Major dilemma: fix and mod my A4 or buy an S4 Avant (long) Please help.
05-03-2001, 01:37 PM
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Major dilemma: fix and mod my A4 or buy an S4 Avant (long) Please help.
I have a 97 A4 with 70k miles on it. I like the car, but I'm thinking about the future of it, I will need more room. I do NOT like the new version that is coming, so if I buy an S4 Avant, the time is now (like next couple of months)
Should I continue to mod an aging A4 (that seems to be falling apart) and dump money into it, or should I cut my losses, and get an S4 (probably on the premier purchase plan or something)
It all comes down to money. I am paying $400 a month for my A4, and should be able to get an S4 for a little over $600/month. I can handle the extra $200 month, not a problem.
Right now I have about $4000 grand in debts, and the way I figure it, I will need to dump at least $8k into my A4 to get it fixed to the point I will be happy and make it nice:
Fix the trans (install lightweight flywheel and taller gears at the same time), do the suspension up, fix the body up (bumper, scratch and dent removal), fix the wind noises, creaks, and rattles, better headlights, FMIC, 3" downpipe, and big brakes. Note this figure does not include any major engine upgrades (k04 or S3)
The money figure does not include the possibility of my A4 breaking down in the future and having to pay for those costs as well, whereas the S4 will have a warranty.
If I do get rid of my A4, it will be at a loss, since I owe more than it is worth, I figure I'll lose about $3k (on trade in). I can make some of that up by selling the mods off of it.
Sooooo, I can dump the car at a loss, get an S4 Avant and pay an extra $250-$300 a month, and the money I would have used for mods I will use for paying debts, buying a ring, getting a house, etc.
Or,
Keep the car, stay in debt while I fix it over a long period of time, have a PO'd girlfriend because she is not engaged, and live in my current dump of a rented house, while worrying that my car will break sometime soon. I lost all my trust in it when 2nd gear went out.
A third option is to sell the car, and replace it with nothing and stick to driving my XR4Ti until I get a little more "settled"
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Should I continue to mod an aging A4 (that seems to be falling apart) and dump money into it, or should I cut my losses, and get an S4 (probably on the premier purchase plan or something)
It all comes down to money. I am paying $400 a month for my A4, and should be able to get an S4 for a little over $600/month. I can handle the extra $200 month, not a problem.
Right now I have about $4000 grand in debts, and the way I figure it, I will need to dump at least $8k into my A4 to get it fixed to the point I will be happy and make it nice:
Fix the trans (install lightweight flywheel and taller gears at the same time), do the suspension up, fix the body up (bumper, scratch and dent removal), fix the wind noises, creaks, and rattles, better headlights, FMIC, 3" downpipe, and big brakes. Note this figure does not include any major engine upgrades (k04 or S3)
The money figure does not include the possibility of my A4 breaking down in the future and having to pay for those costs as well, whereas the S4 will have a warranty.
If I do get rid of my A4, it will be at a loss, since I owe more than it is worth, I figure I'll lose about $3k (on trade in). I can make some of that up by selling the mods off of it.
Sooooo, I can dump the car at a loss, get an S4 Avant and pay an extra $250-$300 a month, and the money I would have used for mods I will use for paying debts, buying a ring, getting a house, etc.
Or,
Keep the car, stay in debt while I fix it over a long period of time, have a PO'd girlfriend because she is not engaged, and live in my current dump of a rented house, while worrying that my car will break sometime soon. I lost all my trust in it when 2nd gear went out.
A third option is to sell the car, and replace it with nothing and stick to driving my XR4Ti until I get a little more "settled"
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
05-03-2001, 01:43 PM
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3rd option....drive the Xr4ti, sell the A4 (and sell some of the other cars you have)
pay off your debts, and buy a used 99-01 A4/S4 with at least two years left on the warranty
05-03-2001, 01:46 PM
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Ez answer....
Why put more money into a depriciating asset? Cars are not even an investment. You WILL lose money. Dump the car drive the basic transportation and buy a house. 9 times out of 10 your house will go up in value, tax breaks, and equity. Everybody says that once you get into the home buying market you are set. Audi will be around for a long time. If you dont get her the ring will your girlfriend? ;-)
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05-03-2001, 02:17 PM
#9
I modded my A4, was in the same dilema last September....keep the A4...
since it was fully paid for and just out of factory warranty. I just could not pull the $20K trigger for the S4 (tho nice as it is). Since I had 4 more years on the extended warranty I purchased I just decided to put $8K into mods (including Stage 3) and keep it till it rusts away.
Even if I did get the S4 I would still be tempted to mod away at it...wheels tires brakes suspension let alone chip and exhaust... that would cause the $20K to jump to $30K (all based on sellin / trading the A4).
Drove an S4, drove a APR Stage 3 A4......I am very happy and content with my choice. btw... I could afford to pay in full the difference but the ultimate value was not there for me.
Since my "assest" has taken it's major hit ( to borrow some elses logic) it is better to keep the A4 till the bitter end instead of a new S4 whose major depreciation comes right after purcahse.
Jeff Davison
Even if I did get the S4 I would still be tempted to mod away at it...wheels tires brakes suspension let alone chip and exhaust... that would cause the $20K to jump to $30K (all based on sellin / trading the A4).
Drove an S4, drove a APR Stage 3 A4......I am very happy and content with my choice. btw... I could afford to pay in full the difference but the ultimate value was not there for me.
Since my "assest" has taken it's major hit ( to borrow some elses logic) it is better to keep the A4 till the bitter end instead of a new S4 whose major depreciation comes right after purcahse.
Jeff Davison
05-03-2001, 02:21 PM
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A couple problems with that....
I prefer not to buy another new-used car, since I don't know the history. I've learned that lesson.
An older car is alright, since I expect to have problems and they are cheap to buy initially, but when I spend $20K for a car that's only a couple years old I expect almost no problems, and they can have some major expensive problems down the road if they've been abused.
I can't sell the other XR4Ti's since I'll need them for parts (If you've ever owned one, you'll understand
A couple cars will go, but I won't get much for them.
An older car is alright, since I expect to have problems and they are cheap to buy initially, but when I spend $20K for a car that's only a couple years old I expect almost no problems, and they can have some major expensive problems down the road if they've been abused.
I can't sell the other XR4Ti's since I'll need them for parts (If you've ever owned one, you'll understand
A couple cars will go, but I won't get much for them.