McLaren
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- 45,566
- Texas
Looking to buy a used Audi RS6. (Need advice)
- Thread starter paskowitz
- 40 comments
- 24,439 views
- 1,742
- Olympia, WA
- GTP_BrokenVow, zmikedz
I just did a quick search on Autotrader to get some more ideas. Mostly cars aimed at comfort and not sport, but could be decently quick, but not fast:
Lexus GS300
Lexus IS250 (maybe 350 but I don't know about them hitting your price point. Plus, they're small.)
Audi A6 with the 3.2 (anyone mention that yet? The 4.2 should be too much.)
Acura RL
Some Benz' came up, E and C classes. (280, 320, pretty slow I'm sure)
An E60 530xi came in under 30k but thats not something I'd bank on.
B6 S4's can be had for under 30k, but you already said they're too small, so oh well.
And just for good measure I'll reiterate the Volvo S60. R, preferably. Or V70 if your dad likes wagons. Not sporty or fast but at least they're good looking and unique.
Lexus GS300
Lexus IS250 (maybe 350 but I don't know about them hitting your price point. Plus, they're small.)
Audi A6 with the 3.2 (anyone mention that yet? The 4.2 should be too much.)
Acura RL
Some Benz' came up, E and C classes. (280, 320, pretty slow I'm sure)
An E60 530xi came in under 30k but thats not something I'd bank on.
B6 S4's can be had for under 30k, but you already said they're too small, so oh well.
And just for good measure I'll reiterate the Volvo S60. R, preferably. Or V70 if your dad likes wagons. Not sporty or fast but at least they're good looking and unique.
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- 23,993
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
There was an article in one of the car mags a while ago on one of the many supercar clubs (where you pay a yearly flat sum and get to hire some of their collection of exotica when you want). They gave a break down of the running costs of all the cars they have to hire over a year. The RS6 cost as much to maintain as a Ferrari, Lambo or Aston. Just something for him to keep in mind.
- 19,677
- Alabamamania
I had two RS6 customers in my time with Audi: One was reliable enough, save a rattle or two, and the other one needed a new transmission and all of its catalytic converters. Fortunately, the warranty was just short of its expiration date and under 50,000 miles, and the factory picked up the tab. I'd never known a car that needed all of its 'cats replaced, and wasn't poisoned by diesel fuel, rusted out, nor had over 120,000 miles...for whatever reason, the ECU didn't like being replaced (same DTC codes when swapping with a known-good unit), and so that was an absolute rarity in my 5 years of being in a dealership. The transmission issue was unusual for a low-mileage A6-architecture, as well.
Mind you, this was one of the most expensive bills I'd every seen the factory "eat", so Audi took their sweet time inspecting everything. Combine that with parts delays and diagnostic time verging on weeks, so the customer didn't get his car back for 6 weeks. On the other hand, he was away on business for a month, so he wasn't really bothered.
Audi rarely (if ever) sells cars as Certified Pre-Owned that have no basic factory warranty left, and if you do buy someone else's CPO car, the warranty is not transferable to another owner, regardless of the time/mileage left on the existing policy. Audi parts are either surprisingly cheap (there's a number of VW parts) or very expensive; there's a good-sized aftermarket, but don't think "Honda-tuner-brand" prices for a minute. Get to know a good VW/Audi mechanic or German car-specialty shop with low labor rates; the forums usually know of one in a particular area, although if you live in the sticks, it's a must. Remember that RS-series Audis are not cheap to maintain and parts are likely to wear out faster than the normal variant of the car.
My only pet issue with that A6 (1998?-05) and its variants was the way that automatic shifter lever and its bezel rattled and felt shaky when moving it from drive mode to park, et cetera. Some of the A6 interior trim is kind of rattle-y and loose to the touch after a few years. It isn't Toyota/Honda-quality (four years of working at Lexus will certainly change those kinds of expectations). But the chassis dynamics are much, much race-car like, a solid car over the bumps, though sometimes the shocks and struts are going to be leaky after a few years. Brake parts replacements (repair? resurfacing? Hah!) are going to be hideously expensive on the RS-series: Go home and brace yourself with a Valium in preparation before looking at the invoice or getting the call from the shop.
US-bound RS6's had a nicely contrasting leather and suede combo, and can be quite the sleeper car in appearance. Like most factory Audis with 400+ horsepower, they're absolute pussycats to drive at slow speeds; you do not have to worry about it "getting away from you" in a parking lot or when stuck in traffic.
Edit: We had a lot of automatic transmission replacements when I was at Audi, but no more than when I was at Lexus (Honda had their own issues in that department). Ninety percent of the time, Audi tranny failures were the A4's CVT units, with one or two here and there on the other models. Audi customers complained about the FronTrack CVTs with a passion, and the transmissions apparently didn't like them in return. It goes to show that sometimes the customers have a hunch that their cars aren't quite right when it comes to transmissions.
Mind you, this was one of the most expensive bills I'd every seen the factory "eat", so Audi took their sweet time inspecting everything. Combine that with parts delays and diagnostic time verging on weeks, so the customer didn't get his car back for 6 weeks. On the other hand, he was away on business for a month, so he wasn't really bothered.
Audi rarely (if ever) sells cars as Certified Pre-Owned that have no basic factory warranty left, and if you do buy someone else's CPO car, the warranty is not transferable to another owner, regardless of the time/mileage left on the existing policy. Audi parts are either surprisingly cheap (there's a number of VW parts) or very expensive; there's a good-sized aftermarket, but don't think "Honda-tuner-brand" prices for a minute. Get to know a good VW/Audi mechanic or German car-specialty shop with low labor rates; the forums usually know of one in a particular area, although if you live in the sticks, it's a must. Remember that RS-series Audis are not cheap to maintain and parts are likely to wear out faster than the normal variant of the car.
My only pet issue with that A6 (1998?-05) and its variants was the way that automatic shifter lever and its bezel rattled and felt shaky when moving it from drive mode to park, et cetera. Some of the A6 interior trim is kind of rattle-y and loose to the touch after a few years. It isn't Toyota/Honda-quality (four years of working at Lexus will certainly change those kinds of expectations). But the chassis dynamics are much, much race-car like, a solid car over the bumps, though sometimes the shocks and struts are going to be leaky after a few years. Brake parts replacements (repair? resurfacing? Hah!) are going to be hideously expensive on the RS-series: Go home and brace yourself with a Valium in preparation before looking at the invoice or getting the call from the shop.
US-bound RS6's had a nicely contrasting leather and suede combo, and can be quite the sleeper car in appearance. Like most factory Audis with 400+ horsepower, they're absolute pussycats to drive at slow speeds; you do not have to worry about it "getting away from you" in a parking lot or when stuck in traffic.
Edit: We had a lot of automatic transmission replacements when I was at Audi, but no more than when I was at Lexus (Honda had their own issues in that department). Ninety percent of the time, Audi tranny failures were the A4's CVT units, with one or two here and there on the other models. Audi customers complained about the FronTrack CVTs with a passion, and the transmissions apparently didn't like them in return. It goes to show that sometimes the customers have a hunch that their cars aren't quite right when it comes to transmissions.
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- 21,286
- GR-MI-USA
- YSSMAN
- YSSMAN
Reventón;3265050And the Fusion Sport is actually pretty decent. Has quite a bit of pickup, and I could have gotten one, but for some reason, the dealer nor owning a Ford didn't click with me.
And I have to admit that if they would have knocked the price down a bit on that Fusion SE I looked at, I probably would have gone with it too. They're absolutely wonderful cars, and the used car market has been really, really good to them. But when you can pick up a fully-loaded AWD V6 model for well-under $30K its an absolute steal.
The best parts?
- Comes with a solid warranty
- Fusion scores top in its class for quality
- Ford is STILL doing Employee Pricing
- They'll be clearing out the 2009 models really, really soon
Still, knowing the 2010 is coming would make it a difficult choice, at least for me. The initial difference in MSRP is nominal, but I'm going to guess that the Employee Pricing disappears immediately, as will their willingness to bargain on the price overall. That, and I'm usually a bit weary about buying the first year of any model, from any manufacturer. Nevertheless, it is a pretty car:
Mee wants. Badwee.
- 3,239
- New York
- thepatriots
Yeah I really like the look of the new Fusion. It is like the Mondeo and the Fusion had a child. I like the "power dome" hood the most. Give it that muscular flare. I heard they are making a SHO version which would be AWESOME! Lets hope it gets some crazy engine like the first one and AWD or RWD. Ecoboost maybe? My dad thinks they ran out of money when it came to the rear but whatever. The new Mazda 6 is also a looker but FWD drive lessens the appeal.
I just thought of the perfect car but it is not sold in America. The Japanese Subaru Legacy STi . Why do Subaru and Mitsubishi never bring any of their high performance variants to the US (Evo/STi wagons, FQ400, spec c etc)?
I just thought of the perfect car but it is not sold in America. The Japanese Subaru Legacy STi . Why do Subaru and Mitsubishi never bring any of their high performance variants to the US (Evo/STi wagons, FQ400, spec c etc)?
