Used Car Advice

PainlessCandy

Well-Known Member
350
222
Cleveland
Vehicle Model
Civic Si
Body Style
Coupe
So I'm going to be trading my Si and moving on to something more powerful and I'm looking for advice on my next buy. I'm looking at used Audis, and prices range more than $10k based on the model I am interested in.

What I want to know is: Should I opt for a cheaper one knowing that all used cars need work eventually, or opt for one with a little less miles but is at the top-end of my budget?

I'm not sure I know how much difference there really is between one going for $21k and one going for $33k when they both have one owner, no accidents, a reasonable service record, and less than 100k miles, along with all the normal options I am interested in. And unfortunately, that difference in price can make or break my budget.

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What year / make / model / trim are you looking at? Surely you’re not seeing 10k differences in price on the same trim/option level?
 
2013-2018 Audi S4

They all came well equipped, and having a manual transmission with the Sports Differential are must-haves for me, so the only big differences I am seeing are mileage, location, and owner history.

I have seen a few for under $20k, but they all clearly had issues or an accident.

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That's a tough call man. 100k miles isn't necessarily considered high mileage anymore but you also have to consider mechanical parts like the turbo in this case. Do either of the cars have detailed service histories? If the higher mileage car had a spotless record and documented regular service it would be the more appealing car to me 12k savings for practically the same car is alot of money.
 
1st one is prob a scam? Who posts a single picture at an odd angle (the rear of a car) with the quality of a 1990’s flip phone?

You can pull up kbb values on what cars are worth. These are those 2 cars with mileage being the only difference (pricing expected at a dealership).

Their “fair purchase price” difference is 5 grand IF mileage really is the only difference. The 1st listing has no facts on options/nav etc so who knows.

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That's a tough call man. 100k miles isn't necessarily considered high mileage anymore but you also have to consider mechanical parts like the turbo in this case. Do either of the cars have detailed service histories? If the higher mileage car had a spotless record and documented regular service it would be the more appealing car to me 12k savings for practically the same car is alot of money.
The particular model here has a supercharger, and from what I have read that model's motor is pretty much bulletproof aside from the thermostat.

I was thinking anything with a good service record and low number of owners will probably be a good buy, but I have never bought a used car before. These two are not great examples since they dont have the service records posted for free (most of them do), but I wouldn't buy one without checking the service records first.


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I will try to find some better listings to compare. Those were just two I picked off the top of the search based on price. But most of them have all the same options when it comes to basic equipment and what comes standard nowadays, like Nav.

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There are two trims for that model-

Premium plus and prestige.

The Premium Plus comes with 18-inch alloy wheels; Xenon headlamps with LED accents; fog lights; quad tailpipes; a sunroof; power heated front sport seats; leather/Alcantara upholstery; a tilt-telescopic steering wheel; tri-zone automatic climate control (including separate rear temperature control); Bluetooth and iPod integration; the Multi-Media Interface system with a dash-mounted control knob; and a 10-speaker audio system with an auxiliary input, an SD card reader, and satellite radio.

The Prestige upgrades to 19-in alloys with wider low-profile tires; adaptive Xenon headlamps; parking sensors; a blind spot warning system; keyless entry with push-button ignition; MMI Plus with navigation and a console-mounted control knob; and a 14-speaker, 505-watt Bang & Olufsen audio system.

MMI Plus can be added to the Premium Plus as an option; ditto the Bang & Olufsen stereo and the 19-in alloys with more serious rubber. Silk Nappa leather upholstery and a sports rear differential with side-to-side power distribution are available on both trim levels. Exclusive Prestige extras include adaptive cruise control, power rear sunshades, and the Drive Select system, which adds the sports differential, adaptive suspension dampers, and electronic adjustments for steering, suspension, transmission (automatic models only), and throttle response.
 
The particular model here has a supercharger, and from what I have read that model's motor is pretty much bulletproof aside from the thermostat.

I was thinking anything with a good service record and low number of owners will probably be a good buy, but I have never bought a used car before. These two are not great examples since they dont have the service records posted for free (most of them do), but I wouldn't buy one without checking the service records first.


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When I was shopping for my EK civic I actually bought a high mileage (214K) car from a dealer simply because it was a 1 owner car and had all the service records including multiple timing belt changes at the correct intervals. Had zero mechanical issues with that car until i decided to pull it apart to build a track car.
 
There are two trims for that model-

Premium plus and prestige.

The Premium Plus comes with 18-inch alloy wheels; Xenon headlamps with LED accents; fog lights; quad tailpipes; a sunroof; power heated front sport seats; leather/Alcantara upholstery; a tilt-telescopic steering wheel; tri-zone automatic climate control (including separate rear temperature control); Bluetooth and iPod integration; the Multi-Media Interface system with a dash-mounted control knob; and a 10-speaker audio system with an auxiliary input, an SD card reader, and satellite radio.

The Prestige upgrades to 19-in alloys with wider low-profile tires; adaptive Xenon headlamps; parking sensors; a blind spot warning system; keyless entry with push-button ignition; MMI Plus with navigation and a console-mounted control knob; and a 14-speaker, 505-watt Bang & Olufsen audio system.

MMI Plus can be added to the Premium Plus as an option; ditto the Bang & Olufsen stereo and the 19-in alloys with more serious rubber. Silk Nappa leather upholstery and a sports rear differential with side-to-side power distribution are available on both trim levels. Exclusive Prestige extras include adaptive cruise control, power rear sunshades, and the Drive Select system, which adds the sports differential, adaptive suspension dampers, and electronic adjustments for steering, suspension, transmission (automatic models only), and throttle response.
Thank you for sharing all of that here @webby. I had been a little confused on which level of trim was higher since nearly every S4 I look at seems to have mostly the same options including 19" wheels, and upgraded leather, regardless of which trim level it is. If it helps, here is what the dealer had me write up:

Must Have:
-Manual transmission
-Sports differential
-Under 100k miles

Would Like:
-Bang & Oleffson upgraded sound system
-Upgraded leather (no Alcontara seats)
-Sourced from region where it has not seen salted roads
-RS4 grille already installed

Pretty much every other feature either comes standard or I don't care about (Nav, adaptive cruise control, etc. are all things I never use anyways). I really just want a solid machine that will last without breaking the bank upfront that I can have fun driving since I will be moving in a month or two and will then be driving a lot more.


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Look out for oil consumption issues. There were multiple stages of repairs, last being an engine teardown and piston replacement. Some cars would burn almost a quart every thousand miles.

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