I think I found my RS6

[midwest1275]

I've been looking for sometime for the right RS6 to buy, I think I found it.
Here's a link to it: http://www.audiminneapolis.com/used/Audi/2003-Audi-RS6-Minneapolis-7e97c1ff0a0a0002257f6ca620fc7caf.htm

It's Black w/ white interior, carbon fiber accents, SE exhaust, RS4 wheels, low miles (53k), clean car fax, I don't think it was chipped, DRC was done at 35k, original trans, and they dropped the price a bit to $22, 250. The only way I'd own one of these is with a warranty, so they got me one they use through their dealership (Zurich Insurance-standard plan). The warranty will be an extra $5500 (pricey) but I don't see any other way. It's for 3 years or 36, 000 miles. I drive less than 5k a year so i'll have it 3 years. I looked around at other private sale RS6's and there was no way to get a warranty on them (high miles & over 10 year old car). I saw a few RS6's w/ existing warranty's that were transferable, but the miles were too high on the cars. So out the door w/shipping ($1200) to my home in Los Angeles, it will be 29k. What do u guys think? Pretty good deal or no? I haven't wired the money yet. They did a full work up at the Audi dealership ($500) which they split 50/50
w/me. Everything checked out well except there was dirty brake fluid (they will fix that), slight warping of front rotors (can barely feel on brake pedal), body was clean, compression leak down looked fine, and the only codes being thrown were minor misfires and low flow to cats at start up. Pretty minor codes if I'm correct. I'll attach the work up from Audi to this email if anybody wants to check it out. Maybe I missed something. This will be my first RS6 so I'm pretty excited. I've had quite a few VW's and A4's, always wanted an RS6. Let me know what you think. Thanks


The pdf for the Audi work up was too big so I will try and reduce the size and attach later.

[Bigglezworth]

If you have no mechanical expertise, then I would say that a warraty is a good thing. If you can wrench, then it's a waste of money IMO. You have less than average mileage at 53K. 12-15K/year is considered average mileage on a car and this is less than half that. I would only say one thing with contemplating becoming an RS6 owner. If you are stretching yourself to get in to one, then I would recommend against it. Not everything is covered with warranty of course, and standard maintenance items like brakes can quickly set you back a cool $1000-1500. Oil changes can be a bit pricey too if you don't do your own.

[midwest1275]

I won't be wrenching on the car, I know of a few respected German auto tuners in LA that I will be bringing it to for servicing. I have about 7k cash put aside just in case. I'm sure that will get used up. In the near future I see an upgraded stereo/nav, coilovers, V1 radar, and chip. Other than that, just enjoying it and maybe hitting a track day or 2 to really open it up

[na1mt]

I think that's alot of money.....personally

[lswing]

Minor misfires, low flow???? What the hell, seems good otherwise. Could be your cam tensioners or coil packs, wiring. Have them fix it first or take $4k off the price at least.

Front brakes, $1,500

Timing belt? $3k

[nistah]

that is a beautiful color combo - my favorite - always liked the cream leather with pearl black metallic combo. If dealership is saying front brakes are slightly warped then you should have them replace those as part of the deal or adjust the price accordingly. As Lswing mentioned above if you need front rotors you are looking at $$$$. Car and milage looks great, warranty is as you mentioned is a necessity so that looks good too. I don't suspect that too many others are negotiating at the present time to buy this one out from under you ( but you never know) so make sure you get the dealership to sort out the little issues & I think you will be very happy with the car once you board the crazy train!

[DHall1]

That car sold

Remember rust belt cars may have seen tons of salt...esp in Chicago and Minneapolis

Once the trans and a few other items are changed these cars are Toyota reliable for 200k.

Why pay to ship a rust belt car to SoCal?

[hahnmgh63]

Hard to tell with the relatively low miles Dave. I bought my car in Chicago and the owner claimed garaged and no winters with 22K years ago and when I looked at it, and with laying beside the car with a flashlight I could tell he was right. After having mine on my lift over the years along with a few others at my place I think mine is about the cleanest underneath of any I've seen except of course pics of yours :) I still try to drive mine a minimal in the Winters here in WA and the majority of the state doesn't salt the roads, at least where I live and I stay away from the Communist state of Seattle/King County most of the year. The low flow through the Cats has me puzzled though. Random misfires on a car that probably has it's original coils isn't unusual. Cprotzel, see about doing the FSI coil upgrade when you do the plugs and coils. If you use a good LA tuner that knows Audi's they'll know all about it. The coils are suppose to be a little better and they are almost half cost of ours and the upgrade will almost pay for the new coil hold down brackets. Their the same coils used on the R8's.

[midwest1275]

I've been talking with the dealership and they took off $750. I don't they will go much beyond that. I think $22,250 is pretty good for a clean low miles RS6. I hear u about the rust belt cars. They said this was a summer car, so hopefully that's true and it didn't see much salt. There is no visible rust on the car currently. It spent most of its years in Georgia. Over here in CA most RS6's i've looked at are mostly over 100k w/no warranty. Would prefer a CA car but I just haven't been able to find the right one. I've looked at a few that have had crazy low miles (around 25-35k) but they were asking $30,000-33,000. 53k miles is perfect for what i'm looking for. Oh yeah timing belt was done at 35k. Anybody have experience with "Zurich" warranties? I am getting the "standard" one which covers quite a bit, but not as much as their "comprehensive" level.

[JohnnyB]

So you're the one? I've been emailing back and forth with these guys for about a week before they said it was sold. They tried to get me on their other RS6 with the 100+ miles. Looks solid, I'm jealous. I'm like you, first time RS6, coming from an A4. Not a wrencher, but I plan to learn some minor upkeep type things to help mitigate the cost. Do you know what the warranty will/won't cover?

[DHall1]

I did say. May have been exposed. :-)

Its worth a shot...could have been summer car....have them take a pic of the underside. I see nothing but Chicago in the Carfax. Worst city for salt in the winter.

Good luck with it. It sounds like you already bought it.

[midwest1275]

I looked at the paperwork again, it looks like mostly Illinois miles on it. I had a local friend inspect it, Audi service guys checked it, no rust. Could be a few spots they missed, not sure. Do RS6's have issues w/rust? I thought they would be built/treated to withstand German winters.

Here's the only warranty the car qualifies for (3/36k)=http://www.windhammotorco.com/pdf/vsc.pdf.
$5500...ouch I think it will pay for itself, and will give me a bit more peace of mind. Their transmission coverage is pretty good, so that's a plus.

[DHall1]

It sounds like you have had eyes on it. RS6s dont rust body panels....its the underside that gets exposed. All the control arms and bolts that become impossible to work on..

At this point i would put the 5500 in the bank along with another 5 and call it good. Find a good indy and just drive.

[JohnnyB]

At this point i would put the 5500 in the bank along with another 5 and call it good. Find a good indy and just drive.

So you'd bank the money instead of the warranty? I'm genuinely curious because I'm considering something similar. From what I've read, it seems if you're not mechanically inclined (me), this car could well exceed 5k in maintenance over the next three years. The Zurich plan looks decent, especially the transmission portion. The dealer I'm considering for my RS6 is pushing SafeGuard. 36mo/36k mi for 4208. Their website is terrible and I can't find a list of exactly what is covered. I've been hearing a lot about Fidelity. Anyone know anything about that?

Sorry I'm not trying to hijack this thread. I can start another one with warranty questions..

[lswing]

Fidelity is one of the reputable companies I've heard. I'd get a warranty if you can get a good one, Audi dealership service. If you know a good independent mechanic you could go without as you'll save a ton on labor/parts. In the past 3 years I've been through two transmissions, multiple sensors, steering rack, cam adjusters, to the tune of $15k plus, with mostly good deals on service/parts.

[DHall1]

This car has low mileage and he says 5k a year for 3 years. I would put the money in the bank.

Zurich is better

Remember most of these policies have a max payout. Typically what you paid for the car.

So you are giving them 5500 for the chance at 15500 of potential claims that are covered.


So you'd bank the money instead of the warranty? I'm genuinely curious because I'm considering something similar. From what I've read, it seems if you're not mechanically inclined (me), this car could well exceed 5k in maintenance over the next three years. The Zurich plan looks decent, especially the transmission portion. The dealer I'm considering for my RS6 is pushing SafeGuard. 36mo/36k mi for 4208. Their website is terrible and I can't find a list of exactly what is covered. I've been hearing a lot about Fidelity. Anyone know anything about that?

Sorry I'm not trying to hijack this thread. I can start another one with warranty questions..

[LIRS6]

I'm a former member/owner, having recently dropped out ... but over my 149k miles/10+ yrs of ownership, i bought a Fidelity Platinum 3 yrs/36k f/b Fidelity powertrain-only 4 yrs/48k ... cost me total around $6k for which I had MAYBE $2k in covered claims. Other than the TC being replaced at 49k (under factory warranty), I never had any tranny issues ... so was the "peace of mind" worth $4k ... prob not, in retrospect - as the years went by and i didn't have any reimbursable claims, i kinda got pissed at myself for having them. I'm not a wrencher either, but with the fantastic help of this great forum, I managed to change out suspensions, replace the alternator, and perform other general maintenance with the use of a couple of jacks/jack-stands. It's the odd stuff that can really make this car painfully expense... case in point - if the EGT sensors fail, you could be looking at anywhere from $3-5k just to get a couple of sensors replaced. Good luck!

[DHall1]

Well said ^^

Even the egt can be coded out . You dont need them to operate normally.

[marklar182]

I just heard of Fidelity paying MAX payout on a RS6 here in DFW!

I guess Audi had the car for 6mths and it racked up ~29K in repairs!!!!!!

Engine was in and out a few times.....

[lswing]

DAYUM, that's a lot....Audi labor at book times at $120 an hour, reaming the insurance company.

I'd say mine had a few more trips in than average. It was driven hard, and in at least one small wreck before I got it at 85k. Both the power steering rack and transmission were replaced twice due failure of rebuilt items, so that added even more to the labor. Luckily I was paying $75 per hour, and extremely honest and efficient labor times. I did have a new EGT fail after a year that we took care of on one of these occasions. Most of the car is practically new with parts so it should/better be good for a while now!!!

[marklar182]

Audi is $135hr here

[ben916]

I've been looking for sometime for the right RS6 to buy, I think I found it.
Here's a link to it: http://www.audiminneapolis.com/used/Audi/2003-Audi-RS6-Minneapolis-7e97c1ff0a0a0002257f6ca620fc7caf.htm

It's Black w/ white interior, carbon fiber accents, SE exhaust, RS4 wheels, low miles (53k), clean car fax, I don't think it was chipped, DRC was done at 35k, original trans, and they dropped the price a bit to $22, 250. The only way I'd own one of these is with a warranty, so they got me one they use through their dealership (Zurich Insurance-standard plan). The warranty will be an extra $5500 (pricey) but I don't see any other way. It's for 3 years or 36, 000 miles. I drive less than 5k a year so i'll have it 3 years. I looked around at other private sale RS6's and there was no way to get a warranty on them (high miles & over 10 year old car). I saw a few RS6's w/ existing warranty's that were transferable, but the miles were too high on the cars. So out the door w/shipping ($1200) to my home in Los Angeles, it will be 29k. What do u guys think? Pretty good deal or no? I haven't wired the money yet. They did a full work up at the Audi dealership ($500) which they split 50/50
w/me. Everything checked out well except there was dirty brake fluid (they will fix that), slight warping of front rotors (can barely feel on brake pedal), body was clean, compression leak down looked fine, and the only codes being thrown were minor misfires and low flow to cats at start up. Pretty minor codes if I'm correct. I'll attach the work up from Audi to this email if anybody wants to check it out. Maybe I missed something. This will be my first RS6 so I'm pretty excited. I've had quite a few VW's and A4's, always wanted an RS6. Let me know what you think. Thanks


The pdf for the Audi work up was too big so I will try and reduce the size and attach later.

Congrats on the new to you RS^!

Save the $ and fly and sign and drive! No better way to "learn" the capabilities of a super sedan.

Keep the warranty and have peace of mind.

Guaranteed you will drive more that 12k/year in SoCal. I did, and my employer was 10 miles each way per day. :)

Find a good indy that takes the warranty payment (wicked, gmg, Raven, etc)

Get those rotors changed ASAP and those codes fixed before delivery.

[nistah]

One minor thing to check into if you have not wired the money yet & you still have the bargaining power on your side, have them confirm the condition of the soft touch particularly on the climate control, door panel window switch areas. The soft touch in most of the RS6's I've encountered looks like it was attacked by a gremlin after midnight, if that is the case here should be an easy fix since your dealing with an audi dealer who can source the parts to seal the deal. Just thought I'd mention b/c this drives me crazy that the finish on a high line auto such as the RS6 wears out so easy. GOOD LUCK!

[DHall1]

I maxed out #2 with Fidelity. Engine

Boom cha ka la

GIAC ftw


I just heard of Fidelity paying MAX payout on a RS6 here in DFW!

I guess Audi had the car for 6mths and it racked up ~29K in repairs!!!!!!

Engine was in and out a few times.....

[midwest1275]

Thanks for the feedback guys, good to hear from owners and their experiences. There is no way i'd own one of these w/out a warranty. Even if I could wrench on it myself w/ wholesale parts. I'm hoping this low mile car will give me some trouble free miles before big issues start to pop up. But I have heard of major repairs being needed on low mile cars from 10-30k even. I guess it is a roll of the dice w/ this model. My main office is only 8 blocks away for work and I use my Ducati S4R for trips to my other office in Malibu so I will be putting super low miles on it per year. It's not gonna be a garage queen but it will not be needed for commuting. Looks like I will be signing paperwork and wiring money to Audi of Minneapolis in the next few days.

[ben916]

Thanks for the feedback guys, good to hear from owners and their experiences. There is no way i'd own one of these w/out a warranty. Even if I could wrench on it myself w/ wholesale parts. I'm hoping this low mile car will give me some trouble free miles before big issues start to pop up. But I have heard of major repairs being needed on low mile cars from 10-30k even. I guess it is a roll of the dice w/ this model. My main office is only 8 blocks away for work and I use my Ducati S4R for trips to my other office in Malibu so I will be putting super low miles on it per year. It's not gonna be a garage queen but it will not be needed for commuting. Looks like I will be signing paperwork and wiring money to Audi of Minneapolis in the next few days.

Just so you know, these cars need to be driven and driven hard! Garage queen is less than optimal for these cars.

[midwest1275]

Agreed ben916 I plan on wringing all the performance out of it when I can. More track days are definitely on the agenda.

[ttboost]

Make sure you read the FINE PRINT on your warranty. You may find yourself in the unenviable position of arguing with the company over coverage. Not everything is covered 100%. There are a lot of tricks to working on these cars, but for the most part, engine has to come out for everything. Find a good Indy, stay away from dealers.

[G2]

Car looks nice. Has wheels on it, carbon trim and the SE exhaust upgrade. Very low miles provides a rare opportunity. All for the price of a new Korean car.

The warranty is overpriced. Dealers make 100% markup on them. I'd negotiate hard on it. Don't use the warranty as an excuse not to maintain it. They will likely require proof of services.

SoCal cars have a rough life (cruddy roads), but can fair well if cared for. That's my RS6. No rust, at all, however.

If I was still shopping, and it had a clean history, would hop on that car.

[Bigglezworth]

RE: Rust belt cars....

Rust protection on cars like these are leaps and bounds better than cars from 20-25+ years ago. The majority of bolts on the RS6 are rust free. I've taken apart almost every component on the C5 RS6 and there are only a handfull of parts/brakets/bolts I can think of which you might find is more difficult to repair/work on if the car were subjected to winters and snow/ice/salt. The only bolts that were difficult to work with were those on the exhaust. They simply ended up rotting and then snapped when removed. Replacement bolts were stainless steel. In fact, I have an RS6 with a quarter of a million miles on it that has been winter driven for more miles than ANY other RS6 in north america and it's as easy to work on as that car as working on my other one that has less than half the mileage. Further, there is zero rust on the body.

If you aren't putting your car on a pedestal with mirrors below it for a car show, then there is literally no reason to feel a car from Mass or Illinois is any worse than one from Texas or Cali. Especially when it has less than half the average mileage of a 11 yr old car.

[NSU RS6]

Hard to tell with the relatively low miles Dave. I bought my car in Chicago and the owner claimed garaged and no winters with 22K years ago and when I looked at it, and with laying beside the car with a flashlight I could tell he was right. After having mine on my lift over the years along with a few others at my place I think mine is about the cleanest underneath of any I've seen except of course pics of yours :) I still try to drive mine a minimal in the Winters here in WA and the majority of the state doesn't salt the roads, at least where I live and I stay away from the Communist state of Seattle/King County most of the year. The low flow through the Cats has me puzzled though. Random misfires on a car that probably has it's original coils isn't unusual. Cprotzel, see about doing the FSI coil upgrade when you do the plugs and coils. If you use a good LA tuner that knows Audi's they'll know all about it. The coils are suppose to be a little better and they are almost half cost of ours and the upgrade will almost pay for the new coil hold down brackets. Their the same coils used on the R8's.

Good stuff on the coils Mark. I did not know this.

You only went to Chicago for that Pearl White?

I would have gone to Nepal for that car.

Too bad I missed the Feierabend this year. Next time.