WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON AUDI A4 1.8T

[cadence]

Tuners,

I have read all the posts on this forum and have some info to share, even though the gentleman probably purchased a vehicle already.

Japenese- Great vehicles in terms of availability of aftermarket parts by outside part dealers. Original parts still very expensive in the firm. Safety have not been realised by the manufacturers as an option, most cars still cant stop under the 60km/hr road tests. Our bandits in Trinidad love these vehicles more than us the owners, our roads are full of corners and unless you upgrade the suspension Japanese cars dont like anything but straight roads. Oil change is every 5000kms and dont mention the life of suspension parts on some cars like Nissan bushings and cradles go bad every month when used on our offroad routes such as "making a beach lime to mayaro".

European (audi a4/Passat)- Safety, Safety and more safety. Bandits hate when they see them in car parks because it resembles the police.... they just run away no benefit in sticking around, aftermarket and original parts can be up to 75% cheaper than the firm at places like ERM in freeport, cars love to corner even at high speed, oil change 10000kms minimum, suspension wear 7-10yrs on rough roads such as journey to mayaro, and well bad reviews to your car by people who cant afford it, had a bad experience due to lack of maintenance, or a once a lifetime manufacturers defect just like our good ole boys like Toyota. So its really a personal choice, but if you want class and safety the choice is Euro, not even the LEXUS could compare to the CLASS of a EURO. I hardly ever seen Lexus boys carrying weddings unlike our boys in the EURO segment. If i had the cash I would surely love to drive the EURO.

[MG Man]

european cars are NOT for everyone, plain and simple

funny how people buy a japanese car and quietly accept manufacturers defects, then buy a European car, and want to run to the media for every little thing

For example, I had a new Lancer Wagon as a company car. The a/c compressor failed and the replacement form the firm was over 10k. I found out it was a common failure among these cars. Never heard anybody complain

Had a current model Civic as a company car. Issues with trim popping out, falling out, faulty door window regulator, door rubber falling out, etc...the latter I found out happened to a few other owners....again....no complaints

Totota Hilux with a shifter that fell out and dealer cannot fix etc etc etc

Met a dude with a new Bluebird, straight out of the firm.....dash beginning to bubble and wrinkle.....man quietly accepts it but looks at my Mini and goes 'buh ah hear dem car dem does give trouble...'

weird psyche

Euro cars do have their issues, granted, but in my personal experience, nothing far from what I ahve seen / experienced with Japanese cars

These same people buy a european car and complain about everything

European cars not cheap, but then again neither are the japanese cars
and when you consider a base Rav 4 for example which is a really crappy vehicle costs a quarter mil, it makes you wonder what really is cheap on the market (roro aside)

All I know is once you drive a european car for a while, every japanese car handles like rubbish.............and I still believe european cars have more safety engineered into them, as opposed to japanese cars with safety features added on........

as Sanctifier would say, my $0.02

[rigman00]

wat he said x2

[ek4ever]

mg man You have to be real bad lucky....my 10 year old Civic interior almost showroom condition...stock and original suspension...handling excellent...no engine problems....all electrical working...no problems...paint still looking good...every feature in this car works and this is with minimal maintenance...my friends VW had rebuilt engine....broken power windows...failing electronics...interior all peeling...fabric wearing out....

Even my previous local B14SS was immaculate when sold.....every feature worked....zero mechanical problems....same friend went to Audi...failing interior (fckuing headliner falling down)....transmission problems...instrument display failed...and this is an almost $400,000 vehicle

Other friend wanted to take company to court for recurring problems with 307, said the worst thing he did was sell his Civic for the 307, gone back to Honda....next friend cuss out Renault for issues with a Megane II...electrical and transmission

So yeah...Euros have safety and ride/handling but if I had to buy a new car today ...I'll take an Accord over any Euro...Japanese still rule on quality, reliability and dependability

[thegtiman]

The problem with European vehicles imported into to Trinidad is attitude of incompetence the dealers have to customers vehicles and the nature of some customers have to regular service intervals ( if they are done right in the first place), to maintain the superior drive and build quality of European vehicles.
I have 5 VWs 4 Golf GTis and 1 Bora V5 from MK1-4 with 110 to 315PS, and they are brilliant, I do look after all of them without fail. No skimping on buying direct from the VW dealer. They pass all inspections, start and driveaway every morning freezing, cold or hot and cover 500miles a week. Sure the window stops working, sure the suspension bushes needs to be replaced, sure the brakes and rotor disk ware out and need replacing, sure my windscreen gets cracked and stone chipped, sure the plugs and leads give up, but when these things fail they are replaced and the vehicle is back to a standard. A Civic of any mark may be in my opinion better than a Golf of any mark in terms of reliability but not refinement. Sans the later EP3 Type R, Skyline, EVO and so on, most Japanese vehicles lack soul and are bland. Still considered to be a tin can. The chavs love them here. The B14 sister car, the N15 Pulsar is considered to be a POS. Yes reliable but owned by ppl who have served their biological purpose and are ready to die!
The issues listed on the VW example are easy repairs if you maintain the vehicle and can obtain the correct updated parts in good time. The same comment would be for the Audi. Plus those issues do not happen all at once. Usually the sound of this cost $X000s scares people into "dat go lass anudda 6months" opinion, leading to a system FAIL!
It seems like a similar trend of dealer incompetence and customer impatience is to blame for the issues surrounding French ownership an upkeep.
This is why locals tend to be comfortable with a vehicle they can get patent parts for on a Sunday and put on by a mango tree mechanic with the seal of approval " da go wok deh jed". However I am sure if a sample of typical Korean or Japanese vehicles on tnt roads where analysed and put to a MOT or TUV test it would fail on safety and emissions due the corners cut to keep then running.
The latest Fiesta may be a Ford yes, but it handles like a house fly and has better drive quality than any econobox you can buy at home (or in Europe) even in poverty spec 60ps 1.25. Just wait till the new 1.6T 180PS ST hits the streets and I am not a Ford man. There is not one japanese mark to revial this vehicle, not the Colt, Note, Yaris(if it could stop and steer) none!

Every car has their engineering flaws. But in my days as a previous technician of many makes of JDM vehicles (and I drove a Type 1 Beetle), there is a distinct difference between the feel of a European vehicle and a Japanese vehicle around the same era. Hard for me to go backwards now no matter where I live.

[acesinghit]

the following European vehicles left a bad taste on alot of people's mouth locally:

Mercedes Benz A-Class (W168)
Mercedes Benz C-Class (W202)
Mercedes Benz E-Class (W210)
Mercedes Benz S-Class (W140)
BMW 3-Series (E46)
BMW 5-Series (E39)
BMW 7-Series (E38)
Audi A3 (8L)
Audi A4 (B5)
Audi A6 (C5)
Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T (B5)
Volkswagen Bora 1.6 and 2.0
Peugeot 106
Peugeot 306
Peugeot 307
Peugeot 206
Peugeot 405
Peugeot 406
Peugeot 407
Peugeot 605
Peugeot 607
Peugeot Partner
Renault Megane
Renault Megane 2
Renault Scenic
Renault Clio
Renault Kangoo
Renault Master
Skoda Combi/Felicia
Skoda Octavia MK1
Skoda Superb
Citroen Xantia
Seat Toledo MK2
Seat Ibiza MK2
Fiat Punto MK1

BUT these companies are making much better cars for our market now and the quality of the vehicles have improved alot thus making positive impacts on current and future sales and resale value. It's sad that Peugeot, Renault, Citroen and Seat does not have the chance to redeem themselves in this lucrative market of ours at least for now as there are no dealership presence for them.

[MG Man]

you need to differentiate between cars and shytty dealer service
none of our euros ever left a bad taste...........so much so my cousin just bought a PBG 306 and he loves it

[thegtiman]

the following European vehicles left a bad taste on alot of people's mouth locally:

Mercedes Benz A-Class (W168)
Mercedes Benz C-Class (W202)
Mercedes Benz E-Class (W210)
Mercedes Benz S-Class (W140)
BMW 3-Series (E46)
BMW 5-Series (E39)
BMW 7-Series (E38)
Audi A3 (8L)
Audi A4 (B5)
Audi A6 (C5)
Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T (B5)
Volkswagen Bora 1.6 and 2.0
Peugeot 106
Peugeot 306
Peugeot 307
Peugeot 206
Peugeot 405
Peugeot 406
Peugeot 407
Peugeot 605
Peugeot 607
Peugeot Partner
Renault Megane
Renault Megane 2
Renault Scenic
Renault Clio
Renault Kangoo
Renault Master
Skoda Combi/Felicia
Skoda Octavia MK1
Skoda Superb
Citroen Xantia
Seat Toledo MK2
Seat Ibiza MK2
Fiat Punto MK1

BUT these companies are making much better cars for our market now and the quality of the vehicles have improved alot thus making positive impacts on current and future sales and resale value. It's sad that Peugeot, Renault, Citroen and Seat does not have the chance to redeem themselves in this lucrative market of ours at least for now as there are no dealership presence for them.

That is a pretty broad list of most of the european models you would find in TnT for models manufactured pre 2005. Makes me wonder if some models where actually supplied new or pre owned RORO with no dealer support.
I am sure the same stigma is attached to Ford group vehicles when things go wrong.
Many vehicles in TnT are autoboxes that suffer from the high tropical ambients and overheating and there are only few compontent outfits that can accurately repair these ECT type systems. The cost for this service can also owners compromise and keep running the vehicle into another problem, compounding the original issue.
Each make will have they own faults yes, but it is something competent garages in Europe cope with just as you would with a Japanese or Korean model.
The VW vehicles you listed share powertrain components with some of the other brands such as Audi, Seat and Skoda,
So a MK4 Golf 1J = A3 8L = Octavia 1U = Leon 1M will have similar powertrain things gone wrong over its service life.
To back up MG man that list does not distingush between which dealer supplied the vehicle i.e. francised or RORO and the history of the vehicle and the specific issues that have been experienced.
Many of the issues found on European vehicles you might find are regular problems exasipated by ignorance on both sides, thus leading to failure to rectifiy and "a bad taste" for the brand.

[eliteauto]

cadence, the build quality of a Lexus is on par/superior to most Euros, especially over the long term, driving weddings aside

Have you ever driven a Lexus? And I'm talking about LX, GS and LS

[acesinghit]

what you all are saying is indeed valid points. I forgot to include in my list:

Volkswagen Polo
Rover 200/25
Rover 400/45
Rover 600
Rover 75
MG F
Opel Corsa
Opel/Vauxhall Astra
Opel Vectra
Opel/Vauxhall Omega
Opel Zafira A

I know Jaguar, Land Rover, Porsche and Volvo in T&T but I don't know of any issues relating to those brands locally.

[Halfbreed07]

i've owned a A4 b6 model with full options for about 9 months now.
parts reasonably cheap and available at ERM from freeport.
service i have an excellent mech. from sando, pm for info.
very fun to drive, quite peppy.
only thing that sucks is the interior finishes that just failed under the heat.

as do most European interiors....look out for the head liner too.

failed already..

[MG Man]

many euros have unique quirks that your average japanese car owner won;t consider, and can cause problems...........again, owning a euro requires some understanding of the cars
for example, parking on an incline: most people shift into park, set the handbrake and then release the foot brake. When the car rocks, it may put a load on the transmission...not all trannys can deal with that
Simple and sensible solution is to shift car into N first, handbrake up, release footbrake and let the car rock and settle itself. Then shift to park..............for some people this is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much of an inconvenience.....

Rovers: if you notice your coolant level always dropping, common sense says something is wrong...this is the early warning sign of imminent head gasket failure. Most people just kept topping up with water until the engine failed

Similarly I have met a few people who complained that their 306 engine blew itself up, and the cheap metal head was corroded....when asked what coolant they used, all of them either said they never changed their coolant every two years, or just ran water...duuuuuuuuuh

for me personally, the ride, handling and safety more than makes up for the potential headliner droop..........

[Halfbreed07]

many euros have unique quirks that your average japanese car owner won;t consider, and can cause problems...........again, owning a euro requires some understanding of the cars
for example, parking on an incline: most people shift into park, set the handbrake and then release the foot brake. When the car rocks, it may put a load on the transmission...not all trannys can deal with that
Simple and sensible solution is to shift car into N first, handbrake up, release footbrake and let the car rock and settle itself. Then shift to park..............for some people this is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much of an inconvenience.....

Rovers: if you notice your coolant level always dropping, common sense says something is wrong...this is the early warning sign of imminent head gasket failure. Most people just kept topping up with water until the engine failed

Similarly I have met a few people who complained that their 306 engine blew itself up, and the cheap metal head was corroded....when asked what coolant they used, all of them either said they never changed their coolant every two years, or just ran water...duuuuuuuuuh

for me personally, the ride, handling and safety more than makes up for the potential headliner droop..........

i agree totally.
as long as you have a good mech. for support owning a euro is a breeze, if not a dream. but most ppl think they can maintain an audi like a nissan and carry they expensive car by joe the mango tree mech. who will say things like 'yea, eh ah go make it work' or 'nah doh study dat is just so dem b15 is'.

my mech is well learned and has never failed me.

anyone wanting to buy a eruo has to know it is a little more expensive to maintain, but in the long run its well worth it both for the tangible and intangible benifits

[cadence]

Elite, maybe i was a bit to harsh yes i agree LEXUS is up to par or atleast close to the Euro segment, they are great vehicles best of all ride quality is amazing....As I said all vehicles have their pros and cons. But what amazes me is you would not buy a Nokia 1100 (CEPEP PHONE) and because it can fall, get wet and battery lasting two weeks without charging say your cell phone is better that an APPLE 3GS Iphone or even a BLACKBERRY STORM.With technology,class,feautures and refinement comes some sort of increase in care,maintenance and cost! Trust me flying first class do actually cost more than economy.......
To the owner of this thread hope you buy the Euro but remember look for service history, condition and enemies after you pull up by some tuners lol....

[Halfbreed07]

Elite, maybe i was a bit to harsh yes i agree LEXUS is up to par or atleast close to the Euro segment, they are great vehicles best of all ride quality is amazing....As I said all vehicles have their pros and cons. But what amazes me is you would not buy a Nokia 1100 (CEPEP PHONE) and because it can fall, get wet and battery lasting two weeks without charging say your cell phone is better that an APPLE 3GS Iphone or even a BLACKBERRY STORM.With technology,class,feautures and refinement comes some sort of increase in care,maintenance and cost! Trust me flying first class do actually cost more than economy.......
To the owner of this thread hope you buy the Euro but remember look for service history, condition and enemies after you pull up by some tuners lol....

*knows this hate first hand*

[honda hoe]

why allyuh hating on euros?

i wouldn't mind buying one myself

[acesinghit]

associated dealerships:

Bavaian Motors Ltd. - BMW, Mini
Trinidad and Tobago Motors Ltd. - Land Rover, BMW, Mini, Rover, MG
Lyon's Ltd. - BMW
Platinum Motors Ltd. - Opel, Vauxhall
Bamotors Ltd. - Renault
Trinidad Automobiles Ltd. - Renault
City Motors Ltd. - Peugeot
Amar Distributors Ltd. - Peugeot
Southern Sales and Service Co. Ltd. - Citroen
Automobile Sales Ltd. - Audi
L. J. Williams Ltd. - Volvo, Audi
Prestige Motors Ltd. - Volvo
Best Auto Ltd. - Volkswagen
Sterling Service (Battoo Bros.) Ltd. - Mercedes Benz, Skoda, Fiat
H. E. Robinson Enterprises Ltd. - Seat, Rover
Lifestyle Motors Ltd. - Porsche
ANSA Automotive Ltd. - Jaguar, Land Rover

from the above list 10 dealerships no longer exist.

Best Auto is doing a much better job wrt Volkswagen now and Neal & Massy has taken over Volvo. Automobile Sales improved alot wrt Audi and Bavarian Motors took over the BMW and Mini franchise. Sterling stuck with Skoda and Mercedes Benz and brought back Fiat. ANSA brought back Jaguar and Land Rover and is doing a great job. Lastly, Lifestyle is doing a fine job with Porsche vehicles.

The outlook for European vehicles looks very good for our market. Personal case in point:

My Dad was going to buy a Mazda 6 and then I told him to check out the Passat and he was blown away. It's a little more money but the safety and stability of the car is unmatched not even by the Camry, Accord and Teana.

[MG Man]

have to admit, the Mini never needed a mechanic
going on 7 years and 77,000kms and just basic service
oil change once a year and basic checks
had a power steering fluid leak last year that turned out to be a weak hose clip....easy fix
changed the fuel filter once 2 years ago, mainly cuz it's a beyotch to get at.....
2 issues handled under warranty were a/c evaporator and power window regulator
car has some quirks with the CVT but so far all the Mini Coopers with CVT wer low mileage sunday drivers......ours was / is a daily driver...........CVT seems happy

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[geodude]

i feel i will have to check out VW hearing nuff things bout the Passat

[equipped2ripp]

cadence, what's the sense of those pics? not like if we have those anyway...

as for Automobile Sales Ltd., Southern Sales has done away with the ASL company and now Audi, Kia and Isuzu are under the SSS name.

[Halfbreed07]

cadence, what's the sense of those pics? not like if we have those anyway...

as for Automobile Sales Ltd., Southern Sales has done away with the ASL company and now Audi, Kia and Isuzu are under the SSS name.

trying to increase his post count?
just saying.....

[ek4ever]

cadence, what's the sense of those pics? not like if we have those anyway...

as for Automobile Sales Ltd., Southern Sales has done away with the ASL company and now Audi, Kia and Isuzu are under the SSS name.

And this is an improvement????

[Halfbreed07]

if you have an euro, ERM in freeport is ya best friend

[equipped2ripp]

cadence, what's the sense of those pics? not like if we have those anyway...

as for Automobile Sales Ltd., Southern Sales has done away with the ASL company and now Audi, Kia and Isuzu are under the SSS name.

And this is an improvement????

I was just trying to clarify it to those who mightn't have known...

and yes, they have improved the brand in T&T.

[ek4ever]

^^ Good to hear....from all the horror stories posted about SSS one would've thought bringing Audi directly under that dealership would be more problems