[A4] 1999 A4 2.8 quattro buyer's tips...

[David M. Weprin]

I guarantee you will be displeased with the performance of the transmission
shifts.  In other words, the transmission shifts SLOWLY.  This is not a
high-performance car.  The Nissan is faster and sportier.  The handling is
better too.  But damn, at $11,500, I'm wishing I'd bought my 2001 A4 2.8q on
eBay too! (I bought it just three months ago... for $24,000!).

True the Audi has a V6 with more power and torque, but the weight difference
of the Nissan vs. the Audi makes a huge difference.  The Audi is a luxurious
highway cruiser, while the Nissan will be much better for acceleration and
spirited driving.

Plus, the Nissan gets 50% better gas mileage.  And you are no-doubt
foregoing a great warranty on the Nissan, whereas the Audi has none
(although you can buy a 100k mi. warranty for it from Audi if you get it
Certified... I think it's like $1,200 or something).

I'd say fix it up, beat the snot out of it and have fun for a while... then
resell it for $14k to $15k.

If you want to keep it and increase it's performance, here is my recommended
upgrade path:
1) Engine snub mount from APR (www.goapr.com) for $50 (trust me on this).
2) Get the GIAC Tip-Chip (it will fix the sluggish performance of the Tip)
3) Get the PES G2 supercharger. 295HP, 240 ft.-lbs. of torque... that kit
would make the Audi blow the doors off your Nissan. (www.pes-tuning.com)

I'm REALLY regretting my purchase of the 2001 A4 for $24k now.  I'd much
rather have bought a '99 for $15k and then spent what money I would have
saved to buy the aforementioned performance upgrades for it!

Sincerely,
-Dave




-----Original Message-----
From: a4-bounces at audifans.com [mailto:a4-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of
Jeffrey Goggin
Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2004 9:36 PM
To: a4 at audifans.com
Subject: [A4] 1999 A4 2.8 quattro buyer's tips...

Last week, I took a friend by the Arizona Dealertrades.com store in
Scottsdale, AZ (it's just two miles from my office) to check out some trucks
they're selling on eBay.  While I was there, I spotted a 1999 A4 2.8q that
was for auction on eBay and although I've recently bought a 2003 Nissan Spec
V to serve as a daily driver, I decided to submit a bid on this car, if only
just for the hell of it...

Well, as it turns out, my bid of $11,555.55 was good enough to win the
auction!  Although several have sold for less on eBay, according to Edmunds,
CarDirect.com, and www.kbb.com, this appears to be a fair price for the car.
That said, my main concern isn't price, but condition, and since this dealer
offers a 5-day/200-mile trial period during which I can return it for a full
refund, I intend to check the car out _very_ thoroughly.  Obviously, the
timing belt, water pump, and radiator hoses will need replacing in a few
months, but what else should I plan on having to do over the next 40k or so?
Also, if anyone can offer me a guide to this car's typical problem areas so
that I can inspect them carefully, I'd appreciate it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6003&item=
2454087620
is a link to the auction listing.  The wheels and steering wheel suggest it
has the sport suspension package, and the carfax checked out okay, too.  I'm
not too sure how I feel about the tiptronic transmission, but my friend
raves about the tip in his Cayenn turbo and since at least half of my daily
commute is spent in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the ability to just leave it
in auto and creep along does have its appeal.  So, the bottom line here is:
Are there any reasons why I shouldn't buy this car and dump the Nissan?
(Fortunately, I bought it inexpensively enough that I shouldn't lose much,
if any money; in fact, with a bit of luck, I could even make a small profit
on it!  Try that with a used Audi!)

Jeffrey Goggin
Chandler, AZ

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