’06 Audi A4 2.0T vs. ’05 Accord LX

As the thread title suggests, I’m in the market for a used car and looking for some OOT help. Since this is essentially the first car that I’d be buying on my own, I’d really appreciate insight from others who have gone through this process. The two cars mentioned more or less serve as a microcosm to the general theme of spending more for a nice car vs. spending less for an efficient car. Here are the two cars:





I’m 23 years and a little over 1 year out of college. I don’t have any debt, enough in savings to cover either car, and a solid job. The Accords are listed around $14-$14.5K, while the specific Audi I’m looking at is listed at around $20K (a really good deal compared to what the car typically sells for and realistically the most I would spend on a car). This doesn’t account for the insurance, which would be higher for the Audi.

I guess the biggest problem associated with getting the Audi is psychological more than anything else. The general wisdom given to someone my age is to get a cheap car that you can drive into the ground. Since I work in finance for a living, I also know that the $5K difference between the two cars will be about $70K 30-years from now. Further, most people who drive Audis are able to maintain a commensurate lifestyle. But at the same time, the difference today is only $5K, I rarely spend money on anything else since I’m working 80 hours a week, and I don’t want to go through life being frugal with money just so that I can have a lot of it when I’m 80 years old.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

just buy the audi and make yourself happy, you understand the pros and cons well enough

Make time in your life so that you can find the reflective space needed to come to the realisation that an Audi can never be a pimp car.

in my experience audi's are a total bitch to repair and maintain, if anything goes wrong with it expect a huge headache and expensive parts/labor.

if you really want to get an interesting car you can definitely find something with character that's not even that expensive... when i see kids who want to own a cool car i always wonder why they don't look into restoring or buying a restored vintage car, or look into an older BMW or a diesel Mercedes. i personally think those cars are much more interesting than a base-model Audi, late model or not. but to each his own.

given your financial situation and priorities, it won't hurt you to get a car you'll really enjoy, including the audi, so long as you are sure that it will actually be what you want and are ready to cope with any maintenance issues. personally i wouldn't buy that car but it's not like it would be a huge catastrophe for you, you can get a 20k car and still save some money if you're working that much and not being wasteful.

personally i would rather do something fun like travel or eat five ridiculously expensive, amazing meals or buy a '62 telecaster or something, but whatever gets you off man

I have a friend who's had an Audi TT and an A4. He liked them both but he said the same thing Mr. Clean said about them being very expensive to maintain.

Thanks.

I understand what you're saying. There have been a lot of threads over the past couple of months on Audis, so I'm pretty much aware of the higher maintenance. I guess I'm more interested in whether or not spending the money makes sense for someone in my situation.

I've warned about Audi quality before.

Honestly though, DO buy something that you'll want to get in to every day and drive. You don't want to spend 15k+ on something that you'll be disappointed with every day.

Some other options to consider:
- Infiniti G35
- Acura TL
- Honda Accord COUPE (looks WAY better)
- Subaru Legacy GT

Thanks z. I've been takin' a closer look at the G35 recently.

Though Audis were plagued with problems, especially electrical ones, early in the millennium, their quality has been steadily improving since then. I wouldn't think twice about buying an '06, but then again I have a high tolerance for car problems. Also Audis probably have the nicest interiors of any sub $100k cars.

Unless you have a long commute where the fuel savings the Honda offers will be an issue, go with the Audi.

This is a good point, if you're just going to buy an Accord and you won't get that excited about it, you might as well cut the price tag in half and buy an older one. Either way it will run until you're ready for an upgrade.

'nuf said.

I guess if you have to ask the question, you probably should just go Audi. Do you need one? Nope. Do you want one? Yup. Will pain ensue if you do decide to go Audi vs. Honda? Maybe.

Grunch

Back in 2000 I had a choice between a new Grand-Am or a 77 Caddy. MY Grand-Am has worked great; in fact it is the best car I ever owned. I still wish I took the caddy though.

Go for pimp car.

EDIT: I misread your OP as 23 year old pimp car as opposed to 23 year old: pimp car. I change my vote to reliable.

1. Get the pimp car.
2. Have it NOT be the Audi.

If you aren't commuting, get a "pimp car." However, don't get a ****ing Audi. 20k for an Audi A4 probably isn't a "great" deal, either.

Use edmunds.com to get a sense of the price you should pay. Read the consumer reviews to see what the typical problems are.

why get a pimp car? Invest for the future so you don't have to be in debt. Unless you're pulling down great money (which is possible), I would not get a pimp car. I'd probably spend about 15k or less and get an even worse car.

. This is rarely the case unless you're pulling down a lot of $. When you want to buy a house, if you put down 20% you'll get a better deal, so you can start saving towards that too. If you plan on getting married and having kids, plan on blowing through a lot more of your money. The 5k (invested) will go a lot farther when you have a family to support (if you don't already). I've also read studies that show the satisfaction of getting the more expensive car wears off after about 3 months, then you feel about as good as you did when you had an even ****tier car. Sorry I don't have the link, but that 5 (or 10k if you go with an even cheaper car, which you probably should) is a lot to pay for about 3 months of additional happiness.

I'm surprised so many people are recommending the nicer cars.
Also, if you're single, I'd much rather have a cheap ****ty car, to make it much more likely you'll attract girls that aren't interested in money.

Another thing to consider, is that it's much easier psychologically to upgrade a car in 5 years and when your financial situation is more stable, than it will be to downgrade.

Furthermore, the kind of satisfaction derived from a nicer car is more of a hollow satisfaction imo. I'd much rather use the 5k on life experiences with friends...going to bars, ballgames, concerts, camping, vacations, whatever, than spend it on a car.

1). Buy car from Junkyard

2). Own it for 6 months

3). Submit request to MTV for Pimp My Ride

4). Balla upgrades you could never afford

5.) True pimp.

When your young is when you should be having fun. Go with the baller car. People seem to be anti-Audi so that might be a consideration but get the best car you can afford.

I have to agree that you need to get something you like. Just make sure it's within your budget. Don't spend $20k on a car if you're only making 40k a year.

My best suggestion is to go test-drive 4 or 5 cars (the ones on the list I gave you earlier would be a great start).

Also - how long you keep the car can greatly affect what you should get. The reliability risks of an Audi don't matter much at all if you plan on selling it in 3 years.

(Just make sure you buy a recent enough model so you'll have it covered by the factory warranty). If you just drive the car for pleasure and take public transportation to work - it won't be a big deal at all if it breaks down.

"invest" lol, **** that imo

do you want something really nice you will enjoy a lot now? or more money in the future? that's really the question and there's no right answer. it's about personal preference.

for me the whole "i love this sick new car" hasn't worn off yet! going on 11 months now

if you're not going to go the sensible route, then at least get something cool.

personally i'd get a classic 60s or early 70s muscle car.

one of my biggest regrets when i was in my early 20s was passing on a early 70s mustang convertible for a ridiculously good price.

i think back, and wish i had scrapped, begged, borrowed and stole for the money to buy it. i'd still have that car now, 10 years later. and i bet it'd still be cool as ****, and worth more then what i paid.

Seriously. The Cadillac El Dorado, for example, is a pimp car. The cars in your OP are not even close.

I'm currently in a dilemna and I'm torn between 2 cars. My price range is essentially 18-20k and I can buy either a 2005-2007 Chrysler 300 (obv throw 22's, tint, grill, etc on it) or a 2000-2002 Mercedes-benz CLK320 series..given this information what car do you think is a better buy? I can get a newer 300 for almost the same price and still make it a ballin car, or I can get an older benz.

For those who dont know what a CLK looks like,
http://www.buysell.com/root/detail/B...320_COUPE.aspx

When I was 19 I bought a used Beemer - best decision of my life. It even cost less than a new Honda Accord.

Nothing pimp in this post. Try a nice Vette convertible and you'll be happy.