Car shopping - USP advice

[GrisAudiB6]

so i went to test drive a USP.. drove very nice... shifted smoother then mine (see my other thread about my totaled car ).. my shifter seemed more.. sticky? then this one...... it needs a new windshield though... when i hit the wrench button it said "Service!".. and they said it needs a new radio... ALL of which they said would be taken care of once some put a deposit down, new radio, windshield, and brought to dealer for service..

What do you guys think?? Its a 2004 A4 1.8T Quattro 6 speed. Ultrasport package. Xenons, leather, power/heated seats, sun roof, 43k miles, interior looked like it was in great shape, very clean and well maintained from the quick check over i gave it. I would have to see it again when it was light out to inspect the exterior but i didnt see any scratches or dents while looking around it. Wheels were in good shape as well..... and it also says on the window it has an extended engine warranty...

How do i go about getting service records for the car? Just call Audi and give them the VIN number? I want to make sure this car had regular oil changes every 5000 miles and all scheduled audi services done,,

its going for 17990 right now... And i believe they drop the price like $250 every week they dont sell a car... Does this seem like a fair price?

[B6480Avant]

ask for maintenance records other than that audi wont do anything price sounds about right. . i think on the higher side

[LampyB]

Carfax is your best friend. I also spent $150 on a company that specializes in traveling diagnosis on cars. They gave me a 200 item checklist on the condition of everything, from the radio to the suspension...very thorough. Probably the best money I've ever spent! I won't ever purchase a used car with an outside mechanic's approval. Make sure you find out about the validity and details of the warranty. My girlfriend was once sold a VW at the dealership based on the warranty it carried, only to find out six months later there wasn't any kind of warranty at all!

[GrisAudiB6]

ask for maintenance records other than that audi wont do anything price sounds about right. . i think on the higher side

how much on the "higher side".... i totaled my last A4.. so im hoping to get like 5-7k from insurance to put towards a down payment, plus maybe anoter 2k from savings depending on how much ins. gives me... everythings still in the air... i still gotta look around.. this is just one of the first ones i saw that i was truely interested in... I would love to get a silver or gray USP, but who knows if ill even find one.

[fcamargo6thave]

were did u go to look at the car BTW I bought my car from Ramseycorp if u have any questions ill give u info about them

[GrisAudiB6]

ttt

[El_Chapusca]

Seems like a fair deal, make sure to run a car fax if everythings looks good and all maintnance records are up to date go for it and negotiating at a lower price wouldnt hurt to try gl

[Undisputed]

That's not that bad of a price. It really depends on where you are. I paid 18K for mine and it had 48K on the clock. It's an 05' USP. I'm in Southern Cali and it was very hard to find one in good condition. I'm the 2nd owner and my car was taken car of extremely well. It literally looked brand new.
I say the pricing is dependent upon your location. I say if you can afford the price with no problem, then go ahead and get it. Of course you'll want to look at it in the daylight, but a really clean USP can be hard to find. What color is it?

[B6480Avant]

how much on the "higher side".... i totaled my last A4.. so im hoping to get like 5-7k from insurance to put towards a down payment, plus maybe anoter 2k from savings depending on how much ins. gives me... everythings still in the air... i still gotta look around.. this is just one of the first ones i saw that i was truely interested in... I would love to get a silver or gray USP, but who knows if ill even find one.

haha didn't realize i wasn't really clear but just high because it seems they aren't selling make sure you get a full carfax report when i got my avant it had all the major maintenace records in the report plus mileage and well pretty much everything . . . get the car professionally inspected and it never hurts to bargain with the seller Be a cheap ass lol good luck man

[dubenvy]

color?

[3Zero]

1. Yes, do research the service records. I was able to locate the original dealer that sold my '05 USP. THis info might appear on the Carfax report. Look there if you can't find it elsewhere. I called the original dealer (Service manager) and requested they fax the service records to me.

2. Yes, hire an independent Audi mechanic to look at the car. Obviously you need to get under the car - check for any signs of major accidents, flooding (I don't trust that Carfax is 100% comprehensive), any mods, etc.

3. As far as pricing goes, I recommend bringing "comps" (comparables) to the seller. Do some research - find a similar car (I know they are rare) at other dealers and bring printouts of the ads to the seller. It is a very effective strategy to lay out a couple of ads for similar cars (selling for less money, of course ) in front of a seller to make your point.

4. Factor in extra value for CPO (mostly the dollar value of an extended warranty) if applicable, as well as financing - if you are not paying cash. Dealers (and Audi US), for example, are offer 1.9% loans (maybe even less). Over 5 years, the savings can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest.

5. According to Consumer Reports, the 04s-05s are the most reliable B6s and V6 version is more reliable than the 1.8T.

6. Allow time for the search, if you can. It took many weeks for my "perfect car" to appear. If you can't find a USP, you might consider a 'regular' B6 with Sport Package - which is somewhat close.

Good luck!!!

[GrisAudiB6]

so i looked at the carfax report that you can get directly from the dealers site...

http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/dd...0&cardist=5396

thats the link to the car, no idea if it will work cause its HUGE haha...

the carfax report looks clean. 1 owner who averaged around 10k miles a year. The report does not show any service history on it though, just inspections. It was originally bought down in Virginia, and is now for sale in northern NJ. It was sold by the original owner in July. Does it seem weird its been for sale for this long or is that normal? I test drove it and it drove smooth, shifted smooth, clutch felt like it was in excellent condition, and idled good too. I tried calling one of the closed dealers down to where it says the person owned the car to try and see if i can get service records, but theyre closed already.

I would like to bring comparisons to the dealer, but from what ive heard, and from the last car i bought from them, they dont haggle price anyway, but hopefully i can change that since the economy is crap and hopefully they will really want the sale.

As far as hiring an independent mechanic, how much would that run me to get them to fully check it out?

They still need to replace the windshield and radio before anyone buys it, and i would want them to get it fully serviced and give me a receipt i guess for whatever they did and had checked out.

You mentioned to be patient and search, but I only have limited rental coverage, they gave me until monday, but it can be extended as long as i am looking, but i wanna hurry up and get out of this rental. + im really attached to getting this car already ahah.. sitting in it made me want it instantly.. Felt good haha.. and it does have an extended engine warranty but i'd have to confirm the validity of that, but how do i do that?

[3Zero]

An indy mechanic could run you $100 to $150. Another option is to take it to an Audi dealer and let them go thru it with a fine toothed comb.

Since I am picky, so I would want an Audi -recommended shop to install the glass with the Audi part. (Who wants a leaky windshield 2 years from now?) Where will the radio come from? Is it used or new? Is it compatible with your car (correct part number)? Does the car have any sort of guarantee? Price seems reasonable for USP. I am not bothered by the amount of time elapsed since the car was auctioned.

Perhaps Audi of America could furnish you with the original selling dealer so you could get the service records. THis is a greater concern. My local indy Audi mechanic had access to the Audi official database and was able to verify service history. Maybe yours can do this for you too.

BTW, nice car!