kerfuffle

Hi folks,

As the title states, I am currently looking to purchase my first used car, and I am looking for some expert advice. I have a budget of $25,000, and I will be applying for a car loan to finance this. I have been going back and forth between these following 3 vehicles offering similar mileage (around 45k).

2008 Acura TL Type-S
2008 Audi A4 2.0T
2008 Audi S4

As of right now, I have my eyes set on a 2008 Audi A4 2.0T quattro sedan with 44,547 miles and a listing price of $22,995.

Now onto the questions!

1. In your expert opinion, is this a good deal for a vehicle with the listed mileage? If not, what price range would you consider to be a fair counter offer?

2. For those that are current Audi owners, what type of maintenance should I expect with a car with this type of mileage? Are there immediate maintenance(s) that would need to be done upon purchase of the vehicle?

3. What are some things that I should pay attention to when inspecting the car? Any tips/tricks when negotiating with the car dealer?

This particular vehicle is offered through a car dealership. I reached out to the agent and requested a carfax as well as a price confirmation. He stated in his response he "should be able to do $21,995".

I was heavily favoring the S4, however I haven't had a lot of success tracking down an S4 with decent mileage for a reasonable price (and cost of ownership/maintenance), hence I decided to go with the A4...a nice balance of class, style and performance. BUT MAN IS THAT S4 SEXY.

According to the Carfax report provided to me by the sales agent, this was a 2 owner vehicle. I've attached an edited version of the carfax report, are there any items that raise red flags?

http://imgur.com/a/2HEzO


These are some of the questions that I have off the top of my head as of now. I am sure more questions will arise as I proceed with this. Thanks in advance for any help and insight!

MHSFBay

1. Price is hard to gauge: all is geography, and what care it has had; and how good are all the parts, options, and aftermarket.
2. 60K is an expensive service: the Book calls for all new spark plugs, and they are not cheap. Then 80-90 K the timing belts need replacement.
3. Can't say-- This model is always a good seller. The 2.0 T are the most tried-and-true/ and most reliable. Check everything, though-- all the buttons, doors, lids, and glovebox door.

I consider the 2.0T the most fun since theoretically the lower-weight motor should help the weight distribution, the most after market available, the most customizable (except the body kits are expensive). But, the S4 doesn't need most of the add-ons that the 2.0T needs, except the exhaust and wheels. The S4 does have more cache-- hard to underestimate that.