Fact cheking: Buying an Audi A4

[ben.gators]

Hello everyone!

My name is Ben, and I live in Hawaii! My daily driver is a Cadillac STS:





Well, the Cadillac is getting old and it is time to buy a new toy! After driving many many many cars, I have came to this decision that Audi A4 is the car I want!

Initially I was looking for a B7 Audi A4. I used to think that the difference between '8 and '09 A4s is just in their tail lights :D, but it turned out that I was very very wrong! After driving a B8, I was amazed by the power of the new 2.0L turbo engine. The chassis itself has a totally different feel to it.

Is my observation about B7 and B8 correct?

Also I realized that the B8 interior is fancier than the interior of B7! But to be very honest, I think the interior of B7 feels a little bit more expensive than the B8, although B8 is roomier and more glamorous!

So at this point I knew that I want a B8!

I really don't like the FWD Audi! CVT feels and acts strange! Also based on what I have read, it is not as reliable as manual or automatic transmissions. Don't get me wrong, the CVT idea seems very futuristic, and in theory and on paper it is better than the old school transmissions with finite, discrete gears. But it seems that this technology is not mature enough yet!

On the other side, I like the stability and the performance of Quattro systems. At some point in the future, I might want to tune the engine. So I am not sure that the FWD Audi with CVT is a good platform to start from! This is another reason to choose the AWD version. Any special idea on this?


Right now I am looking at a premium plus '09 A4 with Tiptronic automatic transmission. It is one owner, with clean title and history. The car looks stunning! The only imperfections that we found on the car was a little bit of curb damage on one of the rims; two short, hairline, scratches on the paint; and an small crack on the grill! The car rides excellent too.

The asking price is $18k (plus tax). The only problem is that it has 85k miles on it!!! This car has been always maintained by an Audi dealership, and I am buying the car from the same dealership that has sold and maintained this Audi from day one! Service records are below:


What do you think about the service records? Are the main weak, problematic points of the car addressed? Is there any strange, unusual problem in the history of the car?
As far as I have read this forum, intake manifold and power steering flex hose are two, very common problems, and they both are replaced in this car.

What do you think about this Audi in general? Is 85k too much for an Audi? The good thing is that I live on an island and I drive less than 5k miles a year. As a result it will take more than three years to get to 100k mile point. I know that with this amount of money, I can buy a low mileage FWD Audi that still has some warranty remaining. But I personally prefer the AWD system.

So we have a low mileage FWD Audi with CVT system vs. a relatively high mileage AWD premium plus A4. Which one do you choose? I know that this is a very subjective question, but any idea is welcome!

I personally don't feel very comfortable to pay 18k for this relatively high mileage car. I think that the price needs to be even lower than this to justify the high miles. So if I want to buy this car, I will definitely negotiate the price.

[paradigital]

Assuming it's been maintained properly, I wouldn't be too worried about the mileage. My 2.0TFSI A6 was on well over 130,000 miles before I got rid of it.

[Highlander1010]

Don't do the FWD CVT. You should only get Quattro and do either the 6MT or the Tiptronic. $18.5K sounds like a lot for 85K miles, but then again you're in Hawaii so your supply is more limited.

Good luck!

[ben.gators]

Don't do the FWD CVT. You should only get Quattro and do either the 6MT or the Tiptronic. $18.5K sounds like a lot for 85K miles, but then again you're in Hawaii so your supply is more limited.

Good luck!

Actually I am buying the car from the mainland and having it shipped to Hawaii! Please even don't get me started on Hawaiian dealerships! I have tried them, and realized that I am better off to buy from the mainland and pay the shipping costs! 18k is less than what KBB and Nada suggest. But kbb and nada numbers are both normally high! I am thinking about offering 16k or 16.5 to see what they say!

By the way, any idea on the service records?

[ben.gators]

Assuming it's been maintained properly, I wouldn't be too worried about the mileage. My 2.0TFSI A6 was on well over 130,000 miles before I got rid of it.

Thanks for your feedback!

[uberwgn]

Please even don't get me started on Hawaiian dealerships!

I'd never consider the product without having a fairly high level of confidence in the dealership that will repair and service.

Avoid CVT.

Welcome aboard!

[ben.gators]

I'd never consider the product without having a fairly high level of confidence in the dealership that will repair and service.

Avoid CVT.

Welcome aboard!

I do agree with you! But the problem is if I want to follow this logic, which is by the way true, I should not buy an Audi, or a Cadillac, or a Nissan or an Infiniti, or a Dodge, or a Chevy, or pretty much anything else, because the standards of all dealers are very low in Hawaii! I was very close to lease an ATS, but changed my mind just because there is just one, and very questionable Cadillac dealership on the entire island. When the car is new and is still under warranty, the dealership is your only option, but when the car is out of warranty, you have more options. You can DIY or take it to an indy shop. This is why buying a cheaper car that is already out of warranty is more appealing for me.

And thanks for your welcome!