The CAR WIZARD shares the top AUDI cars TO Buy & NOT to Buy 

I like the fact that as a mechanic he tells his experience in cars and uses RU-vid in a therapeutic way to talk off stress that comes with his job.

Audis, "they are not as bad as BMWs". Well that's all folks!

Buy 2001 - 2009 A4 (6:04) 2010 - 2017 A7 [Specifically with the V8] (7:49) 2002 - 2009 A8 [Specifically with the V8] (9:50) 2008 - 2017 Q5 [Specifically with the 2.0 liter FSI engine] (12:05) 1998 - 2006 TT (13:50) Avoid 2003 - 2013 A3 (6:45) 2005 - Present A5 (8:50)* I'm sad, this is the car I own haha Any year A8 TDI (10:49) Any year Q7 (13:00) Any year R8 [Specifically with the V8. If you buy the R8, get the manual V10] (14:40) Notes - Car Wizard does not recommend Audis in general - they are on average more expensive to maintain & repair than other makes - Car Wizard does not recommend any cars with modern diesel engines - Car Wizard does not like any cars with CVT transmissions

I have 2014 Audi Q7 TDI. I've put about 120,000 miles on it. During that 120,000 Mile drive I only had two problems: ABS module and one of the hoses went bad. THAT'S IT. No problems with the engine transmission and no electrical issues AT ALL.

"A7 is too expensive to maintain. You should buy the A7." Ok, thanks.

Wizard didn't mention one of the most used engines throughout the Audi lineup. The V6 3.0 TFSI supercharged is very reliable and relatively easy to work on compared to the V8's that require the engine out for most things. The 3.0 was used in 4-5 different models like the S4, S5, A6, SQ5, A7 and Q7. Every mechanic I've spoken to said these are a much better choice than anything with the 4 or 8 cylinder engines. They also have decently large aftermarket tuning potential with a lot of companies. My 2012 S4 with the 6MT is at 149,000 and running without a problem, planning to do a dual pulley upgrade soon.

I've owned 2 B5 A4s, decent reliability. 1 B7 A4 that was rock solid from 75k-188k miles. Coil packs, cam follower, pcv and some minor suspension work. The way I drove it, I'm not surprised a few things popped up. It's a luxury sports car.. Some maintenance and repairs are totally agreeable.

I've owned 30+ Audis over the years - in Europe and in the US and not a single one gave me any unusual problems. One of the best I've ever owned is my 2007 Audi A8 4.2 TDI Quattro with 326hp, 445lbft of torque and an average mpg of 35. I've owned this car since 2019 and except for some bushings and regular service, I've never had any costs. It's about the "cheapest" car (repairs and maintenance-wise) I've ever had. The 1.9L, 3.0L and 4.2L TDI enigines are widely known to be bullet-proof and to last 200,000+ miles with little to no issues at all.

For those that are in Europe. Keep in mind, that they are waaaay cheaper to fix due to part availabilty and mechanics knowing how to fix them. I myself own a 2006 A6 2.7 TDi. It's not the cheapest to fix, but not the most expensive brand to fix.

Windy in Kansas, I'm sure I watched a film about that 🤔. It had a wizard in as well.

As someone who bought an older audi, anything you can fix yourself do it. I saved 7k+ on repair bills by doing them myself. I'm not an expert whatsoever but ive done these things, I bought an audi shop repair manual online. And bought some specialty tools used. All for 300$ 153,000 mi and still going

Just an FYI to avoid confusion, that A3 pictured is a 2015+, not a 03-13 A3 like mentioned. The '15+ A3/S3 are pretty nice and more reliable. My old '15 Golf R is basically a slightly down scaled S3 and it was the most reliable car I had.

1:40 - "Timing chain on an A7 is $6000". 7:45 - "You should buy an A7"

#1: *Any Audi with a warranty*

I absolutely love parking my Audi TT and as I’m walking away, looking back at it. You get so many compliments in this car

I've owned and currently own Audi cars over the past 15 years, 2 A6 and 2 A8's. I currently have a 2016 A8 and 2007 A6. Knock on Wood both have performed very well. My 2004 A8L was a beautiful elegant car, really enjoyed driving that car, before it was totaled by a school bus, it was beginning to show signs of serious issues. The school bus did me a favor, LOL! The 2016 doesn't have all the bells and whistles the 2004 had, but it's been very reliable, just routine maintenance!

If you are looking for Audi a4 here is my recommendation ( had about 4 a4's and did lots of research ) Forget about it list. B7 A4 2.0T and 3.2 2006-2008 ( Cam follower fails and most people dont fix it. An $80 part that if fails turns in to coupe of grand ) B8 A4 2.0T 2009-2011 ( Chane guilds are complete garbage for you are looking for a b8 got for the 2012 model thats when Audi fixed the issue. Otherwise these engines are ticking time bomb ) Definitely way more reliable list B5 A4 1997- 2001 1.8T or the 2.8 12 valve . If you see a 30 valve 2.8 I would recommend staying away from it. B6 A4 2002-2005 1.8T. Over all very reliable car. I would recommend staying way from the 3.0 v6 it is a good engine but most people dont take care of it as they should. Also sucks gas like an alcoholic. It gets about 15L/100km or 15MPG. B8.5 A4 2013-2016. The cars are ferally new have not seen any big common fault with them yet but so far very reliable. B9 is too new to tell but so far pretty good Feel free to like the comment if this helped you out :) Thanks.

Hey Wizard, got to see your First appearance on Hoovies garage! Lol You have come a long way in front of the camera! Lol

I’ve been looking at Audi’s and there aren’t enough words that I can say to thank you enough for your video.. thank you is not even close to the gratitude I have for your video.. ❤

I listened to this guy for one minute and he was dropping some truths. No BS. I'm subscribed.

He starts off the video with the timing chain costs 6500 on an A7. Reccomends A7

The best Audi's have 5 cylinders and mechanical diffs;)

I'm from the UK, and we have the a3, witch is my favourite because its cheap to buy, run and repair. Also its interior stands the test of time. I've had 4 altogether and this is what I found. The 1.6 is a good little engine, not much top end power but for city driving it great, you wouldn't know its a small engine just going around town, when you get on a motorway/highway then it lacks power yes. But the interior switches, seats and electrics all worked 100% on all 4 and they was all over 20 years old. My favouitr was my 1.8 turbo quattro, its was cheap to insure, cheap to fix and it had over 140k miles on it and everything was original except the alternator and suspension struts witch cost next to nothing to replace. The plastic under the bonnet for the dipstick tube and some pipes had rotted after 20 years and needed replacing but I did all that myself in an hour and I'm a terrible mechanic, but it was super easy to replace yourself. So interior was mint condition, all electrics worked, engine ran like brand new and gearbox and Haldex 4 wheel drive system worked 100% and was all original. I bought it at 70k miles for £1500, then paid for a full service and then ran it without a fault until it had 140k miles on it then I crashed it by been a douchbag. But honestly it was fast enough to keep up with most modern hot hatches, drove better than most new cars full stop, I mean when it snowed i was going past 70k and 100k mercs and bmws all stuck and my cheap audi didn't even slip once. Tuning the 1.8t engine is easy aswell, you can get it to 250hp easy and cheap and then keep going as long as you have the money. I couldn't fault it in anyway.

The timing chains on the 3.2 last forever if you change your oil every 5-7K miles. Even if you have a problem usually you just need to change the top tensioners which does NOT require engine out.

“Don’t but any modern diesels” Lol there goes all of European’s options

Buy an A4. Don't buy an A5. What? Same car, just different doors.🤷‍♂️

The A6 from 2007 to 2020 are very reliable. The 05-08 models have issues with timing chain and I've dealt with those on my A6 3.2 Quattro. Also want to add A4 and A5 are basically the same car. I recommend staying away from the CVT, but car wizard did not mention that A4 and A5 both some in Quattro configuration with all wheel drive and full auto transmission, which is reliable.

I purchased a 2011 audi a4 B8 with the 2.0L TFSI engine and CVT gearbox. I've done the timing chain, water pump, TCU replacement , intake valve cleaning, and control arms. Im absolutely loving it but I specifically purchased this car because it needed this work and i got it cheap. I have another car for my daily driver so spending weeks on a lift is not a problem. Im not a mechanic and never done this kind of work before so its been fun and rhe next owner should be pretty happy.

I just came here after watching Hoovie’s million subscriber video and you definitely have come a long way. I own a 2008 Audi A6 4.2. Owned it for 8 years. I don’t disagree with what you have said, but I will add that Audi has a very massive online forum, almost as big as the Evo or STI. It’s a major benefit I think when buying a used vehicle.

Tyler's 1M sub video was great, especially the 3+ year throwback of your face staring at the camera. 🤣🤣

Thank you so much. This really helped me make a decision about what car to buy. I appreciate your wisdom.

Just found the video, i got a 2014 a7 with 130k lines on it..car is just amazing! If you take care of something it last forever..that guy probably was driving like having a hypercar....still driving it in 2023..love the ride!

One of my employees just spent $5k getting his Audi RS5 repaired. Clutch replacement turned into pulling the motor and when he got it back the transmission exploded. It's been in the shop for over 5 weeks now.

Almost every car picture is from the wrong year 😅

The V6 3.0 TFSI supercharged on the 2013+ S4 b8.5 are a big thumbs up for speed and reliability, and the dsg can be tuned to be even better.

Just bought a 2014 Q7 superchaged V6. Had it 3 months and timing chain had to be replaced. Now it shift extremely hard from 1st to 2nd. Luckily we got a aftermarket warranty. Timing chain and tensioners was a $5k job at the local Audi. I’m sure transmission will be similar. Get the extended warranty for German vehicles for your sake. All this has happened from 84k miles to 94k miles

The repair cost mostly depends on how fair is the mechanic. Mostly they charge luxury for luxury.

The Kansas wind sound goes with a wizard.

I own a 2007 Audi A4 2.0T with standard transmission 6-speed. I love my Audi (brought it back from Germany with American specs) but it is very expensive to maintain. I currently have over 106,000 miles on it. German engineering makes me sad.... I have only kept it because I enjoy driving the manuel. Audi Arlington (Virginia) wanted to buy it from me one time I brought it in for service. I was surprised. The rep said they wanted the vehicle because of the stick. Here's the thing, every time I start my Audi I expect some light to come on or some issue to come up. I no longer want to deal with the lack of reliability and the expense to repair. I am now looking at a new Toyota or Nissan SUV. Mr. Wizard, I just found your channel and I am hooked. You seem like the type of honest, friendly guy. Thank you for all your videos.... Cheers!

The Audi 3.0 Tdi V6 in the Audi Q7 , is the most reliable Diesel motor in the word. We have this motor in the Audi A5, A6, A7, A8, In the Porsche Panamera, Cayenne, VW Touareg, ... the best ....The same motor since 2003 to now... in the Q8 etc..

This might have scared me off a few years ago, but I’ve had a 2000 A6 2.7T, 2013 A5 Cabriolet, and my wife has a 2017 Q7 3.0L. Loved ‘em all! Great cars with no issues. No leaks …nothing. The Q7 is the best road trip vehicle we’ve ever had. Timing service isn’t cheap, but we never spent more than $700 at a local independent VAG shop. Just 3 data points from the other side.

The A7 wasn't in the states until 2012. A7 only came with a supercharged 3.0 V6. The V8 for any C7(2012-2018) platform Audi is only in the S6, S7, and RS7 in the US. Those come with the 4.0 TT V8. Sounds great, runs great. Only major issues are PCV, oil screens for turbos, and motor mounts.

Hey buddy I appreciate your honesty. There’s nothing like a true mechanic. Telling it just like it is. Well my wife owns a man 2018 Audi Q7 Premium plus and I would just like to say we love the car haven’t got into any needs of replacing any mechanical parts we do have it in extended warranty so hopefully this will cover any work and parts when that time comes. I’m not going to the guy up the street. I’m coming to see you Sir.

I ordered my 2014 TDI A7 brand new. It’s Black on Black, Prestige, Black Optic, 20” Sport Package has 130k on it…has been amazing. The 430 lbs/ft of torque is amazing, the MPG’s are great and it’s sexy as hell (even after ten years).

As an Audi enthusiast, this is my advice: Stay away from any model with the 4.2 motor with the timing chain, even the newer ones. Especially the B6 S4. Also, stay away from any model with the older style tiptronic transmission. It will blow up sooner or later. Usually sooner.

VAG cars should be categorized by their engine. Depending on engine code, you can have a reliable or money pit a3/a4.

Hey Car Wizard, after hearing your recommendation on the A7, I went out and bought one. I got the 2017 Audi Competition Prestige and it is awesome. The car is sooo beautiful that it puts my Lexus 450h to shame. The interior is beautiful and it has special designed seats which are only found on the 2017 Competition Prestige model and they are out of this world. Thanks again for the video. I love my car

That video really helped buddy, thanks!

I have an Audi A4 2011. i bought it with 8.000km. In now 7 years with 145.000 km I had only 1 repaire for 400€. The parts were cheap but he had to take off the whole front to get to the right parts. I‘m still happy with this car and would buy an Audi again.

Actually over here in Europe Audis are not known to be any less reliable nowadays than BMWs or Mercedes. And most of the old diesel Audis are actually very reliable and reach high mileages.

Thank you so much !!! I was thinking of buying a 2010 s4 but now ima move on with my search 👀 thank you for the information 😂 super helpful

The 2009 A3 1.9TDI was a cracking car. I'd easily get over 60mpg. The timing belt and water pump cost me £380 to have changed. The dual mass flywheels and clutch goes around 120k and will cost £1200, the only other thing that failed was the suspension seals. Never failed to start. I have an A4 Avant now, eactly the same. 90k seals, 120k clutch and flywheel is going, timing chain on this model quoted £600 forbthe chain and water pump change

Overall I think this is good advice, what I see missing is a breakdown of engine/transmissions for what to buy. An A5 2.0T Quattro is the same car as the A4, so reliability should be fine. A FWD A4 has the same CVT as the A5 so there should be a recommendation against it. (Especially since you're suggesting that an A4 is a good buy for an inexpensive car) To me Audi reliability is 100% related to engine/transmission/drivetrain, not the model. You start saying that you quoted $6k to change a timing chain for an A7, then you go on to recommend it.

Audi's are probably about the most reliable German car here in Australia.

I have a 2009 A5 with the 3.2 V6 and manual transmission, which i feel is the soft spot where the car is ‘just right’. No oil consumption like the 1.8T and 2.0T engines, no automatic transmission problems and the V6 has a very nice sound, even with stock exhausts. The tensioners have been replaced at around 120k miles, before i purchased it, so no strange engine rattles. So far i’m very happy with the car.

My 06 Audi A6 Avant 3.2 just passed 290,000 miles, all regular maintenance still drives beautifully. The main issue was the transmission being replaced earlier but that was under Audi warranty. Now the CD player and Nav are out. This car has been wonderful, looking forward to passing 300,000 and giving it to my daughter for her first car.

Interesting how different audis are in the US compared to germany, where I live there are mostly A5 and A4 with 2.0/3.0TDI. Imo they are reliable engines although the timing chain is a pain to work on on the 3.0TDI. I own a 3.0TDI chipped to 285hp and 650nm and a 2.0TDI chiped to 225hp and 500nm, they are great cars and both of them are in the 200.000km (125.000mi) range, no problems yet

For B8 generation products beginning 2008, the 1.8T and 2.0T from 2008 to 2012 aren't reliable due to the piston ring issues. They fixed it in 2013 facelifts. The recommended Audis are the 3.0 Supercharged engines, those are very reliable. And generally speaking, you're less susceptible to breakdowns with the 3.0 and above engines. The smaller engines that was shared with VWs are the ones with issues.

beautifuly done, thank you so much for all the infomration and recommendations. A great eye opener.

Thanks for posting you changed my mind about this car .

I'm glad I'm not the only one that is confused by his conflicting recommendations. And just FYI, it's not VW Audi Group or VW Auto Group. It's Volkswagen AG, which is the American equivalent of Volkswagen Corporation. Sidenote, as an owner of several BMWs and Audis, the Audis have been far more reliable. BMW is easier to work on, but constantly has small little, annoying issues. As my friend once said, BMW nickels and dimes you. For example, their headlight wiring insulation falls apart. How have they not figured out headlight wiring by 2020? You don't throw the entire car away for bad headlights though, so you spend the $1,500 on new lights. And then the next thing comes along . . .

Whenever I listen to the car wizard my blood pressure lowers,he has a very calming effect ,love the channel

Great video wizard! I currently own a 2017 Audi S3, and it has been super loyal and cheap to maintain. *knocks on wood* These 4 cylinder turbos are in MK7 GTI's and Golf R's, which makes the parts cheaper, and pretty much everything under the hood is the same across all platforms. These do have that wretched water pump /Thermostat that leaks from the plastic housing. Haven't had to address any leaks yet, but I am realistically expecting it to fail before 70K, currently at 35K miles.

Yup, had an A8 from 03 for like 7 years: pretty crowded engine bay with all kind of stuff, but the maintenance wasn't too bad indeed and drove well with its 155 mph top speed :D

Never had any probs with any Audi I have owned. Got an S8 D4 and love it best car I have ever owned.

The A7 doesn’t come with a v8 however the S7 does and the A6/S6 is the same car with different bodies

The latest generation Q7 (2018-) is highly regarded for being fixed from the prior gen. I leased a 2018 and the combination of practicality and driving performance was unmatched. Now I’m considering a 2018 A5, which is basically the same new gen as the Q7. Beautiful, high performing cars with very little reliability complaints over the last 4+ years

I have a 2005 Audi Allroad AWD BI-Turbo station wagon that I absolutely love that seats 7, that is extremely utilitarian, giving me enough space in the back like my Toyota Sienna XLE AWD which has more headroom, and both filled with so many fond family memories. Both vehicles over 250k plus miles, with same engine and transmission.

2013-2017 a5 is a VERY reliable car. Just don't get the cvt ofcourse

I've owned nothing but VW and Audi's my whole life. Never had any issues or been bothered by a repair bill.

Thanks for the video. Bought the A4 and I’m loving it!

Been thinking of the Q5 for some time now after having my little A4. Something a little taller and more cargo space.

Engine out, engine out. Wonder why they call it "Audi", pronounced like "outie".

Well i bought 15' Audi A5 with tdi engine. Throw stone at me

Liking the channel got my first Audi A4B7 so far it seems good thank you for the information &vids.

It would be cool if Car Wizard had a Wizard approved shop in each state. A network? A franchise? A certification? Who knows, but Wizard approved would be valuable.

When I was a valet, one of the cars of many German cars was an A8. One my favorite interiors in a car ever. Also sporty from what I could tell parking it on a lift, sensitive gas pedal lol

Dude buy a 1.9 Tdi one of the best engine ever A3 is a great car

I have a 2014 Q5 2.0T. So far had the timing chain changed, high and low pressure fuel pumps which gave out on the highway, and front brakes/rotors. Also it burns oil. Still one of the smoothest rides ive experienced but be aware of the maintenance issues.

Awesome video, really give me a good idea of what to buy. Any chance you can give your insights into the Mk2 mk3 TTS? Thanks again!

“I dont have love for Audis” man, very ballsy. I like you channel a lot! Expert and straight to the point (I own a Porsche, and Audi and a BMW By the way), it hurts... but true is true.

Audi is my favorite German brand and it hurts my heart knowing how much of a hassle maintenance is going to be when I finally own one

My neighbor had a TT convertable, 1.8T 6spd w/the upgraded interior. That was the nicest car for a warm summer day I ever drove. Plenty of power, great gearbox, great handling and top quality materials interior. I've been searching for one myself. Regarding the Camaro V6, this may not be a popular opinion. A lot of the earlier SS's were not 320hp! With the 6 spd, the V6 320hp engine is a blast on a twisty road! Public roads are not a race track, I can use 100% of the 320hp, 450hp is too hard to hold back. It's easy for a lot of people to drive over their heads with, and I could do faster laps with the V6 than average Joe road driver. So I don't look down at the V6 at all, it's a sporty car and a lot of fun!! JMHO... --gary

Thanks for your advice!

Love when Car Wizard talks about how slow or weak a V6 is when in the UK we are pottering about in 1.2 litre petrols. Bet if the Wizard and Mrs Wizard visited the UK theyd think our cars run on AA batteries.

I have a 2006 A8 4.2V8 that I've driven since 2010 (30,000 km to 130,000 km). Apart from one expensive suspension issue it has been very reliable, but obviously it is not a cheap car to run. Still, I enjoy it every day. Having that much power and comfort is an absolute pleasure.

I knew when I bought my Audi, I would probably have trouble, but I couldn't resist when I drove it. I have a 2005 S4 Cab. Such fun to drive and even with the problems I still love it and the V-8 rumble.The engine went out at 18,000 miles. At least it was under warranty, but there weren't many made. The dealer obviously didn't have a mechanic that knew how to replace the engine. Many months in the shop, they finally repaired it. As i went to pick it up, I learned the mechanic had run into the wall as he was pulling it out of the bay. He had forgotten the car didn't have brakes. The most recent problem was the power steering mechanism died. I took it to the dealer, but decided I would try and find an independent shop. They found several things the Audi dealer missed, but their price was lower. I have it home now and even after all the expensive problems, I still love it. I have never driven a car that was more fun, even my husband's Boxster isn't more fun. I plan to drive until parts can no longer be found! VAROOM!!!!

Thank you my friend, you've made my decision much easier on purchasing a nice vehicle 👍

Thank you for not rubbing the B5 S4 into our faces; us owners take enough abuse

Absolutely true (for years)! $3600 to change the A6 4.2 Quattro’s timing chain/water pump. Of course, just out of warranty. Great driver in rain BUT Done with Audi: one MUST budget $2k per year for maintenance out of warranty Audi

Just bought an A5 2021 coupe, 40 tfsi, with 25k miles on it, it was not on sale, but was checking out the audi semi-new and this car was just released from annual maintenace, and my sales agent and me managed to convence the owner (a mid 50’s man) to sell it to me. It has another 2 year warranty, a couple of free services left, a very well taken care of. I hope turn out a good buy

Stumbled upon your channel, have a 2013 Audi a7 and I love it. Guess what, it needs the chain to be done. Really like the way you explain the cars. Will be watching you for the future. Thanks W. 2019 Audi a7 is my next buy. Never changing from A7, such a beautiful car

VW / AUDI TDI are amazing. The older ones 1.9 TDI bullet proof engine with amazing gas mileage, no DPF it's just done right

Kinda funny listening to Wizards reasoning from across the pond, and owning Audis. Different places , different experiences , I guess. Still enjoy your vids.

Wizard kicks arse and helps potential buyers. My two cents: Q5 2.0 TFSI from 2012 had updated piston rings to reduce oil consumption, and an updated PCV valve. Furthermore, 2014-2017 CPMB engines (flex fuel) had an updated timing chain tensioner, which was an issue even on the 2012-2013 updated engine. 2014-2017 CPMB is not bad at all. It also powers the 2014-2016 A5.

2013 Audi A7 here, amazing car, had coolant leak though, after a couple YT videos and $500 in parts, running like new again 👍🏼

Audi quattro system cannot be beat though.

I've been in the market for a used ~80k mile or so 2009 Audi A8L 4.2 for a few months now. I am still in the preliminary research stage with a budget of ~12k. When I first discovered them I was astonished at the overall look and quality of the interior, best I've ever seen without being too, 'flashy-flashy, look at me' from the outside. Heated & cooled seats are a must-have for me, and now I discover the seats have a massage function on some models as well?! Originally I was just looking for a small displacement AWD V8 with good long term reliability and some creature comforts but the more I delve into the matter the more cool stuff I find. Pretty good for a rather unassuming sedan in my opinion but what do I know... I wouldn't take just any mechanics opinion at face value and pull the trigger on a car I haven't researched for months myself but this review seems to solidify what I've heard about the 2009 A8L. Is there anybody here who has owned an 09 model A8 or A8L and can vouch for them?

I leased a B5 S4 because it drove way better than a Porsche Boxter at the time. It was trouble-free for the life of the lease and I turned it in. It was a blast to drive.

I had a 2006 A6 AVANT 3.2L had 260000 miles when I sold it, was a great car. I spent a grand per year on upkeep, but it was an awesome car.