03 onwards Audi A8 buying advice please

[NicDale]

Hi, i'm currently looking at buying an A8, as an example something like this one - http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/AUDI...

Any advice on common faults? I'm guessing that being a Quattro that it doesn't have the famously reliable Multitronic gearbox?

Thanks in advance,

Nic

[Dilligaf10]

Usually bulletproof, some gearbox issues on early models, don't know which model year, etc. Lot of car for not a great deal of money. Quite low mileage on that one, mine is 3 years old and close to 100k miles. The only thing that has worn out is one rear wheel bearing.

Love them to bits.

[VAG1]

Carefull, I think your postcode is on that.

[NicDale]

It's old postcode

Anyone else owned one?

[ukdennis]

Yep, 2005/05 A8 3.0tdi owned for a year. No issues, it just continues to impress me. Just been remapped to 272hp, 370 lbs/ft, awesome performance, much wider torque band with great economy (cruising mpg increased 10% after the remap).

[.R2D2]

ukdennis said:

Yep, 2005/05 A8 3.0tdi owned for a year. No issues, it just continues to impress me. Just been remapped to 272hp, 370 lbs/ft, awesome performance, much wider torque band with great economy (cruising mpg increased 10% after the remap).

Whats the MPG like?

[ukdennis]

Cruising at motorway speeds was 44.5mpg on the 100 mile trip back from ChippedUK in Bromsgrove (M40/M42 mainly) whereas it was 40.5mpg on the way up to get the remap done. My type of urban driving (village to town, school run etc) is usually low 30's. What others would get urban-wise depends on how much stop/start driving is involved. Hard to draw comparisons really.

[.R2D2]

ukdennis said:

Cruising at motorway speeds was 44.5mpg on the 100 mile trip back from ChippedUK in Bromsgrove (M40/M42 mainly) whereas it was 40.5mpg on the way up to get the remap done. My type of urban driving (village to town, school run etc) is usually low 30's. What others would get urban-wise depends on how much stop/start driving is involved. Hard to draw comparisons really.

I'm now off to PH A8 classifieds, those figures are not far off my A4 2.0 TDI

[Dilligaf10]

My A8L 3.0TDihas also been to Chipped UK. I get 42 - 43 on a run with the aircon on and for the last 15k it has averaged 38.8mpg with mixed driving.

Would not consider any other car, it is damn near perfect for my business on all fronts.

[NicDale]

Cheers guys!

[RedLeicester]

Don't discount the 4.2 V8 petrol either - will get 28 on a run, and because the market doesn't like them, they're cheap as chips even compared to the 3.0Tdi, plus they tend to be pretty specced up...

[blueg33]

ukdennis said:

Cruising at motorway speeds was 44.5mpg on the 100 mile trip back from ChippedUK in Bromsgrove (M40/M42 mainly) whereas it was 40.5mpg on the way up to get the remap done. My type of urban driving (village to town, school run etc) is usually low 30's. What others would get urban-wise depends on how much stop/start driving is involved. Hard to draw comparisons really.

Don't you know its uphill to Bromsgrove. I always get better mpg on the way back to Cheltenham from Bromsgrove than I do on the way there

[ukdennis]

Didn't know that, but on checking it is a rise of 100 metres over 100 miles - diff in elevation 50 metres above sea level where I live to 150 at Bromsgrove.

[blueg33]

ukdennis said:

Didn't know that, but on checking it is a rise of 100 metres over 100 miles - diff in elevation 50 metres above sea level where I live to 150 at Bromsgrove.

my comment was tongue in cheek!

[EC2]

RedLeicester said:

Don't discount the 4.2 V8 petrol either - will get 28 on a run, and because the market doesn't like them, they're cheap as chips even compared to the 3.0Tdi, plus they tend to be pretty specced up...

Agree but if you are buying a single frame grill 05 onwards car there are few 4.2 petrols around which is a shame as that engine has timing chains. The timing belts on the 03-05 are expensive to change which is part of the reason the cars are cheap. Both 4.2 V8s are great engines though.

[Jeux]

EC2 said:

RedLeicester said:

Don't discount the 4.2 V8 petrol either - will get 28 on a run, and because the market doesn't like them, they're cheap as chips even compared to the 3.0Tdi, plus they tend to be pretty specced up...

Agree but if you are buying a single frame grill 05 onwards car there are few 4.2 petrols around which is a shame as that engine has timing chains. The timing belts on the 03-05 are expensive to change which is part of the reason the cars are cheap. Both 4.2 V8s are great engines though.

does the 3.0TDi have a chain or a belt?

apologies for ignorance on this - deciding between a 3.0TDI A6 s-line and an A8 at the moment, also as looking at the size difference on paper, does look too much difference, about 130mm length and 40 mm on width seems the A8 you get many more standard options for around the smae money, was just the size of the thing that was slightly concerning me.,

[ukdennis]

Chains. See http://www.audiworld.com/news/04/a8tdi/content.sht...

[Jeux]

ukdennis said:

Chains. See http://www.audiworld.com/news/04/a8tdi/content.sht...

thanks, very useful...

[EC2]

I like the fact that the A8 has air suspension. The A6 saloon does not unless you find one of the few SEs fitted with air as an option.