kellycan1

I'm looking for some opinions from Audi enthusiasts on whether to keep my current car or trade it in and purchase a newer model.

I have a 2003 A4 1.8T quattro with 60,000 miles on it. It is in good condition and all maintenance has been kept up. It has new tires, brand new rear brakes and the interior is immaculate. The exterior has minor scratches and nicks, and one dent that would need to be repaired. I have $8,000 left on my loan for it.

My second ignition coil in three months went today. The warranty has run out, so I've been paying for all repairs since purchasing (two coils, oil sensor, etc). I've put about $3,000 into it in the past 1.5 years I've owned it. When I was at the dealer dropping it for service, I spoke with a sales rep about trading it in. He valued it at about $8,000; blue book values it at $9,000-9,500 for trade in.

With dealers hurting in the economy, we all know deals can be made right now. A good option he showed me is a 2007 A4 2.0T, fully loaded, excellent condition, warranty through 2010 with extended through 2012, with 20,000 miles on it. Plus, it was sold and serviced through the dealer, so I have the vehicle's full service report. The price (obviously room to negotiate) is $24,000; blue book values the car at about $27,000. Their financing would be 3.99%.

My car payments now are low -- $250 a month, though I double payments every few months and will likely pay down the loan in the next 1.5 years. If I traded in my car and financed through the dealer for the 2007, my payments would be about $420 a month, which I could swing.

My dilemma is which is the wiser decision. I drive about 600 miles a month and the car is parked off-street. The car has seen a good share of repairs but is in good condition overall. Though I expect repairs to come up around 60,000 miles, I'm a bit wary on the reliability. I do a 400-mile round trip once a month and worry about breakdowns when I'm far from home. I know it's a matter of time before a belt goes, and we all know how much those cost. Purchasing the newer model would basically be buying more peace of mind, with the bonus of having a faster, more attractive car that is four years newer with 40,000 fewer miles on it. Of course, problems can happen to a newer car with 20,000 miles on it too, but I think the dependability would be far better than my current vehicle. On the other hand, my car is in good shape and I keep up the maintenance. It'd be nice to be paid down on it in the next 1.5 years versus having a payment for another 5 years, and I don't put a lot of miles on it.

The salesman was pretty candid and said though he'd love to sell me a car, my situation may be kind of a toss-up. I won't be making money on a trade-in, but I'm not in a dire situation to get rid of the car I have. It makes it almost a harder decision, I think.

I'm not super interested in leasing as it'd be a larger chunk of a down payment, and I'd make less selling or cosigning the sale of my car than the trade-in value; and the idea of potentially paying for two cars while I get rid of the 2003 is not desirable.

Sorry for the novel, but I do appreciate your input.

Thanks,
Kelly

nickstock

Kelly, my advice (for what it's worth) is go for the 2007 and get the best deal you can. With the 1.8T in your current motor you'll be looking for a timing belt replacement at about 75,000 (I think that's the recommendation for the 1.8T) and as you said it's out of warranty. If the newer one comes with the extended warranty you'll get the extra peace of mind as you mentioned and as an owner of a 2006 2.0T I can say I'm pretty impressed with the reliability so far (at 53K). Check if you can get better financing elsewhere too (credit union etc), I know that when I bought mine Audi Financial couldn't match the rate my credit union was offering..and if you can really afford the payments, then life is too short...go for it!

Cheers,

Nick

AofC_RR

Also ask the salesman if the car has Audi Care on it already. That's the maintenance plan. 2007 and later Audis no longer come with free maintenance so that could be a big thing for you if you're trying to keep your expenses down.
best of luck!

el_topo

I'd definitely go for the 07, not just for the warranty (although that's obviously a big consideration) but also because of the 2.0T engine.

kellycan1

Thanks for your replies. I'm still waiting to decide. I need to do some research into my '03 and see what other repairs might come up now that it is nearing 60,000. I just put new brakes and tires on it, plus with the other work (oil sensor and now all four ignition coils are brand new), I wonder if it better to keep it and keep up with maintenance as usual or splurge on the newer vehicle.

Sprinty--Whitewagon

If you are mainly looking to keep expenses low than you're probably better off holding on to your 03. You didn't mention whether it was modded or not, which may also have an impact.

I had an 03 before my current 07 and while I love my 07, I sometimes think I may have been better off keeping that one. It's likely that your payments will probably double if you take the 07, If you st aside that 250 every month, that would more than cover your maintenance.

Bruce M

Your math is a little off. Your actual cost for your current car is $250/month, plus $3K/18 months that you've put into repairs, which is another $166 a month. So your actual car payment is $416/month.

Then you are going to have the t-belt due, and that'll add, ammortized over the same 18 months, about another $90/month. So now you're at a $506/month clip for next 18 months.

Based on that, and the fact that you have not really taken into account the potential for a major out of warranty failure like the trans or turbo, you should go for the 2007. It does suck that you just did brakes/tires, but maybe you can sell the car privately for $10K and be done with it.

When looking for a low monthly payment, part of the euqation has to be knowing your fixed costs. Not getting a low payment that doubles due to unforseen expenses.

Good luck!

Bruce