allroaddave

We currently own an '04 Allroad with the 2.7 twin turbo V-6 and Tiptronic. Those who don't follow the Allroad threads may not know all the potential pitfalls to owning one of these, but luckily ours has been mostly problem free and the few things that have gone wrong I've been able to DIY.

So now the bride would like to update to a newer car and is smitten with an A4 Cabrio. We found a gorgeous low mile 2008 with the 2.0 motor, but after spending some time in the B7 forum I'm quite gun shy.......of course, had I read the Allroad forum before we bought ours I probably wouldn't own it now either!

So, does the 2009 and newer car have the high pressure fuel pump cam follower issue too?

Anything else to be looking for if we decide to step up to the newer platform?

Should we really be concerned about that problem in the '08? An '08 fits our budget better, but not if we're going to be doing expensive engine repairs the minute it leaves warranty. Or should we really be looking at the '09 and newer cars?

AofC_RR

Well if you're after a Cab then you have to buy that motor or a 3.2. The new 2.0T in the B8 A4 is a different design and does not share those pitfalls. The B7's 2.0T is easily maintained with some preventative maintenance. If you can, avoid the CVT, not known for longevity and also require additional maintenance.

I've owned both platforms, each has it's charms and quirks.

allroaddave

Interesting that you discount the CVT. I own a 2009 MINI Cooper S and the CVT that MINI used in their early cars is a non-repairable, $9k to replace POS as well!

It looks like if you get quattro, you avoid the CVT, right?

Is the quattro auto a DSG or a Tiptronic?

Aren't both the '08 and '09 4 cyl turbo's the same in the Cabrio?

Is the HPFP in the newer cars electric driven instead of mechanical? BMW and MINI have had to extend the warranty on their electric HPFP to 10 years/100K due to high failure rate and owner insecurity. I was hoping Audi doesn't use the same unit!

AofC_RR

Quattro avoids a CVT and gets you a 6 speed tiptronic. Engines are the same in the cab in 08 and 09. The HPFP doesn't fail it's the cam follower that fails and then the HPFP is ruined. If it's CPO'd that would be covered.

allroaddave

We looked at the car in question, and while the miles were reasonable and the price was OK, the car was a little rough - we've decided to pass on it. Thanks for all the replies, my wife loves her Allroad so we're going to keep it, maybe we'll do the convertible thing later on.

Sat in a new A5 convertible too, very pretty car! Like all new Audi's, pretty spendy tho for a small 4 cyl car....

I've owned a large number of Audi's over the years, and while they've never been inexpensive, they may have priced themselves out of my range. But then so have Mercedes, BMW, Porsche and a number of others! It's hell getting older, you can remember when things were affordable....