I'm negotiating with BAT (Bring a Trailer) to put my B5 S4 Avant up for auction on their site. The question is: what is an appropriate reserve? Here is the advertisement. Would appreciate your input on what you would see as an appropriate reserve:
2001.5 Audi B5 S4 Avant Quattro
6-speed manual transmission
Brilliant Black with Onyx interior and wood trim
Premium and Cold-Weather Packages
81,030 miles
I am the second owner of this Audi. I purchased the vehicle in August of 2009 with 48K miles.
I have made the following modifications: OEM Valeo European headlights (original US spec headlights included with sale), 35% tint, APR stage 1 tune with stock, 91-octane, and 93-octane files plus valet file and security lockout.
The car comes with two sets of wheels and tires. Summer set-up: 18” Audi OEM BBS CH alloys from the B7 S4, wrapped in Michelin PSS with 80 percent tread remaining. Winter set-up: stock 17” Avus alloys, wrapped in Nokian WR G3 tires with 80 percent tread remaining. The BBS wheels are in near-mint condition; the stock Avus wheels are straight and true but have their share of rash.
This Audi has been my baby since purchasing it in 2009. Always garaged; detailed regularly; always hand-washed with microfiber towels; no kids; no smoking; no food inside. It lived with me in Colorado from 2009 until the summer of 2015 when I moved to Minnesota. I did NOT drive it during this past winter in Minnesota (see service records for mileage). Indeed, I purchased a winter daily driver specifically so I would not have to subject the Audi to road salt.
The car was manufactured in October of 2000. It is now almost sixteen years old. It is in exceptional mechanical condition and nearly mint aesthetic condition. It does have quite a few minor stone chips on the front bumper and hood, courtesy of the gravel on Colorado roads. Larger ones have been touched up. These imperfections are hard to see in pictures, but they show up as white dots on the black paint. There are a few minor dings and scratches scattered around the car, but these imperfections are minor, and they don’t detract from the car’s excellent appearance. Paint is gorgeous overall, especially for a black vehicle (no swirl marks that often ruin a black car’s appearance). Rear bumper and quarter panel re-sprayed at a high-quality shop in Denver after an idiot scratched it up in a parking lot. This was several years ago, and the paint still looks great. The interior is in outstanding shape. Driver’s seat shows minor wear, but there are no cracks or tears in the leather aside from one small tear that the previous owner had repaired and which hasn’t worsened during my ownership. Carpets are free of stains. The car has always been garaged, so there is no fading or wear on any of the interior plastics. The only problem on the interior is a few missing pixels in the center display. It’s not bad, and most B5 S4’s I’ve seen are much worse. Other than that, all electronics work as designed. The car is not in absolutely perfect condition, but it is in excellent driver condition. I would rate the exterior 9/10 and the interior a 9.5/10. Mechanically, this car is perfect; service records follow:
Service History:
May 2016 at 80868 Miles (Imola Motorsports in Minneapolis):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
• New battery
• New OEM windshield (Pilkington glass with Audi rings)
September 2015 at 80176 miles (Imola Motorsports in Minneapolis):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
• Valve cover gasket service (includes valve cover gaskets, cam chain tensioner gasket, cam plug)
• New OEM Auxiliary Water Pump
• New OEM Intake Manifold gasket
• Drain and Fill Coolant, flush out reservoir
August 20015 at 80055 miles (Imola Motorsports in Minneapolis):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
April 2015 at 78119 miles (3Zero3 Motorsports in Denver):
• Four-wheel alignment
• New Akebono ceramic front brake pads and new OEM front rotors
• New cabin and engine air filters
March 2015 at 77395 miles (Peak Eurosport in Denver):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
October 2014 at 75628 miles (Peak Eurosport in Denver):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
• New Spark Plugs
April 2014 at 74289 miles (Peak Eurosport in Denver):
• APR tune installed
• New Samco throttle body boot
• New OEM 710N diverter valves
• New OEM mass air flow sensor
• Power steering service
March 2014 at 73233 miles (Peak Eurosport in Denver):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
• New OEM primary oxygen sensors
• New OEM EGT sensors
• Replaced air bag control module
• New OEM washer pump
September 2013 at 71369 miles (Peak Eurosport in Denver):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
June 2013 at 71369 miles (Peak Eurosport in Denver):
• New rear differential axle seal
• New OEM rear pads and rotors
March 2013 at 68678 miles (Peak Eurosport in Denver):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
September 2012 at 65165 miles (Avalon Motorsports in Denver):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
• New OEM control arms and tie rods with four-wheel alignment
March 2012 at 63180 miles (Avalon Motorsports in Denver):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
• Timing service: timing belt; water pump; tensioners; thermostat; coolant (OEM parts)
• New left front door inner release handle
October 2011 at 61222 miles (Avalon Motorsports in Denver):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
April 2011 at 59574 miles (Avalon Motorsports in Denver):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
• New battery
• New OEM Oil Cooler, cooler reservoir and cap
November 2010 at 56013 miles (Avalon Motorsports in Denver):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
March 2010 at 52858 miles (Luxury Imports of Denver):
• Full Synthetic Oil Service (5w40)
• New OEM left outer CV boot
• New OEM right rear wheel bearing
I drive this car very carefully. I always follow proper warm-up and cool-down procedures: I never get into boost until the oil temperature has reached 200 degrees, and I always allow the oil to cool down before turning off the engine. Original K03 turbo chargers are in excellent condition—they spool up perfectly and make no concerning noises.
This is a great example of a rare car. 948 B5 S4 Avants with manual transmissions were imported to the US. This one is not perfect, but it’s about as close as you can hope for a 16-year-old vehicle with just over 80K miles driven.
Why I’m selling: As I said, this car has been my baby for the last seven years. I now have a human baby on the way, so I have decided to clear out my garage and make room for a more kid-friendly vehicle that won’t make me pull my hair out every time my kid spills a drink or spits up in the interior or accidently hits it with his tricycle on the exterior. It’s also terribly difficult to own this car where I now live. The nearest shop I trust to work on my car is a solid hour down the road, so I need a car which is on friendlier terms with the local mechanics.
I will do my part in shipping the car at buyer’s expense. I am also happy to meet you at MSP airport if you want to fly in and drive the car home. I will check the auction regularly so feel free to ask any questions you might have.
Thanks in advance for your input, y'all!
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Originally Posted by rguil
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