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^ Good to know. I'll have to take that route in another year or two when it comes due again.
l8r) |
And the cost for the timing belt is so high because its a chain, not a belt, correct?
Just I remember back when I changed the timing belt on my Cadillac a few years back, that cost me barely 350 labor included. |
Originally Posted by Ink
(Post 1239484)
Something else I'm wondering about guys,
Take a car like the A8, which new, costs 70-80k, and most people who get them typically stick with them for a good 4-5 years after buying them I would guess... One would imagine that if you're in a financial position to be buying such an expensive vehicle, you sure as hell have the money to be doing all the proper maintenance on time, getting everything fixed as it needs to be etc... So my question is, when buying used A8s, which are 4-5 years old, what do you guys typically encounter when it comes to the condition of the car? By condition I mean all the relatively serious mechanical problems. When you buy these cars are they for the most part up on their maintenance, or do the owners not care? For example you buy some Chevy, and you know that sure has hell the previous owners probably changed the oil there once in every 20k miles and filled it up with the cheapest fuel possible so you can't really be expecting too much in terms of such vehicles being in good condition, but A8s? What have your experiences been with that? also check carfax to see if all the services were done at the audi shop and to ensure it has no accidents. check also to make sure it has original parts. and of course check the paint. if you can get a meter to it, do that to make sure it has no paint work. and 4-5 years old can still be certified. if you can, buy certified. it's worth the extra dough. 300 point inspections, ftw! |
1 Attachment(s)
attached are prices of 04 A8s sold at auction in the last month. Typically retail is 4-5k higher than auction. sorted by miles, lowest to highest.
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Originally Posted by Ink
(Post 1240471)
And the cost for the timing belt is so high because its a chain, not a belt, correct?
Just I remember back when I changed the timing belt on my Cadillac a few years back, that cost me barely 350 labor included. - - - "you look for condition of the interior. that is the fastest thing to go." - - - ???? That may not be the case with cheaper, high production Audi's, but A8 interiors are top of the line materials and craftsmanship. At 9.5 years old and 102K miles, my interior is the only thing that looks near new on my car...with minimal care...it shocks people. To be fair though, I rarely open the windows...with such an incredible climate control system and sound proof dual-glass side windows. The engine compartment looks maybe 60% of the car's age and the same for the paint (NEVER garaged)...except the fake plastic chrome trim on most of the car (faded)...grill trim and Audi logos are real chrome and look perfect, though. The underside of the car (exhaust, etc.) is the only thing that shows the car's age or mileage...well intact, but weathered. Don't be fooled by a perfect interior...A badly worn interior in an A8 indicates a real slob or someone who hauls livestock. P.S. I DO agree with getting a CPO when possible...that inspection is great for peace of mind and the warranty lasts through the period of worry that you were sold someone else's problem. |
Personally, I disagree with getting a CPO vehicle. CPO vehicles are priced so far above the equivalent non-CPO that it just doesn't make any sense to me. I remember when I bought my '97 A8, I did some shopping around before I pulled the trigger. The closest priced same MY CPO A8 was $10,000 higher, the next closest, a '98 with about 20K fewer miles, was $13,000 more - or what amounted to almost double the purchase price for the 97 I ended up getting. Same scenario with the '04. And that's before we get into the debate of dealer trust worthiness (or lack thereof). As with anything dealer related, CPO is just another money making scheme for the dealer.
l8r) |
cpo is a real warranty extension. audi of north america is very strict about their cpo program. work must be done by certified techs.
i find it hard to believe that the price difference is 10k. typically, it will cost around 2-3k extra for an a8 certified, which is less than a comparable aftermarket warranty, and you get the work done (services, tires, belts, blades, rotors, cosmetics, etc). |
Originally Posted by silverd2
(Post 1240505)
Nope, the timing chain started with the '08 models and is maintenance-free...no scheduled change..."permanent" or "lifetime".
I just assumed that the top of the line model would have a chain since all the 4.2 Allroads seem to have had it back in like 2004-2005ish time. - or at least that's the impression I go after reading though the Allroad part of the forums. |
Originally Posted by myriadshalaks
(Post 1240575)
cpo is a real warranty extension. audi of north america is very strict about their cpo program. work must be done by certified techs.
i find it hard to believe that the price difference is 10k. typically, it will cost around 2-3k extra for an a8 certified, which is less than a comparable aftermarket warranty, and you get the work done (services, tires, belts, blades, rotors, cosmetics, etc). 2005 Audi A8 L 4.2 quattro 40,831 mi. $21,900 2005 Audi A8 L 4.2 quattro 53,926 mi. $21,995 2005 Audi A8 L 4.2 quattro 78,347 mi. $19,900 2005 Audi A8L 55,913 mi. Audi CPO $27,990 2005 Audi A8L 45,057 mi. Audi CPO $27,990 At best a $6000 difference. 2006 Audi A8 4.2 quattro 71,950 mi. $24,900 2006 Audi A8 4.2 quattro 74,310 mi. $23,995 2006 Audi A8 4.2 quattro 74,562 mi. $22,796 2006 Audi A8L 4.2L 50,276 mi. Audi CPO $32,994 2006 Audi A8L 4.2L 44,675 mi. Audi CPO $34,991 At best a $8000 difference. Consider that I'm not even trying here. This is after a mere 5 minutes on teh interwebz. Not even looking at autotrader or craigslist. If we were to assume that the CPO warranty covers the timing belt service, then the cost difference would be slightly better, but still significant. Unfortunately per AudiUSA, here's what the CPO warranty does not cover: # Radio and Navigation # Tires # Maintenance services and adjustments # Wear items Guess we're back to the >$6K difference for '05s and >$8K for '06 models. All it takes to find a great deal is a little bit of patience and doing your homework on what you need to anticipate in terms of maintenance issues for the car you're looking at. When I look at the auction list that was posted earlier, I think to myself that if there are A8's going for those prices, then all I have to do is to find the people that are letting them go for those rates. Which is exactly what I did with my '04. I could have bought my A8 more than twice over for what a CPO '05 would have cost me. l8r) |
huh. interesting. real cost to the dealership is less than 2k plus needed service.
i was willing to grant you that a private seller vs cpo may be 10k as private sellers are typically a good bit lower than dealerships (because of recourse), but i am surprised by the numbers you've presented. well, now you know how much it really costs. just keep offering a reasonable amount, and they'll eventually take your deal. |
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