YungPiss

Hi all

Just signed up for this forum. After much internet shopping, my girlfriend and I have decided the S4 is the car for us. We are going to the Audi dealership in Manhattan this week to look at their inventory. This is the first car we will have ever purchased/leased in our lives. Here are some questions:

Leasing vs purchase vs certified pre-owned - I've done my research and have a rudimentary understanding of the pros and cons of all three. My question is whether or not the fact that the B9 S4 will be available in the next five months should have some significant impact on my decision.

Do you think it's possible that I could get some kind of good deal on the 2016s because it is an outgoing model?

If so, what angle should I take when talking with the salesman?
Is leasing the smartest option for a 2016 because it may depreciate even faster once it's an "old model"? We can afford purchase or lease or a used model and I just want to be sure I'm making the smartest decision.

As for waiting for the B9 instead, I've looked over the car and it certainly is impressive, but there is just something about the design of the B8 that they got so right in my eyes. I only want a B8.

gk1

This last sentence is why the values may remain without discount. Some simply don't like the redesign, plus it won't be widely available for a while after the 2017 A4 goes on sale. After the redesign "grows" on people and there are some real world reviews then I feel maybe B8 prices will start to drop.
I personally would not buy the first year of a major redesign. Too many teething issues that historically get worked out a few years after the redesign.

plat27265

+1. That is exactly why I decided to order my '16 S5. There is something special about the outgoing B8 design that I find timeless. And timeless it is! The new B9 generally kept the shape and gave the front and rear end a re-design. For those who don't know, they'll look at the B8 as still having a fresh design even if the B9 comes out. I can say that the B8 design will still be fresh for several more years.

I also looked into leasing my B8.5 S5 but I plan to keep it for, at least, 10 years. So, leasing is out of the question as it would cost me more overall to buy out the car after the lease is up.

If you can find a dealer that has '16 S4 in stock, it is possible to get a good deal on it. If you know how to haggle, you can get a good deal even on a factory special order B8.5 S4 especially if this is the last year it will be sold. Check out Audi factory incentives for cash or even lease specials on outgoing S4's. Also, before entering into a negotiation, have a price already in mind that you would like to pay based on invoice cost. After negotiations, apply the factory incentives, if available to further bring the price down.

First up, it does not mean that its value will drop immediately if it is an outgoing model. The depreciation of my current 2011 VW MK6 GTI remained constant and on target even if the when the MK7 came out. It is life as usual.

Leasing is only good if you are the type of person who wants a new car every 2 to 3 years. And, if you intend to use it for business because it allows you to charge your monthly lease payments as expense. Leasing is not good if you intend to keep the car for a long time. If you are able to afford to purchase it, why not finance your car yourself. No need to pay someone interest money. The car is under your name. If you need to get rid of it, no penalties to worry about especially if the lease is not yet mature.

Buying used is also a good idea especially if it is CPO. I advise against a non-CPO unit simply because, if you read the forums, a lot of S4 or S5 owners modify their cars and bring them back to stock form when getting rid of them. A lot of times, they don't put them back properly or due to the mods, something or some part was negatively impacted by it. If it is CPO, at least, you have some peace of mind knowing that if something is not right, you're covered. Yes, one pays a bit of premium for a CPO but nothing beat some peace of mind.

Good luck on your car purchase decision!

DrGP

The B9 is going to be an evolutionary design, so I would not be too worried about first yr issues. The tipronic trans has been around forever. The twin turbos do replace the supercharger, but the basic engine is not changed significantly. If you are looking for a 6MT , you better hurry, since there are less than 20 new S4s left in this country with 6 MT. No DSG trans in the B9 either. Common wisdom is to buy used and lease new. Audis lease at a higher monthly payment than comparable BMWs and MBs. Audi sets the residuals lower . But often you actually have equity on at the end of a lease, which is not typical on most auto leases. If you are looking for a Certified per owned, which is recommended, you will need to shop around to find a dealer that has one you like. Check out autotrader.com for both new and used S4 availability.

AZ-A6

OK you got my attention as I'm currently waiting for the B9 S4. What specifically do you see in the B8 design that is so much better than the B9?

jyges

The interior of the b9 is plain horrible. display is tacked on to dash, no shade from sun.The gear shift is in the wrong place as is the cup holders. No DSG tranny, no MT . The b8.5 got everything right. When to try to improve perfection you get it wrong

gk1

I'm usually in agreement with the good Dr but I still maintain there are usually first year issues. The new motor if I'm not mistaken is going to be a hot-V...a major change from the supercharger setup. While this is already used in the 4.0T and some TDIs I believe this is the first gasoline V6 version with the hot-v. While Audi does typically do a good job..first year teething issues always seem to plague them and are worked out in subsequent years of a generation.

DrGP

You could be right. BMW had significant issues with the twin turbocharged N54 engine. But Audi has had considerably more experience with turbocharging engines than BMW had at that time. At least for production vehicles.

Mike B

I agree. Plus the instruments are not mechanical but graphics on a video screen and the NAV map gets sandwiched between the speedo and tach.

We picked up our B8.5 S4 6mt a week and a half ago. At that time, after our car, there were 12 6mt S4's left in the country. Get 'em while you can. The B9 doesn't have folding mirrors either. The mirrors are attached to the door skins like was done in the '90"s, not at the front of the window frame.
My wife was considering waiting and getting an automatic until it was revealed that there will be no more DSG, only a torque converter Slush-Tronic.

Simbat

I just ordered few weeks ago a 2015 S4 manual with 3000 miles on it, that came from Audi Manhattan .

First - I'm a very stingy guy and don't like taking a depreciation hit. My last 4 cars were all with salvage titles. My last car was a 2011 Infiniti M56X full options. I usually try to order my cars for the cost of their 3 years depreciation and pay cash. That way if I drive the car for 3 years it's basically free after that. It's unorthodox strategy, but I like building things and have fun with it. It also happened that I sold a car last year for a profit after driving it for 4 years.That was a salvage car too. A turbo charged Subaru with manual transmission. The reason I made profit is because the car was manual , kept it with low miles and close to stock. It also happened that we had a car totaled and the insurance company paid $7K more, than the purchase price we paid for the car 3 years prior to the accident.

That said I just went like everybody else to the dealership and bought a new Audi with the clear knowledge it's a poor investment decision and I will loose money. I was depressed, not about the money but the looser feeling. The best I could do is to have a friend who is a dealer to help me get close to wholesale price. It took me 3 months to find a car, that convinced me I'm getting a fair deal.

BUT I also believe that if you buy a manual S4 B8.5 with Sports differential, BO sound, keep the miles low and don't modify it you will have a beautifully car that will hold it's value well over time and still look good after many years. Why buying a classic after 20 years if you can get a new car now, drive it 20 years and than is still worth something in value and pleasure ?

To me the new B9 looks very similar to the B8 from outside. Only minor evolutionary changes on th outside. Also it's only tiptronik automatic (how boring). OK - it has some clever cruise control and navigation display in the instrument cluster, but the shifter looks like airplane not a car and I don't feel any hint of Audi's sport heritage in the design of the B9 overall. If I want "electronic" car i will get Tesla not Audi . It will be faster and have more tech :-)