Buying within two months, help

[JspotMD]

Greetings everyone. I just graduated from medical school and I thought my next car should be something a little more classy than my 72 Pontiac. I was looking for something with AWD, comfortable and fun to drive (handling > HP).

I've decided to get myself a 2004-2005 B6 A4 and I would appreciate help with the process. The car will be a 6-speed and either a 3.0 or a handsomely equipped 1.8T with no real plans to modify until the warranty runs out.

Here's my dilema. I currently live in Montreal but I'll be moving to Edmonton in June and I'll also be making a trip to Vancouver at some point in between. I have no idea where I should buy the car. At first I thought Edmonton was an easy choice since the tax rate is less and I wouldn't have to drive it from far. Then I looked at pricing and the difference between equivalent AB and QC cars were $3000-$8000 Calgary seems more reasonable but I'm not sure if it would be worth it to make the detour. The dealer I previously visited in North Vancouver was in between the two for pricing.

What is involved in registering a car sold in a different province? Would I need an inspection?

My other thought would be to seek out a 3rd party sale but then I'm not sure how I could get the car Certified and covered by Audi.

I'd like to have your thoughts as to where and how I should purchase my A4 and any other useful info you current owners could impart. Thanks

[a4audi4fun]

In the east, I think prices are lower because of greater volume with the caveat that used cars will have been through eastern winters. Out in Vancouver, lower volume, higher used car pricing, fewer problems associated with winter wear and tear.

Doesn't mean either way is better but an opinion to start things off

Given time, I'm sure you will be able to come across a deal somewhere that maps close to what you want.

[BangHatch]

My other thought would be to seek out a 3rd party sale but then I'm not sure how I could get the car Certified and covered by Audi.

If warranty seems to be a concern, then don't bother with the other thought... Just get CPO.. Not sure if you were planning on financing or buying, but financing a CPO through Audi has some pretty low rates! ... BUT I'd think you'd be buying outright though considering you haven't had a "newer" car since your previous... :P

[JspotMD]

Thank you both for your opinions. I am looking at financing if I can get it for under prime. I would buy the car outright at the end of residency when my salary allows it. Otherwise the car will go on my line of credit. If I didn't have a giant amount of student debt and have a resident's salary next year things might be different.

Would the Eastern weather/road conditions/salt give me any big trouble in the 5 years I will own this car?

[drmarcj]

Congrats on the med degree.

IMO, these cars are tough enough to take winters. Rust and related stuff are not major issues. The weak points like control arms, coilpacks and sludging are just as likely to be a problem in a car you get in the east or west. Also it sucks to have to make a snap decision on buying a car. Shopping locally means you can test drive it, walk away, and come back later to buy it.

I'm not sold on the economics of getting a CPO car at the dealership. You can easily take $5000 off the price of the car by going with either a private sale or an independent lot. You're unlikely to burn through that much cash in non-warranty repairs. With these cars you're more likely to need to fix the expensive stuff after the warranty's run out anyway.

[Stevelev]

Congrats making it through ! I'll stick my neck out here and suggest an alternative ... look for a car south of the border. There are a ton of cars available and you will save a good chunk of change as well as likely get exactly what you're looking for. The car is admissable and warranty is a non-issue and so no worries ...

Good luck with your search and your move.

[JspotMD]

After some googling, I understand that Audi honours their warranty throughout north america. I'm not familiar with the importing process and I wouldn't mind paying a broker a few hundred to get it all done if that's advantageous especially since I have the time right now. How would I go about finding someone to help me out?

My threshold for buying an unwarrantied car vs. CPO car would be the cost of an engine or transmission replacement in price disparity.

[ABT B7]

I am from Edmonton and I bought my car from the one and only dealership here. I totally think its worth it going to Calgary for purchase because I heard the service there is a lot better in sales department (getting the hint?). As far as for going south of the border, there are no required modifications needed but you may not get things like block heater, heated mirrors, or even heated seats, etc.

For out of province vehicles, you do need an out of province inspection, it can be done at any Canadian Tire (I had a BMW from Vancouver and thats what I did to get it registered), but I am not sure if Audi requires you to do that at the dealership.

Hope that helps

[JspotMD]

Thanks for the advice, I'll post some pics once I get everything figured out.

[Tiny2000]

I've had 2 CPO Audis previously and the warranty was worth every penny - there are lots of little electrical problems that will pop up and i'm sure the cost adds up.

My current car is from the US that i imported. Once that warranty runs out, I cannot get it CPOd since it wasn't dealership... but now that I've experienced and a bit more seasoned with what goes wrong with these cars, I am not too worried.

For your first Audi, I'd recommend staying with CPO for peace of mind. Good luck

[11move]

I have one for sale, warranty expires in july or june not sure w/ option to purchase extended, it is red, and I am in Calgary, it is a quattro fully loaded without navigation. it is a 1.8T and it is financed I can transfer that over to you. it is a Canadian car with ~53k on it for more info contact me... but th eonly thing is its tip

[JspotMD]

PM sent

[Louis J.]

I've bought several cars from the US and it's very much worth while if you know what you're getting into. That said, it sounds as though buying a CPO'd car in Canada might meet your needs better. On that basis, I would look in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver only since buying out of the East coast will add at least $1k in shipping. It'll be easier and cheaper to buy an AB car but on average, Vancouver cars tend to be very well kept and lower mileage.

BTW, 11move's car sounds like a decent fit. Hope it works out.

[11move]

Louis J.
DUDE I love your avatar pic ummm is there on in high res?



PM replied, oh and I can take photos soon so you can see it, its got the sport package too...possibly v1 wiring as they are legal here but i probably wont include the v1 depends on the price I get for it. All of the receipts and things that have been done to it and all records I have as well. No ding or dents on the sides or anything, and I got the 3M stuff on it as well.


EDIT: Also might have bigger calipers installed and better breaks

[drevil2k2]

I purchased the extended warranty via dealership. Funny thing, I had to pay a 50 deductible every time there is warranty work (doh!). So far, it's a close race between what I paid for the warranty (~2000.00) and all the work thus far. Mind you, I still have 5 months remaining on the warranty.

It's a good car to start off with and in the not to distant future, you can keep the it as a winter car.

Cheers