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Is an Audi A4 wagon a good choice for a first car?

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My son wants a used Audi A4 wagon for about $10,000 to $15,000 as first car. What year(s) do you recommend and are there any to definitely avoid?

To stay within your budget, any A4 wagon you’re likely to find will be getting on for around 15 years old. A4s from this era weren’t bad cars (they were actually great to drive) but the old expression that there’s no such thing as a cheap, second-hand European car has its roots in the truth.

The fact is, an A4 of any sort will be more expensive to repair and maintain than many, say, Japanese or South Korean cars of a similar size. This isn’t Audi-bashing, it’s just a fact; the Audi is a more complex design and European car parts are just generally more expensive to buy (blame exchange rates).

None of this is to suggest that an A4 can’t be bought and run on a budget, but only to a certain extent. At which point, skipping vital maintenance might seem like a good financial decision but is most certainly not. A complex machine like the Audi is also probably not the best car on which to begin learning about maintenance, if that’s on your son’s agenda.

Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.

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