Audi S6 V10 - am i crazy?

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Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
33,257
12,802
136
I would look at the cost per mile you'd be paying (ie how much more for how many fewer miles). I think either one of those will need new air springs and upper control arms, so it's really a question how much are miles worth to you (and conversely how much depreciation you're willing to face).

I initially was going for a 58K mile car, no B&O option, that sold when I was on the way to the dealership with a cashiers check (shady ford store) for $32K. Ended up with an 80K mile car with B&O for $26.

IMO updated fog lights = someone ran it into something.

wow 6k drop for another 20k miles. you made out like a bandit!
 

Vdubchaos

Lifer
Nov 11, 2009
10,408
10
0
Buying a German car out of warranty = Crazy

Buying a performance German car out of warranty = nuts

Buying a Performance German car WITH exotic/Lambo engine = insane

You couldn't pay me to own such car.....just me though.

Good luck
 

halik

Lifer
Oct 10, 2000
25,696
1
81
Buying a German car out of warranty = Crazy

Buying a performance German car out of warranty = nuts

Buying a Performance German car WITH exotic/Lambo engine = insane

You couldn't pay me to own such car.....just me though.

Good luck

OMGZ hold me, I'm about to roll 100K on mine. Better get a Camry now, because those are the only cars that will make it past 100K.

this may throw you into an existential crisis
 
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Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
33,257
12,802
136
i was talking with my brother and he's a big car nut (his A4, his child, is well over 200k and is getting a new bored/stroked motor)..at any rate, his personal rule was that he'd never pay for a car and pay to maintain a car at the same time.

so with that in mind, i think i'm going to focus my efforts on the 55k mile car. it doesn't have as nice cosmetics on the exterior and yes it's more expensive, but the only thing i really care about (cosmetically) is replacing the exhaust. i like the lighter interior significantly better than an all-black/brown interior, and this one has carbon fiber trim, which looks ridiculously amazing.
 

Vdubchaos

Lifer
Nov 11, 2009
10,408
10
0
i was talking with my brother and he's a big car nut (his A4, his child, is well over 200k and is getting a new bored/stroked motor)..at any rate, his personal rule was that he'd never pay for a car and pay to maintain a car at the same time.

I used to be in your bro's shoes. Big VW/Audi guy for over a decade and have worked on tons of BMWs/MB over the years.

Have you?

I suggest you volunteer to help out fellow car enthusiast and see for yourself what "German engineering" is all about.

Within a year or 2 you will rethink what you are about to do.....

so with that in mind, i think i'm going to focus my efforts on the 55k mile car. it doesn't have as nice cosmetics on the exterior and yes it's more expensive, but the only thing i really care about (cosmetically) is replacing the exhaust. i like the lighter interior significantly better than an all-black/brown interior, and this one has carbon fiber trim, which looks ridiculously amazing.

Here is my rule of thumb (take it how you want it).

If you cannot afford a car BRAND NEW, you DO NOT want it or SHOULD not buy it used. Why? Because at the end of the day, you are still on the hook to maintain/fix/insure a VERY expensive car......at a time where it's prone to fail.

I understand you CAN afford it as it today, what I'm telling you is just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD.

I'm not saying this car will bankrupt you. But the chances of this car doing it to your finances is HIGH. I would suggest you put 3-5k on the side and have it ready at all times. When it gets use, replenish.

So yeah, be prepared for your wallet to HATE you.

There is a GOOD reason why this 100k car is dirt cheap (and most German cars lose their value SO much after handful of years).

My best advice, stay as far away as possible from this car. I know, it hurts now, but give it 5-10 years and you will understand.

Cars = the worst investments on the planet. Matter a fact, they are the worst item to spend your money on. The less you spend on transportation, the better off you are.

And no, no one in their mind will ever consider buying this car if "things don't work out".

You've been warned. I know my post hurts and you probably hate me right now, but I'm just trying to help you prevent WHOLE lot of headaches that I've already been thru and have seen many people go thru in the Car Enthusiast world over the years.

Good luck
 
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Vdubchaos

Lifer
Nov 11, 2009
10,408
10
0
OMGZ hold me, I'm about to roll 100K on mine. Better get a Camry now, because those are the only cars that will make it past 100K.

this may throw you into an existential crisis

# of VWs (identical to A4) with 13+ years or ownership and over 250k miles on it.

Mine have been quite reliable based on what I've seen in the VW/Audi community.

REGARDLESS, the way things are designed/quality of materials used and general cost is not up to par IMO.

I will give you and OP a great example. On B5 A4 1.8T, take a look at the connection between Catalyst converter and Downpipe. Good luck unbolting those 3 bolts with 20in extension. Bolt it back up with 2 people and 2 sets of 20in extensions (1 from the bottom one from top).

All they had to do is pull down the flange lower down to access, but no, that would make sense.

Just a poor design/engineering. Sorry

Every single German car I've worked on had these sort of "WTF where they thinking" moments.

I won't even get into their poor Electonics (which is common knowledge based on history.......and today Germans put more electronic crap into their cars then EVER before.

Or cheap/cheesy plastics/metal materials.

Germans engineering = marketing gimmick, I used to be naive and believe that crap.
 

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,518
223
106
Cars = the worst investments on the planet. Matter a fact, they are the worst item to spend your money on. The less you spend on transportation, the better off you are.

I sold my last two trucks for more than I paid. :)

There are definitely worse ways to spend money than vehicles. Not everybody knows how to do it cheaply, though. :p
 

Vdubchaos

Lifer
Nov 11, 2009
10,408
10
0
I sold my last two trucks for more than I paid. :)

There are definitely worse ways to spend money than vehicles. Not everybody knows how to do it cheaply, though. :p

I DOUBT they were German "trucks".

In general, cars = worst investment is a pretty safe assumption.

There is ALWAYS an exception to the rule.

:)
 

halik

Lifer
Oct 10, 2000
25,696
1
81
Re the B5 1.8T thing - I had the V6 version, but I seem to recall that the cat converter is welded to the downpipe - the only bolts are to the turbo housing and then there's a flex pipe, cat and on the other side you you sleeve clamps to plumb it to the mid section. Are you talking about the 4 bolts on the turbo housing?


Or was that a VW ? Because there's a ton of stupid shit they do with the transverse set ups.
transverse_vag_audi_vw_agu_20v_18t_downpipe_oem_stock.jpg
 

Vdubchaos

Lifer
Nov 11, 2009
10,408
10
0
1.8T is completely different from V6, but I'm sure V6 is not exempt from poor design/poor engineering.

No German car is.

:)

On 1.8T (B5) it goes Turbo > Cat > downpipe/flex pipe. I was referring to bolts that connect Cat to Downpipe. They are HARD to even see, forget about access. There is all kinds of tricks and work arounds to get the thing off, and putting it back on is even worse.Nuts are welded onto the cat, bolts are easy to strip and of poor quality....I replaced my Turbo # of times, so spent quite a bit of time in that area of the B5s hehe.

And keep in mind we are talking PEASANT/LOW END cars.

OP is about to buy ULTRA LUXURY/EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE model.

More complexity/options/more moving parts = less reliability and most likely......more of these type of things.

:)

Germans have never really learned from WW2. Sure their inventions and end result can be great, but at what cost?

Let's not forget that "great" is what actually lost them the war. Tigers were too heavy, too hard to maintain, too unreliable and too costly to fix out on the field. If they focused on simple/cost effective and reliablity MOST of us might be dead now or speaking German.

:)

Modern day German cars are quite opposite of early "easy to work on"/fix and cheap to maintain Beatles. We are talking Sand grain vs Juniper here.

Germans learned that Service dept is a profit cow on labor and parts. Why wouldn't they do this anyways? After all they are in business to make profit, not to make cars that last forever.

Unless you are RICH and LEASE cars every 3 years. Do not buy a German car for long term.

That's my best advice.

I would give you an opposite advice to my enemy or someone I hate.

:)
 
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JCH13

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2010
4,981
66
91
You are probably crazy. But, you aren't a naive fool. Spend your money the best way you see fit, I'm sure you'll do your homework and if you get one you'll know how much you need to budget for repairs and maintenance.

Vdubchaos seems to have burned out on modifying cars/owning fun cars some time ago and has never forgiven car-kind for it. He routinely ignores the intangible benefits of owning a car that makes your junk wiggle. If a V10 S6 will bring a ray of sunshine to your life every day you drive it, go for it!
 

Vdubchaos

Lifer
Nov 11, 2009
10,408
10
0
You are probably crazy. But, you aren't a naive fool. Spend your money the best way you see fit, I'm sure you'll do your homework and if you get one you'll know how much you need to budget for repairs and maintenance.

Vdubchaos seems to have burned out on modifying cars/owning fun cars some time ago and has never forgiven car-kind for it. He routinely ignores the intangible benefits of owning a car that makes your junk wiggle. If a V10 S6 will bring a ray of sunshine to your life every day you drive it, go for it!

Not disagreeing with any of the above.

It's not really that I burned out on modifying cars, I simply found myself and MOST car enthusiast to be quite opposite from "financially responsible" and have learned the hard way.

Also, my priorities in life changed......

Mind you, I"m still a car guy at heart, but I just don't value "having a nice car" as much as I used to.

Reliable, easy to work on commuter is way more appealing to me than anything "special or fun" at this point of my life.

And then there is the whole experience of working on cars over the years....which really gives me sour taste when I consider/look at many "cool" or even modern cars.

Regardless, OP spend your money however you want and whatever floats that boat.
 

tamm

Senior member
Dec 13, 2013
439
0
0
V10 sound amazing.
-research common problems and associated costs. You need to get the idea that a high performance car is going to need a high performance repair budget. If that does not sit well, run. No amount of its gonna be ok is going=$$$$$

-PPI. always and especially on this vehicle. Preferably at an AUDI dealership and/or audi indy thats trusted.

-Carfax not trusted but still wouldnt hurt.

Once you find the one, and it checks out enjoy