Help with making a purchase desicion

[Dave D.]

Ok high mileage C7 owners..........I need some opinions.
I've been looking for a C7 A6 to replace my B6 USP and narrowed it down to 3 so far. Due to my short commute(live 1 mile from work so walk/bike,but do drive on the highway an hour each way a few times a week) and very low annual mileage (around 5-6k), I want to stick to my budget of staying under $20k. I feel my needs are such that I want a nice looking,driving car over the latest,newest,lowest mileage car. Here are the choices: All A6s 3.0t

Prospect #1 2015 Premium Plus/S line trim, sport susp., Bose,Black/Black,112k mi: was a company lease bought out by the employee driving it, then bought by the Audi tech servicing it, then the current owner. Reportedly maintained well with 5k OCIs, all the normal 3.0t stuff: W-pump,PCV,Breather lines,plugs,coils,injectors,s-charger oil svc,etc. Only issue for me is it's black and after my B6 i swore I never wanted another black car as they look great clean,but is a b&%$h to keep clean! Guy is willing to drive it an hour to my shop to let me inspect it(nothing to hide).Asking $18k

Prospect #2: 2013 Prestige with Bose,S-susp,LED,rear hvac, 124k mi, but Dakota Gray/black int.: This was a one owner well maintained Texas car that was traded in but the Porsche/Audi dealer kept to sell on their lot. Didn't sell,went to auction and bought by an Audi specialist shop/used car dealer in CT. They went through it with the full 3.0t stuff: coolant pipe,W-pump,PCV, etc..The car is gorgeous and the color I really want, but as a shop owner/tech(although my real clientele is domestic and asian) I have always tried to purchase from private owners. Asking $19,9k but been on the lot since May. I am waiting to hear what the best out the door price could be since I'm going to have to pay tax and MV fees to this dealer.

Or the wildcard.....
#3 2016 Prestige Bose,S-susp, LEDs, silver/black with 145k. One owner,well maintained by dealer, lived in CT, traded and at plain used car lot in CT. Reported accident with rear body damage back in 2019, but looks to be repaired well. Car looks very nice and might take a ride up to check out. Asking $17,5k. Are the facelift improvements(engine, 4g MMI,etc) worth accepting the higher mileage?

What say this group? ValpoA7, whats your take on the timing chains with this type of mileage?

[Valpo A7]

2016 gets the CREC motor which is a bit better design as far as what I have read and it mostly if not completely eliminates carbon buildup on the valves. You should be able to get CarPlay activated on the 2016.

The latest chain tensioners were released after the 2016 model I believe so there is still that chance of a problem. Chains advancing to actually being a problem is a crap shoot. Some show up early, some show up late, some never.

Motor mounts, t-stat, water pump, PCV, suspension, heater bypass valve, etc. . . . all problems that seem to still plague the platform regardless of year.

[A665]

Judging only by your written words, I'm inclined to go with Prospect #2. Most attractive combination of one-owner car, modest mileage, well maintained, documented replacement of several key mechanicals, sitting on a dealer lot for over 3 months. I'd throw a reasonable offer their way, negotiate and get her. Since you drive so relatively little, you will probably go years without any significant issues at all, just minor tweaks & services.

[MattyMarkey]

Between #1 and #2, it sounds like #2 wins and I would agree - both very similar maintenance, which at that point, number of owners really doesnt matter much.

Between #2 and #3, the CREC engine is better, but does have higher miles; by quite a bit. Probably depends how long you plan to own the car is more the question... You can always upgrade the interior MMI/bits to an RSNAV unit for upgraded tech for fairly short money. You will have to carbon clean #2 for sure, but nice that other stuff has been taken care of.

$19.9k seems like a higher price for a 2013, even though it has 124k miles. Seems like #2 is your winner, if you can get a better deal on the price.

Side notes: is the CT dealer North Bay Imports by any chance? Bought both my Audi's through them and they are great. CT is also a state that has to sell a used car with a 90day/3k mile warranty, so there is that.

[Dave D.]

#2 is at a place called Salem Auto. I'm gathering from the conversation I had with the salesman that it's a neighborhood shop that works on/specializes in Audi/German stuff with a used car license. It was traded in at a Porsche dealer with 120k and for some reason they didn't immediately wholesale it off( was it that nice of a car or did they just have too much invested in it as a trade to make the deal happen?), it then sat on their lot until going to auction, where Salem Auto got it back in May. FWIW as a small shop owner myself, I would think/hope that a small,neighborhood shop would not want the risk of bad press/reviews from a bad deal. I have been out of the dealer world for may years(was a GM Master Tech for 15yrs) and don't know how much markup there is these days for profit margin to be able to form a fair offer.

[Audibot]

No thoughts on the TDIs? The Dieselgate warranty can ridiculous (see below), so if you're not going crazy on mods, it can definitely be worth it for peace of mind.


The warranty period for the "Extended Emissions Warranty" shall be the greater of:


- 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever occurs first from the vehicle's original in-service date; OR


- 4 years or 48,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the date and mileage at which the emissions modification was performed.

https://audidiesellookup.com/pdf/VWCourtSettlement_Emissions_Disclosure_3L_Gen2_Sub GenPC_Final.pdf

[Valpo A7]

#2 is at a place called Salem Auto. I'm gathering from the conversation I had with the salesman that it's a neighborhood shop that works on/specializes in Audi/German stuff with a used car license. It was traded in at a Porsche dealer with 120k and for some reason they didn't immediately wholesale it off( was it that nice of a car or did they just have too much invested in it as a trade to make the deal happen?), it then sat on their lot until going to auction, where Salem Auto got it back in May. FWIW as a small shop owner myself, I would think/hope that a small neighborhood shop would not want the risk of bad press/reviews from a bad deal. I have been out of the dealer world for may years(was a GM Master Tech for 15yrs) and don't know how much markup there is these days for profit margin to be able to form a fair offer.

As a reference point. We recently traded in our 2014 Jeep Patriot on a used 2018 Wrangler and got $4000 on trade I think it was. They detailed it and put it back on the lot for $11,500. Has not sold and it has slid down to just under $10,000 now. They can slide more and still double their money off my trade. If you look at the trade in value on the cars you are looking at and figure they spent no more than $1,000 or so to make it lot ready and you should have a reasonable idea for what they have in it and can still make a profit. The longer it sits on a lot the more they might be willing to negotiate.

[Dave D.]

No, for as little real world experience I have with late model C7 3.0ts, I have ZERO diesel experience! I drive my Chevy Dually with fear of ever having to go into the motor! Although it only has 62k as a 2005.

[Dave D.]

ValpoA7, right, my thoughts exactly. I know they put parts that would be around $1200 to $1500 my cost into it plus paid one of their techs to do a water pump, PCV, front coolant pipe,etc...Now maybe shop cars are after hours/side work for them, I don't know, but they do have some money invested in the car I'm sure they want to get back. I you would think after being on the lot all summer, breaking even might be a win for them. My question will always be: if the car IS nice, why did it not sell at the P-car dealer, and also in CT? Has the market gotten soft and over saturated with this type of car? My $5k B6 sold in 2 hours as a nice first car for someone's son, but maybe the market for these sedans is weak where if someone has the $20k cash, they're going to put it down on a new car. I have seen MANY A7s on used car lots, but rarely private sale. I guess all trade-ins then wholesaled out....

[Dave D.]

Side notes: is the CT dealer North Bay Imports by any chance? Bought both my Audi's through them and they are great. CT is also a state that has to sell a used car with a 90day/3k mile warranty, so there is that.

Matt, would you know if this extends to being purchased by an out of state resident? Is the warranty included in the sale or is it an add on cost included in the price of the car?
Also in re. to the tech, I have already looked into the RsNav unit and it will do exactly what I want: just play Itunes from my phone, and put Ways up on the display for me. I don't really need touchscreen and crazy apps.

[paul-g]

so my 2 cents...if your not in a rush i say wait till used car market calms down. my car i bought in early 2020 is a 2016 c7.5 a6 3.0 Premium Plus/S line trim with led headlights and few other options. it had 48k on it i paid $22k today worth probably 5k more due to used car market and i have 70,000 miles on it. I bought from Audi dealership not a mom and pop place, was highly maintained.

option 2 someone said would be a good deal BUT if a car hasn't sold in a long time normally there is a reason for it from my experience..

[sepheroth86]

I bought my 2012 A6 Prestige with 130k on it for $12.5k in 2017/18.

Once the market settles most of these cars will be worth half of their asking.

[Dave D.]

I wonder how much longer these prices will hold. I doubt they will drop to those levels again though. I already sold my daily(sold way to quickly) so now stuck using my dually. I hope/need to find something relatively soon, as it's not the best on fuel economy(although it seems to be the same towing or not) and a bitch to find parking spaces.

[MattyMarkey]

Matt, would you know if this extends to being purchased by an out of state resident? Is the warranty included in the sale or is it an add on cost included in the price of the car?
Also in re. to the tech, I have already looked into the RsNav unit and it will do exactly what I want: just play Itunes from my phone, and put Ways up on the display for me. I don't really need touchscreen and crazy apps.

Yes, it does. I am a NH resident and bought both traveling to CT. Included in the cost, but likely why there is not much negotiation in price; they already have their cars priced very competitively. Had to use the warranty extensively on my S7 with motor mounts and a new rear sport diff. Saved me a boatload lol

[sepheroth86]

I wonder how much longer these prices will hold. I doubt they will drop to those levels again though. I already sold my daily(sold way to quickly) so now stuck using my dually. I hope/need to find something relatively soon, as it's not the best on fuel economy(although it seems to be the same towing or not) and a bitch to find parking spaces.

I expect sometime in 2023 that new car inventory will start to return. At that time used prices will fall.

[MattyMarkey]

I expect sometime in 2023 that new car inventory will start to return. At that time used prices will fall.

Is this too conspiracy theorist of me to say... that a part of me thinks the supply chain shortage isn't that bad anymore, but it's the OEM's now controlling the supply to keep the demand up, ultimately keeping the prices and profit margins through the roof?

[paul-g]

Probably only come down some you know how it is once something sky rockets it only comes down some

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