ryangambrill

Has anyone noticed how cheap the A8l's (04-05) are going for? Seems like there are a ton of them available.

We all talk about the great value of the 996tt. I cannot think of a better lux sedan for the price than an 04-05 A8.

Why have they dropped so badly?

Any of you have this vehicle? Thoughts?

-Ryan

1AS

Have you ever tried to repair an out-of-warranty Audi? I'm not sure why it's so much different (in my experience), but simple repairs can total 10% or more of the value of the used car. With all the stuff packed into the nose ahead of the front wheels, plus the awd and computer components, it can be a nightmare. I recently had an 02 tt effectively destroyed by the dealer when they couldn't do a simple repair properly (replace clutch slave cylinder).
If it has a factory warranty, it's reasonably safe, but I don't think other aftermarket warranties will cut it.
AS

ryangambrill

Are BMW repairs more reasonable? i.e. 7 Series?

milrad

After the horrible time we had with our bought-new 2005 E-Class during the first 18 months of ownership, I would not buy ANY of these late model cars (BMW, MB, Audi) used without a CPO. Way too many horror stories. As Alexander said, the cost to fix them out of warranty is astounding. They are too complex, and the packaging is so dense that nearly every component replacement requires significant labor hours.

All this being said, once enough modules were replaced our MB has been trouble free for 18 months. All great cars when they work right. I just wouldn't ever own one out of warranty.

930chas

BMW my'04 + 7 series are relative bargains and are pretty damn reliable. '02 and '03 have their share of problems. I have found BMWs to be pretty cheap to maintain, especially after I found a good Indy shop that I trusted to do any work that I couldn't perform myself.

jcb-memphis

I love my 996tt, but it needs the engine dropped for things....plug changes are non-trivial, etc. I think the 997s are likely more complex.

JB

1AS

I think the 997tt will be the same as the 996tt in terms of complexity. The only real change is adjustable suspension and different turbochargers.
Our cars have alot of mechanical density as well, but I haven't had the type of problems or frustration I've had with Audi. I have bought many of both due to the location of our home (top of a hill in a snow belt). Audi has a type of complexity that befuddles the mechanics- is the faulty fuel guage the guage itself, the computer interface or one of the 2 pick-up points? Just resolving that resulted in my invocation of the lemon law. The cars are great when they work, but not worth it when they don't. Still, I have 4 VW/Audi cars right now (new tt, new A6, new Jetta, 05 Toureg) AS