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Are German cars worth the maintenance headaches and associated costs?
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:31 pm
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:31 pm
Considering getting rid of one or both of my Honda/Acura and driving a B8.5 Audi S4 or S5 for a few years while I'm still single and childless.
Been doing a lot of research and it seems like with any German car, you're going to be shelling out 3-5K/year minimum on maintenance and repairs. To compare, I've maybe spent $1.5K total on parts (all work done myself) in the past 18 months on both my 1st-gen Acura TLX and 8th-gen Honda Civic Si. I know that the main issue with the German cars is the abundance of plastic parts, which wear out much quicker than the aluminum/rubber counterparts found in Japanese-made brands.
You baws who drive German cars - is the driving experience & performance worth the headaches?
Been doing a lot of research and it seems like with any German car, you're going to be shelling out 3-5K/year minimum on maintenance and repairs. To compare, I've maybe spent $1.5K total on parts (all work done myself) in the past 18 months on both my 1st-gen Acura TLX and 8th-gen Honda Civic Si. I know that the main issue with the German cars is the abundance of plastic parts, which wear out much quicker than the aluminum/rubber counterparts found in Japanese-made brands.
You baws who drive German cars - is the driving experience & performance worth the headaches?
65
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:32 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
I don’t drive one, but no
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:33 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
I personally wouldn't buy the smoothest and most fun driving vehicle that is a maintenance nightmare. The "experience" that comes with the price of the hassle just doesn't appeal to me.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:34 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
If you must, lease one for 2-3 years and do not buy. Get rid of it before the warranty runs out.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:34 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
It depends. I've had one from 1964 now for 15 yrs and it's doing ok.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:35 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
Have owned a few. Completely worth it for the luxury level. Not sure the difference in maintenance is truly that noticeable.
Lower tier there might be a different answer.
Lower tier there might be a different answer.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:35 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
Double or triple the repair cost, wait a week or 2 for part from Germany, and you can’t do any repairs on your own. Good luck brah.
This post was edited on 1/30/26 at 12:36 pm
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:37 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
quote:
any German car, you're going to be shelling out 3-5K/year minimum on maintenance and repairs.
This is a universal truth when averaged over the car’s lifespan.
One hack to get around that is to do the obligatory stuff for a few years, and then pass it along to a guy who thinks he’s getting a great deal.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:37 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
quote:
driving a B8.5 Audi S4 or S5 for a few years while I'm still single and childless.
get the extended warranty. you're likely to be single and childless for a lot longer than a few years.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:38 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
We're on our 3rd Audi, great cars but we haven't owned one out of warranty yet. All three had the same 2.0T drivetrain which Audi seems to have pretty well figured out at this point.
Our current Audi is preparing to go out of warranty and is one of the plug-in hybrids which makes me nervous. It's Mrs. H2O's car and I'm trying to convince her to get a new one or get a Lexus.
My across the street neighbors have 3 BMWs and they are working on them constantly. The Toyota they have gets the occasional car was and that's it.
Our current Audi is preparing to go out of warranty and is one of the plug-in hybrids which makes me nervous. It's Mrs. H2O's car and I'm trying to convince her to get a new one or get a Lexus.
My across the street neighbors have 3 BMWs and they are working on them constantly. The Toyota they have gets the occasional car was and that's it.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:39 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
quote:
Been doing a lot of research and it seems like with any German car, you're going to be shelling out 3-5K/year minimum on maintenance and repairs.
This is not even remotely true. Especially if it's a newer car. Just don't take it to the dealership for regular maintenance.....They rip you off. I have a Mercedes that just hit 100k miles and I literally have only changed the oil, etc. No problems at all...
You can always have bad luck, but I find that people drastically overstate the "German cars have high maintenance costs" BS
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:41 pm to Boondock Saint
quote:
This is not even remotely true. Especially if it's a newer car.
The B8.5 Audi platform I'm looking at is 2013-2017, so definitely not a newer car. Maintenance would be an ordeal for sure.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:41 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
No. Wife owned a VW Tiguan and that was the worst vehicle we've ever had. Electrical gremlins all stupid expensive to fix and the engine would randomly shut off when turning at low speed, which is a neat feature if you're looking to die early. The dealership could never figure out why.
This post was edited on 1/30/26 at 12:44 pm
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:41 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
I don't find the maintenance costs too out of line with other cars of similar value on an annual basis. Of course if you go to dealership you will get fleeced after warranty. Find you a good local who works on them and it is much more manageable.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:45 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
It is just a piece of metal to get you around bro. Grow up.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:46 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
On my second Audi. Q7 was first. Liked it and upgraded to SQ8.
Love them both. Neither have been out of warranty. The luxury features, smooth ride, performance and quiet cab are well worth it for me.
Looked at the lower models such as the Q5 and A5. Not nearly as impressed that you will get what you pay for. If that size or style is what you are looking for, I would stick to Toyota or Honda.
Love them both. Neither have been out of warranty. The luxury features, smooth ride, performance and quiet cab are well worth it for me.
Looked at the lower models such as the Q5 and A5. Not nearly as impressed that you will get what you pay for. If that size or style is what you are looking for, I would stick to Toyota or Honda.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:48 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
yes everything cost more from premium gas, insurance, oil changes and definitely service. I waited till I know it wouldn't piss me off before taking the plunge.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:49 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
They're great fun until the warranty runs out, then you trade them.
It is foolish to buy most German makes, even VW (all the MQB variants are essentially detuned Audis) out of either new or CPO warranty.
Co-worker just had a near miss on his Audi SUV last year. AC repair would have been $8k had he taken it in 5k miles later than he did. He immediately traded it.
It is foolish to buy most German makes, even VW (all the MQB variants are essentially detuned Audis) out of either new or CPO warranty.
Co-worker just had a near miss on his Audi SUV last year. AC repair would have been $8k had he taken it in 5k miles later than he did. He immediately traded it.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:50 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
quote:
Are European cars worth the maintenance headaches and associated costs?
Fify. And no.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:53 pm to VolsOut4Harambe
No not worth it. Add in the automatic “I’m a huge deutschebag” that comes with such a car and it’s an easy decision.
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