esS7en

Considering the purchase of a 2013 S7 as an Audi certified pre-owned vehicle (<20k miles), and I thought it would be good to consult the world's experts. Beyond negotiation of a good price, what should I be concerned about, look closely at, and/or consider? What are the typical issues if any, and what has been the strengths and weaknesses of the vehicle? I have essentially only owned Acura's before, so this would be my first Audi.

Tol

I'm in the same boat as you. I just passed on one and the dealer sold it for their asking price the next day. It was a 2013 S7, Phantom Black, fully loaded (minus comfort seats) w/19k miles for about $71,500.

I drove it...it was fantastic...but I really am not a fan of the sparkly black and didn't want to put that much money into a car that wasn't exactly what I wanted. This was about 2 weeks ago and I'm still wondering if I made the right decision. :P

stark23

Great choice, but there are several items to consider when looking for a CPO S7:

1. How long can you wait?
2. Are you flexible on options/color?
3. How far are you willing to travel to get one?

In most areas, CPO S7s don't pop up very often at your neighborhood Audi dealer. I'm in a decent sized market with a pair of dealerships & only saw two local CPO S7s last year. The search for the CPO S7 I purchased took almost a year & involved an 800 mile road trip.

If you haven't tested all the options yet, it's easier to find a nearby A7 fully loaded with adaptive cruise control, HUD, etc. & decide what options you can potentially live without. Used S7s can literally come & go in a day, so be sure to check the audiusa CPO search portal and cargurus regularly. Those two sites consistently had the newest listings first. If you have a specific build/color in mind, consider talking to your local dealer about having them monitor the Audi finance auction lane. S7s sourced from there are usually in really good condition, but my preference was a S7 turned in/sold back to the original dealer.

Questions for the dealer:

• What condition are the tires in & are they summer or all-season?
• Can they provide the full service history & completed scheduled maintenance? Note: I've found that many low-mileage S7s already had brake & tire work done
• Did the original owner purchase Audi Care coverage?
• Is it TD1 flagged? (ECU chipped)
• What CPO conditioning work has been done?

Overall, be patient & you'll soon be enjoying one of the best daily drivers available.

Tol

Thanks for typing that up. I'm in Southern California and I've been seeing them pop up pretty regularly(starting to see more 2014s than 2013s) but lots and lots of Phantom Black and none that are fully loaded.

I went to 8 Audi dealerships on Memorial Day...mostly just because I was bored. Just like the one I mentioned...the Sales guys are telling me that these cars are being sold before they ever even make it onto the dealer webpage. I have a couple of them that say they'll call me when they see one come in. Hopefully something will happen in the next few weeks.

I wouldn't have thought to ask about TD1 or the specific CPO work. Very glad you mentioned that.