Thinking of buying a '03 A6 4.2

[ELITE_R.E.]

Im new to this forum i just sold a 01 tahoe and want a fast daily driver sedan. im thinking about getting a '03 A6 4.2 w 65k miles, i have a couple of q's looking for help?

1. price is 13k out the door, i ran a carfax all clear. thoughts on price?

2. anything specific i should look into or know about the car?

3. i have to drive 300 miles to go check it out as locally they run for 2-5k more. any suggestions?

i also just got offered a 03 A6 3.0 this at same price but 9k miles less the 3.0 has no navi...4.2 has 'premium package' any suggestions on which is best...im looking for daily driver w some heat!
thanks, ive really enjoyed the 2.7t vs the 4.2 v8 discussion...

[Stone825]

Im new to this forum i just sold a 01 tahoe and want a fast daily driver sedan. im thinking about getting a '03 A6 4.2 w 65k miles, i have a couple of q's looking for help?

1. price is 13k out the door, i ran a carfax all clear. thoughts on price?

2. anything specific i should look into or know about the car?

3. i have to drive 300 miles to go check it out as locally they run for 2-5k more. any suggestions?

thanks, ive really enjoyed the 2.7t vs the 4.2 v8 discussion...

I got my 2.7T for $14500 stock but you can definitely get it cheaper if you buy it with a chip/exhaust or whatnot. The price sounds good anyways. Try to knock it down to 11 or 12 though.

[ELITE_R.E.]

thanks for the heads up, definitely thinking of talking them down a bit, as im buying it cash.

[audiquattrodou]

If you are willing to pay for shipping for a 2000 A6 4.2 with 77,285K miles I am selling mine. I am in NY. I will post some pics, if you want more info I will give what ever info you might want
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

I am asking $12K but the price is neg : )
JOHN

[ELITE_R.E.]

thx for offer but im actually looking for info on the ride, i was previously looking at an '06 e55 but instead of putting the down payment ammount and having a monthly im leaning on buying a car cash, and not worrying about payments.

[audiquattrodou]

What are you willing to spend??? I can take a cash bank transfer which would be just as good as cash and have no payments. My car also has an existing aftermarket warranty that is good until may 09 and is transferable to new owner

[ELITE_R.E.]

i just got offered this car

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/942581153.html

should i stick with the 4.2 or this one for same price...the 4.2 has navi and all options 3.0 doesnt have navi.. 9k less miles though?
thx

[ELITE_R.E.]

no offense but your cars leathers look pretty beat up and has 77k miles..not interested..but thx...id rather have info and prespectives on the a6..

[G Men 08]

hey man... thatthat sounds like a pretty fair deal, milage is a tad on the lower side so that's a plus.. only thing is you need to check out the maintenace records and check for a timing belt job or u can expect to do that within 10k miles.. and im not sure if the 03 hhaas the same problem or not but the transmissions normally need a rebuild around 75k-85k... good luck!

[ELITE_R.E.]

thx bro ur first with some real info that im lookin for...so i checked the carfax and nothing specific about a timing belt job. rear brakes were replaced in '05, radio replaced in '06..other than that nothing outta the ordinary shows..any further suggestions..thx

[ELITE_R.E.]

how much would a timing belt job and or tranny rebuild cost...and why so soon on the tranny rebuild...also how often does the t-belts need replacement...thx

[Stone825]

Timing belt could run you anywhere from $600 all the way up to $1200 depending on where you get it done. I believe the kit costs $250 and you could always install it yourself.

Usually when people replace their timing belt they often replace the serpentine belt as well. I believe the serp. belt comes with the kit.

[ELITE_R.E.]

thx for the heads up, seems thts fairly inexpensive...any other things i should look into..im going to check out the car on tues..thx

[wofman]

Geez, guys -- can't believe folks here aren't telling him (1) that 4.2 is far superior engine performance compared to 3.sl0w (even though us 2.7 turbo guys don't usually side with 4.2), (2) that price is great with options he cited (of course he'll try for less, not exactly "advice" here). Unbelievable.

Look, tranny does NOT "usually" need a rebuild. It is the "weak link" of 4.2 (timing belt job is for 2.7), so make sure it shifts smooth enough, but it is hardly a "given" that one won't last a long time. All A6s also have some weakness at CV and tie rods eventually, that's for all engines. 4.2 has wider body, faster car, nice cruiser. 3.0 has far less to offer. Put some sway bars on the 4.2 and you'll be amazed at how it's both fast and handles like a great daily driver should (how is suspension? that's something to check -- most AZ guys end up putting on sport springs, shocks at some point, others go all the way to coilovers, but see if that's something you can wait on, usually goes much more than 65K).

That's a good deal on face of it if you like color, in good condition

[Stampy]

Whats up man? Good choice with the 4.2. 13K out the door isn't bad. I got my 01 with 70k-ish for $9100 like a year ago. So I would guess that a car that is two years newer would warrant the extra price. I don't know how much better you might be able to get on price, but V8's don't sell for shit so you might be able to get around 12K.

I think you said the 4.2 has nav. It is garbage. Absolutely the worst factory nav ever. Audi should have just provided maps, and saved the hassle. The maps are horrible outdated and its a complete pain in the ass to use. I took out my controls for it and put the factory cup holder back. The nav antenna/pimple on the trunk still mocks me everytime I walk by. Just my opinion, but I wouldn't really let the factory nav figure into your buying process. You can upgrade to the factory RNS-E nav witch has a screen and is beyond current with technology.

The transmission is the weak link in the 4.2. We have had some discussions about it recently in the threads about the upcoming supercharger for the 4.2. It seems that a lot are fine. Some fail, and fail bad...like you just lose gears...like reverse. Its not a cheap fix at usually $3K+ depending where you go. The tranny is far from perfect and sometimes has some funky shifting habits and clunks for no reason. That being said, I think a lot of us just kind of get used to it. Audi recommends that the tranny fluid is lifetime. ZF the company that makes the tranny suggest you change the fluid. Most people in the know change it every 40k-60k. It's honestly kind of a crapshoot as to what your luck will be.

The 4.2 isn't known for the TB problems like some other audi motors. People still usually do them around 60k-80k to be safe. Audi recommends 105K. The timing belt parts will cost you around $400-500 for everything. You can do it yourself, but you do need some special tools. You can rent these from some online suppliers when you buy the kit from them. It's not really a hard job to do if you have the stuff to do it, but no TB job DIY write up is anywhere online. You can dig and find what you need, but its really bits and pieces. I have a guy(audi tech) that lives in Milwaukee that does my work for me. He did my full TB job for $750 with parts for me on a saturday afternoon. I'm sure if you look around you can find some pricing like that. I believe most spend around $900-$1200 for the TB job.

The 4.2 is a great car man. I love mine and really don't know why I would ever get rid of it. Its fast enough when I need it to be, and cruises great. I never have to think about anything breaking. I average about 21mpg a week around Chicago (50/50 mix). On a road trip though I have been anywhere from 26-30mpg on the highway. I think those numbers are very respectable for decent powered V8. Another thing to think about...the 4.2 really has no potential as far as tuning...for now. The PES charger is supposed to be on the way, but you never know. Other than that we have no real options to add power. Just the regular suspension, exhaust, intake, but thats about it. So if you want to tune it....safe yourself the heartbreak and search for a 2.7t.

[ELITE_R.E.]

thx for the insight finally i get "real" answers...the pics ive seen body looks great as well as interrior. im pretty sure im going to move forward and purchase the ride...ill keep you guys posted..thx again

[ELITE_R.E.]

thx for the info fellas, new q, what do you think of these rims on the a6

http://www.finishlinewheels.com/spec...ls+%2818x8%29/

the ride is dark blue with gray interrior, if i get it im thinking of getting rid of those ugly thick flat 5 spoke rims right away and maybe going for something like this. thx in advance for your info

[Stampy]

Man I wish you were local. I would take those fat fives off your hands with the quickness! I think the wheels look nice. I would look for 18x18.5 though. 4.2 has widebody, so you gotta fill up those fenders. Gotta pay attention to offset too. 02+ have the smaller calipers, so I'm not sure if its as much of an issue.

[ELITE_R.E.]

Do you think those 18.8's that i posted would be fill in those fenders. the rims may be a bit thin and not thick enough...any comments?

tire brand sets to go with?