Hova26

Hello everyone. I am brand spanking new to the Audi World community. Just a bit of back ground on myself; I'm in the military stationed in Europe. I have owned 3 BMWs. A 1994 316i, a 2012 328i and a 2014 428i. I still own the 316 as a daily driver to get from point A to B. Runs great and hasn't given me any issues besides normal wear and tear. I've always wanted an Audi. I just love the way they look and the interior is top notch. Before I purchased my 328, I had an opportunity to purchase a 2011 A5 but decided against it because my girlfriend owns an A5. So I figure I could always drive hers. I owned the car for a year and a half before I came to the realization that I did not need a 4 door car and decided on getting a coupe. I had another opportunity to purchase an 2013 A5 with 7k miles. This one was spec'd out. MMI nav, sport pkg, backup camera, park distance control. The dealer was planning on giving me a great deal, but again I decided against it and bought the 428. Now don't get me wrong, both BMWs were great. Gas mileage was excellent, good low end torque, steering feel was pretty good. Even while driving both cars and I drove past an A5 or S5, I always caught myself looking and wishing I would have purchased one. In any case I have sold both cars and am now looking to purchase my first Audi. Specifically an S5. I test drove one a few weeks ago and again, I love the interior. The seats are really nice and I love the DCT. My hiccup is do I wait until the new 2017 S5 or do I go ahead and purchase the current style? I was looking at both brand new and CPO. If I went the CPO route, I would not go any older than a 2013. Is there a mileage limit I should stay under if I went CPO? I've been on autotrader and most of the cars I've seen have between 25 and 40k miles, with the avg being around 34k. I think that's a bit much for a high performance car. I would like to stay between 15 and 25k but there aren't many out there. Then there is the case that the previous owner may not have broken the car in properly. If I purchased the car brand new I would not have this problem. I recently went to the 2015 Frankfurt auto show. I got a chance to sit inside the new A4 and it is excellent. I'm not a fan of the stationary tablet that all automakers seem to be doing nowadays and wished Audi would have refrained from joining the mix. Besides that, the materials, as always, are top notch. The new MMI is pretty nice, although I must admit I prefer BMW's iDrive. I just find it easier to use but that can also be attributed to me not spending much time using the Audi MMI. While I'm a huge fan of the interior, the exterior leaves much to be desired. I'm not a fan or the revised headlights or taillights. I like the DRLs on the current model. My personal preference, I like the current exterior with the soon-to-be new interior. What are your thoughts Audi community on brand new vs. pre-owned? Do I wait for the new model or look for a deal on the current model. I will say that the available tech that is coming on the new A4/A5 is insane. BMW and Mercedes will have nothing on Audi when the new models debut. Any help, input, and/or advise would be greatly appreciated.

lmariorod

Hey. Welcome. And thank you for your service. Since you managed to own a '14 428i while on a military salary, you must be doing pretty well. I was only able to afford a 6 year old Chevy Malibu when an airman.
One of the things to keep in mind with the 2017/2018 S5 is that it may go the way of the new S4 with no MT, dual clutch and no supercharger. So a '13 thru '15 CPO or new '16 is the way to go.

The New Audi S4 No Longer Has A Dual Clutch Transmission

Hova26

Thank you. It is my pleasure. Yes this is also something that I've noticed. I like the supercharged engine and the DCT. There are conflicting reports out there. Last I read yesterday was there was going to be a 7-speed DCT. I could be wrong but the vids that I saw online yesterday of the new A4 suggest a DCT. I am certainly leaning toward purchasing the current gen body style. Thanks for the input. And to the Audi community out there, I welcome all input. Thanks!!!

dseag2

I can't imagine Audi would put a supercharged engine and DCT in the '17 S5 when they have already announced the '17 S4 will have a turbocharged engine and 8-speed Tiptronic. The guts of the two cars have always been too similar. Hopefully I will be proven wrong, but it doesn't seem very cost effective to have two different drivetrains for what is essentially the same car in sedan and coupe version.

PhilNotHill

Unless we can get a manual, Tiptronic is a deal killer for me.

Glisse

As noted by dseag2, the new A5/S5 series will have the same drivetrain as new A4/S4 series. So for an S5, that means turbocharged engine with automatic gearbox. They are using the DCT in A4 models, so not sure why the S4 gets an automatic gearbox. It is either a weight issue (I believe the DCT is heavier), or else it better suits the characteristics of the engine. It will be interesting to see what gearbox they use in the RS4/RS5.

So given your comments, it may make sense for you to buy an existing model.

However, the early driving reports on the A4 all suggest that Audi have made significant improvements with the new platform in terms of weight, weight distribution, suspension, and steering. So judging purely on the choice of gearbox and aesthetics may be a bit short sighted. As you noted from your Frankfurt experience, the technology transition from B8 to B9 is a huge leap.

I live in Europe, and I am not American, but I guess by your use of Autotrader and CPO terms, that you are buying the car in the US for use when you are on leave from your job in Europe. Not sure it makes sense to buy a brand new car which will spend most of its time depreciating in a garage. And depreciating quite quickly by the time the new model comes out. Which will be around mid 2017. I think in the US you would refer to this as a 2018 model? A CPO car in the colour you want, with the wheels you want, would seem a good choice.

I'm considering whether to get one of the last (new) RS4s available, and am struggling with similar issues. Not least because my wife has an S5 Cab, and I am coming from an A7. But I can't wait until 2017 for a new RS4 to appear, and I have a NA V8 itch to scratch. Good luck with your choice.

Hova26

I would be buying the car while on leave, then shipping it back to Europe. If I decide to buy the current model, then I think that is the way to go for me. If I decide to buy the next gen, then I will wait until I get back to Europe and buy a new one. Yes the tech is better but from an aethetics standpoint, it is just something about the current gen that does it for me. Yes Audi corrected the weight issue but I don't think I'll be tracking the car on a daily basis. I may take it to "the ring" just to say I did but other than that, it will be my daily driver. Now there are options I'm looking at if I go CPO, such as rear-diff, adapt-susp, and drive select. Those are all must haves.