and I plan to keep it until I can afford the graduation present I'm planing for myself: a Civic Hybrid Sedan. That's about two years in the future, so I can dream a lot!

[Hal06]

Originally Posted by angelmb

You safe there, some Diesels have 'ridiculous' maintenance periods, the 420 cdi engine from Mercedes-Benz gets an oil change every 40.000 km… now that is top notch engineering.

Holy sh!t, I wouldn't know how to behave with such car… I do the oil change every year, no matter how much mileage the car gets… in fact, I do a low mileage, something like 2k or 3k per year…

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by ghporter

One caveat to what Railroader says: some systems cost more than the car is worth to fix, so you have to decide hard when they break. Example: the A/C in my 1993 Civic Hatchback (made in Ontario-yeah, I know: another freakin' import) went out at the 9 year point. (It had nearly 90K on the odometer.) It just gradually stopped working. Think clearly here: it was an R-12 air conditioner, so fixing it would be outrageously expensive. Instead I went to a trusted dealer (they do exist) and traded it in on a new 2002 Civic Coupe (with an R-132 air conditioner!). This one was built in Marysville, Ohio, by the way. That's my car today, and I plan to keep it until I can afford the graduation present I'm planing for myself: a Civic Hybrid Sedan. That's about two years in the future, so I can dream a lot!

So, what was more expensive, fixing the old AC, or buying a new car? Hmmm.... I never heard of a $14k AC repair bill.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Doofy

Well built Germans will do that easily.

True.

I've been running for 31 years now, still on first engine, no tire changes.

-t

[climhazzard85]

Originally Posted by Doofy

Well built Germans will do that easily.

*Well built, very well maintained, 300 is still a stretch, I've only seen a handful of cars over 300k, most of which are Toyotas and Hondas.

[badtz]

Originally Posted by ghporter

One caveat to what Railroader says: some systems cost more than the car is worth to fix, so you have to decide hard when they break. Example: the A/C in my 1993 Civic Hatchback (made in Ontario-yeah, I know: another freakin' import) went out at the 9 year point. (It had nearly 90K on the odometer.) It just gradually stopped working. Think clearly here: it was an R-12 air conditioner, so fixing it would be outrageously expensive. Instead I went to a trusted dealer (they do exist) and traded it in on a new 2002 Civic Coupe (with an R-132 air conditioner!). This one was built in Marysville, Ohio, by the way. That's my car today, and I plan to keep it until I can afford the graduation present I'm planing for myself: a Civic Hybrid Sedan. That's about two years in the future, so I can dream a lot!

Interesting ghporter ..... Is there any type of maintenance where I can expect an over $1k in cost? I'm asking because as the car depreciates over the next few years, eventually the cost of one of the maintenance problems/fixes will cost nearly the cost of the car, thus (like yourself) it might be more wise to trade/sell the car at that point....... maybe that's a better way to go about my situation

other than the water pump, timing belt, oil changes, tires, brake/clutch: are there any other major maintenance issues I should be aware of [particularly once you pass the 100k mark]?

[ghporter]

The A/C in particular can cost you a bundle if it's running R-12 (freon). The fees are what gets you most in this situation; collecting and disposing of R-12 in the legal and appropriate manner is EXPENSIVE. And of course replacing it once the system is repaired is a major expense as well.

The rest of the car is almost cheap compared to an old A/C...

Don't goober up the top end of the engine; cams, shafts, and valves take time (and thus money) to make right-this is one reason you want your timing belt REPLACED before it dies. Some people say 60K is a good spot, but I don't know what sort of track record Audis have with these.

Brakes are cheap, easy to do, and allow you to become one with your vehicle (and you'll almost certainly skin a knuckle working on them, so your car will become one with you, too).

Really, A/C and the top end are the big issues, and I'd say the old A/C problem is really the only very expensive one you're facing.

[Cody Dawg]

Sell it and buy a GM vehicle and help save a great American institution.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by climhazzard85

*Well built, very well maintained, 300 is still a stretch, I've only seen a handful of cars over 300k, most of which are Toyotas and Hondas.

ANY modern car should see 300k miles no problem if it is maintained correctly and not abused. People who own Hondas and Toyotas have a tendency to do just that.

[climhazzard85]

Originally Posted by ghporter

The A/C in particular can cost you a bundle if it's running R-12 (freon). The fees are what gets you most in this situation; collecting and disposing of R-12 in the legal and appropriate manner is EXPENSIVE. And of course replacing it once the system is repaired is a major expense as well.

Really, A/C and the top end are the big issues, and I'd say the old A/C problem is really the only very expensive one you're facing.

R-12 ended in 93/94 in almost all cars, his car is running R134a.

[Dork.]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Sell it and buy a GM vehicle and help save a great American institution.

Buying a Mercedes would do the same thing, just for a different great American institution.

[Railroader]

How about Saab then?

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Sell it and buy a GM vehicle and help a great American institution ripping you off loads of money in exchange for shitty cars.

Fixinated

-t

[Railroader]

Yeah, because they are selling cars at a loss they are ripping you off. You are a genius when it comes to trolling.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Railroader

Yeah, because they are selling cars at a loss they are ripping you off. You are a genius when it comes to trolling.

LOL, just because they are selling at a loss doesn't make it a good deal for me.

You are a genius at financials

-t

[The Godfather]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Sell it and buy a GM vehicle and help save a great American corporation.

Fixed!

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by what_the_heck

LOL, just because they are selling at a loss doesn't make it a good deal for me.

You are a genius at financials

-t

I didn't say that. You are a genius at reading comprehension

More trolling I see.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Railroader

I didn't say that. You are a genius at reading comprehension

More trolling I see.

Man, quit defending GM. Many of their cars are sub-par when it comes to their direct competitors. Deal with it. There is a reason why GM is in such bad shape, and it's NOT only the greedy unions.

-t

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by The Godfather

Fixed!

I think this is the best use of the "fixed" I have ever seen.

It's accurate. It actually corrects the original post.

Good job.

An even better "fixed" would be:

Sell it and buy an American-made car and help support your fellow American. (IF you live in the USA that is)

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by what_the_heck

Man, quit defending GM. Many of their cars are sub-par when it comes to their direct competitors. Deal with it. There is a reason why GM is in such bad shape, and it's NOT only the greedy unions.

-t

I am not defending GM.

You have serious reading comprehension issues. I was correcting your highly inaccurate, ignorant, and unintelligent "fixed".

You better check GM vs. all of the other manufacturers quality rankings. You seem stuck in the '90s.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Railroader

Sell it and buy an American-made car and help support your fellow American. (IF you live in the USA that is)

Seconded. As it has been often discussed, when you buy Honda, you support your fellow American as much as buying Ford or GM.

-t

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Railroader

You have serious reading comprehension issues. I was correcting your highly inaccurate, ignorant, and unintelligent "fixed".

Railroader, please, don't come across as a n00b or moron.

You have been around here long enough to know that "fixed" almost NEVER tries to make a statement more factually accurate, but quite the opposite, is a rhetorical device to denote irony or sarcasm.

So please, don't lecture me on reading comprehension

-t

[CMYKid]

they sell them at a los because they have to in order to sell them a'tall. ...not MY fault their actual production costs are too high. of course, it's only half THEIR fault, you'd have high costs too if you had to continue to employ people that should have long since been fired, etc etc

[G4ME]

Originally Posted by climhazzard85

*Well built, very well maintained, 300 is still a stretch, I've only seen a handful of cars over 300k, most of which are Toyotas and Hondas.

daily driver during the summer, and its neither of the two you mentioned.

[CMYKid]

..without a doubt I miss my Supra, which had 270,000 on the clock when I traded it in. That was all on one clutch, one starter and one alternator. Still hit 100mph+ in it at least once a week at that age too.