Bada Bing

I still have a few payments left on my 60-month 2016 VW GTI loan, but I have got the itch since before this purchase, I was doing 3-year leases on cars like the B7 A4 2.0T S-line, BMW 335i, and 2010 and 2013 VW CC R-lines. So I'm thinking of paying off the remaining 5 or 6 GTI payments, keeping it (gotta have a manual car) and getting a second car on a 3 yr/36K mile lease. Here are the new cars I'm considering so far, listed in order of increasing MSRP:

1) 2021 Audi A4 45 TFSI Quattro in Premium trim with Convenience Package and sport suspension in Turbo blue (MSRP $43,995)
2) 2021 VW Arteon SEL- Premium R-line (with 4MOTION) in Kings Red or Lapiz Blue metallic (MSRP $48,585)
3) 2021 Audi S4 Premium with Convenience Package and 19" Torsio wheels in Turbo blue (MSRP $53,545)

I know the Arteon is not a direct competitor to the A4/S4 since they are different in size, standard luxury features and performance but the facelifted Arteon is a great looking car (albeit a flawed package with a lackluster powertrain) and the fully loaded version has a lot of features and amenities that my chosen A4/S4 configurations lack. Nevertheless, I think I will be fully satisfied with the Premium trim on the A4 & S4. In fact, the only option I lament is the unavailability of B&O stereo upgrade.I actually prefer the analog instrument panel to the 2nd generation Virtual cockpit on P+ and Prestige trims.

I wanted to get some inputs on what incentives and discounts are available on the A4 & S4:

- Owner Loyalty: N/A since not a current Audi owner
- Conquest: Wife's 2010 BMW 328i has my name on the title and registration, so I assume I would qualify if there is Conquest money available. Am I correct?
- Costco auto program: I'm a Costco Executive member but have not looked into what their discount is and whether it's stackable with other incentives/discounts
- Audi Supplier Program: I don't know if this program still exists or if it has been replaced by the ACNA discount. I know my current employer used to be on the list for the Audi Supplier Program
- ACNA: Not a member right now, but would consider joining if there's an option that allows you to enjoy the 6% off MSRP benefit without having to wait 6 or 12 months. Stackable with other discounts?
- AudiCare: I know buying it adds 1% to the lease residual but I think I'll pass it since the services covered during a 36K mile lease would be the 20K and 30K services. I t was probably worthwhile when it was $899 but it's up to $1,199 now.

I have already received one lease quote on the Arteon. Good discount off MSRP (~$7,500 off MSRP including $500 for VW Partner Program voucher) and essentially zero MF but the low 50% residual kind of kills the deal right now. May have to wait for discounts to get deeper since I doubt the residual will improve.

I expect the A4 and S4 lease numbers to bracket the Arteon's but trying to see what incentives or discounts are available on these Audi models, so I know what I can possibly qualify for.

Thanks for your input!

Hunter2017

Why lease? It's a complete waste of money. It's better to buy a used car that's 2 or 3 years old. I just picked up a 2017 a4 quattro premium plus with 30k miles for $27k.

Bada Bing

That's the age old question. My current car is 4-1/2 years old and out of warranty. Over the last several months I've had to replace burned out xenon headlights bulbs on both sides, a labor-intensive process that almost requires taking the front bumper off for access and just last week I had to pay $590 to cover my portion of water pump and thermostat housing (VW picked up the other 50% since this was done once already under warranty and the damn thing started leaking again). The short answer is that I want to get something which will have no out of pocket costs for 4 years other than scheduled maintenance. I also like the facelift aesthetics and tech updates Audi made to the car for 2020 ad 2021 (larger 10.1" touchscreen infotainment screen). The 2020+ A4 45 TFSI Premium also has much more standard content than before (sport front seats, wood trim,18" wheels, chrome window surrounds, etc.).

If I were more sensible in the first place, I'd skip German cars, especially VW, and go with a Japanese or Korean car. With the Arteon, I want to go the lease route since I am not sure the model will be around in 2-3 years and I don't want to get stuck with a discontinued car whose value is likely to plummet.

irenesbob

I have leasing makes sense for me. I have done extensive research and am convinced it is possible to lease and spend very little more (or same or less) and in the process have a new car with the latest equipment.

samsj

The first service at 10k miles is no longer free. You may be able to get prorated amount back on Audi care after your lease ends.

Bada Bing

I did not know that. Is getting a prorated amount back an easy process or do you have to work hard at it? I guess this could perhaps change the equation in favor of getting AudiCare. I got a reply from a SoCal auto broker on the A4 45 and he basically tried to talk me out of leasing one and is pushing me toward BMW, saying BMWs lease a hell of a lot better. My problem is that I don't like the looks of the current 3-Series unless it's an M340i with nice 19" wheels. The basic 330i's all over SoCal don't appeal to me.

samsj

3 years back, i did get the prorated amount on a 2014 A4 lease return in NorCal by just submitting the relevant documents. check with your local dealer if this is still applicable.
After that i bought the 2017 A4 from the same dealer and got around 12.5% discount on the MSRP which included a $750 Audi loyalty. this was on a custom order , may have gotten more if it was present on their inventory. i did not use costco or any other discount programs.
get quotes from multiple dealers in your area and use that to negotiate. you can get better discounts at end of month/quarter. also they have season of audi specials where 1 month of payment is waived if you finance through Audi. i believe, later you can refinance with other bank to lower the interest rate.

RickNY

Can someone please explain to me why you would get a pro-rated portion of AudiCare back at the end of the lease? When I leased my 2018 S4, AudiCare was $869 (its now $1199 on the S4). This was added to the cap cost of the lease, and also bumped the residual value up by 1%. Adding AC added $10.15/month for the 36 months of my lease, so my out of pocket expense was $365.40 for AudiCare during the lease period (plus an additional $29 in sales tax).

Thanks

samsj

to clarify, i had purchased Audi care when i went for the 20k service, not during the lease initiation. from the numbers you gave, you are already paying a prorated amount.

RickNY

Thanks -- thats what I figured.. I forgot that Audi lets you purchase it separately later on.