Legacy vs. Audi and BMW

[iclimb513]

Not to mention the fact that you better not follow audi's reccomended oil change schedule of every 10,000 miles (are you kidding??!) with regular oil. That's asking for a crankcase full of sludge, even with an unmodded engine. Of course the downside is that if you DIY every 3000-5000 miles with synthetic (like you should) or have it done at a non audi service center, those changes basically "don't count" as evidence you were vigilant about upkeep should you need to prove it when and if the car has some major problem and warranty coverage comes into question.

 

Nope, in order to avoid that and keep the car running properly all services need to be done at authorized service centers and you get to pay whatever they say if it is not a scheduled freebie. AUDI RULES!!!! bwahahahaha

[rfd425]

My father is shopping for new car. He currently drives a ~1997 A4 2.8L quattro, which he has enjoyed thoroughly with the exception of some costly maintenance in recent years.

 

That says it all! I came to the Legacy GT from a '98 A4 2.8Q (30-valve) that I bought new in July, 1997, and put 139K miles on over the years. I was a hard-core Audi guy -- early member of A4.org, very active in the Quattro Club, etc., and I had a lot of fun with that car. However, reliability was atrocious, and from reading these boards (even Audiworld.com , for that matter), it's clear that my experience was the rule rather than the exception. Among repairs to the A4: new cylinder head, five or six front suspension control arms, both rear wheel bearings, antilock brake sensors, new power-steering rack, starter & ignition switch, more electrical switches and sensors than I can remember.....that's just off the top of my head. I know there was a lot more stuff that I can't think of right now.

 

I became interested in the LGT after test-driving a Passat W8 4-motion with 6-speed MT. That car was just too heavy, and not very fun to drive (although I'm sure it would be a very nice highway cruiser). Then I found out the LGT weighs only around 3,300 lbs. (vs. 3,400+ for my A4, and 3,800 for the Passat W8), and has 250hp (vs. 190 for my A4, and 270 for the W8). In fact, the LGT has the same horsepower as a twin-turbo S4, and weighs 300 lbs. less!

 

After test-driving the LGT, I bought one the next day. My wife rode in it with me for one of the test drives, and she liked riding in it better than the A4. That was six months ago, and I still look forward to driving the LGT every time I get behind the wheel. Before I sold the A4, I had both cars for a while, and when I would occasionally drive the A4 after driving the LGT, it was like going from a sports car to a utilitarian people mover.

 

I will concede that the A4 had a beautiful interior, with the leather and genuine walnut trim. The LGT is nice, but has fake wood, and I give that category to the A4. Also, the A4 had a very beautiful exterior, maybe one of the best on the road. I think the LGT is a nice-looking car, but again, I'll give the edge to the A4.

 

But, in terms of driving dynamics, it's not even close. Besides the extra horsepower, the LGT is an inherently better-handling car, even with the A4 having the sport suspension. I attribute the better handling to the LGT's boxer engine layout, which allows the engine to sit very low in the engine bay. The LGT just seems much better-balanced to me.

 

Like someone else said, I'd be very hesitant to get another Audi (as much as I enjoyed mine) because of the reliability. Unfortunately, BMW seems to have a lot of reliability issues of their own. On the other hand, everyone I've known that has had a Subaru for any length of time has spoken very highly of their reliability.

 

I know that some European car guys can't imagine buying a Japanese car, but do your dad a favor and talk him into at least test-driving a Legacy GT. He won't regret it.

[andersoncollectibles]

When I wanted a new car... I looked at 2 options, the Legacy, and the Outback Sedan. I went for the Legacy because it was more sporty, had more modding options, etc. The Outback Sedan however would be a fantastic car for an older driver who just wants a luxurious, smooth ride. That car can handle, and the ride is amazing. I believe it come in a 6 cylinder. Suggest he drive that if he's up for it. May be more along the lines of what he is looking for.

[fancub]

I have an '02 Jetta VR-6 manual wagon that feels fast, much like my LGT, but is not. Turbo power, in my experience (LGT is my second) is very deceiving. Needless to say the LGT will be hitting 100 mph about the time my Jetta is in the low eighties.

 

I wouldn't touch the 06 Audis until some good reliability data is in. I understand the wiring harness supplier is new and improved as with all VW's, but the poor Audi record will have to be proven wrong. I'd wait on an Audi until 07 at the earliest.

[iclimb513]

This was my thought. My origianl choice of car around 23,000 was the 02-03 A4 3.0

 

But reliability is just terrible. So I figured on getting the LGT and waiting a couple of years to see if the new platform (B7 starting in 2005) proved to be more reliable than its predecessors and if so, at that time when the price of used 2005's has come down - perhaps sell the LGT (which I don't actually own yet) and THEN get an A4. But IF and ONLY IF Audi has gotten its act together and is producing a reliable car.

 

Although I tend to think by that time I may be too enamored of the LGT to even want to part with it. I guess we will see.

[Avishar]

This was my thought. My origianl choice of car around 23,000 was the 02-03 A4 3.0

 

But reliability is just terrible. So I figured on getting the LGT and waiting a couple of years to see if the new platform (B7 starting in 2005) proved to be more reliable than its predecessors and if so, at that time when the price of used 2005's has come down - perhaps sell the LGT (which I don't actually own yet) and THEN get an A4. But IF and ONLY IF Audi has gotten its act together and is producing a reliable car.

 

Although I tend to think by that time I may be too enamored of the LGT to even want to part with it. I guess we will see.

 

I wouldn't look at the 3.0 either way. The car itself is not worth the difference in price between 1.8T and the 1.8 is also a chip away from blowing the doors off the 3.0.(coming from someone who has the 1.8T and whose friend bought the 3.0 and regretted it after seeing the power of a simple ECU tune, then bought a B6 S4) If you want features such as wood trim, onstar, etc. though then I understand, the 3.0 is smoother and feels silkier on the freeway and also got a nice 6 speed for its years but I feel the 1.8 is a better choice for the price. Thus far even with all the mods the only thing that went wrong was the clutch burned because some idiot kept trying to do a quattro burnout, but audi warranty gives you one clutch replacement for free.