Re: v8s

[John Karasaki <johkar@teleport.com>]

At 02:18 PM 8/11/98 -0500, you wrote:
<snip>

>   Look, the service writer and her dealership stand to GAIN by your
>getting a V8. They will make a bundle off of you. She's just being decent.
>   The value just isn't there. The 200TQ and the S4/S6 are faster and 
>handle better. The V8 styling is nice, but Phil Hartman's wife was pretty
>too.
>   A local dealer is willing to trade me the a Porsche 928 for the V8. He
>said
>the maintenance cost is about the same!
>   This car is a money pit and other Audis perform better. That's why the
>resale value is low and dealers are steering people away from them. 
>   Proceed at your own risk, but know what you're getting into.  
>You'll really have to love the car because it will take forever to sell it
>if you choose to.
>

Do you own a '91 200TQ?  Have you owned a V8?  How about an S4/S6?  The V8
quattro and the 928 are great cars.  The problem is, they are unique enough
that if you don't know where to buy parts or know a private mechanic who is
very familiar with the specifics of the V8, you will get killed on parts
and service.

I asked if you owned a '91 200TQ because that car has very expensive wear
item parts.  The problem with the '91 200tq and S4/S6 cars is the same
problem the V8 has -- there just weren't that many imported into the USA.

I've heard of a couple of people with S4s that have had transmission
problems.  I also know a couple of people that have had very costly 20vt
engine failures ($5k+ each).  There are V8s out there with the same problems.

ALL of those models are expensive to maintain and if something "bad"
happens, they all are about the same $$$ to fix.

But guess what?  For the price of one S4 you can almost buy 2 V8s.  And for
the cost of an S6, you might be able to get 3 V8s.  And for the price of a
'91 200tq you could get a V8 plus buy a big red brake conversion kit!

Remember too, that because the 20vt cars are "sportier" they are usually
driven harder, too.

The people who "know" realize that the V8 is the best value out there in
the Audi world right now.

I recommend buying one that has been very well kept with a great history
and putting aside some of the money you saved for a rainy day.

BTW, our V8 has a leaky mean main seal.  That needs to get fixed soon.
Other than that, it has cost us 1/10 of what it costs us to maintain our
'87 5ktqw over the past 2 years!  The 5ktq's folder is an inch thick.  The
V8's is paper thin.
Best Regards,

John Karasaki
Portland, OR