Searched Forum, more questions about potential purchase

[DreamingOfCars]

First post here from someone considering an RS6. This forum is an awesome source of info. Ideally, I'd like to own the car for about 5 years. I spent several days reading through the forum, and now I have some follow up questions. I apologize in advance if some of this sounds dumb - I don't work on cars. This is longish, so even if you can only answer 1 or 2, that would be great:

1. I'm trying to pin down costs to run the beast. I'm assuming tires last about 15k, brakes about 25-30k, and I reviewed the cost of maintenance locally. Given that, it seems like the average cost per year to run (10k miles per year, barring failures not covered by warranties) is around 3k/year. Does that sound right?

2. I've read up on the DRC issues. For those that had the recall installed properly, have you had additional costs or issues related to the suspension since then (other than subjective suspension stiffness preferences)?

3. I'm looking at a car with 52k on the clock in good shape, fully loaded in colors I like. It will need the 55k service soon, nav doesn't seem to work (not a big deal to me, but it may need to be fixed for the warranty) and there is about 50-60 percent brake and tire life left. There is a lot of history on the carfax with 4 separate instances of struts being replaced (3 before DRC) and the DRC recall has been done. When I did some calling around to previous service centers, I found out that the previous owner complained about a loose accelerator about a year ago, and I don't think the torque converter has ever been replaced. Dealer is asking 28.5 right now. I will absolutely do a PPI before any purchase.

Fair deal or should I keep looking? Should I drive it again looking for specific symptoms?
While I'd rather find one locally, I would be willing to look out of state (though I'm pretty busy these days..).

5. Follow up question about the previous car: Two things I noticed when looking at it - When I was stopped at a light with the A/C on, my wife and I heard the sound of flowing water around the front right side of the car, behind the glove compartment. Is this normal, or is there something I should look for? It only happened once, so the sound will be hard to recreate. Doing internet searches on this type of sound (not specific to RS6) suggested air pockets in the cooling system requiring a flush, early symptoms of a head gasket problem, a water pump problem, or potential issues with A/C condenser. I just want to know if this is a normal sound on an RS6.

6. The second potential issue - it has black exhaust tips. One of them had a 2-3 inch patch of whiteness on it. Is this normal? I didn't feel the spot, but it didn't look powdery. It seemed dried on.

4. I'm getting quoted 6,800 for a 5yr/60k Fidelity dealer warranty with a 250 deductible on a car with 52k miles on it. That seems really high. I expected to pay 4-5k for a 100 deductible equivalent. Has anyone looked into pricing on this recently? Anyone Have a dealer you can refer me to with good warranty pricing? (I'm in Seattle, but I want to price shop the warranty).

5. Post-DRC recall, how often and how long is your car in the shop for things outside routine maintenance? I saw the full service records on another RS6 with twice as much mileage, and it has had problems with oil leaking consistently (presumably fixed by replacing turbos, but it still seems to have leaks) along with lots of quirky electrical issues and indicators that don't work properly.

6. Outside of routine maintenance, what doesn't the warranty usually cover (or rather, what didn't it cover for you personally outside maintenance)? I've looked through the exclusion list, and there isn't much, but I wanted to know what other consumable items I should be pricing into maintenance. Also, is the deductible per line item of repair - for example, if I bring in the car and 4 things need to be replaced to fix an issue, is that considered one repair with one deductible or 4 repair items?

7. The transmission seems like the biggest ticket item likely to fail after the recall. A local owner told me a nearby shop can rebuild it for 4k and that there isn't anything special about it - he said it was a typical ZF transmission, but I didn't ask if the repair cost was just for the torque converter. Does that sound right? I ask because if I can't get the price of the warranty down, I question it's value (pre-recall, I wouldn't think twice about it, but now..). After deductibles, assuming 4-8 repairs, I end up pre-paying for 9000+ of warranty coverage.

8. Finally, I've been reviewing a lot of carfax reports on RS6s. Some strange things that come up often: one wheel replaced. Why one? The one on this car mentions replacing a radiator and a camshaft during maintenance inspections. I wasn't able to confirm if this meant the radiator or camshaft actually needed to be replaced or if this is the terminology carfax reported for pulling the engine for normal maintenance.

Anyway, I'm just trying to take some of the fear out of owning a car that a lot of people seem to complain about from a reliability/maintenance perspective. Thanks in advance for any help!

[DHall1]

Where are you located? TX?

Go to your local Audi dealer service and have the service history pulled for this vin to confirm "camshaft + rad" components. Not a typical RS6 repair and I would worry if one of the cams needed replaced.

[DreamingOfCars]

My bad - sent individual reply.

Located in Seattle. The car was originally offered for sale by the local dealer who inspected it. They priced it too high to sell and ended up selling it to another local dealer. The local dealership is pricey but doesn't generally sell bad cars. They have a A+ 0 complaint history on BBB. Getting details about the car is hard - most shops won't tell you anything unless you currently own it and even then they are reluctant to share. I got verbal confirmation from every shop that the car didn't have anything funny wrong with it, and at least one said it looked like it was solid.

[ben916]

My bad - sent individual reply.

Located in Seattle. The car was originally offered for sale by the local dealer who inspected it. They priced it too high to sell and ended up selling it to another local dealer. The local dealership is pricey but doesn't generally sell bad cars. They have a A+ 0 complaint history on BBB. Getting details about the car is hard - most shops won't tell you anything unless you currently own it and even then they are reluctant to share. I got verbal confirmation from every shop that the car didn't have anything funny wrong with it, and at least one said it looked like it was solid.

Is this the Daytona Grey that was at Barrier for ever at $39k???

[DreamingOfCars]

I believe so. The current seller has also had it for 3 months. Tough to sell these at that price in this market. Did you know anything about the car?

[DHall1]

39k or anywhere close is crack pipe prices for a car with 52k and no ext warranty. IMHO

Even mint that car is 30k topps. Because you have to purchase a 5k ext warranty on top of it.

No way do I touch that car because random dealers said "it appears to be solid" Not at those prices.

IMHO if the current dealer wants to sell the car....put the burden on them to get the full Audi service records. All they have to do as current owners is go down to any Audi service and ask for the service printout.

Done

[DreamingOfCars]

The first dealer was trying to sell it for 39k.
This one is trying to get 28.5 assuming they don't fix anything.

I asked about pulling records, from multiple dealers about multiple cars. The response I always get is "Nobody wants to give out any info that might give another dealer a competitive advatage." I'm also not sure if one Audi dealer has access to records from a different Audi dealer. The car was sold at one dealership and serviced in 2 places in California, then it was sold CPO at another dealership in CA and serviced there, and finally it was bought at auction 2 times locally, one of those times it passed through the local dealer.

[DHall1]

All good points. This car has been around the block.

Have you personally inspected the car? Which Audi dealer do you plan to service the car? Here is one idea.

Contact selling dealer...tell them you want a PPI at the Audi dealer you choose. Then pay to have the car inspected. At the same time the inspecting Audi dealer should be willing to print the service history. There is no protected information in the print out...no prior owner information. And all Audi service records should be in the history...no matter where the dealer was located.

Good luck

BTW, 28,500 is dead bang on if the car checks out.

[twinsteve]

When I bought my RS6 last month, I called the two Audi servicing dealers of record (including the original selling dealer), explained why I was asking, and they faxed me the detailed records...no questions asked....

[DreamingOfCars]

I have personally inspected the car, noted in my long list above. I'm pretty sure my other questions will get lost in this thread. I should have broken this out into more threads, but I didn't want to spam the board.

To be clear I'm also trying to decide whether an RS6 is the car I want. I love the drive and it fits my needs at the moment, but I want to make sure I'm calculating upkeep costs correctly and know what to expect as far as shop work and gotchas outside of tranny/drc.

Thanks for the advice on the inspection/record checks.

[DHall1]

I have added comments below


First post here from someone considering an RS6. This forum is an awesome source of info. Ideally, I'd like to own the car for about 5 years. I spent several days reading through the forum, and now I have some follow up questions. I apologize in advance if some of this sounds dumb - I don't work on cars. This is longish, so even if you can only answer 1 or 2, that would be great:

1. I'm trying to pin down costs to run the beast. I'm assuming tires last about 15k, brakes about 25-30k, and I reviewed the cost of maintenance locally. Given that, it seems like the average cost per year to run (10k miles per year, barring failures not covered by warranties) is around 3k/year. Does that sound right?

Yep, seems like you have done your homework. Some years you wont spend that much and some years you may spend alittle more. Timing belt service year.

2. I've read up on the DRC issues. For those that had the recall installed properly, have you had additional costs or issues related to the suspension since then (other than subjective suspension stiffness preferences)?

I have had 0 problems and 0 costs after my DRC repair in July 09.

3. I'm looking at a car with 52k on the clock in good shape, fully loaded in colors I like. It will need the 55k service soon, nav doesn't seem to work (not a big deal to me, but it may need to be fixed for the warranty) and there is about 50-60 percent brake and tire life left. There is a lot of history on the carfax with 4 separate instances of struts being replaced (3 before DRC) and the DRC recall has been done. When I did some calling around to previous service centers, I found out that the previous owner complained about a loose accelerator about a year ago, and I don't think the torque converter has ever been replaced. Dealer is asking 28.5 right now. I will absolutely do a PPI before any purchase.

Fair deal or should I keep looking? Should I drive it again looking for specific symptoms?
While I'd rather find one locally, I would be willing to look out of state (though I'm pretty busy these days..).

Personal inspection makes a big difference. Are you happy with the car. After an extended test drive including hwy driving at a steady speed then rolling into the throttle....take it back and have the car Vag Com checked. (may be part of the Audi PPI). You are looking for torque converter slippage.

5. Follow up question about the previous car: Two things I noticed when looking at it - When I was stopped at a light with the A/C on, my wife and I heard the sound of flowing water around the front right side of the car, behind the glove compartment. Is this normal, or is there something I should look for? It only happened once, so the sound will be hard to recreate. Doing internet searches on this type of sound (not specific to RS6) suggested air pockets in the cooling system requiring a flush, early symptoms of a head gasket problem, a water pump problem, or potential issues with A/C condenser. I just want to know if this is a normal sound on an RS6.

Hard to tell. It could be the water running thru the heater core.

6. The second potential issue - it has black exhaust tips. One of them had a 2-3 inch patch of whiteness on it. Is this normal? I didn't feel the spot, but it didn't look powdery. It seemed dried on.

4. I'm getting quoted 6,800 for a 5yr/60k Fidelity dealer warranty with a 250 deductible on a car with 52k miles on it. That seems really high. I expected to pay 4-5k for a 100 deductible equivalent. Has anyone looked into pricing on this recently? Anyone Have a dealer you can refer me to with good warranty pricing? (I'm in Seattle, but I want to price shop the warranty).

Keep checking around. Try other Audi dealers and some indy companies. Zurich is one.

5. Post-DRC recall, how often and how long is your car in the shop for things outside routine maintenance? I saw the full service records on another RS6 with twice as much mileage, and it has had problems with oil leaking consistently (presumably fixed by replacing turbos, but it still seems to have leaks) along with lots of quirky electrical issues and indicators that don't work properly.

Zero problems in over two years. None, nada, ziltch.

6. Outside of routine maintenance, what doesn't the warranty usually cover (or rather, what didn't it cover for you personally outside maintenance)? I've looked through the exclusion list, and there isn't much, but I wanted to know what other consumable items I should be pricing into maintenance. Also, is the deductible per line item of repair - for example, if I bring in the car and 4 things need to be replaced to fix an issue, is that considered one repair with one deductible or 4 repair items?

Depends on contract. Fidelity is per service visit. Nothing quirky comes to mind on extra service cost items.

7. The transmission seems like the biggest ticket item likely to fail after the recall. A local owner told me a nearby shop can rebuild it for 4k and that there isn't anything special about it - he said it was a typical ZF transmission, but I didn't ask if the repair cost was just for the torque converter. Does that sound right? I ask because if I can't get the price of the warranty down, I question it's value (pre-recall, I wouldn't think twice about it, but now..). After deductibles, assuming 4-8 repairs, I end up pre-paying for 9000+ of warranty coverage.

Lots of people can say lots of things. Is this just a ZF trans? Yes, but do I want just anyone working on it? No. I want someone who has pulled 5 RS6 transmissions working on my car. There is so much crap to screw up on the back side of this engine.

8. Finally, I've been reviewing a lot of carfax reports on RS6s. Some strange things that come up often: one wheel replaced. Why one? The one on this car mentions replacing a radiator and a camshaft during maintenance inspections. I wasn't able to confirm if this meant the radiator or camshaft actually needed to be replaced or if this is the terminology carfax reported for pulling the engine for normal maintenance.

Who knows on the wheel question. I noted my concerns above on the camshaft.

Anyway, I'm just trying to take some of the fear out of owning a car that a lot of people seem to complain about from a reliability/maintenance perspective. Thanks in advance for any help!

[ben916]

First post here from someone considering an RS6. This forum is an awesome source of info. Ideally, I'd like to own the car for about 5 years. I spent several days reading through the forum, and now I have some follow up questions. I apologize in advance if some of this sounds dumb - I don't work on cars. This is longish, so even if you can only answer 1 or 2, that would be great:

1. I'm trying to pin down costs to run the beast. I'm assuming tires last about 15k, brakes about 25-30k, and I reviewed the cost of maintenance locally. Given that, it seems like the average cost per year to run (10k miles per year, barring failures not covered by warranties) is around 3k/year. Does that sound right?

2. I've read up on the DRC issues. For those that had the recall installed properly, have you had additional costs or issues related to the suspension since then (other than subjective suspension stiffness preferences)?

3. I'm looking at a car with 52k on the clock in good shape, fully loaded in colors I like. It will need the 55k service soon, nav doesn't seem to work (not a big deal to me, but it may need to be fixed for the warranty) and there is about 50-60 percent brake and tire life left. There is a lot of history on the carfax with 4 separate instances of struts being replaced (3 before DRC) and the DRC recall has been done. When I did some calling around to previous service centers, I found out that the previous owner complained about a loose accelerator about a year ago, and I don't think the torque converter has ever been replaced. Dealer is asking 28.5 right now. I will absolutely do a PPI before any purchase.

Fair deal or should I keep looking? Should I drive it again looking for specific symptoms?
While I'd rather find one locally, I would be willing to look out of state (though I'm pretty busy these days..).

5. Follow up question about the previous car: Two things I noticed when looking at it - When I was stopped at a light with the A/C on, my wife and I heard the sound of flowing water around the front right side of the car, behind the glove compartment. Is this normal, or is there something I should look for? It only happened once, so the sound will be hard to recreate. Doing internet searches on this type of sound (not specific to RS6) suggested air pockets in the cooling system requiring a flush, early symptoms of a head gasket problem, a water pump problem, or potential issues with A/C condenser. I just want to know if this is a normal sound on an RS6.

6. The second potential issue - it has black exhaust tips. One of them had a 2-3 inch patch of whiteness on it. Is this normal? I didn't feel the spot, but it didn't look powdery. It seemed dried on.

4. I'm getting quoted 6,800 for a 5yr/60k Fidelity dealer warranty with a 250 deductible on a car with 52k miles on it. That seems really high. I expected to pay 4-5k for a 100 deductible equivalent. Has anyone looked into pricing on this recently? Anyone Have a dealer you can refer me to with good warranty pricing? (I'm in Seattle, but I want to price shop the warranty).

5. Post-DRC recall, how often and how long is your car in the shop for things outside routine maintenance? I saw the full service records on another RS6 with twice as much mileage, and it has had problems with oil leaking consistently (presumably fixed by replacing turbos, but it still seems to have leaks) along with lots of quirky electrical issues and indicators that don't work properly.

6. Outside of routine maintenance, what doesn't the warranty usually cover (or rather, what didn't it cover for you personally outside maintenance)? I've looked through the exclusion list, and there isn't much, but I wanted to know what other consumable items I should be pricing into maintenance. Also, is the deductible per line item of repair - for example, if I bring in the car and 4 things need to be replaced to fix an issue, is that considered one repair with one deductible or 4 repair items?

7. The transmission seems like the biggest ticket item likely to fail after the recall. A local owner told me a nearby shop can rebuild it for 4k and that there isn't anything special about it - he said it was a typical ZF transmission, but I didn't ask if the repair cost was just for the torque converter. Does that sound right? I ask because if I can't get the price of the warranty down, I question it's value (pre-recall, I wouldn't think twice about it, but now..). After deductibles, assuming 4-8 repairs, I end up pre-paying for 9000+ of warranty coverage.

8. Finally, I've been reviewing a lot of carfax reports on RS6s. Some strange things that come up often: one wheel replaced. Why one? The one on this car mentions replacing a radiator and a camshaft during maintenance inspections. I wasn't able to confirm if this meant the radiator or camshaft actually needed to be replaced or if this is the terminology carfax reported for pulling the engine for normal maintenance.

Anyway, I'm just trying to take some of the fear out of owning a car that a lot of people seem to complain about from a reliability/maintenance perspective. Thanks in advance for any help!

Your numbering is AFU but whatever :)

1. The cost of running a beast is subjective to driving style and the state of the systems associated to that vehicle. Case in Point: jumped/sped to the non-audi dealership that had the car I ended up purchasing. Ask Dave, I was on the phone with him and I was bedazzled. Yes it was used and it was 4 PM in February and it was raining like I was Seattle so I really didn't get a great look at the car but once you spend some time looking at a beat one and then a perfect one, you will know the difference. I was signing the papers and realized I forgot to check the rotors: Sure as $hit! They were less than optimal, grooved with a lip on the outside. What am I to do? Pass on it? Not likely... OK, so I knew I was going to have to get some rotors and pads.
If you plan on using this as a daily driver, depending on the mileage you drive it, it could be in the range of $100/mo or $300/mo - not including fuel.
$100-125 oil change - could be less if you do it yourself - 5000-10000 miles
$80-100 spark plugs - 20000 miles or so
$20 cabin filter - 20000 miles or when it stinks
$40-50 assembly filters (2) - 20000 miles
$700-3500 for timing belt every 35000 miles
$800 - 1500 for tires - 10000 - 20000 miles depends on your driving style/tracking
$700 - 1000 for rotors - 10000 - 20000 miles depends on you.
$250 - 600 for trans flush/filter 20000 miles

2. no unless you want sway bars ($200-300 each) or shitcan all of it and KWv3 it ($2500)

3. Under the original warranty, the original owners more than likely went in to the stealership for ANY little noise (original owner of mine did and I have 37 pages to prove it). I am not sure what they were expecting as "body lowered 20mm, shocks with 40% increased compression damping, 30% stiffer spring rate". The problem with the onesy/twosey strut replacement was with the DRC and how it had to be pressurized properly otherwise it was for nothing... Do FL/RR or FR/RL or all of it.

0. Perhaps some of the Seattle contingent could comment on or shed light upon their vehicles. How long did you get to drive it? Make sure your water(in the middle) and oil (200) temp are nominal.

5. water sound? Since you are in Seattle where it does rain alot, make sure there isn't any water in the passenger foot well - if so, write down the VIN number and leave... Not sure if that sound is the radiator getting additional water pumped in or if the water pump is going south...

6. Powder on the tips? no clue but in my track days on my Ducati 916, we would run race gas and the residue on the pipes was not black but it was white/lt grey...

4. Aftermarket warranty - Fidelity is pricey and you will be encouraged/welcomed/forced/suggested to get a PPI before the Fidelity Warranty purchase... There are others out there but everything is based on the purchase mileage and the level of warranty. There is Prism or Protective or .... brain fart... Pat has a different one...eurotunedrs6 has a different one (seattle peep)...

5. There are some US RS6 that seem to be constantly in the shop (MMATURO's) and some that are never in the shop. Hit and miss, I guess.

6. Exclusion list is based on your aftermarket warranty. There are some things not covered like upper/lower control arms, rotors, electronics and it depends on the amount of coverage.

7. Trans rebuild - hmmm well there is TOZO89 that could do it. Aftermarket warranty should cover that or at least THAT would be one of the items that you would MAKE sure is on the COVERED list. MMATURO can surely convince you towards one or more aftermarket warranties...

8. ANY Audi service manager/personnel, when proved with the VIN, can/will pull up the entire service history (assuming it was all performed at an AUDI dealer) minus the original owner's personal information. My list has weird stuff like Steering column replaced twice, information center display replaced... The Carfax and Audi Stealership service history are not 1-1 correlated. Close but not.

Take your time and search for the right one.
Don't you think it is slightly odd that the price went from $39k to $28k???

If you find the right one, jump quickly.
Then be on the lookout for MaxRS6 and OZZY... and a ton of thread jacks

[DreamingOfCars]

Holy awesome responses - many thanks.

I would be suspicious on price if it wasn't Barrier - they consistently price cars 6-10k above market value and generally won't budge on price. Bellevue is suckersville for buying luxury cars. The new dealer is a non-franchised used car place. I'm guesstimating that between 5-15 people test drove it since February based on mileage, and most probably pass because it looks great outside but the interior definitely looks 7 years old - overall it's good, but if you look closely many pieces of the rubber have scratches/scuffs. People around here would probably rather buy an S6 or something newer. The economy still mostly stinks, and I think most people don't want to touch a 7 year old high performance car unless they got lots of cash, and in that case they would probably be looking for lower mileage models anyway.

I'm definitely willing to search, but I've been a little frustrated talking to private party sellers so far. Many of them don't have titles in hand, which means I'm risking cash, and one flat out lied about problems that I later found out about on another forum (different car - but he had some serious engine issues, electrical problems, and other random noises. I directly asked him about these things and he said it was fine before I found his posts).

[ben916]

I know all about Bellevue/Kirkland/Medina/Clyde Hill/Coal Creek/Redmond/Juanita.... Lived there (PM for the exact address) for 25 yrs. Same $hit here as La Jolla... University City...

Scratches on the interior on that rubberized crap on the window control - everybody has it. Not busting your balls but, it's a performance car, not a show car (unless you are Dave Hall with Mop-n-Glo)
At the end of the day, the driver's seat is worn - you are correct! It IS a 7yo car.

It IS about what you like and what you are willing to put up with, if anything or everything.
Who give a damn about others think? Especially in those places...
They gotta beef with it? Say hello to my German exhaust pipes in ya face and quickly accelerating away from the idjuts!

The 5-15 people were probably not serious purchasers and just wanted take it for a HARD spin as they had never seen or driven one...
Not sure what you could do about private party purchases but do what EBAY suggests (Caveat Empor)
Stick with a dealer but stay away from GO MOTORS

[skribe]

One wheel dealer replacement is very common because people hit potholes and bend them, most dealers just replace the wheel at big markup rather than send it out for trueing.

These cars can be pretty buggy, or nearly trouble-free. It's the luck of the draw.

No dealer ever gave me crap about pulling service history, that's strange.

I waited till I found the combo of a babied car that had virtually never been to the dealer for a problem, but that took me nearly a year. Even so, my EGT sensors went bad right off the bat, and my passenger intercooler leaked. And I ate my brand new tires in less than 10k, but I typically drive like a lunatic with misplaced aggression issues. My recalled DRC is losing pressure, it's a bad design and the car looks too high to my eyeball. I'm replacing it with Bilstein coilovers soon.

It's high maintenance no matter what, but worth it IMHO. Enjoy the hunt.

[DreamingOfCars]

More great responses - thanks.

I have no issues with the interior degradation and it doesn't affect my decision much(though my current car is 8 yrs old and the materials still look great, save for the leather on the seats). As for the look/age of the car - I love it, for many of the reasons other people do. It's not flashy like "hey look at me", but it has an attractive look. I was just trying to say that locals that don't know much about the car would probably take a newer, but less fun performance car because they do care about these things.

As to how I plan to drive the car, I don't plan to drive it like mad. It's supposed to be a family sedan, to make the ride to daycare/work and back more fun ;).

[JRS-RS6]

There is no protected information in the print out...no prior owner information.

Umm my service records show prior owners and so did their insurance cards etc. they left in the car. My 0.02. Great thread -- for 52K miles sounds a little steep without the warranty. My car last year was under 30K w/o warranty with 35K miles on it. Needed a few things but tune up, timing belt, brakes and winter tires along with battery and DRC were all brand new.

[hahnmgh63]

Barrier definitely had the car overpriced, I looked at it while it was there. Barrier does have a good service department so I would be surprised if they didn't check it out. It's not too bad of a price now if everything checks out but still a little high, even for Washington state. If you are willing to travel somewhere you can probably find a better price on a similar car, were definitely overpriced up here still.

[DHall1]

If the car passes a PPI inspection. I would say buy it.

You could search for months and risk travel and dead beat sellers. You have a car right now that you can touch, drive, inspect and generally have your own eyes on it.

The price is ok for a clean 52k car. Very few low mileage cars are left and some of them are beat up. Its hard not to find one without major body work and paint work history, chips on all the fenders from road debris and general scrapes all over the place.

I say buy it.


Holy awesome responses - many thanks.

I would be suspicious on price if it wasn't Barrier - they consistently price cars 6-10k above market value and generally won't budge on price. Bellevue is suckersville for buying luxury cars. The new dealer is a non-franchised used car place. I'm guesstimating that between 5-15 people test drove it since February based on mileage, and most probably pass because it looks great outside but the interior definitely looks 7 years old - overall it's good, but if you look closely many pieces of the rubber have scratches/scuffs. People around here would probably rather buy an S6 or something newer. The economy still mostly stinks, and I think most people don't want to touch a 7 year old high performance car unless they got lots of cash, and in that case they would probably be looking for lower mileage models anyway.

I'm definitely willing to search, but I've been a little frustrated talking to private party sellers so far. Many of them don't have titles in hand, which means I'm risking cash, and one flat out lied about problems that I later found out about on another forum (different car - but he had some serious engine issues, electrical problems, and other random noises. I directly asked him about these things and he said it was fine before I found his posts).

[DreamingOfCars]

Ok, here's the Carfax. I can't post a link because it's not up anywhere:

Date ODO Details
12/06/03 6 Pre delivery inspection completed
02/14/2004 347 First owner reported
6/10/04 NA Maintenance inspection completed
8/13/04 NA Vehicle serviced
2/10/2005 NA Vehicle serviced
04/08/2005 NA Brakes checked, Drivability/performance checked
5/17/2005 NA Manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed
11/30/2005 NA Engine/powertrain computer module checked, brake fluid flushed/changed, Maintenance inspection completed, Valve cover gasket replaced, sunroof switch replaced

4/05/2006 NA Maintenance inspection completed, manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed

10/18/2006 NA One wheel replaced, rear brake pads replaced, front brake rotors replaced, maintenance inspection completed, a/c refrigerant recharged, radiator replaced, antifreeze/coolant checked

3/27/2007 NA Engine removed for repair, maintenance inspection completed, headlights adjusted, trim repaired, a/c refrigerant recharged, manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed, interior trim checked, brake light switch replaced

5/2/2007 NA Offered for sale as Audi CPO

6/17/2007 36,102 New owner reported

10/23/2007 38,048 Manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed, door trim panel adjusted, front door trim panel replaced, strut(s) replaced, aligntment performed, two wheel alignment peformed

1/31/2008 39,262 Engine removed for repair, driveshaft removed and installed, valve cover gasket replaced, manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed, engine/powertrain/computer module checked, Air flow meter replaced, timing chain tensioner seal replaced, camshaft replaced, two wheel alignment performed, alignment performed, strut(s) replaced, CV boot replaced

4/30/2008 NA maintenance inspection completed

10/29/2008 43,392 Front brake pads and rotors replaced, strut(s) replaced

2/6/2009 45,780 Manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed, cooling system checked, two wheel alignment performed, alignment performed, strut(s) replaced

4/30/2009 47,291 Driveshaft removed and installed, CV boot replaced, parts ordered, strut(s) replaced, alignment performed, two wheel alignment performed (I believe this was DRC..I confirmed it was either this one or the one after)

11/12/09 50,912 Vehicle serviced

2/11/09 51,853 Sold at auction...and sitting on lots ever since

[ben916]

Umm my service records show prior owners and so did their insurance cards etc. they left in the car.

I would be curious to find out who was the original owner of the one I purchased as the non-audi dealer close to Beverly Hills indicated it was owned by some celebrity...
When I was at Miramar Audi, they looked and wouldn't tell me nor hint either...

Off topic: who is in tight with there service advisor???? :)

EDIT: It sat on the lot for a YEAR????

[SteveKen]

On the note of previous or original owner's name, in the manual pouch, I have an OnStar/Telematics card (hard plastic) with a name on it. Could I assume that this was the original owner?

[skribe]

That big service at 39k would freak me out. Camshaft replaced... That's a huge WTF in my book.

[skribe]

I would be curious to find out who was the original owner of the one I purchased as the non-audi dealer close to Beverly Hills indicated it was owned by some celebrity...

Didn't RuPaul drive an avus RS 6 back in the day?

[DreamingOfCars]

When I talked to the service advisors at each dealer, they didn't claim to see anything outside of normal maintenance, but my sense is that they wanted to get me off the phone. I would ask about a specific date and line item on the carfax, and they would say "no that wasn't done". Then on other dates they might say something was done that I thought was stamped with a different date. As I mentioned before, one thing the carfax doesn't talk about is what people report - one of those last services includes a report of a loose accelerator.

My bad on the date at auction - it was in 2010. Even still, it has been sitting for over 7 months.

The camshaft and radiator were both red flags to me. Does the camshaft not get removed to do one of the major services (or possibly for some type of leak)? I assumed that service was the 35k, but the advisor told me that none of the services for the 2nd owner were 35k, but I was also guessing the original owner did the 35k on 3/27, but it seems odd that it would have been done 2 times.

[DHall1]

Ok, my notes below.

I still say get the PPI at Audi and while in the shop...ask for the service print out. The prior owners info is not listed and the repairs are much clearer detail.



Ok, here's the Carfax. I can't post a link because it's not up anywhere:

Date ODO Details
12/06/03 6 Pre delivery inspection completed
02/14/2004 347 First owner reported
6/10/04 NA Maintenance inspection completed
8/13/04 NA Vehicle serviced
2/10/2005 NA Vehicle serviced
04/08/2005 NA Brakes checked, Drivability/performance checked
5/17/2005 NA Manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed
11/30/2005 NA Engine/powertrain computer module checked, brake fluid flushed/changed, Maintenance inspection completed, Valve cover gasket replaced, sunroof switch replaced

4/05/2006 NA Maintenance inspection completed, manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed

10/18/2006 NA One wheel replaced, rear brake pads replaced, front brake rotors replaced, maintenance inspection completed, a/c refrigerant recharged, radiator replaced, antifreeze/coolant checked

3/27/2007 NA Engine removed for repair, maintenance inspection completed, headlights adjusted, trim repaired, a/c refrigerant recharged, manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed, interior trim checked, brake light switch replaced I would have to guess the 35k service was performed here. Why? Because at the time and mileage the service was covered by warranty. esp if the engine was pulled to replace valve cover gaskets.

5/2/2007 NA Offered for sale as Audi CPO

6/17/2007 36,102 New owner reported

10/23/2007 38,048 Manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed, door trim panel adjusted, front door trim panel replaced, strut(s) replaced, aligntment performed, two wheel alignment peformed

1/31/2008 39,262 Engine removed for repair, driveshaft removed and installed, valve cover gasket replaced, manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed, engine/powertrain/computer module checked, Air flow meter replaced, timing chain tensioner seal replaced, camshaft replaced, two wheel alignment performed, alignment performed, strut(s) replaced, CV boot replaced This one is the deal breaker. Get a copy of this service at all costs. If one of the engine cams needed replaced....run away from this car. Not a great situation if the engine was out 2 times in a year but sometimes the techs get away with tricks and not pull the engine. But they get paid for it.

4/30/2008 NA maintenance inspection completed

10/29/2008 43,392 Front brake pads and rotors replaced, strut(s) replaced

2/6/2009 45,780 Manufacturer's recommended maintenance performed, cooling system checked, two wheel alignment performed, alignment performed, strut(s) replaced

4/30/2009 47,291 Driveshaft removed and installed, CV boot replaced, parts ordered, strut(s) replaced, alignment performed, two wheel alignment performed (I believe this was DRC..I confirmed it was either this one or the one after)

11/12/09 50,912 Vehicle serviced

2/11/09 51,853 Sold at auction...and sitting on lots ever since

[hahnmgh63]

I would do as Dhall1 suggests and take it to Audi for the PPI but don't take it back to Barrier since they already had it. I think Barrier has a pretty good reputation for service but most enthusiasts around that don't do a lot of their own work take their cars to University Audi and deal with a guy named Ben. His is on Quattroworld forums under the PNW region every once in a while. And "No", none of the cams get removed for any of the regular services or would they for a oil leak that I can think of, it would have to be for something more major.

[DreamingOfCars]

Ok, sounds like I have more homework to do. The current seller knows a couple of service people at University and claims they looked and didn't find anything. Part of the problem here is that there is obviously a conflict of interest with Barrier and possibly with University, which means an indie may be the only choice, but then getting the records pulled might be harder. Barrier offered to credit me the cost of the PPI towards a warranty, but given their quote on the warranty I will probably be better off looking elsewhere anyway.

I wondered if a PPI involves checking out the engine - would leak downs/compression tests be useful in this case? Apparently, Barrier doesn't do that (or you have to pay a bit more for it).

The carfax isn't linked to anywhere, and I'm sure it's because the seller knows it would scare people away. Dealers don't really want you to know the history in most cases, and I'm a little cynical when they claim to have a full history (as this car was advertised), because I always question if they just throw out anything that looks scary.

There are 3 other RS6s for sale locally - the one from Achtuning (too many miles), another daytona with 54k listed at 29.5 on CL, and a silver with 49k, but it has had at least 4 owners and the seller was asking 34k. I thought this one might be a decent candidate for PPI but if I can't get the info on that camshaft replacement maybe I should just move on.

[ben916]

Didn't RuPaul drive an avus RS 6 back in the day?

It wouldn't have fit as it is over 6'6" or so... without heels... and it isn't nearly flashy enough... Maybe with S5 rims on it ..... :)


When I talked to the service advisors at each dealer, they didn't claim to see anything outside of normal maintenance, but my sense is that they wanted to get me off the phone. I would ask about a specific date and line item on the carfax, and they would say "no that wasn't done". Then on other dates they might say something was done that I thought was stamped with a different date. As I mentioned before, one thing the carfax doesn't talk about is what people report - one of those last services includes a report of a loose accelerator.

My bad on the date at auction - it was in 2010. Even still, it has been sitting for over 7 months.

The camshaft and radiator were both red flags to me. Does the camshaft not get removed to do one of the major services (or possibly for some type of leak)? I assumed that service was the 35k, but the advisor told me that none of the services for the 2nd owner were 35k, but I was also guessing the original owner did the 35k on 3/27, but it seems odd that it would have been done 2 times.

You REALLY need to get the print out of the service on that one. I wouldn't make a move without it. You are getting the run around.

My 35k service was really early - 19k...

[DHall1]

Normal PPIs dont include leakdown tests. Those are not normally a problem with RS6. Schedule the car at University and go there to talk to the tech and service adivsor the day of the PPI. Make sure the Audi history print out goes with the car at PPI and go from there. The techs dont have crystal balls but will raise the car and vag com the ecu for faults. Dont expect a miracle but dont leave without the past service print out. Go right to the 35 and 39k services and look for that cam replacement info.

good luck

[skribe]

It wouldn't have fit as it is over 6'6" or so... without heels... and it isn't nearly flashy enough... Maybe with S5 rims on it ..... :)

Just LOL'd on that one. Nicely played. :applause:

[DreamingOfCars]

I guess the important question to ask is, if the camshaft was replaced for any reason - when is that normal? It also sounds like I should check out at least 1 or 2 others to compare how they look and drive so I can be confident the car runs as expected.

I agree that I've been getting the run around, and I'm going to try calling back for a records fax as suggested. I think the service advisors hate reading these reports over the phone because they are hard to read, and the car hasn't been serviced at any of those places for over a year. When I saw the printouts of a different RS6, I had to spend a minute per page to see the complaint and what action was taken, and it was usually mixed with normal services.

If anyone has a good relationship with a service advisor, here is a VIN: WUAPV64B23N905459.

Based on reading other posts here, it seems like some of you are savvy at also running tests on how well the car is running/boosting/shifting with VAGCom on board. I doubt that PPIs do this, so do any of the local Seattle peeps have the knowledge/VAGCom to run tests on a drive?

[DreamingOfCars]

Whoa...a previous thread and I found one piece of info - the dealer wasn't lying to me:

http://www.rs6.com/showthread.php/20862-Clean-low-mileage-RS6-s-with-extended-warranty-are-actually-going-up-in-price.?highlight=warranty

I'm almost positive it is the one auctioned on 2/11 that went for 31.5 and listed in ABOVE condition. That is what I was told Barrier paid, but I didn't believe it.

NVM ...now it's listed as sold. Time to keep looking.

[ben916]

Whoa...a previous thread and I found one piece of info - the dealer wasn't lying to me:

http://www.rs6.com/showthread.php/20862-Clean-low-mileage-RS6-s-with-extended-warranty-are-actually-going-up-in-price.?highlight=warranty

I'm almost positive it is the one auctioned on 2/11 that went for 31.5 and listed in ABOVE condition. That is what I was told Barrier paid, but I didn't believe it.

NVM ...now it's listed as sold. Time to keep looking.

Probably a good thing...

Here: http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=p&car_id=286619598&dealer_id=65687087&car_year=2003&rdm=1252615205509&model=RS6&num_records=25&systime=&make2=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&start_year=2003&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&awsp=false&search_type=both&distance=0&marketZipError=false&search_lang=en&showZipError=n&make=AUDI&keywords_display=&color=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=&seller_type=b&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=91943&advanced=&end_year=2003&doors=&transmission=&max_price=&cardist=463&standard=false&rdpage=thumb

or HERE (this one has been for sale forever):http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=p&car_id=286001844&dealer_id=65655809&car_year=2003&rdm=1252615205509&model=RS6&num_records=25&systime=&make2=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&start_year=2003&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&awsp=false&search_type=both&distance=0&marketZipError=false&search_lang=en&showZipError=n&make=AUDI&keywords_display=&color=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=&seller_type=b&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=91943&advanced=&end_year=2003&doors=&transmission=&max_price=&cardist=679&standard=false

[DreamingOfCars]

I checked the one listed for 42k. Warranty is only gold plus level and is good for one more year. Seller wants 39.5 and is in no hurry to sell - they have 5 cars. It hasn't had DRC recall done nor has it ever had a timing belt change, and it needed an alternator replacement about a year ago. My other concern with that low of mileage is I've been told that performance cars that sit in garages can sometimes be worse than cars with average mileage. It has been driven 3k/year. Total price is more than I wanted to spend anyway - looking to keep it between 25-30k so I can add that 6-7k warranty on top.

I'll look into the other one.

[ben916]

I checked the one listed for 42k. Warranty is only gold plus level and is good for one more year. Seller wants 39.5 and is in no hurry to sell - they have 5 cars. It hasn't had DRC recall done nor has it ever had a timing belt change, and it needed an alternator replacement about a year ago. My other concern with that low of mileage is I've been told that performance cars that sit in garages can sometimes be worse than cars with average mileage. It has been driven 3k/year. Total price is more than I wanted to spend anyway - looking to keep it between 25-30k so I can add that 6-7k warranty on top.

I'll look into the other one.

Agreed!
There are some decent ones on Autotrader...
Also, Park Place LTD is rather pricey on some of their stuff.

Also there are some peeps in Seattle:
Topcat_92
Brazil,
EurotunedRS6,
hahnmgh63
and others...

[DreamingOfCars]

It's odd that the auction price was so high compared to others. The exterior was in awesome shape, it had all options, and it had that detailed carfax. I would think that carfax would be more of a liability than a help, I'd love to know what qualifies cars to be sold into these below/avg/above tiers other than exterior shape/accidents/mileage/number of owners.

Slightly bummed, but I'll tell myself it had problems. Just hope no one snaked it based on this thread (though I doubt it, apparently someone walked in yesterday and paid asking price of 30).

Anyone know current auction prices? I feel like a lot of the listings on auto trader are high for their condition/mileage.

[speedtrapped]

Did u check out the one on ebay being sold in Texas ? Decent shape I think they want 28.5k, but when I called and spoke to him, he said they would come off 1k, so if ur serious I bet 1500-2k. Nice looking, just I wasn't thrilled about light gray interior

[marklar182]

There are a few of us down here in the Dallas area, let me know if you want the one in Addison looked at or have a PPI done on it.

[mmaturo]

A few comments on maintenance but $2500- $3K seems to be what i do spend, less now that i have a TT I am using as my daily driver instead of the RS. Most comments are dead on but my tires are closer to $400ea and go at 16K (3 sets now at that mileage)...its the inner wear on the tire from the camber that does it as the center and outter edges of the tire still have life in them. Rotors everyone has about right at 14K (mine like clock-work but i'm a little hard on on them) to 25K. $280ea at genuinevwaudiparts.com...this site seems to be the best prices i have found in 5 years for OEM parts, but pads depending on which they are have a half life of the rotors. But EBCs are nice and cheap and work well. Rears last 50K+.

Dealer is $150+ on oil change. Indy shop is $100. Stabilizer bar has to be dropped to get the filter out so that's the extra cost.

The only other maintenance thing creeping up is oil leaks that seem to show up around the pulley/roller openings around the timing belt but you can't see them without popping the cover over the belt (have all replaced with timing belt service) and the valve cover gaskets. I think the lowers are starting to go a little now in my car but oil leaks really are not a concern with these things as none are critical leaks other than a little smell after a spirited run. After growing up with GM V8s nothing bugs me with leaks on this thing.

To help tell tranny health the major symptom i have always had as the most obvious failure (I'm on #4 so i should know) is a delay in shifting into 1 coming to a stop. If you are glidding in you can feel it leave 2 early but then nothing for an extended period of time...then a more sudden drop into one. The slip you will notice a bit on hard acceleration in the 2 to 3 shift and after as sort of a stop of acceleration but you are still pressing the gas...car sort of hits a plateau for a brief second then engages and goes.

In the 50 to 80K range bushings in everything in the front suspension will go so new control arms upper and lower, links, stabilizer bar may be needed. If test driving a car and you hear any clunks in the front its something going. More of a clunk shudder over say an expansion joint at speed or bump inthe highway but more noticeable at slower speeds over sharp bumps and slow turn ins. Easy way to find them is slow turns into curb cuts with a good change in elevation. CV boots also fail at this time...inners and outers.

Fuel gauge is the only gremlin i have left as it reads in correctly down low now (at all...you get out thinking you have 40-50 miles to go and you get back in with 0). This after a cluster change, sender and new fuel tank...oh well. The original in the car was perfect. Something happened to it on one of my tranny drops.

On the water noise its a moot point now that the car sold but i bet it was a clogged drain line from the condenser behind the dash...i have had that problem in every Audi I have owned including the RS. Easy to unplug.

[DreamingOfCars]

Thanks for the extra info MMaturo. With regards to oil leaks, I have heard this is a common problem on turbo Audi engines in general, and a number of RS6s I have looked at seem to have this issue. One of them had the turbos replaced but the car still seems to leak. The smell is kind of annoying, but as long as it isn't an issue that would damage the car long term I could probably cope.

As to the control arms/links/stabilizer bar and CV boots, are these things covered under warranty? I think they might be considered wear and tear, in which case, I'm curious as to what the cost of replacement on these is, and how often they will continue to get eaten up.

Thanks for the advice on what to look for in a test drive.

I'm still contacting various sellers on Auto Trader. Seems to me like a lot of private party sellers over value the car as I'm generally looking at between 45-60k miles. Most of them need one or more major services (brakes, 35k, 55k, etc.) and few if any have warranties (or have less than a year of coverage left). Average list price is around 32-34 and most people are willing to drop the price by 2-4k but not much more.

[mmaturo]

Yep you should be paying in the mid 20s in my opinion with no warranty and services needed max. Closer to 30 in excellent shape and warranty. They can all kiss my arse because my car at that mileage was not worth that much period two years ago. Go tell them to try to trade it in...the trade in would be very low 20s for them. I'm at 86K and i bet mid teens is all i could get in trade although car is in excellent condition body and mechanically (for once). $24K with RNSE and my 19" wheels takes my car off my hands.

On the oil I don't know of any RS6s that have had turbo failures so new to me there (5 years and going). They seem to be tanks in this application. The oil leaks are gaskets here and there and minor in my opinion. The only reason Turbos on my car were once replaced is that they couldn't get the bolts out when dropping the engine so they were damaged/drilled getting them out so both have to be replaced even though only one may have had seized connectors.

CV boots are wear and tear and replacement at my independent shop was $400 for one so that's not exactly cheap (that may have been an inner boot). Control arms, links and stabilizer bar I had all replaced under warranty several times. I'm on the hook now but they don't seem too pricey...in the 100s ea I think seeing. You can live with the clunking for awhile though. Longevity seems to be in direct relation to how they were last installed. The suspension must be loaded and then tightened down or the bushings will be under extra stress and fail fast...15K fast in my case...twice. My indy shop pointed that one out. The techs at the dealer if not too bright will just put everything in and tighten it up too much while hanging in the air. That's bad.

[DreamingOfCars]

Also - thanks for the offers to check out cars. I will continue looking across states and see if I can find someone on the forum to do a check on any that look promising (assuming someone here is nearby). As for the one in Texas, it didn't look like it had records, which is what I want to avoid, and it had 3 or 4 owners. I'm trying to stick to a 2 owner car (or 1, but it's unlikely), stock, with history, under 55k miles, in almost any color/option configuration except green/red exterior. I'd like the SE tips, carbon fiber, and sun shades, but none of those are deal breakers (well...maybe the tips). I've contacted several people on auto trader, but as I mentioned very few people seem willing to part with a car in my criteria range for under 30k, and most of them need at least some work equivalent to 1k+ in costs.

Another quick question about buying - how does titling work if I buy it across states? Do I do it once in the state I buy it and then once in my home state? I assume I only pay taxes when I title it back in my home state.

Another one - does anyone have a recommendation for a car shipping company? Are rates posted online?

[Chung]

I am currently in the out of state buying process as well. The Washington Licensing Department is less than helpful but here are a few things I have learned.

You will pay Washington use tax when you license it (around 10% of the KBB retail price). You can use other reputable sources for pricing info I believe and I am going to try to use either Edmonds or NADA for the “value” of the car (does anyone else here believe the value is the price the transaction happens at?). Another tidbit of information I learned is you can deduct needed repairs off of that value if they come from an accredited shop (I don’t know what this is but I am going to use my PPI data).

There are three forms I think you need to fill out:
- Odometer statement (you need to go into a licensing office for this)
- Value of the car statement
- Bill of Sale

Once you get your car you need to get the emissions check and take the title and the above documents into the department of licensing. Since I am still in the process (I am flying out next Thursday to pick up the car) I will let you know what parts are correct and which ones I do wrong.

[DHall1]

You poor serfs in Washington state. 10% sales tax on KBB retail? You must be kidding me. My god why dont you throw the bums out on their a$$es in the capitol. That is friggin robbery.

Time to open a LLC in Montana.

I see why WA cracks down on people coming over the border to OR and buying cars.

Damn people.


I am currently in the out of state buying process as well. The Washington Licensing Department is less than helpful but here are a few things I have learned.

You will pay Washington use tax when you license it (around 10% of the KBB retail price). You can use other reputable sources for pricing info I believe and I am going to try to use either Edmonds or NADA for the “value” of the car (does anyone else here believe the value is the price the transaction happens at?). Another tidbit of information I learned is you can deduct needed repairs off of that value if they come from an accredited shop (I don’t know what this is but I am going to use my PPI data).

There are three forms I think you need to fill out:
- Odometer statement (you need to go into a licensing office for this)
- Value of the car statement
- Bill of Sale

Once you get your car you need to get the emissions check and take the title and the above documents into the department of licensing. Since I am still in the process (I am flying out next Thursday to pick up the car) I will let you know what parts are correct and which ones I do wrong.

[Chung]

Well we don't have income tax, so that is a plus.

[DHall1]

Indeed.

So setup the LLC in Montana to make all vehicle purchases and pay 0 WA state income tax. We kept a property in Oregon for this exact reason. All vehicles are purchased in "Oregon" and the lic fees are still dirt cheap.

RS6 license fees in OR are 86.00 for two years.
RS6 license fees in AZ were over 800/yr the last time I checked.

I stopped in a high end car dealer today up in Phoenix. Imports, Pcars, MB, BMW and Audi shop. Been in business 25 years same spot. He is selling 20% of vehicles and almost no local sales in AZ. AZ just raised sales tax to 10% on top of high property tax, state income tax, electric and water rate increases. The people in AZ are f'ed. He is only selling out of state. Amazing.

[ben916]

...I am flying out next Thursday to pick up the car

So you found something?

[Chung]

I did. Actually I am buying a fellow board member's car (p3u). He told me about these forums. There are some minor issues but for them most part the major stuff appears to have been taken care of. I have been holding off on the RS6 for a long time because of it's history but it is starting to feel like the problems are being ironed out and that it will be a fun car to own.

[skribe]

Seems like a good buy, from what I gather P3U's car is well-modded, well cared for, and darn quick.

At some point, RS 6 prices will bottom out and hit a point where they don't devalue very quickly, I think that we're close. KBB and others aren't good at quantifying something like an RS 6 -- there are very few, the car is a bit of a legend, it's considered by some (like an e30 M3 or e39 M5) to be the best of the breed, the Audi brand has never been more popular, etc.

They are worth exactly what someone who really wants a particular car is willing to pay for it. Scarcity and demand. I ran into a couple of guys who had very good examples who just wouldn't entertain offers below a certain emotional threshold, that's what the market will start to do.

At some point it becomes like an old 911, only the thoroughly used up ones drop into the cheap seats, and the really good, low mileage examples start to creep up a bit in market value (which is very different from KBB value.)

Congrats on the purchase.

[DreamingOfCars]

I suspect that only really low mileage ones are going to creep back up in price, and will only be valuable to owners who intend to keep them low mileage. I think you're going to see a flood of them enter the market in 2-3 years when no one will be able to get warranties on them, and a lot of them will be gobbled up in the 15k range by people who beat them up and resell them without taking care of them. 5-10 years out, many of these will die a horrible death or be parted out and the remaining ones in good shape with low miles will become collector's items.

It was mentioned that prices seemed to have crept up recently for low mileage RS6s, but this is a side effect of the massive increase in used car prices since early '09. Take a look at the Manheim report:

http://www.manheimconsulting.com/Used_Vehicle_Value_Index/Current_Monthly_Index.html

Used car prices are at an all time historical high, though they have slightly dropped in the last month or two.