Audi4orce

Umm....we talking about 2.8L not the 1.8T

RKA

Seriously...these cars are expensive to maintain. I doubt that a 1.8T will give you all the headaches that you describe, but there is no guarantee. The 1.8T has been around since 1997, and there are a few people with > 100K miles on these boards. The engines and trannies hold up well, under normal use, it's all the little things that get you...wheel bearings, windshield washer pump, timing belt, coolant temp sensors, etc. Learning to do work yourself, rather than relying on the dealer will cut your repair bills in half. Going to an independent mechanic is another solution. Buying parts online at a discount will save you a little more. If you don't want to have to worry about maintenance, then you'll have to buy a new car (w/warranty), and suck it up on the depreciation.

Again, I think the engine and tranny will hold up very well over the 100-200K lifespan you mention. You just need to find an economical way to deal with the little things. Now will you buy my car? :-P

Maintank

hehe.

I am looking for a 2.8

But ya they appear to be costly to maintain once over 100K.

RKA

Okay, I'll have ten 2.8er's on my back if I don't first tell you that the 2.8 is an excellent engine, and it may suite your needs perfectly.

With that said, have you driven a chipped 1.8T? You lose low end torque (below 3K rpms) compared to the 2.8, but once you hit 3K, the 1.8T shines. Having a turbo engine comes with some additional troubles over time, but it's well worth it, imho!

The 1.8T clearly isn't for everyone. My friend has a 1998 2.8. For 3 years, he pretty much never revved the car over 4K rpms. I recently convinced him that it was okay to go beyond that. For the last three months, he's been calling me telling me how much fun he's been having driving his car! Still, I know, he lives in the lower rpm bands. In normal day to day driving, he doesn't want to rev over 3K, and the 1.8T would just drive him nuts. Of course, everything I get him in my old 1.8T, I'll put a big grin on his face! And a recent trip in a chipped S4 rendered him speechless! :-)