GTA_Driver

Why don't you like the mazda3? It is cheaper to maintain, better fuel economy, takes regular instead of premium fuel, handling is very good.

You will spend more money on B5 because it is now aging. B6 is more expensive to buy, an all maintenance costs are more expensive on audis (well, almost all).

I had my 2005 Mazda 3 for nearly 4 years. replaced one coil and the alternator. That was 3 years ago, and so far haven't had a single repair, just oil changes, brakes.

turbo510

If a 1.8T, you'll get a turbo like it or not.

Joeyyphillips

i know the 1.8t has a turbo obviously, i ment i wasnt gonna upgrade any of it.

and yes i loved my mazda.. it was totaled. but im so into the audi/vw scene. so i def wanna get a b5 or b6, i know they are slighty more to maintain but hey.. thats life.

arU4ic

No offense to your love of Mazda (out of all the Japanese makes, I think Mazda is most like german cars) but it is not a good comparison. Audi, even older ones (maybe especially older ones) are luxury vehicles. Audi ride, fit-and-finish, handling are all far superior. This is the trade-off. If you want most reliable you go japanese (IMO), if you want refinement you go German.

My 2 cents.

turbo510

Now that the discussion has turned to Mazda, I have to say that I worked for them, at their Califonia R&D center. Some of my assignments were checking out aftermarket turbo systems and also aircon improvements. Interesting folks, saw some funny stuff there too.

bschmidt25

I have a BMW (my first) in addition to my A4 (numerous Audis over the years). I'd say the level of maintenance required is very similar, but the type of maintenance is different. The BMW definitely needs more attention paid to the suspension and cooling system then the Audis I've had. I have 160K on the Bimmer and have basically replaced the entire suspension in the last 40K. Likewise, the cooling system in most BMWs is a preventative maintenance item. It will fail catastrophically at some point, so you might as well just replace everything every 100K.

The Audis I've had seem to have more little issues like window regulators, HVAC, various sensors, oil leaks, etc. I haven't really had any of those issues on the BMW. Sometimes these types of issues are harder to isolate. I will say that it seems to be a bit easier to work on the BMW. Things tend to be buried more on the Audi (ie: thermostats, alternator).

Both are great cars with very different personalities. I like both for different reasons. You can't really go wrong with either of them.

wanneroo

I think the main problem now with anyone looking to buy a B5 is that the newest one is 11 years old. And once you get past 10 years, any car that has had regular use, you are probably past the point of just having to do some moderate fixing and maintenance, but you are now into having to do some big repairs or renovation.

Watching the used market out there, there are few cherry low mile B5 A4's left.

I'm up to 163K on mine and once I hit the ten year mark and 140K I was starting to do big repairs. I've easily spent $4K in the past 18 months. And still the car needs attention to plenty of cosmetic details and other issues.

Having owned two B5's since 2001, in my opinion, Audi designed these cars to work well, drive nice and look good, but put no thought into what would happen when you have to replace something. The battery is wedged below the windshield, the alternator requires the front end to get pulled out to the service position to reach it, the suspension and steering has a plethora of components that often do not last long, the various electronic modules like to fail, etc.

4Driver4

I'll agree on the fit and finish, but ride? Handling? No way. The Audi is a ponderous pig by comparison to a Mazda 3.

HJB

Problem with Audi is they offer FWD and AWD using the same platform. Essentially a big compromise. You're starting with the lousy weight distribution and polar moment of inertia of a FWD platform. Later A4s are better in this respect, but they've also gotten heavier. You also have the 4-link front suspension which is also designed to cope with FWD torque steer. Lots of compromises which defeat the advantage of Quattro in 99% of driving situations. It's why a dedicated FWD, or a dedication AWD, will always out handle the A4...

4Driver4

Don't forget RWD!!!
Rarer by the day, but still around.