XcellR8edAudi

I'm considering buying a 2.8 A4... would you rather buy the 1996 172hp 2.8 or the 1997 190hp 2.8? obviously I want more power, but is there more recalls or anything on the 97 vs the 96.. what can people give me for info comparing these two? and also- What is the life expectancy of the 2.8? I'm used to Audi's 5 cylinder engine... I havent worked with the V6. How long do they generally last? 200k? more or less?

Bryans12v

They both are the 172 hp 12 valve V6.

Same recalls.

Same everything.

There are some w/ 170,000 with no major problems at all.

2tu®bos1mission

is running great. I had 65,000 on my 99 with the 30v and he just didn't seem like it was running right when I sold it.

XcellR8edAudi

In reply to the original post... I meant 98 not 97... 12v 172 V6 vs the 30v 190 V6 thanks a lot everyone for your help!

Baby Blue A4

And she still feels like a million bucks. She's has a few little nit-pick things going wrong, idle control valve seems to be one it's way out (idle revs fluctuate and stall out occasionally when at a stop, but only when engine is completely warmed up, anobody have a better idea of what it could be?) and the thermostat for the engine is faulty, cause ing the engine temp to read 1/4 lower than it actually is and the check engine light to come on. It drives like it's brand new. I couldn't think of a more plesant place to melt the miles away on the highway. (and she's ablast in the twisties too!) The 12v also sounds beautful, much better than the 30v in my opinion. If your looking for a '96, check the clutch for wear and make sure the engine holds oil. Oil occasionlly mysteriously loses oil, but has no leaks and doesn't burn a drop. I guess it's just a little quirk of the car. Some 12v also make a ticking noise that increases with rpms, but also quiets out a bit when the engine warms up. I've been told it's the lifters or the exaust evaporater (two very different diagnoses, but oh well.) I know I've talked mostly about the few negatives the car has, but there isn't enough space for me to talk about how much I love my car and just how many positives there are about her, As long as the engine is properly maintained, I have no doubt she'll break at least 300,000 miles at least before I sell her. I've read that some people with 90's have gone over 500,000 miles with the 12v engine, I think that speaks for itself. Also, if you like blue, look for a '96 in Europa Blue, it's one of the most beautiful colors I've ever seen, and depending on the light it can be anything from aqua ,to deep blue, to purple, to black. It's amazing. My friend just bought a digital camera, and pretty soon he said he'd let me borrow it to take some pictures of her finally. I'll post them as soon as I can :-) Good luck with your search!

Boba Fett

Why not get the '98 30v? I can vouch that its a sweet engine.

ohiokat

I haven't had any problem out of my '96 2.8, but then, it's only got 67,000 miles on it, too.

digitalskate

get the 30v, the 98 i have the 97 and want a 98 or newer but mine runs fine

Maccorrado-SNA/DTW

the audi teams finally got their ish together and introduced the 98 30v engine with the 97 body (rare...)...the differences are subtle (tail lights, side markers and such)...


if i were you go for a 30v engine

Bryans12v

I hope all you guys are in the 12v development group!