I have an '02 A4, 3.0 V6, 6-speed, sport pak. The body quality and interior quality are first rate. Seats are fantastic. But...
It has two issues. First, it tramlines somewhat on rutted highways. Irritating, but not critical. Second, it is very unreliable. The electrical system is abysmal.
I leased it in November, '01. When the lease was within two months of termination, I puchased an '05 Subaru Legacy GT with 5-speed auto.
The good news was the GT handled better than my Audi, rode almost as well and was faster (even with an automatic). BUT, the seats were horrible! I started having nerve problems in my hands. I could NOT position the seat that it was comfortable AND drivable. Then I found out that today's seats have some much electronic and air bag stuff in them that they can't really be modified.
So, after owning the owning the Subie for a few weeks, I traded it in for a Subaru Forester for my wife and puchased the Audi when the lease terminated. I lost a bundle, but it was the right decision. Now I don't have back and hand problems.
So the big reason I got rid of the Subie was the seat and seating ergonomics. That said, I was disappointed in several things with the Subie:
- Overall quality was about step below the Audi. The paint was pretty good, but fit and finish were only fair. Not even as good as Mazdas and Nissans.
- Interior quality was 2-3 steps below Audi. Some things were very cheap.
- Steering wheel and seat adjustment were very poor compared to Audi.
- Dealer service was completely unacceptable. When I picked up the car it wasn't detailed very well. And one of the accessories was not installed correctly. But the big issue was that they did not care about the customer...
24 hours after I picked it up, I noticed that the tire pressure was seven pounds low. When I tried to put air in the tires, something appeared to be wrong with the valve stems. When I called the dealer, they said, "Sorry you have to take it to a tire store." I said, "WHAT!!!! THE CAR IS 24 HOURS OLD!" I got the same story from the Service Manager. So when I calmed down, I called them back and said, "OK. Who does your tire warranty work?" And their response was, "You'll have to find a store in the phone book." At that point, I went serously ballistic.
Subaru (or at least my dealer - Chaplins Subaru in Bellevue, WA) has the WORST service I have ever encountered!
I didn't want to buy a Forester, but my wife wanted one and we got a very good deal.
In any case, I STRONGLY recommend that you do NOT buy a Subaru.
Regards,
Dan.