High Milage 02 A6: Buy or not?
10-25-2016, 01:26 PM
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High Milage 02 A6: Buy or not?
PLEASE HELP ME!
I know you are probably tired of helping nubes like me who dont know anything but please, can someone give me some advice and make it easy to understand so that a person like me who knows nothing about cars can understand?
A gentlemen at my job is selling his 2002 Audi A6 2.7 with 18x,xxx miles for 1,800. My mother has always told me to NEVER purchase a car over 100,000 thousand miles but I am looking for a luxury car without breaking the bank so I don't think that is realistic.
The gentlemen told me that the car is getting the starter replaced and is not available to drive at the moment but when he gets it back from his friend who has a shop he will let me drive it. His friend has had the car for more than a month but I was told he does not want to rush the mechanic because he is giving him a great deal on the labor and the mechanic just lost his mother which is why he is distracted and taking so long.
Already sounds sketch (not to mention this same gentlemen claimed he was late to work because he didn't have a signal so his alarm didn't go off...) but the allure of driving my beautiful girlfriend around and taking her on dates in a cool Audi keeps me interested.
Besides my concerns of the seller, is buying a 2002 Audi A6 2.7 (seller says 3.7 but im sure he meant 2) with that many miles a good deal? I know maintenance will cost a lot but as long as I am not constantly replacing parts I think I will survive. I mean that car is almost 15 years old so I understand things will need to be replaced. I car pool to work and im only off 2 days a week and walk to the grocery store as much as possible for exercise so I wont do that much driving. Is it likely for this car to make it to 300,000 miles without lots of major repairs? Will it last 2 to 3 years until I graduate college? Is it worth it? Should I make the move if the car checks out to be ok or should I just accept the fact that I need to purchase a Buick. What is the average longevity of this model? Is there another model that will be better for me?
I know nothing about Audi's and I like the A6 because I know it is bigger than the A4 so In my mind the A4 would be equal to a 3 series or C-Class (which I am too tall to fit in). I assume the A7 & A8 would be like a 7-series which is also very cool but I imagine the maintenance and MPG would be 10x worst with the higher end Audi so I assumed A6 would be right in the middle and something I can manage.
I know you are probably tired of helping nubes like me who dont know anything but please, can someone give me some advice and make it easy to understand so that a person like me who knows nothing about cars can understand?
A gentlemen at my job is selling his 2002 Audi A6 2.7 with 18x,xxx miles for 1,800. My mother has always told me to NEVER purchase a car over 100,000 thousand miles but I am looking for a luxury car without breaking the bank so I don't think that is realistic.
The gentlemen told me that the car is getting the starter replaced and is not available to drive at the moment but when he gets it back from his friend who has a shop he will let me drive it. His friend has had the car for more than a month but I was told he does not want to rush the mechanic because he is giving him a great deal on the labor and the mechanic just lost his mother which is why he is distracted and taking so long.
Already sounds sketch (not to mention this same gentlemen claimed he was late to work because he didn't have a signal so his alarm didn't go off...) but the allure of driving my beautiful girlfriend around and taking her on dates in a cool Audi keeps me interested.
Besides my concerns of the seller, is buying a 2002 Audi A6 2.7 (seller says 3.7 but im sure he meant 2) with that many miles a good deal? I know maintenance will cost a lot but as long as I am not constantly replacing parts I think I will survive. I mean that car is almost 15 years old so I understand things will need to be replaced. I car pool to work and im only off 2 days a week and walk to the grocery store as much as possible for exercise so I wont do that much driving. Is it likely for this car to make it to 300,000 miles without lots of major repairs? Will it last 2 to 3 years until I graduate college? Is it worth it? Should I make the move if the car checks out to be ok or should I just accept the fact that I need to purchase a Buick. What is the average longevity of this model? Is there another model that will be better for me?
I know nothing about Audi's and I like the A6 because I know it is bigger than the A4 so In my mind the A4 would be equal to a 3 series or C-Class (which I am too tall to fit in). I assume the A7 & A8 would be like a 7-series which is also very cool but I imagine the maintenance and MPG would be 10x worst with the higher end Audi so I assumed A6 would be right in the middle and something I can manage.
10-25-2016, 04:49 PM
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High Milage 02 A6: Buy or not?
Hi Sergio,
I bought a 2001 BMW 540i 3 years ago. It only had 101,000 miles. I paid $8,000 and put over $4,000 into the vehicle (new wheels, tires, paint, tint) and plus needed service work. Right now it's running like a top and I suspect this e39 engine can deliver up to 300,000 miles if maintained.
The question to ask is whether you are willing to put in the $$$ to keep the car going.
No one really knows what on the vehicle may fail in the future. It is definitely worth it to have YOUR mechanic check it out, that's about $65.-85, but will be money well spent. Now is not the time to be cheap, do it if you are serious about this car. At the very least, based on what the mechanic says, you will be in a better position to negotiate the price.
Personally, I would NOT purchase a vehicle with that many miles. It is not the up-front cost you need to think about, it's the money you will spend to keep it on the road. FACT, you will be spending unknown amounts of money to keep the vehicle going.
See how the car drives and handles. Hopefully, mechanic can tell you how healthy the car is. Buying any used car is a risk. Identify all the risk factors, high mileage being a significant risk factor.
My advise? Being in school, with limited funds, this car is too risky. The cost to benefit ratio is too high and will most likely give you more grief than enjoyment. Hold off until you can afford a car with lower mileage. In a few years, when you are employed full-time, you can buy a nice vehicle. You don't want to look back and cringe about all the money you spent on a 15 year old car.
I bought a 2001 BMW 540i 3 years ago. It only had 101,000 miles. I paid $8,000 and put over $4,000 into the vehicle (new wheels, tires, paint, tint) and plus needed service work. Right now it's running like a top and I suspect this e39 engine can deliver up to 300,000 miles if maintained.
The question to ask is whether you are willing to put in the $$$ to keep the car going.
No one really knows what on the vehicle may fail in the future. It is definitely worth it to have YOUR mechanic check it out, that's about $65.-85, but will be money well spent. Now is not the time to be cheap, do it if you are serious about this car. At the very least, based on what the mechanic says, you will be in a better position to negotiate the price.
Personally, I would NOT purchase a vehicle with that many miles. It is not the up-front cost you need to think about, it's the money you will spend to keep it on the road. FACT, you will be spending unknown amounts of money to keep the vehicle going.
See how the car drives and handles. Hopefully, mechanic can tell you how healthy the car is. Buying any used car is a risk. Identify all the risk factors, high mileage being a significant risk factor.
My advise? Being in school, with limited funds, this car is too risky. The cost to benefit ratio is too high and will most likely give you more grief than enjoyment. Hold off until you can afford a car with lower mileage. In a few years, when you are employed full-time, you can buy a nice vehicle. You don't want to look back and cringe about all the money you spent on a 15 year old car.
10-26-2016, 05:03 AM
#3
AudiWorld Super User
Sorry, Sergio...if you know nothing about cars and aren't afraid to admit it you shouldn't buy this old Audi.
"It's a trap!"
A money pit for sure.
"It's a trap!"
A money pit for sure.
10-26-2016, 09:04 AM
#4
AudiWorld Senior Member
Agree with Sloop. It is a great car, fun to drive, and will last as long as you are willing to perform the necessary maintenance. But, it is more costly than many other cars to keep up. If you continue to want to consider this vehicle I strongly recommend you take it to an independent Audi repair shop for a paid for inspection. Do not take it to someone who is not a specialist in Audis of this age.
10-31-2016, 04:38 AM
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Thank you for your detailed response! I have more questions I may not have been specific enough. I own another vehicle so if I purchased the Audi and it needed repairs that I did not want to pay for it would not be a problem for me to let the Audi go and start driving my other car. I wanted to know about this specific model and if it was prone to any issues that I may be concerned about and the average life span of this model.
I was looking at a 1999 Infinity QX4 and found out that the are prone to 02 sensor issues once they hit 100,000 mark and that they cost about $150 each. I wanted to know if the 2002 A6 had any quirks I should know about.
Also the life span. I heard that certain Toyotas and Mercedes and BMW can survive long after 300,000 miles while some cars will require an arm and a leg to keep it going at 150,000. Where would Audi in general and this specific model place on that scale? I know that every car is different but generally speaking does an 2002 Audi have the 300,000 potential? More so, what is the ESTIMATED AVERAGE (if you had to guess and put a number on it) before a car like this needs MAJOR work such as a head gasket or something similar.
Like I said, I have another car and I car pool so if maitnence is need I wont be hurting because I will still be able to get around until I have funds for the repairs.
I do have a full time job and understand that buying this luxury car is living beyond my means and is something I cant really afford and have come to terms with it which is why I have no problem purchasing the car with so many miles. I figured if I can drive it for atleast 1 - 2 years without spending 1000's in repairs ill be happy. Im content with driving this knowing it could poop out in a year (hopefully not less that that). If it last that long I will be happy.
If it burns out after a year I wont be upset at the loss because I had the experience. Of course you dont know the cars history but with the reputation of Audi's and this specific model do you think it can make it for at least a year if not two with out spending 1000's on repairs. I said 1000's. One thousand isnt really a problem, but 1000's might make me cry.
BTW I do work full time! I only make about 475 a week but I can work one day OT (if i needed extra money for car repairs) which will bring me about 630 a week and if I work 2 days overtime I will gross over 1000 which nets down close to 800 after taxes so I feel that if I needed repairs (that dont cost 1000's of bucks) I would be able to trap the money up really quick. And since I car pool (give someone else 30 bucks a week to take me to and from work) & have another car I'd be able to take my time and be comfortable if expensive repairs were needed. I just need to know if this car is famous for constantly needing repairs/expensive repairs like I heard the 2002 BMW x5 is.
I was looking at a 1999 Infinity QX4 and found out that the are prone to 02 sensor issues once they hit 100,000 mark and that they cost about $150 each. I wanted to know if the 2002 A6 had any quirks I should know about.
Also the life span. I heard that certain Toyotas and Mercedes and BMW can survive long after 300,000 miles while some cars will require an arm and a leg to keep it going at 150,000. Where would Audi in general and this specific model place on that scale? I know that every car is different but generally speaking does an 2002 Audi have the 300,000 potential? More so, what is the ESTIMATED AVERAGE (if you had to guess and put a number on it) before a car like this needs MAJOR work such as a head gasket or something similar.
Like I said, I have another car and I car pool so if maitnence is need I wont be hurting because I will still be able to get around until I have funds for the repairs.
I do have a full time job and understand that buying this luxury car is living beyond my means and is something I cant really afford and have come to terms with it which is why I have no problem purchasing the car with so many miles. I figured if I can drive it for atleast 1 - 2 years without spending 1000's in repairs ill be happy. Im content with driving this knowing it could poop out in a year (hopefully not less that that). If it last that long I will be happy.
If it burns out after a year I wont be upset at the loss because I had the experience. Of course you dont know the cars history but with the reputation of Audi's and this specific model do you think it can make it for at least a year if not two with out spending 1000's on repairs. I said 1000's. One thousand isnt really a problem, but 1000's might make me cry.
BTW I do work full time! I only make about 475 a week but I can work one day OT (if i needed extra money for car repairs) which will bring me about 630 a week and if I work 2 days overtime I will gross over 1000 which nets down close to 800 after taxes so I feel that if I needed repairs (that dont cost 1000's of bucks) I would be able to trap the money up really quick. And since I car pool (give someone else 30 bucks a week to take me to and from work) & have another car I'd be able to take my time and be comfortable if expensive repairs were needed. I just need to know if this car is famous for constantly needing repairs/expensive repairs like I heard the 2002 BMW x5 is.
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10-31-2016, 04:41 AM
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10-31-2016, 04:42 AM
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Agree with Sloop. It is a great car, fun to drive, and will last as long as you are willing to perform the necessary maintenance. But, it is more costly than many other cars to keep up. If you continue to want to consider this vehicle I strongly recommend you take it to an independent Audi repair shop for a paid for inspection. Do not take it to someone who is not a specialist in Audis of this age.
Thank you for your response. I know that repairs will be costly, but do you think this car will need lots of repairs?
10-31-2016, 07:40 AM
#10
AudiWorld Super User
Yes, there will be many repairs needed.
The only way to know for sure is to spend the money and take your chances.
If it were me and I was working full time to make $500 a week, I would pass and buy a more reliable car that is cheaper to fix.
Since I am retired and make more than you do, I have a lot of time to do my own repairs and save a lot of money doing so. I also have 4 cars (2 Audis, a Jeep and a Porsche) registered, and no place that I have to be most days, so my chances of being stranded are minimal.
So, you get to buy a lottery ticket. The odds are that you will not win, but, who knows, you might get lucky after all.
