HBUS1300

Got the wife a 2011 Q5 last year (2.0t, premium plus, 17k miles at the time). We got that car paid off. Now after having it for awhile she's feeling guilty about driving a 30k car when that money could be used for other things.

I threw out the idea of selling hers, getting a 08+ A4 and taking the 10k in savings and doing something useful with it, like pay down the house etc...

The B8 A4 is basically the same car as her Q5, just smaller cabin etc... I think I can sell her Q5(23k miles now) for around $28k+/- and pick up a A4 for $18k +/-.

Negatives are that we will be getting a car with at least 20k+ more miles than we currently have, likely more. We could also be getting someone elses problems as well.

Positives are i'm saving 10k. My question is, does it make sense to do this if she's on-board? Any advice would be welcome. Thanks.

uberwgn

Will you have to pay sales tax on the new vehicle?

What is the new vehicle needs $3500 in suprise repairs during the first year of ownership?

HBUS1300

This is probably my biggest fear and would certainly take away from the savings.

uberwgn

I guess you could track down a CPO car...that would help with unanticipated repairs/failures.

tjf

Unless you you really want a car instead of an SUV, just keep driving it. You know about any issues with this one. Selling and buying can be a hassle and induce stress. Interest rates are really low, so that shouldn't be a major concern.
Just take care of it and enjoy.

shs92645

I think that in order to achieve your prospective goal of saving 10k, you would end up with an older A4. While not true of all cars, many 09's and 10's had a lot of problems, from burning oil to suspension issues. If you do your research on Consumer Reports, you will see that the reliability factors of these earlier year B8 models is not very good.

I am a part-time driver at a large Audi dealership and have owned several A4's. The 2013 and 2014 models are dramatic improvements over the earlier years, even though you only see cosmetic changes. They are tighter and my service advisors tell me that they are not seeing oil issues in these models.

My advice is also to keep your Q5. Tell your wife not to feel guilty and, if it will make her feel better, the vehicle will drop in value fairly quickly in the next year or two. Enjoy what you've got instead of opening a can of worms.

Barrels41

Watch out for the dreaded time belt replacement on the B7s 4 cly. $1500-2000. Wife has a 2007 A4 3.2, thank God no timing belt. Chain instead. 3.2 would be the one to get.

Frankly if money is an issue get a Korean car with 100,000 mile warranty. The tech and improvements the least few years are astounding. My buddy can't stop bragging about his daughters Kia replacing her imploded A4.

I had a 2009 A4 and now have a 2012. Huge improvement in ride, oil, overall feel. Drove some 2014 loaners and they were great. Don't go back in time.

JD15

I have an '11 A4 and would not trade for an older B8, particularly an '09, which had many defects that were corrected in subsequent years. In the long term, the older car will likely suffer terminal decay earlier and this trade may not save you nearly as much money as you anticipate. If you really need to sell for financial reasons, it would be better to trade for a car that is cheaper to buy and maintain like an Accord.

HBUS1300

Point taken. It's not all about the money, for me that was just the perceived benefit. Would never buy something soulless like an Accord.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I think we'll just keep with her Q5. Better to stick with a known.