Need some help deciding on what to do with my S5

[OrlandoSly]

Hey Guys,

So with my work i got an opportunity to take a promotion and with that promotion to head overseas to Italy for 2yrs. This deal was too good to pass up on because all the living expenses are paid as well as huge food/transportation/utilities budget :)

now my questions is i have my 22014 S5 with 34,000 miles on it. Do i garage it here and have my brother drive it once in a while to keep it going, or sell it and get something in 2018 when i get back to the states?

There is always temptation to get S5 Sportsback in italy but i think i would be devastated leaving that car there when i come back to the states

what you guys think?


I had it since 5 miles on it and if i decide to see it...here are my specs and i was wondering how much could i even get for it (any guesstimates are welcome here or through PM):

2014 Ibis White S5

√ H&R OE Sports Springs
√ RS5 Front Grill
√ Wheels/Tires - Niche Milans 20x10.5 w/ 285/30/20 offset 27
√ APR Stage II w/ Pulley
√ AWE Track Exhaust

[i1overice]

Hey Guys,

So with my work i got an opportunity to take a promotion and with that promotion to head overseas to Italy for 2yrs. This deal was too good to pass up on because all the living expenses are paid as well as huge food/transportation/utilities budget :)

now my questions is i have my 22014 S5 with 34,000 miles on it. Do i garage it here and have my brother drive it once in a while to keep it going, or sell it and get something in 2018 when i get back to the states?

There is always temptation to get S5 Sportsback in italy but i think i would be devastated leaving that car there when i come back to the states

what you guys think?


I had it since 5 miles on it and if i decide to see it...here are my specs and i was wondering how much could i even get for it (any guesstimates are welcome here or through PM):

2014 Ibis White S5

√ H&R OE Sports Springs
√ RS5 Front Grill
√ Wheels/Tires - Niche Milans 20x10.5 w/ 285/30/20 offset 27
√ APR Stage II w/ Pulley
√ AWE Track Exhaust

I would push to take it with you to Italy.

You already ate a lot of depreciation on the car and are about to start getting in to the territory where holding the car for longer makes more financial sense. If it is a pain in the ass to have it over seas then I would want to know if you are still paying it off or is it paid off?

No point in paying for something you aren't using.

[Mops@Nemesis]

The SB will be in the US when you return. I say sell it, or send it to NC. I have an extra garage bay

[rooneyy]

How's the ride with OE's and 20's?

[DreDay]

Gorgeous car... but 2 years is a long time...If it were me, I would sell it, and buy the US Sport-back when you return!

[HazeMyth]

If it's already paid off then I wouldn't see a point in getting rid of it. If it's not paid off, I'd just sell it and buy something else in 2 years if it were me in the situation. Paying for a car for 2 years without getting to drive it is a tough pill for me to swallow.

I have no idea what you'd get out of it. It's not going to be a CPO due to the mods, so that would hurt the value if you sold it to a dealer for sure.

[Chanman94]

I would push to take it with you to Italy.

You already ate a lot of depreciation on the car and are about to start getting in to the territory where holding the car for longer makes more financial sense. If it is a pain in the ass to have it over seas then I would want to know if you are still paying it off or is it paid off?

No point in paying for something you aren't using.

+1 to this, I'd say bring it over to Italy if it isn't a difficult process

[OrlandoSly]

Thanks all for your input. they can ship it there for me as its included in relocation so maybe that will be an option or sell it and keep putting money away like i had that payment so in 2 years when i come back i could use that $ for the SB :)

I would want to know if you are still paying it off or is it paid off?

Yes i still owe money on it

The SB will be in the US when you return. I say sell it, or send it to NC. I have an extra garage bay

i would not mind me sending my S5 to you as i know it would be in good hands lol

How's the ride with OE's and 20's?

the ride is very nice, if in area come test drive it

[i1overice]

Thanks all for your input. they can ship it there for me as its included in relocation so maybe that will be an option or sell it and keep putting money away like i had that payment so in 2 years when i come back i could use that $ for the SB :)




Yes i still owe money on it



i would not mind me sending my S5 to you as i know it would be in good hands lol



the ride is very nice, if in area come test drive it

Do you need a car in italy?

I would sell it since you owe on it. Get something practical for italy. Dunno where you will be staying/doing. Come back, get r8. Win.

[SLU_S5]

I'd personally part it out and sell it whether its fully paid off or not.

Why let it sit and depreciate when you could either use it to pay off other debts, or possibly invest in something that could appreciate over the course of two years?

There will be other 2014 Ibis White S5s available when you return quite possibly at a heavy discount compared to today's value.

[4RingRook]

2 years is longer than you think - sell it.

[d1amund]

Sell it. It's not a classic or an investment. Drive whatever the company pays for over there and enjoy your extended vacation.

[GeauxA5]

Sell it!! Go to your local Audi dealer in Italy or head up to Germany and have the dealer build a NA spec Audi... Or just order a new one before you leave and take the Germany delivery and don’t have them ship it state side until you head back.

[Rshane]

I've been stationed oversees twice to Europe, brought my car each time, last time was my E92 M3. You will have no problems getting your car serviced, as Audi BMW and Mercedes are like GMC or Ford over there. Audi may be a bit more rare in Italy. Also, having the power your car has, you will get a lot of looks...most cars in Europe are underpowered. I would check into what insurance will run, and keep in mind the price of fuel. However, Italians aren't the best at parking...they like to feel the other cars bumper when parallel parking. I was in Vicenza for 6 months and had no problems because I was cognizant of where I parked. Roads are more narrow, and red lights are optional.

If you do get into a fender bender, you will be the one the Carabinieri will likely fault..hazards of being the foreigner.

[jrabakker]

Audi may be a bit more rare in Italy. .

Nope, plenty 4rings around, at least in the northern part.

[AudiSTL]

i would part out and sell no reason to pay for car in a garage. maybe ship overseas and possibly sell there better return???

[JamesRS5]

Ive been in this situation several times, I've even worked in Italy for 12 months so hopefully I can offer some sound advice?

1. Which part of Italy will you be working? Driving in Italy is, let's say, slightly different to what you'd be used to! Your car will collect any number of dings and scrapes from the Italian parking techniques, reverse sensors are just a pre warning to the impact that's about to happen, your beautiful S5 would soon become battle worn. Leave the S5 at home, put it on stands in a garage, put a dust sheet over it and forget about it, it will be waiting for you when you come home.

2. Your company is giving you a motor allowance by the sound of it, don't fall into the trap of using this to pay for a rental, it's dead money, buy a car there and use the allowance to pay for a new car, at least you get a return on it when it's time to leave. Not sure on the US importing rules but I'm sure they will have made it impossible to import unless it was made in the US?

3. Two years will pass by very quickly, it takes you a year to fully settle in and get used to life, make the most of your time there, you'll be surprised how quickly it goes. Trust me, I'm now 5 years in to my planned "make some quick money for a year" job in Dubai. Italy is beautiful, especially in the North and Tuscany, if you like good wines and great food you'll love it.

4. Buy a phrase book if you don't speak Italian, you may feel stupid attempting to speak but trust me, the locals will really appreciate you making the effort.

5. I've left a car behind on two occasions, first time I left it with family and asked them to drive it once a month, this was a pain for them and for the car, they had to wash it before they drove it, put chocks in the wheels as you really don't want to,leave the brakes on, deal with dead batteries, it's just painful.
Second time I put the car in storage, buy 4 identical axle stands, put the car on these, remove the wheels (this prevents both the tires from getting flat spots and the wheel bearings from bearing the load of the car for two years on the same point). Disconnect the battery or leave it connected to a solar charger or one of those storage chargers. Buy a nice cover, the Audi fitted cover is great and won't damage the paint and just leave it alone. It will still be a perfect car when you return.

[rooneyy]

Oddly enough I am in the market for a car that's looks exactly like yours. Wish I were closer I'd love to see her in person.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine mobile app

[OrlandoSly]

Thank you all for your inputs and your experiences its helping a huge amount in my decision making and what im looking to do. One of my leaning decisions is to sell it to a GOOD buyer lol who will take care of her and ill let them have all my Adams products that MOPS helped me get and then keep making the same payments to myself that way when i do come back from italy ill have a nice budget for S5 SB :)

Ive been in this situation several times, I've even worked in Italy for 12 months so hopefully I can offer some sound advice?

1. Which part of Italy will you be working? Driving in Italy is, let's say, slightly different to what you'd be used to! Your car will collect any number of dings and scrapes from the Italian parking techniques, reverse sensors are just a pre warning to the impact that's about to happen, your beautiful S5 would soon become battle worn. Leave the S5 at home, put it on stands in a garage, put a dust sheet over it and forget about it, it will be waiting for you when you come home.

2. Your company is giving you a motor allowance by the sound of it, don't fall into the trap of using this to pay for a rental, it's dead money, buy a car there and use the allowance to pay for a new car, at least you get a return on it when it's time to leave. Not sure on the US importing rules but I'm sure they will have made it impossible to import unless it was made in the US?

3. Two years will pass by very quickly, it takes you a year to fully settle in and get used to life, make the most of your time there, you'll be surprised how quickly it goes. Trust me, I'm now 5 years in to my planned "make some quick money for a year" job in Dubai. Italy is beautiful, especially in the North and Tuscany, if you like good wines and great food you'll love it.

4. Buy a phrase book if you don't speak Italian, you may feel stupid attempting to speak but trust me, the locals will really appreciate you making the effort.

5. I've left a car behind on two occasions, first time I left it with family and asked them to drive it once a month, this was a pain for them and for the car, they had to wash it before they drove it, put chocks in the wheels as you really don't want to,leave the brakes on, deal with dead batteries, it's just painful.
Second time I put the car in storage, buy 4 identical axle stands, put the car on these, remove the wheels (this prevents both the tires from getting flat spots and the wheel bearings from bearing the load of the car for two years on the same point). Disconnect the battery or leave it connected to a solar charger or one of those storage chargers. Buy a nice cover, the Audi fitted cover is great and won't damage the paint and just leave it alone. It will still be a perfect car when you return.

Sweet thanks for the help....my answers below:

1. Ill be in Mansfredonia/Foggia region. Thats what im afraid of dings/scratches etc...my car here is in the garage all the time and if i do let it sit ill take your advice in #5 and do a nice detail job on it and protect it.

2. Yes they are giving me rent/food/transportation allowance and my first thought was to leave the S5 here (get rid of my other cars) and then get a used car while in italy that i can sell or give to family in europe when i leave.

4. ill def do that...the company is paying for tutoring as well as any aids i may want like rosetta stone, classes even driving instructors as within a year you must pass the italian driving license exam that is fully in italian in order to stay there longer then a year

5. sweet ill take the 2nd advice if i decide to keep the car here to wait for me when i get back :) im just

- - - Updated - - -

Oddly enough I am in the market for a car that's looks exactly like yours. Wish I were closer I'd love to see her in person.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine mobile app

same here, i can take videos and all that but its just not the same.

[JamesRS5]

Oh wow, that's where I was, I was in Monopoli which is in between Bari and Brindisi on the Adriatic Side. You will definitely have to learn some Italian as there isn't so much English speaking that far down South. Italian is pretty easy to pick up the basics to get you moving but definitely take work up on those tutoring offers.

South Italy is pretty dry, olive growing country, I hope you get the opportunity to spend some time in the north and visit some of the cities with amazing history and achitecture, Florence, Venice and up to Lake Garda, all beautiful.

I'll admit, I'm a little jealous of your adventure.

[FaceSmA5h]

According to my friend BK, your car is worth $35K

[4RingRook]

If it's Mr Lee - he probably knocked 8k off the retail number because FL.

[mufflerman]

Sounds like you've decided, but I am also a supporter of selling it. Even if you owned it outright I would say the same, the fact that there is still a lien on it even more. Like mentioned above, a sitting car is an unhappy car, not good for much of the mechanics, tires, seals, etc. We see a lot of cars at the shop that have done a fair amount of sitting and then come back into the world of driving and they spring all sorts if issues.

As far as bringing it with you, also not a great plan. I have spent some time in Europe and the use of a car there is rather different, especially in congested areas, even though a B8 chassis car isn't huge here, it's a monster in Italy and other Euro country's. I would take some time to get settled in there with a rental initially, then use your allowance to select appropriate transportation that fits the area and use of your surroundings. When you get home you can look forward to buying something new, always a fun proposition.

[OrlandoSly]

Hey Guys,

I haven't visited here in a long time as ive been really busy with work in Italy but I did finally sell my car for $38k which is bittersweet because I will miss her but at the same time like Mops said about SB coming to US. Ill be coming back stateside what it looks like at the end of 2018 so it looks like ill be placing an order very soon :)

Mops did you have to go to the dealership to place your order?