RE: All wheel drive question

[semipro]

WRX are very popular with younger drivers. This I know from my 21, 22 year old sons.

 

[firefighterjake]

I must confess . . . while my very practical and common-sense wife prefers sensible cars . . . this 44-year-old guy is a bit partial to the STI and BRZ.

 

[BrotherBart]

Dodge Hellcat. 707 horsepower. Go for it.

 

[Ashful]

Says you.....

No... he is right.

Dodge Hellcat. 707 horsepower. Go for it.

How is it in the snow?

 

[BrotherBart]

How is it in the snow?

Don't know. But the 1970 model I had with p/track was great on snow and sleet. Drove 229 miles on it one night in West Texas.

Da red thing could probably burn away any snow.

 

[jharkin]

... An A4 is comparable to a wrx. An S4 is comparable to an STI.......

I believe Eddie was talking price comparison, not performnace.

On the track my money is on the STi beating an S4.

 

[Ashful]

On the track my money is on the STi beating an S4.

The STi is a fun car for the kids, but as a card-carrying adult, I'll take the S4.

 

[bobdog2o02]

The STi is a fun car for the kids, but as a card-carrying adult, I'll take the S4.

I make most decisions on price/performance. When car and driver says the STI is the best bang for the buck, and can crush any given euro sports sedan, that's where I go. Don't care how it looks as long as it makes my heart beat harder.

 

[jharkin]

I have to say I'm with Joful though, an STi while fun if your a a 20yo track rat is painful to live with. As in back pain

The Audi's are just painful on the wallet.... So long as you dealer gives good loaners for all those unscheduled shop visits

 

[That's Right]

Had to jump in on this one. Been driving a wrx for the past 10 years. Best car I have ever owned. Yes I've had others during but always kept this one around. BEST car hands down in the snow up to 18"or so. I am outgrowing it but just can't sell it. Drove a couple audis and they are nice but just not ready to trust the reliability out of warranty. Just my .02

 

[Treacherous]

Mazda version somehow uses the ABS sensors...it doesn't use valve stem TPMS sensors. It is probably less accurate but makes it easier to swap snow tires on and still have TPMS capabilities.

Those are called TPMS sensors. They have been a NHTSA mandated safety feature on all new vehicles sold since 2008. There are a couple ways the sensors work but the most common is integrated into the valve stem. These are obvious as instead of a rubber valve you will see a metal unit that screws in.

Most tire shops can transfer the factory sensors to current production aftermarket rims made to take them, or install aftermarket sensors (i believe there are even ones that work with old style rubber stems) and program them to the vehicle.

http://blog.tirerack.com/blog/selec...ure-monitoring-systems-on-after-market-wheels

 

[Treacherous]

CX-5 doesn't use a CVT but has kind of a hybrid between a standard automatic and a DSG. Torque converter only works up to 5MPH. This thing seems extremely easy to work on as well for maintenance items. 13:1 Compression on direct injection motor but only needs regular unleaded as well.

 

[Ashful]

Reputations are a funny thing. It takes only a few years to ruin one, and a generation to earn it back. Audi's have historically been one of the best European high-mileage cars, although we all know that's not so true in recent years. I wonder when it changed, and if their reliability has improved in the 10 years since I last purchased a new one. Either way, it will be a decade or two before they regain any reputation for being a good high-mileage car, if they ever do address some of their apparent issues.

When you have a wife to manages to total a car every third year, on average, keeping a car much beyond the warranty window becomes a non-issue. She totaled one car only 6 weeks after driving it off the dealer's lot, and that was only 7 weeks after totaling the car that proceeded it. The aforementioned Audi was the only car that survived her, but the buyer put it into a guardrail within an hour of buying it from us.

 

[Treacherous]

Self driving cars might save you some money

Not advised but interesting... I had one of these as a loaner a few months back. It will stay in the lane with your hands off wheel.

When you have a wife to manages to total a car every third year, on average, keeping a car much beyond the warranty window becomes a non-issue. She totaled one car only 6 weeks after driving it off the dealer's lot, and that was only 7 weeks after totaling the car that proceeded it. The aforementioned Audi was the only car that survived her, but the buyer put it into a guardrail within an hour of buying it from us.

 

[jharkin]

Mazda version somehow uses the ABS sensors...it doesn't use valve stem TPMS sensors. It is probably less accurate but makes it easier to swap snow tires on and still have TPMS capabilities.

It works on the basis that a tire low on air compresses a bit, reducing the radius between the center and the contact patch and thus has to turn faster than the other wheels at the same vehicle speed. It works quite well, only drawback is in the rare case that all 4 tires where equally low it could not detect it.

Reputations are a funny thing. It takes only a few years to ruin one, and a generation to earn it back. Audi's have historically been one of the best European high-mileage cars, although we all know that's not so true in recent years. I wonder when it changed, and if their reliability has improved in the 10 years since I last purchased a new one. Either way, it will be a decade or two before they regain any reputation for being a good high-mileage car, if they ever do address some of their apparent issues.

Audis issues seem to plague German cars in general, and to some extend European cars in general. Knowing a lot owners of Audis, BMWs and some Benzes Ive seen a couple broad categories of issues:


Cooling systems - notoriously bad on German cars. My old college roomates 2000 era Audi S4 used to get a new water pump yearly. The Mike Miller special maintenance schedule for BMWs calls for replacing the entire cooling system (pump, tstat and hoses) every 90k.

• Reason? Im not sure, maybe they all buy from the same bad suppliers. One friend of mine suggested that there are tight environmental rules in Germany that require them to use a lot of recycled plastic and rubber in these systems where the Japanese would use aluminum and new materials.

Electronics! Modern euro luxury cars have way too many computers and they tend to be problematic. BMWs eat batteries because they have so many CPU draws even with the car off. But they also have to have problems with basic electronics that dont effect other makes - especially coil packs and injectors. One of my close friend is an Audi fanatic and has owned a string of 3 or 4 A6s in a row over the last 20 years, and has admitted to me that every one of them has stranded him at least once for a coil or injector.

• Reason- I cant say for sure but since they all have these issues my suspicion is that Bosch and Continental QC is not as good as Denso.

To a lesser extent, they also tend to over engineer things that could be done much simpler. Perfect example is VANOS and i-vtec. They both to basically the same thing, but one system is much simpler in implementation and has basically a zero failure rate.



Bottom line, I think I've stated this before. If you make an S4 or an M3 with the electronics and cooling system sourced from a Japanese supplier I would be the first in line to buy it. maybe we will finally get such a car in this talked of BMW-Toyota joint venture for a hybrid sportscar.


Because yeah, my practical side drives Japanese to avoid the frustrations, but my car guy soul would love to be riding in an Audi............

 

[brian89gp]

When you have a wife to manages to total a car every third year, on average, keeping a car much beyond the warranty window becomes a non-issue. She totaled one car only 6 weeks after driving it off the dealer's lot, and that was only 7 weeks after totaling the car that proceeded it. The aforementioned Audi was the only car that survived her, but the buyer put it into a guardrail within an hour of buying it from us.

Is hiring a chauffeur for your wife any cheaper?

 

[RustyShackleford]

BMWs eat batteries because they have so many CPU draws even with the car off.

I was trying to help a friend with a Mercedes that similarly the battery would go dead if she let the car sit for a week or two. Major problem, as she travels a lot. She drives a Hyundai now. Her boyfriend, who is multi-millionaire, drives ... Subaru.

 

[TradEddie]

I have bought all my subies over 100,000 miles. Never any major issues as long as regular maintenance occurs. You even said it, sell the Audi before the warranty runs out. Most people including the dealers think a subie is just getting broken in at 100,000 miles.

I used to be one of those, my first Outback got to 150,000 miles with one tire change, not a single repair needed other than scheduled service. My second one didn't get past 10k before its first of several warranty visits, the factory tires lasted 25K, the A/C never worked right, damaged drivetrain boots, CV joint problems. Learning that I had a head gasket leak at 100K was simply the last straw, I dumped that lemon.
I still love Subarus. Some of those issues were related to it being the first run of a new model, some may have been bad luck, and even the head gasket may have been contributed to by two separate failures of a repair shop to perform requested oil changes. That 7500 mile interval may have been pushing the limit, but twice I may have gone to 15,000 thinking the oil had been changed...

TE

 

[bobdog2o02]

The CV's and head gaskets were hallmark issues for Subaru. If it is a consolation the head gasket failures are typically oil leaks on the return from the valve cover to the oil pan. CV's. There is no hope in sight for Subaru on this issue.

 

[Treacherous]

I had cross shopped a Subaru Forester but after seeing a 255 page thread on subaruforester.org on oil consumption issues I decided to not even consider. I understand this can happen to all cars but 255 pages is fairly eye opening.

Subaru sued over vehicles' oil burning
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/07/18/subaru-oil-burner-lawsuit/12859865/

 

[Mt Bob]

A true automobile viscous coupling has no electronic control.A non clutch torque convertor is a viscous coupling.Front to rear split usually done by applying a clutch pack.This is what most mfg. went to many years ago,although many tried viscous couplings successfully(pre 82 jeep quadratrac,some audis,astros pre 2000,etc).

 

[Ashful]

Audis issues seem to plague German cars in general, and to some extend European cars in general. Knowing a lot owners of Audis, BMWs and some Benzes...

Probably fair to throw Audi and BMW into the same bucket there, and I'll continue to buy them anyway, because they're fun and sexy. They are a pleasure to drive.

I wouldn't be so quick to toss Benz into the Eurotrash bucket, though. There are not many equals to their level of engineering and quality. I spend occasional time in Germany (again next week, in fact), and have the opportunity to drive Mercedes we never see in the USA. Their cars are fantastic. It's just a shame they're so expensive here.

... and, to get back on-topic, their AWD system (4MATIC) is very capable.

 

[Treacherous]

A true automobile viscous coupling has no electronic control.A non clutch torque convertor is a viscous coupling.Front to rear split usually done by applying a clutch pack.This is what most mfg. went to many years ago,although many tried viscous couplings successfully(pre 82 jeep quadratrac,some audis,astros pre 2000,etc).

That sounds like the completely mechanical Borg Warner 4404 AWD unit in my old '96 Ford Explorer 5.0L.

 

[Mt Bob]

Have to correct myself,older jeep quadratracs were an clutch pak limited slip diff. in the t case,newer ones tried the v-c.Sorry,was tired.

 

[TradEddie]

I grew up in Europe where VWs and Audi's were reputed to run until the still-functional engine fell through the rusted out chassis. Here in the US, I bought a VW Passat 1.8T which was toast by 90,000 miles, or at least not worth the frustration of check engine warning happening more frequently than oil changes. I've heard it suggested that if you're looking to buy a VAG car, take a peek at the VIN number, which includes one digit for the country of manufacture. Some models are made in Mexico, others in Brazil, and some are even made in Germany. If you had a choice, which would you buy?

Back to the Sube/Audi question: The Audi should be better, it's much more expensive, but dollar for dollar, it's hard to beat the Subaru. If I had a limited budget, and needed a fast car that's good in the snow, there's no hesitation in buying a Subaru. If I had an unlimited budget, I'd go for an AWD Infinity Sedan.

TE