2005.5 Audi S4 ----- Should i buy it? (insurance, luxury car, sedan)

[sharpie1234]

it's got 65k miles, looks amazing....no scratches.....very well taken care of (it belongs to a neighbor).
it comes with 2 additional years of bumper to bumper third party insurance that covers EVERYTHING (minus normal wear and tare).

I brought him down to 15k. i can go a bit lower (maybe 14500).
the kbb is like 20-22!!!

thoughts?

[wanneroo]

I'd have a full accounting of records. Where it was bought, where it has been, what servicing has been done.

A lot of cars of this vintage at great prices were Hurricane Katrina cars, so watch out.

I'd have an independent inspection done, including putting the car up on the lift to check for accident damage.

I'd also run a Carfax as well to see what that drags up.

[JohnZ963]

I would not buy a car like this without being able to review the complete service records and a carfax. Too many people on tight budgets buy cars like this from the original owners so they can look like they are well off, but they can't afford to maintain them, so they dump them on another unsuspecting person.

You'll also want a pro to check for any paintwork, many accidents don't make it to carfax.

[bmwguydc]

I would be wary, especially since the warranty is not Audi. Third-party companies have a tendency not to cover as much as the manufacturer. I would not count on the level of coverage to be the same, so I would approach the purchase as if I were buying an Audi with no warranty.

At higher miles, things tend to go wrong with Audis that can be annoying, such as one I had (A6 Avant) that started eating sensors at around 70k miles. Just be sure that you can maintain the full price of the car, and that you are not expecting maintenance bills on a 5-year-old $15k Audi.

[sharpie1234]

mechanic checked everything for an hour (including hooking up the electronics, etc.)
carfax was clear too.

bought it :-)
checked online, same car is going for 22-25k but kbb is 20-22k.

regarding the third party insurance, he's replaced a few parts using them....at 0 deductible.....so i know that it's legitimate.

[NJGOAT]

Great car, congrats. The A4 body is generally the most reliable of all the Audi's, and with the 4.2L V8, it is even more rock solid as they have a much better history than many of the other engines. It's a great sedan and will serve you well. I strongly considered one at one point, but passed on it to get a bigger A6 with the 2.7T, I had 2 kids and the rear seat in the S4 is a little tight. In hindsight I liked my A6 (and with mods it was a damn fast car), but I wished I had gone with the S4. My only demerit would be the weight of the car that blunts the performance and the MPG is pretty bad. Overall though it is a great highway cruiser that can hold it's own at a stoplight.

[Orincarnia]

i have a friend who bought an A4 and he always kicks himself for not getting the S4 on the same lot.

if you can afford the maintenance of a luxury car, and verfiy the car is in great conition, then go for it.

[sharpie1234]

Originally Posted by NJGOAT

Great car, congrats. The A4 body is generally the most reliable of all the Audi's, and with the 4.2L V8, it is even more rock solid as they have a much better history than many of the other engines. It's a great sedan and will serve you well. I strongly considered one at one point, but passed on it to get a bigger A6 with the 2.7T, I had 2 kids and the rear seat in the S4 is a little tight. In hindsight I liked my A6 (and with mods it was a damn fast car), but I wished I had gone with the S4. My only demerit would be the weight of the car that blunts the performance and the MPG is pretty bad. Overall though it is a great highway cruiser that can hold it's own at a stoplight.

Originally Posted by Orincarnia

i have a friend who bought an A4 and he always kicks himself for not getting the S4 on the same lot.

Thanks guys :-)

Cheers

ps. it drives like a dream!
just got tags for it 20 minutes ago.