Suveer B

Hi,

I’m considering an A5 coupe and need advice on which year model to go for. I’ve read the consumer report for the A5 and see that reliability is best in the years 2012, 2014, and 2016. So, unless some of you know otherwise, that’s the universe of cars I’m looking to purchase one of. I plan to buy one with only one previous owner, with 45,000 to 50,000 miles on it at most, preferably one with a super clean CARFAX report.

Some details on how I plan to use the car:

- located in Florida only
- will be closed garage parked at all times
- clock no more than 12,000 miles every year, mostly commuting to and from work
- will maintain per service needs
- assume no accidents, minor or otherwise

Question for y’all. For each year (‘12, ‘14, ‘16) A5 coupe:
- what, in your opinion, is the ANNUAL expected drop in value? How much of a drop should I expect between the purchase and resale prices in one year, and in two years? I’m looking for as narrow a range on depreciation as possible.
- what are the expected annual maintenance costs associated with the car? Would they increase every year?

Let me know if there’s information I’m missing, that I should have provided.
Thanks is for your help.
Audi-curiously,
Suveer

findalex

Knock on wood, but I have a '13 A5 with 71K. Bought new. Other than recalls that repaired for free under warranty, $0 additional repair cost.

In terms of depreciation, google A5 depreciation and you'll have several good sources. After 5 years, it depreciates about 50% or so. 6th year is down to about 40% of new. 7th is about 35%... plus or minus.

OlyS5

I have a '15 S5... so now you've got me wondering what it is for 2015 models that somehow slipped off their "best" rating...

mhoran89

Just remember a car fax needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Major accidents / repairs can take up to 6 months to show up on those reports...
Best thing to do is take it to a local mechanic you trust. Having a body shop guy look it over can help too... they will look at panel gaps, orange peel, if they masked things behind door jambs, etc.
And remember if the deal seems too sweet, it likely is too good to be true.
Best of luck on your search.

jschrauwen

I assume you'll be getting the 2.0T. Your consumer search should have revealed that the 2012 was the last of a 5 year run of oil consumption issues which was corrected for the 2013 (facelift) year.
Depending on previous use, a walnut shell carbon cleaning will likely be needed near the 50k mile window.

jbl30979

The EA888 gen 2 engine is solid. Revisions were made to correct the common gen 1 oil issue etc.
Not sure about the gen 3 yet. I wouldn't get one simply because they don't offer them with flex fuel.

F18Lumpy

2013 here. Zero issues.