[s-cars] 2001 Audi S8 Purchase advice needed

[Eric Rechlin]

In addition to my S6 Avant (1995.5 with around 190k miles), I have an '01 S8 
that I bought last year.  It had 98k miles when I bought it, and now I have 
114k miles on it.  It still looks mostly like a new car, both inside and 
out.

Parts are expensive but it's worth every penny -- it's just that much fun to 
drive, despite being much bigger and slightly heavier than the S6.  I needed 
new control arms (around $2k), new starter ($1k), and lots of little things 
(cat, seals/hoses, etc), but those I was mostly able to do on my own.  The 
only electrical gremlin I haven't yet tracked down is the rear dome light 
(supposedly there's a relay somewhere but I haven't figured that out). 
Thankfully the timing belt was done just before I purchased it.

150k miles is around the time the transmissions start going, and that's 
probably the biggest thing to worry about.   Fuel economy is horrible (I get 
about 12-13 mpg in town and 20-21 mpg on the highway), but that's not why we 
buy these things, right?  :)

Eric

> Hi group,
>
> I am thinking about buying a 2001 S8 with 150,000 miles on it. The 
> interior and exterior appears to be in good cosmetic condition. I have not 
> taken the car for a test drive yet.
>
> I am a current owner of a C4 S6 and A6 and do my own routine maintenance 
> such as oil, plugs, brakes, etc. but know nothing about the reliability, 
> typical problem areas and things to look out for when purchasing an S8. I 
> know parts and service for the S8 are expensive.
>
> Can anybody who has had a 2001 S8 for more than 150,000 miles please 
> advise me what I should look out for when I do my own Pre-Purchase 
> Inspection? Typical mechanical/electrical gremlins inherent to this model 
> year S8 and/or general comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in 
> advance.