Hello,

I am thinking about purchasing a 2006 S4 automatic S4 for $20,000 from a dealer.

I test drove this car and it seemed like a joy to drive, no complaints, no weird noises or vibrations. All and all a solid car. It has a clean carfax and was only 1 owner beforehand.

What do you think?

 

Does it have an extended warranty?

 

^+1 on the extended warranty. See if it has the certified audi pre-owned warranty. Which is good to 100,000 miles or an additional 3 years. Well worth it, bumper to bumper and only has like a $50 deductible for any issue. On the plus side, 78,000 miles in a couple of years are probably mostly highway

 

This car is from a used car dealership(non-audi) and I believe has no warranty (unless purchased through the dealership)

This car was a "lease return" according to the carfax.

 

20k for a car with 78000 miles is a lot of dough. That car should be like 17 or 18k max. has the timing belt been changed? You might want to find out because if not, that will cost you probably close to 2 grand or more to get that done without a warranty. If it hasnt been done you will want to do that asap!!

 

i though the timing chain could be replaced at 100k miles?

 

I'd say pass.

I just purchased a 2005 S4 Cabrio w/14K miles. I got lucky - most of the S4s at which I was looking were more in the 35K to 40K mile range. The pricing was between $22,000 and $29,000.

IMO, the three big red flags in your post are:

1) High Miles - Not necessarily a bad thing, but it does factor into the overall wear and tear

2) Non-Audi dealer - this means they purchased the car off of auction and don't necessarily have the capability to do a good inspection

3) Off Lease - Some people treat their leased cars well. Other don't. I know a lot of people who treat leased vehicles like rentals.

Now is a great time to buy a car - shop around. I think you can find a better deal.

Just one guys opinion...

 

Dude. Have you ever owned an Audi s4 before? Let me tell you... that they are VERY attractive cars because almost anyone can obtain such fine machinery, but the upkeep KILLS YOU! I just looked at the history of my 2001 (granted it's older) and literally, every 3 months it was in the shop for something. That's B-Shiet IMO.
A TB will cost you $1600 at least, if you take it to a good shop.
Dude- i got my S4 2 years ago and it had 72k on it-- I might have gotten a car built on a Friday, but the grief outweighs the joy.. AND it sure can provide a lot of joy, so what does that tell ya. I've spent $6K on maintenance (for stuff like a carbon flush.. brake flush.. ) and fix-it stuff. And you know what else? I've spend that much on car payments too.
The car is so delicate and finicky... I mean, it's like a lap-top computer. It crams so much in such a small space, that there's a high strain on everything-- Be prepared. I'm telling you. There should be some Audi Anonymous program, where I'd start of by saying:"hello. My name is Christian. The lure of the Audi S class made me feel good! But deep inside, I KNEW that if I continued down this dark road, I would be poor, homeless, and dependent...on the mechanic!" Kinda like Stevie Ray Vaughn. Look at how his life improved after his realization!
--Later Audi. It was Fun while it lasted. Boo -Yeah!
(Wanna buy mine. It's mint. I mean, every f'ing things been replaced. It's practically a whole new car!).
Oh yeah...if I were to lease a car, I'd beat the living crap out of the car... I mean, if it was under warranty?! That's a long term rental car to me baby.