RS4 - Boring Finance Question
Discussion
I'm looking pretty seriously at an RS4 from an Audi dealer. It's advertised at £38k and I'm looking at doing a PCP type deal over four years, with a reasonable size deposit so the monthly payments come down to a level where they are covered by the cash allowance I get from work.
Anyway, they started out with an example quote calculated on the assumption the car will be worth £13,300
after four years, and after telling them I'm seriously interested but the numbers aren't working and they need to come up with something sensible, they've told me the best they can do is £37k and a final value of £14,000 after four years 
Surely they're being overly pessimistic about the cars residual value? Also what headline price can I expect to get them to? I'm getting a bit frustrated and beginning wonder if I'm wasting my time. Or is it me that is being unrealistic?
Chris
Anyway, they started out with an example quote calculated on the assumption the car will be worth £13,300
after four years, and after telling them I'm seriously interested but the numbers aren't working and they need to come up with something sensible, they've told me the best they can do is £37k and a final value of £14,000 after four years Surely they're being overly pessimistic about the cars residual value? Also what headline price can I expect to get them to? I'm getting a bit frustrated and beginning wonder if I'm wasting my time. Or is it me that is being unrealistic?
Chris
I thought that fitting a harder wheel simply resulted in sufficient force being transmitted to the top mounts to punch them out of the suspension towers resulting in suspension collapse? Or has that been fixed too?
Not having a dig - I just need convincing that all has been fixed before I'll add an RS4 to my list of candidates for the family car.
I've ruled out the RS2 as being simply too rare and not in its first flush of youth either.
Not having a dig - I just need convincing that all has been fixed before I'll add an RS4 to my list of candidates for the family car.
I've ruled out the RS2 as being simply too rare and not in its first flush of youth either.
Chris - this type of finance is quite common these days... and from what I know of other manufacturers... a lot got their fingers burnt if predicting future values.
In many case, they buy the car back at the end of the agreement... and their given value was way over what the car was actually worth... hence they got stung.
These people are in business to make money... and by valuing the car quite low, they protect themselves and make more from the finance...
In many case, they buy the car back at the end of the agreement... and their given value was way over what the car was actually worth... hence they got stung.
These people are in business to make money... and by valuing the car quite low, they protect themselves and make more from the finance...
Sorry, yes I have hijacked this thread a little, I guess.
Back to your original question, I wouldn't trust finance deals like this. Give me a nice straight loan any day. The car is then yours and you can dispose of it as and when you wish with no worries of outstanding finance or agreed values that are wildly different from actual worth.
Back to your original question, I wouldn't trust finance deals like this. Give me a nice straight loan any day. The car is then yours and you can dispose of it as and when you wish with no worries of outstanding finance or agreed values that are wildly different from actual worth.
JonRB said: Sorry, yes I have hijacked this thread a little, I guess.
Don't worry - got to admit I hadn't actually heard that the new wheels were just causing knock on problems, so it's been useful. I'll want to hear what they have to say about that one before going ahead. I'll post and update with what they say.
On the RS2 issue - started out looking for one of those and still fancy one but I do a fair few miles and most that come up for sale seem to have big miles on them already. Hardly surprising I suppose that such capable machines have been owned by people that regularly cover big distances.
Chris
I don't what magic spells Audi use when putting their S-cars together but they do seem to get better with miles - serious miles - under their wheels. I wouldn't think twice about buying an RS2 with over 100k on it, PROVIDED you have the all-important FSH and above all it's not been "tuned" - and the overall condition is good.
eventually, back to the original question........
I am looking at one myself.
For a £38k example, after three years, the worst resale value was £13k, and the best was £17k.
Still not the deal I am after also, so I am just waiting a while.
I currently have the S4. People are simply stunned by the performance of an executive saloon car
I am looking at one myself.
For a £38k example, after three years, the worst resale value was £13k, and the best was £17k.
Still not the deal I am after also, so I am just waiting a while.
I currently have the S4. People are simply stunned by the performance of an executive saloon car
A RS4 £14,000 after 4 years!! A car with 4 seats, a boot & as quick as a F360 depreciate at that rate. This is a car, in my book that will highly desired I mean even a RS2 after 8 years is worth more than that. I know they have been covering themselves because of all the importing, but that is a joke. I'd like to see a PCP on a RS6, how about £65K & £16,000 after four years?
I think we have several issues here
Re residuals - Audi are trying to make themselves the sporting mark for executives and leave VW as the luxury car class with Skoda as the low end option and Lambo as the down and out racing machine, so the reason they hope for such low returns is they are obviously thinking of releasing another RS4 within the next few years. THis will mean the current models value will drop, the RS2 didnt have any competition from its own manufacturer for some 8 years!
Next, bendy wheels - well the story goes is that the soft rims are a design feature which was meant to protect the tyre from being pinched due to the low profile (total bullshit IMHO) so it was a desing feature. Any RS4 owner gets lifetime free replacements of the softer rims, so no worries there
If however you re fed up with this option you can change to the hard rims which are only guaranteed for 2 years but alledgedly dont bend
Finally after having owned my RS4 for nearly 2 years and attending regular meets I have never heard or seen anyone who has suspension failure
Thats it
Buy it it is a great car
Re residuals - Audi are trying to make themselves the sporting mark for executives and leave VW as the luxury car class with Skoda as the low end option and Lambo as the down and out racing machine, so the reason they hope for such low returns is they are obviously thinking of releasing another RS4 within the next few years. THis will mean the current models value will drop, the RS2 didnt have any competition from its own manufacturer for some 8 years!
Next, bendy wheels - well the story goes is that the soft rims are a design feature which was meant to protect the tyre from being pinched due to the low profile (total bullshit IMHO) so it was a desing feature. Any RS4 owner gets lifetime free replacements of the softer rims, so no worries there
If however you re fed up with this option you can change to the hard rims which are only guaranteed for 2 years but alledgedly dont bend
Finally after having owned my RS4 for nearly 2 years and attending regular meets I have never heard or seen anyone who has suspension failure
Thats it
Buy it it is a great car
JRB you bad bad boy 
I too am looking as we speak.
Infact we have a test drive lined up for an RS4 tomorrow
I'm also driving the new S4 straight afterwards.
I've driven it once and it is superb. Just need to get the wife to drive it to confirm the deal.
Only downside so far for the S4 is I can't find any tuning options yet...
I was given a residual of around 19k on the RS4, and funnily enough a similar figure on the S4 (50% drop over three years).
I'm looking to put in a big lump up front, so this doesn't concern me too much (the size of the ballon - I'm still not happy about losing that much money !).
The dealers also told me about the lifetime supply of wheels, although they didn't mention if you opt for the harder version they only have a 2 year warranty...
The tyre pinching is a different story to the one I was told. The guy who used to run the rs4.org website told me the official line from Audi UK was the wheels were designed to bend rather than damage the suspension if potholes or sleeping policemen were encountered at a silly speed.
Not sure where you are looking at this car, but there are better options than PCP. Very few will allow you to set a final balloon above the projected residual though, and all seem to work on set depreciation figures from what I've discovered. Your being quoted 65% over 4 years, which for a 'normal' car would be about right. I would expect the S4 to maybe drop by that much, but the RS4 should be nearer 40% IMO.
Trouble is I doubt you will convince them of this.
Cheers,
John.
I too am looking as we speak.
Infact we have a test drive lined up for an RS4 tomorrow
I'm also driving the new S4 straight afterwards.
I've driven it once and it is superb. Just need to get the wife to drive it to confirm the deal.
Only downside so far for the S4 is I can't find any tuning options yet...
I was given a residual of around 19k on the RS4, and funnily enough a similar figure on the S4 (50% drop over three years).
I'm looking to put in a big lump up front, so this doesn't concern me too much (the size of the ballon - I'm still not happy about losing that much money !).
The dealers also told me about the lifetime supply of wheels, although they didn't mention if you opt for the harder version they only have a 2 year warranty...
The tyre pinching is a different story to the one I was told. The guy who used to run the rs4.org website told me the official line from Audi UK was the wheels were designed to bend rather than damage the suspension if potholes or sleeping policemen were encountered at a silly speed.
Not sure where you are looking at this car, but there are better options than PCP. Very few will allow you to set a final balloon above the projected residual though, and all seem to work on set depreciation figures from what I've discovered. Your being quoted 65% over 4 years, which for a 'normal' car would be about right. I would expect the S4 to maybe drop by that much, but the RS4 should be nearer 40% IMO.
Trouble is I doubt you will convince them of this.
Cheers,
John.
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