Dear Mr. Wizard....

[cobram at juno.com]

Tess McMillan <tessmc at eskimo.com> writes:

> his sister has grown tired of her 
> A4 and wants to sell it to him. He asks me if this will be a wise 
> purchase.
> 
> What should I tell him?

Nothing.  I would never recommend buying a car from a relative to anyone,
except maybe DIY car types.  Three months down the road a clutch goes, a
bearing spins, a ??? and you've got the classic "you sold me a piece of
junk" and "you don't know how to drive" scenario.  I've been given cars
by relatives that I've regretted taking.

> "She has a 2000 Audi 

Say no more, I never recommend any used Audi to a "civilian", they don't
have a clue what they're in for.  This guy is looking for good, basic
family transportation without any surprises, that's NOT what makes an
Audi Q worth it's price.  He needs a nice, reliable, cheap maintenance,
soulless appliance mobile, plenty of domestic and Asian vehicles fit the
bill much better.  
 
BCNU,
http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/
"In my many years I have come to a conclusion
that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, 
and three or more is a congress."