Hello all! I am new to this forum and wanted to get some advice from the experts. I am looking for a car for my son who is turning 16. I was not looking at Audi's since I thought they would be out ofmy price range. I found a 99 A4at a local dealership. Here are the particulars:

2.8 Quattro
Automatic
Just over 104K
Overall body looks great with just a few very small paint chips
Interior is flawless
Car has 2 sets of tires and rims: Blzzack (sp?) set with stock rimsand a set of Goodyear (performancetypes) with an additional set of stock rims

The only problems I saw were:
a crack on the drivers side tail light
seems the audio controls on the steering wheel don't work

They are asking $7990. This seems a little high (I looked at KBB, NADA, and Edmunds), but I wanted to get your thoughts. Also, WRT the steering wheel controls, what do they do? I have a BMW and was somewhat confused as to why the controls were the same on both sides of the steering wheel. Maintence wise, it looks like the original owner has kept up with the required maintainence, but tomorrow I will ask the dealership for all documentation.

Is there anything I need to look for/inspect? Any insight or suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.

D

 

The steering wheel controls probably aren't stereo controls - if they're a + and - type of switch, they're probably tiptronic controls for manually shifting the transmission. The automatics in these cars have a manual mode and I believe that you can control them from the steering wheel as well as from the shift selector on the console.

You can find replacement taillights pretty easily from eBay, the classifieds section of this forum, or Euro-specific salvage yards such as www.shokan.com in PA. They shouldn't be too terribly expensive, but when you order, keep in mind that there are a couple different taillight styles (backup lights in different places on the lens, some have amber turn signals and some have red) so you'll want to describe the taillight when you order it.

The other things to pay attention to on these cars, which they're known for, are wheel bearings going bad, control arm problems (the ball joints are built into the control arms and are not independently replaceable, so the whole arm has to be replaced, and there are a ton of them on the car), and some other annoyances that aren't really critical, such as the cruise control ceasing to work (usually the combination switch on the column), flaky fuel gauges that will randomly drop to empty (sending unit, which can sometimes be repaired by fixing a wire on the sender or sanding a corroded terminal), and coolant temp sensors (inexpensive to buy at around $20-30, not too bad to replace, maybe 30-45 minutes in the driveway). At 104k miles, the timing belt service should have already been done, but you'll want to ask for proof of this, or at least pop off a timing cover and take a look to be sure the belt does not look old or worn out. The service should've been done sometime before 75k or so miles, so if it's been changed, the belt on the car should look good. On my 99 2.8, my heated outside mirrors don't work, and I haven't yet dug in to fix them, but apparently a common problem is kinking in the wires that lead to the mirrors.

Take a few minutes to browse through the DIY forum here too - they'll show you various common problems and how to fix them, as well as some convenient modfications that you can make to make the car function in a way that better suits you or keeps you out of trouble (like turning the single left-side rear foglight into a dual rear fog, so you don't get pulled over for a suspected blown taillight bulb, and other things along those lines).

The price may be a bit high, but if maintained, these cars run a LONG time, so at 104k there's a LOT of life left in that car if it's been cared for. Having a pre-purchase inspection by an independent Euro-specializing shop would probably be well worth the money.

 

Jeremy

Great advice!I will take a look for the timimg belt replacement and the other items you listed.

D

 

look for up to date service info, the problems you say are minor and could lower the price by 1K at least but if they fix them look to lowering the price as much as you can ( timing belt is a must at that mileage and could reduce the price even more? ) if you dont ask you dont get

 

To inspect the belt, the upper timing covers are easily accessible - you'll see them on the front of the engine, and they're held in place by four clips similar to those used on many cars to hold the airbox lid on - they go on and off with almost no effort in a matter of seconds. If the belt does not look good, I'd tell the dealership I'd take the car at the asking price if they do the timing belt service as a condition of sale. Make sure to specify that you want the full service done, including belt, tensioner, water pump (with the upgraded pump with metal fins - I think that's the only one you can get now - accessory belt, and associated parts). If they'll do that, I'd take the car at that price. If the service doesn't need to be done, rely on the KBB and Edmund's values to bring them down some, and find a few cars advertised online in your area (say in a 60 mile radius) that are similar and priced lower, and use that as leverage too. Many places will try and get extra for the car because "it's an Audi" - but resale value is resale value, regardless of the marque. The guy I bought my wheels from yesterday had a 2004 CL500 Mercedes (MSRP around $90k when new), and was asking $24,500. And that's a top of the line Benz - a nine year old entry level Audi isn't going to command a huge premium for what it is, despite the fact that it's an excellent car. Good luck with it and let us know if you get it, or if you have more questions

 

No offence to the younger members on the site, but I'm not sure I'd suggest an Audi for a 16 year old's first car.

Parts are expensive, maintenance costs high, and requires someone who knows how to take care of cars. I'd suggest something like a Honda or Toyota that is more reliable and more forgiving of a novice's abuses.

 

That's a very good point. The one thing I have noticed as I have been searching for cars for the boy, it is difficult to find a Honda or Toyota in my price range that does not have 150K or is not in good condition. I know the Audi can be more expensive, but the idea of having AWD here in Nebraska is something I think would be great as he learns/drives in the winter (of course I will be driving with him as he learns this winter).

 

No offense taken! Parts are a little pricey, but you can always find junk yards, or go to shokan and talk to chase who's always parting cars out and offers stuff at good prices. Overall D, Audi 2.8Ls are reliable, safe, and fun cars and would let your son stand out in a crowd because he's driving an Audi. I get so many looks at school, I just have the satisfaction of knowing that it's my car that they're admiring.

 

Yeah, you get a lot of looks in high school when driving an Audi.

 

Yeah I love when everyone's walking by trying to see who's driving it, theres another kid in my school with a completely blacked out 03 A4 that his parents bought him because his mazda 6 isn't good in the snow so now he's got 2 cars. If I had the money that his parents give him my car would be outrageously fast.