Shopping for A8...need advice

[rdudejr]

Hi all,

This is my first post so be gentle...

I am in the market for a car and was considering an Audi, particularly the 2004 A8. The specs look good (haven't test drove one but will be doing so this weekend), and the 04s in particular are priced just right (between 20-25k). I have looked over the forums and done a ton of research over the last few days, but I still have a few questions:

Ive been reading alot about quality/reliability issues with the 2004 A8s specifically. I have also read that some production runs produced better quality. Is there something I can look for in the VIN to determine if the car is the earlier or later run? Should I avoid the 2004 all together?

It seems that things such as spark plug maintenance and belt changes occur much earlier on an Audi, in the 55k mile range (and I assume repeated around 100k or so miles), vs other cars (such as Honda's) which have the first major plug/belt maintenance at around 100k miles. What other maintenance windows will I be looking at and what are the typical costs? I guess I am looking for average yearly cost of ownership here.

I have read alot about certain parts that must be changed fairly early on i.e. water pump, timing belt, ect. What parts should I require to have already been replaced before I purchase a used A8?

I have read about electronic issues with the A8. I also understand some of it has to do with MMI software updates. How can I check what version of MMI the A8 I am inspecting is using, as well as what the latest version is out there (or I should say most recent stable version)? And should I expect these updates free with a warranty plan offered from the dealer?

Finally, I have read a bit about warranty plans. It seems it is a must with this car (please correct me if I am over-assuming). What is an average cost of such plan, with what benefits offered (so I can know what to ask for and what to accept/reject). And what things would normally be covered (powertrain, electrical gremlins)?

I am very excited about possibly owning one of these cars, but wary of what I have read as far as service history on this vehicle.

If you have time, please answer one or two of the questions, I would greatly appreciate it!

BTW I live in the DC/Baltimore area so any owner around there who has personal experience with local dealers/mechanics please chime in!

[Tiesto]

First of all, you don't compare Audi with Honda. Two completely different types of cars. With that said, the 4.2 is a pretty reliable engine as long as it's taken care of. Updates aren't free but I haven't heard much about electrical issues with MMI.

[CrazyEights]

yea, i'd suggest getting an 05 rather than an 04 since the general concensus is that the 04 has more problems than the 05+ D3 A8 since the 04 was the first model year for D3 A8s... That's just my opinion though based on all of the posts I've read since I'd been considering trading my D2 to get a D3 sometime after winter. Looks like at this point I'll be waiting atleast another year because I'm not forced to wait for an 05-07 D3.