Talk me out of buying an A8/S8!
Discussion
My mind started wandering earlier about just how much car I could get for around 3k ish, which is what I was looking at spending on a new daily, and having been in the back of one, my mind turned to S8/A8's!
In particular these:
S8
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2123067.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2909677.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3072702.htm
A8
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3045161.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2971080.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3026396.htm
Provided my insurance brokers can find me cover at a reasonable price, any reasons why I shouldn't? Done a bit of homework, transmissions are a weak point, but i know a good specialist and get trade rates...
So, reasons not to own a slice of late 90's V8 luxury at 23?
In particular these:
S8
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2123067.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2909677.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3072702.htm
A8
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3045161.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2971080.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3026396.htm
Provided my insurance brokers can find me cover at a reasonable price, any reasons why I shouldn't? Done a bit of homework, transmissions are a weak point, but i know a good specialist and get trade rates...
So, reasons not to own a slice of late 90's V8 luxury at 23?
I'm not going to say "It's a bit old-man", because when you feel the call of the barge, that is an itch that should be scratched.
But there's one very good reason that you shouldn't buy an S8.
It's that you really want an XJR.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2869805.htm
But there's one very good reason that you shouldn't buy an S8.
It's that you really want an XJR.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2869805.htm
Gizmo! said:
I'm not going to say "It's a bit old-man", because when you feel the call of the barge, that is an itch that should be scratched.
But there's one very good reason that you shouldn't buy an S8.
It's that you really want an XJR.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2869805.htm
Good call, that man.But there's one very good reason that you shouldn't buy an S8.
It's that you really want an XJR.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2869805.htm
ShampooEfficient said:
Jesus, they're cheap now! I had my eye on a black one with red leather when I was 19, but they were still above £8k then... do it.
yeah silly cheap!!!!! I think fuel prices are hammering them, but I figure it can't be THAT bad!@ the Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag, nice, but not my bag, I like my cars Germanic.
2.5 k for a gearbox rebuild when (not if) it goes pop.
18 mpg, best I got was 24 and that was driving miss daisy as an experiment.
Get a vag-com cable before you buy and check all error codes,
Most non dealers are scared s
tless if you take one in with a problem as they are so complex, I was told it could be any number of ecu/immobiliser issues when mine played up, turned out to be a tps.
Cambelt/water pump is over a grand to do as the whole front of the car has to come apart as it does for some quite small jobs making labour a huge part of a bill.
Very comfy, fast, quiet machines when working but a 3k a8 still has 60k car running costs. Go in with eyes open and they are a lovely place to be, just be ready with a big wad of cash if stuff goes wrong
18 mpg, best I got was 24 and that was driving miss daisy as an experiment.
Get a vag-com cable before you buy and check all error codes,
Most non dealers are scared s
tless if you take one in with a problem as they are so complex, I was told it could be any number of ecu/immobiliser issues when mine played up, turned out to be a tps.Cambelt/water pump is over a grand to do as the whole front of the car has to come apart as it does for some quite small jobs making labour a huge part of a bill.
Very comfy, fast, quiet machines when working but a 3k a8 still has 60k car running costs. Go in with eyes open and they are a lovely place to be, just be ready with a big wad of cash if stuff goes wrong
entwisi said:
2.5 k for a gearbox rebuild when (not if) it goes pop.
18 mpg, best I got was 24 and that was driving miss daisy as an experiment.
Get a vag-com cable before you buy and check all error codes,
Most non dealers are scared stless if you take one in with a problem as they are so complex, I was told it could be any number of ecu/immobiliser issues when mine played up, turned out to be a tps.
Cambelt/water pump is over a grand to do as the whole front of the car has to come apart as it does for some quite small jobs making labour a huge part of a bill.
Very comfy, fast, quiet machines when working but a 3k a8 still has 60k car running costs. Go in with eyes open and they are a lovely place to be, just be ready with a big wad of cash if stuff goes wrong
OP, this is the reason why they are so cheap. Not the fuel costs!18 mpg, best I got was 24 and that was driving miss daisy as an experiment.
Get a vag-com cable before you buy and check all error codes,
Most non dealers are scared s
tless if you take one in with a problem as they are so complex, I was told it could be any number of ecu/immobiliser issues when mine played up, turned out to be a tps.Cambelt/water pump is over a grand to do as the whole front of the car has to come apart as it does for some quite small jobs making labour a huge part of a bill.
Very comfy, fast, quiet machines when working but a 3k a8 still has 60k car running costs. Go in with eyes open and they are a lovely place to be, just be ready with a big wad of cash if stuff goes wrong
Buy it, the gearbox is not a major weak point
Enjoy
Audi S8 in Ronin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDcWMF44Cjs
Enjoy
Audi S8 in Ronin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDcWMF44Cjs
The gearbox is a weak spot. They all go pop sooner or later and are, frankly, pretty rubbish even when they work.
The A8 D2 dates from 1994 and Audi's non-feel driving era. In truth they are not a great driving machine and the ride is poor. They have a nice interior and their appeal comes from a feeling you're sitting in the RAC Club on the move.
General electrics, HVAC (heater motors in particular), suspension, leaking diffs, leaking rear gearbox seal, failing dashboards, bust intake motors, dodgy cats....the list of common faults showing up on them is long. They are also very thirsty, even by 90's V8 standards.
That's the bad news. The good news is that they have an excellent feel good factor which outweighs the fact that the car is quite patchy in some areas.
If you're looking at cheap ones it will not be trouble free and they are generally at least twice as complicated as an A6. There are plenty of used parts as many get scrapped due to gearbox failures so it is not all bad news.
If you do buy, go in with your eyes open.
The A8 D2 dates from 1994 and Audi's non-feel driving era. In truth they are not a great driving machine and the ride is poor. They have a nice interior and their appeal comes from a feeling you're sitting in the RAC Club on the move.
General electrics, HVAC (heater motors in particular), suspension, leaking diffs, leaking rear gearbox seal, failing dashboards, bust intake motors, dodgy cats....the list of common faults showing up on them is long. They are also very thirsty, even by 90's V8 standards.
That's the bad news. The good news is that they have an excellent feel good factor which outweighs the fact that the car is quite patchy in some areas.
If you're looking at cheap ones it will not be trouble free and they are generally at least twice as complicated as an A6. There are plenty of used parts as many get scrapped due to gearbox failures so it is not all bad news.
If you do buy, go in with your eyes open.
andy665 said:
I'm gobsmacked at the prices these have fallen to.
They're an old car which went out of production 10 years ago. Basically, 10-15 year old cars which do 20mpg have no real purchase appeal in today's market and to be honest never really have. BMW E38's, X308's, W140's are all available at similar prices or less.S3K04 said:
Buy it, the gearbox is not a major weak point
Enjoy
Audi S8 in Ronin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDcWMF44Cjs
Yes they are, spend 10 minutes on tyresmoke or forums.a8parts and you will see just how weak they really are in d2 cars....Enjoy
Audi S8 in Ronin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDcWMF44Cjs
A combination of lots of power, 4wd(no spinning up the wheels as a release as per bmw using the same basic box), a silly sealed for life policy from audi make for a troublesome time, when mine was being rebuilt the auto specialist had 4(count em) out of 6 cars in were a8 s
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