[s-cars] Re: A8 resale

[Terry Trivett]

Hi all,

Last week, someone posted a question about the A8 and its poor resale (or
great value as a purchase).  I'm late, but here is my 0.02.
Earlier this summer I was looking for a '93-'94 S4, but decided to at least
look at and drive an A8 Q before actually buying. I always admired their
looks, and the performance (1/4 ET about 15") and economy figures (17 / 25)
are similar to the S4-S6 series.  I found a '97 A8 Q (4.2 V8) with 102K in
excellent condition and with all the recommended 90K maintenance, even some
extra stuff because the car had an extended (100K) warranty.  It was smooth,
strong, tight, and the brakes seemed stronger than the stock S4 brakes. Even
though I prefer a stick, the 5 speed auto seemed like a good combination
with the 300 hp V8.  The performance surprised me.  I didn't intend to buy
the car, just wanted to look at it, but the value at less than $17000 seemed
so compelling that I bought it.

That was one month ago, and I have wondered many times why the selling price
was so low.  Did I get a bargain, or will I ultimately pay a high price
because of maintenance costs?  Many expensive luxury cars don't hold their
value well, and although the A8 seems to be one of the worst in
depreciation, the 740i is little better, and the Q45 and LS 400 also take a
beating.  One lister speculated that the insurance was extremely high for
the A8 because of its aluminum body, but here in N. California, the 740i is
only 7% cheaper to insure by State Farm.  For a '98 A8 Q with 60000 miles, a
5 yr / 60000 mile extended warranty costs virtually the same as for the 740i
or the E420 Mercedes (the Q45 and LS400 warrantees are about half that of
the German cars).  The A8 has not caught on as well as the 740i, for
example, although both represent real driver's cars in the German luxury
class, and the A8 has the benefit of AWD.  Is there a really bad reputation
for unreliability on the street, I wonder.  If so, why are the extended
warranty rates almost identical for the 740i and the A8? So, I'm still
puzzled by the price of the A8s, but decided to take the chance and buy one.
I just hope that there is not some rude surprise for me somewhere down the
road.  If someone has some additional wisdom on this question, I'd like to
hear it.

I'd still love to have a nice urS4.  But for now, it will have to wait.

All the Best,

Terry (loving the A8, but driving with my fingers crossed) Trivett