Guide for C7-7.5 A7 potential owner?

[mcs618]

Hey everyone, I’m new here, but I have been reading around a lot lately as I’m looking into getting myself an Audi.

I’m looking into a C7-7.5, preferably 2016 A7, looking around 40-60k miles.

I’ve heard that generally the 3.0 Supercharged is fairly reliable, especially if you take care of it meticulously.

However, I’m curious about the C7 platform as a whole. Is there any major things I should be looking out for in cars with 40-60k miles? I want to keep the car as long as possible so I would like the car to be as reliable as possible, and I’m willing to take care of it pretty carefully if need be.

Is it worth spending extra for a CPO car for this platform? Or should I just save the extra money and put it on the back burner for repairs/maintenance? Should I look into any extended warranties? I know those are fairly popular for the S6/S7 because of the notorious 4.0 TT.

Also, I’m not sure if I’d do it, but I’d consider an ECU flash. Do all of these void CPO/extended warranties?

Summary: looking into 3.0 supercharged C7 A7’s, near 40-60k miles, what should I look out for? How bad are repairs? What are the typical problems in this platform? Prices seem to hover around 25-35k for this mileage, depending on year and CPO status, is that a fair range of prices?

[Nick_elgy]

I would say go with a 2017 Audi A6 3.0T. Great cars and very reliable. I didn’t go for CPO. I have a ‘16 with almost 70,000 miles on it and it feels brand new. Take care of it, oil changes every 5,000 miles. If you plan to keep this car for a while I would say try to find a prestige model with lane assist and night vision. Also I hear people have some issues with these cars after going stage 2 times with dual pulley so unless you’re planning on doing that it should be fairly reliable with regular maintenance. We look forward to seeing you join the community


2016 Audi A6 prestige black optic. No mods yet

[mcs618]

Thanks for insight. Yeah I don’t plan to go crazy with mods, but I wouldn’t mind unlocking some of the power of the 3.0 with a stage 1 or something if that sort. I’m not a super spirited driver, but I do like being able to beat people off the line sometimes lol. I’ve thought about an S4 with the same engine, but the A7 is so much sexier and I enjoy the interior and ride a lot better as well.

[mcs618]

Another thing, should I limit myself to cars being sold at Audi dealerships? Or is it okay to look at other places as well. I’ve heard people say that if the car is sold at another brand/independent dealership then it’s because the car was not good enough for the Audi dealer to want it.

[Nick_elgy]

Another thing, should I limit myself to cars being sold at Audi dealerships? Or is it okay to look at other places as well. I’ve heard people say that if the car is sold at another brand/independent dealership then it’s because the car was not good enough for the Audi dealer to want it.

No don’t limit yourself. But just read the carfax and even if something seems a little off than stay away from it. Don’t pay more just because it’s at an Audi dealer. Also I hear that stage 1 isn’t really the best for racing from stop. It’s really in the higher rpm where it’s felt. Also right now you don’t have many good tuning options if it’s a C7.5 although integrated engineering is coming out with it very soon


2016 Audi A6 prestige black optic. No mods yet

[prestige.phantom]

I would say that if you plan on keeping the car for a while the best thing to do, IMO, would be to find the right car options wise.

I would aim for a 2017 or 2018, because CarPlay takes away the worry about updating maps, etc.

Similarly, I would look for a loaded, preferably Prestige, car with lots of options. While expensive options like B&O sound, night vision, etc. may have added thousands to the MSRP they typically only add hundreds to a used cars value, so finding a car with lots of options will not increase the price too much, but will improve the overall experience and luxury feel.

Like any German car, maintenance is key. Find a clean car with every scheduled service done by a dealer and then continue to maintain it yourself.

As far as CPO goes, if you're buying a car with 50k+ miles it might be worth it. I would say any warranty with decent coverage is worth is so long as the price is not ridiculous. Looking at my car specifically, I have spent roughly ~$2500 on "warranty items" (motor mounts, MMI drive unit, fuel door locking mechanism, etc.) in my two years of ownership, so a comprehensive warranty that cost less than $2000 would have saved me money. That being said, if you are looking at a 40k mile 2017, a warranty might not be worth it, because you probably won't have anything go wrong while under coverage.

The short answer on ECU flash is YES AUDI WILL VOID WARRANTY. There are some very rare exceptions and loop holes but in 95% of the cases Audi hates ECU flashes. The upside, however, is that a flash like APR Stage 1 is generally very reliable, very fun, and very usable.

My personal choice would be a car like this one: https://www.audiwestcovina.com/used/...e225e07832.htm

Good Luck Searching!

[Delfin]

My personal choice would be a car like this one: https://www.audiwestcovina.com/used/...e225e07832.htm

Good Luck Searching!

That is nice. Wonder how many A7 competition there are in the US?

OP: I would suggest looking for a prestige model. Bought mine used, from a dealership but not an Audi dealership. Facelift vs. pre-facelift: slightly different styling, engines (different tuning options available), features. Depending on how you like to drive, even if you don't end up tuning it, might want to consider upgraded sway bars and lower dust brake pads.

[Valpo A7]

The 3.0 is a solid motor. We have 202,000 miles on our 2012 with no major issues. There is a guy on Audiworld with aBout 350,000 miles. Previous owner of mine and me followed the 10,000 mile oil change schedule without issues. Synthetic oil will easily go 15,000 miles. A lot of people will say change at 5k intervals but the Blackstone lab analysis numbers I have seen just don’t support the need to change every 5k miles.

[SA7LESS]

I got a 2016 A7 C7.5 3.0t prestige, 39k and I did stage 1 APR. love it man, highly recommend

[skeeterlaflare]

I Just Got A 2016 C7 A7 The Other Day & I Must Say Its A Nice Upgrade From The 2.0T’s. Its Sleek, Quick & Just All Around Different. The Car Has 80K & I Dont Plan To Daily Drive It; 2-3 Days Max. What Should I Expect? Should I Get An Extended Warranty Soon?




Thanks, In Advance!

[paul-g]

well when i bought my 2016 C7.5 A6 3.0 one thing i was looking for is a car with a history. someone who went to dealership with car. Not everyone can do their own work on these cars. So when i bought prior to used cars being over priced i found one with 47,000 and have had zero issues with it. car has 77,000 and besides oil changes i did tranny and diff. changes but honestly the oil was good still should have saved the money and done it at 100k. I'm stage 1 tuned with a TCU tunes as well. I have to say love this car, she boogies and gets 32mpg when playing nice.

You'll read on here some people that have had some very bad luck but that goes with all car, some cars just have the bad ju-ju and well plain and simple are just problem cars. Good luck

did not want to buy ext. warranty as they wants $4k for a short period of time (forgot what it was bought in Jan. of 2020)

[WatchMeSpend]

I purchased no extended warranty and the most expensive thing I have done was replace the front calipers/discs/pads and replace the rear discs/pads and service the calipers. The car had cheap non OEM parts when I got it from a used car lot.

I did spend on APR Stg 2 DP tune and a new HX. Added an AWE intake and a TCU tune.

Wouldn’t have it any other way.