RE: Audi?S8: PH Buying Guide
Discussion
Esceptico said:
This is the odd thing with bangernomics. It is somehow okay to lose £50k on a £100k car in depreciation over 3 years and yet if you buy a secondhand luxury barge at £15,000 and possibly loss £10,000 because of bug bills you are seen as profligate and mad.
THIS ^^^^I find it hilarious that people who haven't had an S8 seem to be the foremost sage on why you shouldn't have one. There is so much bo77ocks in this thread from people with no experience of the car and haven't been in one.
I ran mine for 2 years, researched the car and purchase well before buying, got it inspected by the AA and priced up a warranty. I didn't by a warranty however because its a false economy, a big figure for the start, then an excess and lots of arguments when you need something doing. So instead I stashed the warranty cost each year into an account (£2100 a year) ready for any unexpected bills that may arise. I didn't have any and when I sold the car, the pot was just past halfway because I used some of it to tinker, namely removing the flaps, carbon clean, remap, milltek exhaust and £90 insurance excess to replace the rear glass - which, the article writer failed to mention and is a very common manufacturer problem on the car)
I had no issues with EPB, starter motor, gearbox, electrics (aside from a loose battery connection and a battery replacement at £130) or body issues. The car was faultless and served me well, getting me from A to B in complete luxury, near silence on the motorway (when the sublime B&O was turned off) and refreshed. Journeys just didn't seem to take long at all, even ones from one side of the country to another. It could hustle when I wanted it to, leaving a lot of faster machinery behind, especially when overtaking on B roads, reducing your TED to brief seconds, and that is where the appeal for me was. Yes there are faster BMWs and Mercs, but in bad weather those M5s and AMGs become a pain in the ar5e obstacle to swift progress.
Yes the fuel was expensive, at £110 to fill the tank and getting 310 miles for it, but if you are a true pistonhead and love cars, fuel is something you accept for the performance you get back until it no longer fits your needs.
And this is where it came to its natural end with me, I didn't mind spending £4K a year on fuel, I was going to mind spending £8K a year on fuel and thats what it would have been had I kept it because one of my major clients moved to Scotland, forcing my hand into something more economical day to day.
You can read horror stories about every car out there, Alfas with electrics, rust, oil pressure, Porsches with the IMS issue, scoring, RS4s with carbon buildup, the list is endless, and yes, there are expensive parts (changing lambda sensors is an engine drop, the alternator is £2K on exchange with ECP as its watercooled, and so on) but you pay your money and make your choices as long as you go in informed and prepared. I didn't pay £90K for the car, but I got a car that was £90K when it was new and loved it.
If I wasn't doing the miles, I would have kept the S8 happily and kept topping up into the cash stash, instead I sold it to the first person who came to see it and I am confident they will have many more years of painless motoring with it.
lord trumpton said:
AndrewNR said:
lord trumpton said:
I just can't see the appeal tbh.
It's not particularly fast, has potential eye watering running costs, it looks s
t inside n' out and no doubt goes around corners like a balloon.
Nailed it. Rather have a newer Golf R.It's not particularly fast, has potential eye watering running costs, it looks s
t inside n' out and no doubt goes around corners like a balloon.
Executive V10 saloon with all the best options Vs fast Golf!! I think you've missed the point completely.
I have an A8 V8 petrol with a huge amount of options ticked, I was more bothered about the high level of finish in the interior and all the gadgets the car came with.
It's plenty quick enough and is supremely comfortable. It has double pane/glazed windows. The interior is also superb, no squeaks or rattles at all. Huge amounts of space for the kids in the back as well
Most A8 audi's have a lot as standard but there are some really cool options such as the solar sunroof option. This keeps the fans running in the summer thus ensuring the car is cool when you return.
Other options are heated steering wheel, quad zone climate control, radar guided cruise control, heated seats front and rear, drop down rear screen/dvd package, massage and vented seats - these are only a handful of options.
These types of vehicles were absolutely cutting edge at the time and therefore still petty modern/well specified even by today's standards.
There is also a lot of kudos to owning an S8 with a V10 engine. Highly unlikely we are going to see this kind of car nowadays with the move to smaller forced induction engines.
lord trumpton said:
AndrewNR said:
lord trumpton said:
I just can't see the appeal tbh.
It's not particularly fast, has potential eye watering running costs, it looks st inside n' out and no doubt goes around corners like a balloon.
Nailed it. Rather have a newer Golf R.It's not particularly fast, has potential eye watering running costs, it looks s
t inside n' out and no doubt goes around corners like a balloon.
1781cc said:
THIS ^^^^
I find it hilarious that people who haven't had an S8 seem to be the foremost sage on why you shouldn't have one. There is so much bo77ocks in this thread from people with no experience of the car and haven't been in one.
I ran mine for 2 years, researched the car and purchase well before buying, got it inspected by the AA and priced up a warranty. I didn't by a warranty however because its a false economy, a big figure for the start, then an excess and lots of arguments when you need something doing. So instead I stashed the warranty cost each year into an account (£2100 a year) ready for any unexpected bills that may arise. I didn't have any and when I sold the car, the pot was just past halfway because I used some of it to tinker, namely removing the flaps, carbon clean, remap, milltek exhaust and £90 insurance excess to replace the rear glass - which, the article writer failed to mention and is a very common manufacturer problem on the car)
I had no issues with EPB, starter motor, gearbox, electrics (aside from a loose battery connection and a battery replacement at £130) or body issues. The car was faultless and served me well, getting me from A to B in complete luxury, near silence on the motorway (when the sublime B&O was turned off) and refreshed. Journeys just didn't seem to take long at all, even ones from one side of the country to another. It could hustle when I wanted it to, leaving a lot of faster machinery behind, especially when overtaking on B roads, reducing your TED to brief seconds, and that is where the appeal for me was. Yes there are faster BMWs and Mercs, but in bad weather those M5s and AMGs become a pain in the ar5e obstacle to swift progress.
Yes the fuel was expensive, at £110 to fill the tank and getting 310 miles for it, but if you are a true pistonhead and love cars, fuel is something you accept for the performance you get back until it no longer fits your needs.
And this is where it came to its natural end with me, I didn't mind spending £4K a year on fuel, I was going to mind spending £8K a year on fuel and thats what it would have been had I kept it because one of my major clients moved to Scotland, forcing my hand into something more economical day to day.
You can read horror stories about every car out there, Alfas with electrics, rust, oil pressure, Porsches with the IMS issue, scoring, RS4s with carbon buildup, the list is endless, and yes, there are expensive parts (changing lambda sensors is an engine drop, the alternator is £2K on exchange with ECP as its watercooled, and so on) but you pay your money and make your choices as long as you go in informed and prepared. I didn't pay £90K for the car, but I got a car that was £90K when it was new and loved it.
If I wasn't doing the miles, I would have kept the S8 happily and kept topping up into the cash stash, instead I sold it to the first person who came to see it and I am confident they will have many more years of painless motoring with it.
I couldn't have written it better myself. Well stated and never a truer word spoken.I find it hilarious that people who haven't had an S8 seem to be the foremost sage on why you shouldn't have one. There is so much bo77ocks in this thread from people with no experience of the car and haven't been in one.
I ran mine for 2 years, researched the car and purchase well before buying, got it inspected by the AA and priced up a warranty. I didn't by a warranty however because its a false economy, a big figure for the start, then an excess and lots of arguments when you need something doing. So instead I stashed the warranty cost each year into an account (£2100 a year) ready for any unexpected bills that may arise. I didn't have any and when I sold the car, the pot was just past halfway because I used some of it to tinker, namely removing the flaps, carbon clean, remap, milltek exhaust and £90 insurance excess to replace the rear glass - which, the article writer failed to mention and is a very common manufacturer problem on the car)
I had no issues with EPB, starter motor, gearbox, electrics (aside from a loose battery connection and a battery replacement at £130) or body issues. The car was faultless and served me well, getting me from A to B in complete luxury, near silence on the motorway (when the sublime B&O was turned off) and refreshed. Journeys just didn't seem to take long at all, even ones from one side of the country to another. It could hustle when I wanted it to, leaving a lot of faster machinery behind, especially when overtaking on B roads, reducing your TED to brief seconds, and that is where the appeal for me was. Yes there are faster BMWs and Mercs, but in bad weather those M5s and AMGs become a pain in the ar5e obstacle to swift progress.
Yes the fuel was expensive, at £110 to fill the tank and getting 310 miles for it, but if you are a true pistonhead and love cars, fuel is something you accept for the performance you get back until it no longer fits your needs.
And this is where it came to its natural end with me, I didn't mind spending £4K a year on fuel, I was going to mind spending £8K a year on fuel and thats what it would have been had I kept it because one of my major clients moved to Scotland, forcing my hand into something more economical day to day.
You can read horror stories about every car out there, Alfas with electrics, rust, oil pressure, Porsches with the IMS issue, scoring, RS4s with carbon buildup, the list is endless, and yes, there are expensive parts (changing lambda sensors is an engine drop, the alternator is £2K on exchange with ECP as its watercooled, and so on) but you pay your money and make your choices as long as you go in informed and prepared. I didn't pay £90K for the car, but I got a car that was £90K when it was new and loved it.
If I wasn't doing the miles, I would have kept the S8 happily and kept topping up into the cash stash, instead I sold it to the first person who came to see it and I am confident they will have many more years of painless motoring with it.
howardhughes said:
1781cc said:
I ran mine for 2 years, researched the car and purchase well before buying, got it inspected by the AA and priced up a warranty
I couldn't have written it better myself. Well stated and never a truer word spoken.Go direct to DEKRA, they are the people that actually organise the inspections. Don't mention you're an AA member to them though.
You'll save ~£40 and get quicker service on the phone.
howardhughes said:
1781cc said:
THIS ^^^^
I find it hilarious that people who haven't had an S8 seem to be the foremost sage on why you shouldn't have one. There is so much bo77ocks in this thread from people with no experience of the car and haven't been in one.
I ran mine for 2 years, researched the car and purchase well before buying, got it inspected by the AA and priced up a warranty. I didn't by a warranty however because its a false economy, a big figure for the start, then an excess and lots of arguments when you need something doing. So instead I stashed the warranty cost each year into an account (£2100 a year) ready for any unexpected bills that may arise. I didn't have any and when I sold the car, the pot was just past halfway because I used some of it to tinker, namely removing the flaps, carbon clean, remap, milltek exhaust and £90 insurance excess to replace the rear glass - which, the article writer failed to mention and is a very common manufacturer problem on the car)
I had no issues with EPB, starter motor, gearbox, electrics (aside from a loose battery connection and a battery replacement at £130) or body issues. The car was faultless and served me well, getting me from A to B in complete luxury, near silence on the motorway (when the sublime B&O was turned off) and refreshed. Journeys just didn't seem to take long at all, even ones from one side of the country to another. It could hustle when I wanted it to, leaving a lot of faster machinery behind, especially when overtaking on B roads, reducing your TED to brief seconds, and that is where the appeal for me was. Yes there are faster BMWs and Mercs, but in bad weather those M5s and AMGs become a pain in the ar5e obstacle to swift progress.
Yes the fuel was expensive, at £110 to fill the tank and getting 310 miles for it, but if you are a true pistonhead and love cars, fuel is something you accept for the performance you get back until it no longer fits your needs.
And this is where it came to its natural end with me, I didn't mind spending £4K a year on fuel, I was going to mind spending £8K a year on fuel and thats what it would have been had I kept it because one of my major clients moved to Scotland, forcing my hand into something more economical day to day.
You can read horror stories about every car out there, Alfas with electrics, rust, oil pressure, Porsches with the IMS issue, scoring, RS4s with carbon buildup, the list is endless, and yes, there are expensive parts (changing lambda sensors is an engine drop, the alternator is £2K on exchange with ECP as its watercooled, and so on) but you pay your money and make your choices as long as you go in informed and prepared. I didn't pay £90K for the car, but I got a car that was £90K when it was new and loved it.
If I wasn't doing the miles, I would have kept the S8 happily and kept topping up into the cash stash, instead I sold it to the first person who came to see it and I am confident they will have many more years of painless motoring with it.
I couldn't have written it better myself. Well stated and never a truer word spoken.I find it hilarious that people who haven't had an S8 seem to be the foremost sage on why you shouldn't have one. There is so much bo77ocks in this thread from people with no experience of the car and haven't been in one.
I ran mine for 2 years, researched the car and purchase well before buying, got it inspected by the AA and priced up a warranty. I didn't by a warranty however because its a false economy, a big figure for the start, then an excess and lots of arguments when you need something doing. So instead I stashed the warranty cost each year into an account (£2100 a year) ready for any unexpected bills that may arise. I didn't have any and when I sold the car, the pot was just past halfway because I used some of it to tinker, namely removing the flaps, carbon clean, remap, milltek exhaust and £90 insurance excess to replace the rear glass - which, the article writer failed to mention and is a very common manufacturer problem on the car)
I had no issues with EPB, starter motor, gearbox, electrics (aside from a loose battery connection and a battery replacement at £130) or body issues. The car was faultless and served me well, getting me from A to B in complete luxury, near silence on the motorway (when the sublime B&O was turned off) and refreshed. Journeys just didn't seem to take long at all, even ones from one side of the country to another. It could hustle when I wanted it to, leaving a lot of faster machinery behind, especially when overtaking on B roads, reducing your TED to brief seconds, and that is where the appeal for me was. Yes there are faster BMWs and Mercs, but in bad weather those M5s and AMGs become a pain in the ar5e obstacle to swift progress.
Yes the fuel was expensive, at £110 to fill the tank and getting 310 miles for it, but if you are a true pistonhead and love cars, fuel is something you accept for the performance you get back until it no longer fits your needs.
And this is where it came to its natural end with me, I didn't mind spending £4K a year on fuel, I was going to mind spending £8K a year on fuel and thats what it would have been had I kept it because one of my major clients moved to Scotland, forcing my hand into something more economical day to day.
You can read horror stories about every car out there, Alfas with electrics, rust, oil pressure, Porsches with the IMS issue, scoring, RS4s with carbon buildup, the list is endless, and yes, there are expensive parts (changing lambda sensors is an engine drop, the alternator is £2K on exchange with ECP as its watercooled, and so on) but you pay your money and make your choices as long as you go in informed and prepared. I didn't pay £90K for the car, but I got a car that was £90K when it was new and loved it.
If I wasn't doing the miles, I would have kept the S8 happily and kept topping up into the cash stash, instead I sold it to the first person who came to see it and I am confident they will have many more years of painless motoring with it.
Im in the market for one of these, or maybe a 4.2 tdi.
Either way the scaremongering is nonsense, but does drive market rates down for such cars so bring it on.
I like to find one or two man garages, build a relationship and do my own research. This is how you avoid big bills and get great service.
Either way the scaremongering is nonsense, but does drive market rates down for such cars so bring it on.
I like to find one or two man garages, build a relationship and do my own research. This is how you avoid big bills and get great service.
Harrison-91xcg said:
Im in the market for one of these, or maybe a 4.2 tdi.
Either way the scaremongering is nonsense, but does drive market rates down for such cars so bring it on.
I like to find one or two man garages, build a relationship and do my own research. This is how you avoid big bills and get great service.
Better than that, find one being sold on an owners forum, check the history of the vehicle and the users post history to see what the car has been through, a good enthusiast will document most things, ask for help with issues, usually have a high enough OCD level that they do things right and don’t cut corners, forums are usually where I buy my cars from, and if it’s not a forum car it usually becomes one!Either way the scaremongering is nonsense, but does drive market rates down for such cars so bring it on.
I like to find one or two man garages, build a relationship and do my own research. This is how you avoid big bills and get great service.
Esceptico said:
popeyewhite said:
rassi said:
As lovely as that V10 is, the 4.2 TDI in standard form, let alone mapped, would be a faster and much less expensive option.
Really? Years ago I drove both and found the the V10 faster. More torque for the diesel but above 50 the V10 convincingly left it. As for cost I owned the V10 for 3 years and the biggest expense was tyres. Lots of computers on board and forum owners at the time were telling of gremlins with the dash/satnav electronics.With respect to cost of ownership over three years then unless something miraculous happened, the depreciation you suffered was several times the cost of tyres, fuel and any other consumables put together.
This is the odd thing with bangernomics. It is somehow okay to lose £50k on a £100k car in depreciation over 3 years and yet if you buy a secondhand luxury barge at £15,000 and possibly loss £10,000 because of bug bills you are seen as profligate and mad.
It's the same old argument in that people who may run a Vectra or Modeo suddenly see a cheap Luxor barge not looking with their eyes fully open.
Now if.were a £2-3k car it would be tempting
You need a different mindset to buy one of these.....as people have said a 3 litre TDI where you cruise getting 30mpg is half sensible......who would want to chuck one of these around on a daily basis doing 19mpg if you're lucky? It's not really a weekend car!
Msportman said:
Esceptico said:
popeyewhite said:
rassi said:
As lovely as that V10 is, the 4.2 TDI in standard form, let alone mapped, would be a faster and much less expensive option.
Really? Years ago I drove both and found the the V10 faster. More torque for the diesel but above 50 the V10 convincingly left it. As for cost I owned the V10 for 3 years and the biggest expense was tyres. Lots of computers on board and forum owners at the time were telling of gremlins with the dash/satnav electronics.With respect to cost of ownership over three years then unless something miraculous happened, the depreciation you suffered was several times the cost of tyres, fuel and any other consumables put together.
This is the odd thing with bangernomics. It is somehow okay to lose £50k on a £100k car in depreciation over 3 years and yet if you buy a secondhand luxury barge at £15,000 and possibly loss £10,000 because of bug bills you are seen as profligate and mad.
It's the same old argument in that people who may run a Vectra or Modeo suddenly see a cheap Luxor barge not looking with their eyes fully open.
Now if.were a £2-3k car it would be tempting
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