Love Hate Relationship
I bought this car new in 2001 - has the sport package, put in chip, it drives fantastic when it is not being towed to the mechanic. I have 4"thick file of repairs and tire changes. It chews up tires every 20k miles regardless of brand and consistent tire rotation. At 90k miles the engine blew. Fortunately Audi replaced it after I provided documentation of oil changes every 5k miles. I have replaced wheel bearings, tie rods, timing belt, hoses, sensors, the turbo at 160k, battery, alternator etc. If it wasn't paid for and if I did not love to drive it so much it would be gone. I cant find another car with the same combo of performance, mileage, utility,AWD, and class.
2001 Audi Wagon 1.8
I had wanted an Audi wagon for awhile. I did a lot of research on the car. I did finally end up purchasing one and overall, I have enjoyed driving it. Some issues that I have sadly encountered are: I had to have a new transmission after owning it for 1 month! The sunroof has an awful vibration unless the two back windows are rolled down some. If you purchase the sport package as I did, the tires create a lot of wind noise!
Stay Away from Audi
By 5000 miles enginge coils failed one by one. They were all replaced but failed again. Ground fault sensor was installed. Now they are misfiring.
Great car for active lifestyles!
I've had this car for close to 2 years now... and the only problem has been a pair of squeeky windshield wipers. The car handles wonderfully... my quattro wagon handles better than my buddy's BMW 330ci. It's fun to drive and great for trips with friends and all our gear. The car gets lousy gas mileage... I get about 13 mpg in the city! Well, what can I expect? I live in San Francisco and I drive up many steep hills in a relatively heavy car with all wheel drive! However, I can drive from San Francisco down to LA on one tank of gas! Overall, a great car!
Money pit
Bought the car new off the showroom floor at end of '01 model year. Overall, the car handles beautifully (steering is drum tight!) and the cabin is well laid out and extremely comfortable for the driver and front passenger - which is particularly nice on long trips. Back seat is cramped, but wagon has been very useful. But beware... stuff will go wrong with this car. Every other month something else is going - and many items went just days beyond expiration of the warranty coverage! Major oil leak @ 52k. Another leak @ 65k. Seat frames. Steering rack. Front tie rods. Bose speaker. Headlamp washer. You get the idea. Great driving experience, but be ready to pay and pay and pay!