Audi Pre Purchase Questions - low miles or more spec?

Audi Pre Purchase Questions - low miles or more spec?

Author
Discussion

jsmjsm

Original Poster:

3,299 posts

146 months

Friday 26th December 2014
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I am looking at a used Audi and am not sure which way to go. Lets just say its one of their sportier models but not an R8 and I am down to two cars, both the same price but

car 1 is from a Audi dealer , has sat nav and b&o system but 40k miles
car 2 is not from an audi dealer but a reputable prestige franchise dealer group, has no sat nav or b&o system but has only done 10k

bearing in mind the sat nav is not full postcode so its not that great, how poor is the non b&o system?

Neither car is right but I need to buy in the next few days?

what would you do if you did 20k a year and were keeping the car 2 years?

higher spec or lower mileage?

va1o

16,032 posts

207 months

Saturday 27th December 2014
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Spec

Tonsko

6,299 posts

215 months

Saturday 27th December 2014
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Spec and regular services.

RammyMP

6,768 posts

153 months

Saturday 27th December 2014
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Higher spec. I've got B&O, quite like it!

Little Lofty

3,288 posts

151 months

Saturday 27th December 2014
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A lower mileage car will be worth more than a higher spec car when you sell, we all know you get bog all for options come trade in time, you shouldn't be paying much extra for a car with nav and B&O as the dealer will have paid very little extra for it over a standard car. Toys are nice to have but putting a sensible hat on, low miles makes more financial sense.

glasgowrob

3,244 posts

121 months

Saturday 27th December 2014
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Neither if it's not what you really want

Travel a bit further and get the right car

pointedstarman

551 posts

146 months

Saturday 27th December 2014
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Age and mileage of cars in question??

If less than 3 years I'd look for non franchised with FSH and the spec you want - you get the Audi warranty so have peace of mind and avoid the significant price premium associated with main dealers. If more than 3 years I'd be tempted to look for good deals in the dealer network and only go outside of the network if you find a car that's bang on in terms of your wants and needs.

jsmjsm

Original Poster:

3,299 posts

146 months

Sunday 28th December 2014
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glasgowrob said:
Neither if it's not what you really want

Travel a bit further and get the right car
I always travel nationally for my cars glasgowrob so I am already casting the net as far as possible but good point as I could have being doing the 50 mile radius of my house scenario like I am sure some people do.

jsmjsm

Original Poster:

3,299 posts

146 months

Sunday 28th December 2014
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pointedstarman said:
Age and mileage of cars in question??

If less than 3 years I'd look for non franchised with FSH and the spec you want - you get the Audi warranty so have peace of mind and avoid the significant price premium associated with main dealers. If more than 3 years I'd be tempted to look for good deals in the dealer network and only go outside of the network if you find a car that's bang on in terms of your wants and needs.
Both cars are 4 years old so the higher mileage one in the dealer network is more attractive with its Audi Warranty, I just don't like giving up 30,000 miles for a bit of extra kit.

The approved car is the one to have though as the warranty is worth quite a bit and I may get two free services with it.

Lets see tomorrow when they open for business what happens.

va1o

16,032 posts

207 months

Sunday 28th December 2014
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Little Lofty said:
A lower mileage car will be worth more than a higher spec car when you sell, we all know you get bog all for options come trade in time, you shouldn't be paying much extra for a car with nav and B&O as the dealer will have paid very little extra for it over a standard car. Toys are nice to have but putting a sensible hat on, low miles makes more financial sense.
Not quite true as when you're talking cars of this calibre, certain options like Sat Nav become essential and make resale without very difficult.


jsmjsm said:
The approved car is the one to have though as the warranty is worth quite a bit and I may get two free services with it.
Agreed, you definitely get better value buying approved compared to outside the network at the same price.

Adrian E

3,248 posts

176 months

Sunday 28th December 2014
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If it's an S or RS then having nav and B&O will make it much more saleable in the future - I'd walk past any B8 without nav as it just looks naff without it, for example. B&O was such a cheap option it's a very strange/poor spec car that doesn't have it.

Having said that the higher miles car isn't above average miles, so on a 2 year ownership cycle at average miles is probably the cheaper route to take as well. I've bought low miles at 4 years old but kept for 6 years and it remained below average miles - made bugger all difference come resale as it was essentially worthless anyway lol

If neither are what you want, I'd wait - even buy a cheap snotter if you're without a car - aswe get closer to the next plate change more will come out of manufacturer's warranty and you'll potentially be looking at facelifted models in a month or 2 that might now be out of budget.

Tell us what you're after and we promise not to gazump wink

ETA - by the way, even main dealer stock can be horrid. In the time we were looking I discounted a dozen cars on casual inspection and another 2 we actively considered buying due to previous body damage which the dealer is under no obligation to disclose to you, even if you specifically query it before travelling half way round the m25 to look at their 'immaculate' S5 at top money with deep trolley dings in every panel and a poorly repaired front corner.....or the S3 needing a 1/3 of the car re-painting to sort



Edited by Adrian E on Sunday 28th December 21:37

Dr G

15,169 posts

242 months

Monday 29th December 2014
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Adrian nailed it; they're cheap without goodies as there's no demand for them.

Condi

17,188 posts

171 months

Tuesday 30th December 2014
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I wouldnt want a low mileage diesel thanks. The DPF needs to get hot and burn up, so one which has done 15,000 miles a year is probably a better mechanical bet than one which has done 5000. Obviously if its done 5000 motorway miles then it'll be fine, but on balance of probabilities then take the high mileage car.

RS Grant

1,427 posts

233 months

Tuesday 30th December 2014
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Adrian is spot on... can't add any more really. Especially the cheap runner until the 'right' car comes along, you'd kick yourself if you missed out on the right car just because you were impatient and that money was burning a hole in your pocket!!


Cheers,
Grant

greggy50

6,168 posts

191 months

Tuesday 30th December 2014
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Specification for sure 40k and 4 years old is still low mileage to be honest...

S5V8

Original Poster:

3,299 posts

146 months

Sunday 4th January 2015
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Update, I have purchased the car with sat nav, B &O. etc.

I really wanted the Audi Warranty so it won easily, I did put a call in to the non Audi dealer and they wouldn't budge on price and said it was perfectly priced, I said Good Luck!!

Havent seen it yet but have a refundable deposit with the dealer subject to inspection on Wednesday pm.

Thanks

va1o

16,032 posts

207 months

Sunday 4th January 2015
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Sounds like a good choice, is your new username a clue to the model in question? smile

S5V8

Original Poster:

3,299 posts

146 months

Sunday 4th January 2015
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No its a red herring!! whistle

S5V8

Original Poster:

3,299 posts

146 months

Friday 9th January 2015
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S5V8 said:
Update, I have purchased the car with sat nav, B &O. etc.

I really wanted the Audi Warranty so it won easily, I did put a call in to the non Audi dealer and they wouldn't budge on price and said it was perfectly priced, I said Good Luck!!

Havent seen it yet but have a refundable deposit with the dealer subject to inspection on Wednesday pm.

Thanks
Well the inspection went well - not!! what a waste of time, the car was a shed and had not been well prepped or well looked after so I walked.

The hunt continues!!

silentbrown

8,825 posts

116 months

Friday 9th January 2015
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S5V8 said:
the car was a shed and had not been well prepped or well looked after so I walked.
That's frustrating. Hope you didn't have to travel far?

I've yet to come across any real dogs in an Audi main dealer's stock, so maybe I've been lucky. Out of interest, what specifically was bad?