Hey guys I'm looking at buying a 2003 A6 Quattro with the 4.2 v8. I don't know much about this engine. Is there anything I should look out for? Does it have a timing chain or belt? It has 92k miles on it & they are asking $10k. Any advice is appreciated. The other car I'm looking at is a 2003 BMW 525i. Thanks in advance.

 

It may depend on where you live. I think you will find the A6 to be more luxurious (esp the 4.2 package) and far better in winter weather than a Beemer, but it will also get poorer gas mileage. There are lots of things to go wrong on an A6 and the 4.2 seems to be susceptible to transmission and drivetrain issues, so have them inspected real well. I believe it has a timing chain and there is no maintenance for it, which is great. From most of what I have read in this forum, the V8 engine is generally bullet proof. The price seems a little high to me for an 8 year old vehicle, but you don't mention condition and you really need to check Kelly Blue Book and do some comparisons. Get a full set of service records if possible and pay someone who knows Audis to inspect it thoroughly. You need to try every accessory and feature as well, using the owner's manual as a guide. Make sure everything works or negotiate down.

 

i have an '03 A6 4.2. it has a belt (just did mine 2 months or so ago). overall, i have found the '03 very reliable, but maybe i'm in the minority. i also had an '01 4.2. when i was looking at the '03, i test drove a bmw 540il. not even close, take the audi.

 

I live in Az so the weather isn't an issue. I'm looking more for reliability than anything else. I know the Quattro transmissions are fairly fool proof. Just don't know much about the 4.2. Here is a link below.


http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...5&aff=national

 

looks exactly like mine, except i have 99k miles. my opinion on the price is it sounds about right for a 4.2, above average condition. things to look out for are the standard abs module issues and the center instrument panel fading.