I need your two cents.

I'm looking at an Audi A4 for $7500. That's about $1500 higher than KBB but it includes four steel wheels with snows, new stuff on the car.

Thoughts?

http://binghamton.craigslist.org/cto/2067663207.html

Low miles but the ad says the 18" wheels are "available" and it comes on the 16" snows, so figure on paying asking price with the wheels. I'd want to see receipts for the recent work too, and figure it's going to need a front end belt service.

I'd probably rather have this one (asking $5200): http://rochester.craigslist.org/cto/2101548291.html

you do realize that since it's an Audi, the $7500 is only the starting point....

He doesn't list any problems, that means it probably has something nasty lurking.

Really you have 3 questions to ask

1. Is it as sound as the add makes it be?

2. What justification does he have for the over book price? (Don't let them get by with a "I just put XYZ new parts on it. Congratulations, if you didn't I would give you not running price.)

3. Is it what you want?

I don't trust KBB. I use Edmund's in a hurry or Black Book (what dealers use.) when I am setting a price point to search. Used to be a car salesman and I used KBB when I wanted to drive the price up on a customer.

Black Book puts Clean retail at $7850 and trade in at $5690 Average condition is $6K retail and $4315 trade.

$5K to $6K seems to be a fair price, depending on how much the car is hooned.

Would you buy a car that you put those mods on from you?

Wheels look too big to me.

sorry

They are great cars when they work and a real expensive bitch when they don't.

The 1.8T is the same one that takes about 3 quarts of oil, runs hotter than hell and has had a lot of coking/sludge issues. Ask if there was any work done to address this and what kind of oil and how often it was changed. This is the only real deal-breaker.

They eat coil packs - no idea why.

The aluminum suspension bits are pricey and at 77k you are in range for some replacing (he has already had to do the uppers).

The front axles are close to starting to think about E36 M3ting the bed too. Mine went on my Passat (same assy line) around 80k. Figure about $300 from Raxles - its a very easy job labor wise.

It needed a timing belt and some cooling system maintenance at 70k and it is a PIA job to pull off the whole front of the car so you do all the "while you are in there" stuff at the same time. Figure $500 in parts and 8hrs of your time if it wasn't done.

My .02?

Basically an overpriced VW with even more stuff to break. Do not walk- run like hell in the opposite direction.

I'm working on my first 1.8T car ever, 2004 GTI. Trying to get the head off makes me want to hit my head against the wall, this car is unnecessarily complex and not well thought out. I can't imagine the same engineering also applied to an AWD system and million link front suspension. No thanks.

Jensenman wrote: My .02? Basically an overpriced VW with even more stuff to break. Do not walk- run like hell in the opposite direction.

Quoted for truth!!

The best Audi is the one with a warranty, IMO. Our next one will be an n/a car. I don't know how long the turbo lasts on that car, but I'd budget for it. I know firsthand the ones on the 2.7T were all done by 100k.

Jensenman wrote: My .02? Basically an overpriced VW with even more stuff to break. Do not walk- run like hell in the opposite direction.

I owned a 99 Passat - please listen to him ^^^.

Great cars when they are running. APITA and Expensive when they are not.

Of those two choices the wagon is better presented in the ad. Note that the wagon gives photos from today as well as representive pricture from the past (with no snow.)
The yellow one does not show pictures of the current state. All pictures are of the bigger rims, you know, the ones that do not come with it. How about a picture of the rims it comes with?

I have not owened an Audi or VW since my '83 Rabbit (which I liked in the mid-80's)

Well, I wouldn't be surprised if the little emblem on the front grill says 'quattro' - it's in the right place for that. I don't like the 18" wheels on it at all, but that's just me - I don't like the rubber band look. I also wonder why he's showing the car in the snow, but not with the 16" wheels with snow tires on.

I'd still like a justification as to why he's asking over KBB, especially given that KBB prices seem to be on the high end in the first place.

Datsun1500 wrote:

NGTD wrote:

Jensenman wrote: My .02? Basically an overpriced VW with even more stuff to break. Do not walk- run like hell in the opposite direction.

I owned a 99 Passat - please listen to him ^^^. Great cars when they are running. APITA and Expensive when they are not.

I owned a 99 Passat and had no issues whatsoever.... currently have an A6 with the 4.2. No issues there either.

I replaced the front control arms twice on my car in 100,000 kms (60 K miles) and they were starting to clunk again. At the dealer this job is almost $2500 Canadian. (I did it myself with $600 in parts and they were quality parts).

The 1.8T's junk up their PCV system and require a couple hundred in parts to fix.

Two water pumps while I owned it (5 years).

All the power items (except windows) stopped working - no power mirrors, interior lights stopped, no power locks, etc. Really bright designers put the Body Control computer under the drivers feet where road salt and water can get to it. The wiring to it breaks where it goes under the carpet.

The first timing belt is over $1000.

Ignition Power Module replaced.

I loved how the car drove, but Volkswagen Canada absolutely rakes you over the coles. Example - the Ignition Power Module $495 CAD - e-bay shipped to my house $94 - thanks FCP Groton.

Well I only have a nickel. Have change?

Any update?

Tom Suddard wrote: sorry

Those pennies are older than you.

my friends mom had one of those, and she was driving on a straight, dry sections of freeway and something happened that caused the wheels to lock up unevenly and it spun off the side of the freeway though a fence. I wasn't driving so i cant say 100% sure it was that cars fault though, and the tow truck driver intentionally destroyed the car removing it (which is another story) so there was no way to drive it again and see what was wrong. Its enough to make me not want one though.

Jerry From LA wrote:

Tom Suddard wrote: sorry

Those pennies are older than you.

Jesus, I'm getting old...

Huh, isn't that cool.