A4 Quattro TDi 130 Going Cheap - Should I?
Discussion
I was up at the father-in-law's unit the other day just chatting away when he points out this Audi A4 sat in the corner, and that the owner was 'getting rid' of it as he had a new one.
I jokingly said "I'll have it" and he showed me around it. This thing looks like a £3k car and way more than I could afford to buy in my current situation.
The facts-
2004
Used as a company car / pool car
168,000 miles (!)
130 PD diesel engine
Recent service
New clutch just fitted (believed to have included DMF)
Dents and dings - has been driven to busy building sites...
So normally I'd be running away at this point, as what with the Quattro as well this is a potential money-pit. However the price is a sticking point, in that I could get it very cheap.
I currently drive a 306 diesel, it's cheap, reliable and it does 50+mpg all day. With some great generosity a forum member recently helped me change the clutch too (well he practically did it for me on his driveway), so I am concerned that after doing all of this work the car should now be reliable for a good 20k miles with regular servicing - better the devil you know?
But this Audi is very nice for approximately what my little Peugeot is worth. I'm not worried about the cosmetic side - it just needs to be a reliable workhorse - which is what it has spent most of its' life doing anyway.
A lot of things have to fall into place for me to end up with the car but I'm asking the PH massive if there are any major pitfalls with a car like this that would make you run a mile given the age and mileage?
I jokingly said "I'll have it" and he showed me around it. This thing looks like a £3k car and way more than I could afford to buy in my current situation.
The facts-
2004
Used as a company car / pool car
168,000 miles (!)
130 PD diesel engine
Recent service
New clutch just fitted (believed to have included DMF)
Dents and dings - has been driven to busy building sites...
So normally I'd be running away at this point, as what with the Quattro as well this is a potential money-pit. However the price is a sticking point, in that I could get it very cheap.
I currently drive a 306 diesel, it's cheap, reliable and it does 50+mpg all day. With some great generosity a forum member recently helped me change the clutch too (well he practically did it for me on his driveway), so I am concerned that after doing all of this work the car should now be reliable for a good 20k miles with regular servicing - better the devil you know?
But this Audi is very nice for approximately what my little Peugeot is worth. I'm not worried about the cosmetic side - it just needs to be a reliable workhorse - which is what it has spent most of its' life doing anyway.
A lot of things have to fall into place for me to end up with the car but I'm asking the PH massive if there are any major pitfalls with a car like this that would make you run a mile given the age and mileage?
Could be a good buy, that engine is legendary for its longevity, as long as its been serviced with the correct oil, 168K is high but at that age and mileage you buy on condition, it wont be rusty but you say the body is a bit rough, check the interior isnt a ruin, i would be mainly interested in suspension and brakes and also the 4wd system and whether it still works ok.
Very robust cars and this model has the most robust engines, earlier versions of the 2.0 16 valve engines could have expensive problems with the oil pump.
If its cheap enough, go for it and keep a bit back for tidying it up.
Very robust cars and this model has the most robust engines, earlier versions of the 2.0 16 valve engines could have expensive problems with the oil pump.
If its cheap enough, go for it and keep a bit back for tidying it up.
Be wary, my dad's A4 Quattro fell to bits at that sort of mileage. Had full audi history, bought from a friend who had looked after it nicely, ended up being in the garage more than he could drive it. It seemed like every little thing that went wrong required a mechanic to completely dissemble the engine to get to the problem costing £400-£500 in labour alone most times. At about 160k it went into the garage 3 times in 4 weeks, each time costing £500 to fix, each time my dad thinking "once this is fixed it'll be fine then, it'll run forever". Basically the garage ended up telling him if they'd know things were going to keep happening they would have just told him to scrap it.
I'm not saying all A4 Quattro's are like that, I just agree with you about having the devil you know... If it's just a work-horse I'd think your pug would be fine. Audi's can be a big money-pit, I think my dad bought his at 130k miles for £4kish, probably spent £3k in repairs within 4 years and then got £500 to part exchange it because it had 160k miles on it. It was ridiculous. Also started developing a lot of squeaks and knocks at 150k'ish.
Edit: Forgot to mention his was a bit older than the one you're looking at, I think his was a 2000. A 2004 one may be more reliable..
I'm not saying all A4 Quattro's are like that, I just agree with you about having the devil you know... If it's just a work-horse I'd think your pug would be fine. Audi's can be a big money-pit, I think my dad bought his at 130k miles for £4kish, probably spent £3k in repairs within 4 years and then got £500 to part exchange it because it had 160k miles on it. It was ridiculous. Also started developing a lot of squeaks and knocks at 150k'ish.
Edit: Forgot to mention his was a bit older than the one you're looking at, I think his was a 2000. A 2004 one may be more reliable..
That is my concern too; the 4wd system isn't something I was looking for on my next car, this just 'happens' to have it. It seems overly complicated for my requirements.
If I can buy it for as little as £1200 and run it for 18 months - 2 years and sell it for virtually the same then I would be a happy man. Parkers suggest mid-40s MPG whereas Autotrader states 50, so fuel might be a factor (Pug returns 50+ all year around). Tax is steeper, at £195 a year and the insurance is £145 more (combined with a higher excess).
But it would look much more smart to turn up on site in, be more comfortable to drive, be safer to drive my 1-year old around in etc.
If I can buy it for as little as £1200 and run it for 18 months - 2 years and sell it for virtually the same then I would be a happy man. Parkers suggest mid-40s MPG whereas Autotrader states 50, so fuel might be a factor (Pug returns 50+ all year around). Tax is steeper, at £195 a year and the insurance is £145 more (combined with a higher excess).
But it would look much more smart to turn up on site in, be more comfortable to drive, be safer to drive my 1-year old around in etc.
It's a tough call, I agree with the "better the devil you know" sentiment especially when you have done a few jobs on it. It's always a fear of mine buying cars that have been sat for a while or are no longer needed as they are often fine before being parked up but as soon as they see regular use again parts start failing.
That said my experience of high millage ex fleet cars is that they come with huge amounts of service history mostly from main dealers and although the car might not get treated perfectly by the driver the car will be maintained as it is organised by the fleet manager not the driver! It's only a few people who feel the need to rape pool cars that I'd be worried about.
I wouldn't be concerned with the Quattro system, i've heard of the centre bearing giving some grief but if the clutch as just been done then the whole lot would have come apart so likely any irregularities with the Quattro would be spotted.
That said my experience of high millage ex fleet cars is that they come with huge amounts of service history mostly from main dealers and although the car might not get treated perfectly by the driver the car will be maintained as it is organised by the fleet manager not the driver! It's only a few people who feel the need to rape pool cars that I'd be worried about.
I wouldn't be concerned with the Quattro system, i've heard of the centre bearing giving some grief but if the clutch as just been done then the whole lot would have come apart so likely any irregularities with the Quattro would be spotted.
Precisely, it's had a lot of different drivers and the interior could do with a clean but the stereo / controls / heater etc are all in good condition, it's likely that people who had driven it just had dirty site clothing on. I have a friend with a wet vac so that's an afternoon job to sort.
Heart says I want this new German barge with all the toys but head is saying to keep the Peugeot as I know it inside-out (I've owned 4 in the past also).
Heart says I want this new German barge with all the toys but head is saying to keep the Peugeot as I know it inside-out (I've owned 4 in the past also).
Do you have a V8 Rx7? I'd love to see it... (Rx7 is my 'favourite' sportscar!)
Anyway back on topic,
I tend to agree, if any immediate maintenance is required on the Peugeot I can usually only spare around £100 a month without putting things on a credit card. The service kit comes to £53 which is not much more than I spent on the Peugeot to be fair, and the Audi dash display indicates it won't need a service for another 229 days (how does it work that out?!)
However the Father-in-Law is a mechanic and has serviced this car himself in the past. The owner of the car is a good family friend and has a large garage with 4-post lift which I can use when space permits, so I can save a lot of the costs by undertaking work myself. What concerns me again is that the Audi is likely to be much more complex than anything I have worked on before and might require a specialist - How many jobs can be undertaken DIY-style I wonder?
Anyway back on topic,
I tend to agree, if any immediate maintenance is required on the Peugeot I can usually only spare around £100 a month without putting things on a credit card. The service kit comes to £53 which is not much more than I spent on the Peugeot to be fair, and the Audi dash display indicates it won't need a service for another 229 days (how does it work that out?!)
However the Father-in-Law is a mechanic and has serviced this car himself in the past. The owner of the car is a good family friend and has a large garage with 4-post lift which I can use when space permits, so I can save a lot of the costs by undertaking work myself. What concerns me again is that the Audi is likely to be much more complex than anything I have worked on before and might require a specialist - How many jobs can be undertaken DIY-style I wonder?
C.A.R. said:
Do you have a V8 Rx7? I'd love to see it... (Rx7 is my 'favourite' sportscar!)
Anyway back on topic,
I tend to agree, if any immediate maintenance is required on the Peugeot I can usually only spare around £100 a month without putting things on a credit card. The service kit comes to £53 which is not much more than I spent on the Peugeot to be fair, and the Audi dash display indicates it won't need a service for another 229 days (how does it work that out?!)
However the Father-in-Law is a mechanic and has serviced this car himself in the past. The owner of the car is a good family friend and has a large garage with 4-post lift which I can use when space permits, so I can save a lot of the costs by undertaking work myself. What concerns me again is that the Audi is likely to be much more complex than anything I have worked on before and might require a specialist - How many jobs can be undertaken DIY-style I wonder?
I believe the Audi has a variable service interval when it is set to long life servicing, it changes the service time depending on driving style.Anyway back on topic,
I tend to agree, if any immediate maintenance is required on the Peugeot I can usually only spare around £100 a month without putting things on a credit card. The service kit comes to £53 which is not much more than I spent on the Peugeot to be fair, and the Audi dash display indicates it won't need a service for another 229 days (how does it work that out?!)
However the Father-in-Law is a mechanic and has serviced this car himself in the past. The owner of the car is a good family friend and has a large garage with 4-post lift which I can use when space permits, so I can save a lot of the costs by undertaking work myself. What concerns me again is that the Audi is likely to be much more complex than anything I have worked on before and might require a specialist - How many jobs can be undertaken DIY-style I wonder?
Would it be possible for you to get the Audi up on the ramps in order to give it a thorough going over. There will be service items which are more expensive than the 306 and if for example you need brakes, suspension bushes, lower arms you could be onto a few hundred quid in parts alone.
That said if you do a bit of work on cars yourself a Audi is still a car, granted it has more components than the 306 but essentially if you are mechanically minded and have the correct tools most general maintenance is possible with an average tool kit.
The Audi is just 10 meters from the ramp at present, however the ramp lift mechanism has just packed up, bummer.
If it has just had an MOT then I'm hoping the chap who tested it (a friend of the Father in law) might remember if there's anything which will require attention in the near future.
One thing I have just remembered is that the car has had new tyres all-round, not part-worns, but not premium tyres either. All tyres are Avon jobbies - not sure if these are any good or not, but for just commuting back and forth on the A602 these should more than suffice? (waiting for someone to come along and tell me the tyres are posessed and will try to kill me)
I understand that the Quattro is sensitive to tyre choice, but surely this just means they should all be the same across axles?
If it has just had an MOT then I'm hoping the chap who tested it (a friend of the Father in law) might remember if there's anything which will require attention in the near future.
One thing I have just remembered is that the car has had new tyres all-round, not part-worns, but not premium tyres either. All tyres are Avon jobbies - not sure if these are any good or not, but for just commuting back and forth on the A602 these should more than suffice? (waiting for someone to come along and tell me the tyres are posessed and will try to kill me)
I understand that the Quattro is sensitive to tyre choice, but surely this just means they should all be the same across axles?
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