Thinking of getting A5 sportsback - did a test drive. Need some input
 

Did test drive for a5 sport hatchback prestige and I really liked it. I feel it is a bit cramped but I don't feel cramped... kind of weird.

The salesperson was pretty nice and I asked a lot of questions.

1. Extended warranty-he said there's like 7 year 100k extended warranty for 3k or more. He did say they can probably throw it in if I buy sticker which is 54k or so. Is it worth it?

2. He mentioned labor day probably best time to buy,then there are sales in Halloween, Thanksgiving, Columbus day and somewhat xmas and then that's kinda it since 2019 model will arrive then...

3. As for longevity, he might be echoing what I said about how my acura is 240k but he said audi has been too in reliability and this car can get up to 200k mo problem if I drive responsibly.

I still gonna try out stinger ,g70, rdx (he did trash acura a hit lol) and maybe lexus.

I am not sure if the prestige is worth it over the premium plus - i do plan to keep the car till the end so maybe its worth it in the long run? I also checked truecar and the total price with prestige and navigation and sports package is about 50k, 4 k less than the MSRP...

I would love to hear input from people here on any accuracy of what has been said to me. I did purposely go to this dealership since its few towns over so i opened up more than I like. If I showed my hand too much it won't matter....

I love how salespeople can estimate how long a car can last.

Personally I think the car will be fine with a high mileage but not with age. My statement comes from the fact that these engines are known to last a while but the car relies on too much rubber to stay secure.

A5 is a small car that provide the front passenger a lot room, it does not feel cramp for a small car. You can buy the extended warranty up to 4 years after you buy the car and you can get a cheaper online. No one pays MSRP for a A5, depending on where you are, you can probably get 6% to 10% off without a lot of work. A good time to buy is at model year end, which is now. My experience is that buying a car is pot luck, sometime you get a reliable one and sometimes you don't, general, the Japanese brands are a bit more reliable. The European brand tends to cost more to maintain after warranty, but the Japanese brand's maintenance cost has been going up as well.

Coming from GTIs and GOLFs I find my A5 coupe a large car and liking it very much so far.

So was it cramped to you or not?
 

Cramped feeling or not?

Most all sales people are very nice. It's how they make a living. Would you want to buy from a rude, nasty sales person?

1---Never, ever buy an extended warranty on a new car, no matter how inexpensive they make it sound. You'll know within 2 to 3 years if the car is reliable/dependable or your practical needs have changed. Your only consideration should be AudiCare, where you pay upfront for 4 maintenance services.

Never, never pay anything close to MSRP for this 2018 when the 2019 is around the corner. Wait, try others and then drive the 2019 again. The Prestige, with all the bells and whistles, sounds and looks nice, but the Premium Plus should serve you well and it depreciates less than a Prestige.. As for depreciation, realize that while driving this nice shiny, nice riding A5, don't lose focus that Audi's depreciates heavily. As do other luxury brands. You'll feel the sting at trade-in. If you want to play in the Audi sandbox, its pretty much pay big to play.

2--Everyday is a good time to buy a car from a sales person, for them! For you, the best time is end of quarter or end of year for an outgoing model year...ie. 2018

3-- Red flags all over the place here. No good sales person should bad mouth another brand. They get my immediate..."talk to hand" All brands offer different things to all people/ buyers. ie...Hyundai/Kia offer value, Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura offer long term reliability and some models also value. American models offer patriotic theme, but some ho-hum driving...save for the Corvettes, Camaro, Mustang and some Dodge HEMI's. Audi/BMW/MB offer some wonderful driving cars and latest tech, but very little value, particularly depreciation.

Once he/she bad mouthed my 240K mile Acura, he/she would have lost all credibility if I valued reliability and value. Try other models, particularly the 2019 RDX...its AWESOME inside and out.

Thanks for the lengthy feedback! I think for me longevity and luxury are key for my next purchase - plus within ~50k. When i purchase anything, i want to get "latest and greatest within budget" then ride it to EOL. Case in point the 2003 acura at 240k miles. Also my Panasonic PLASMA (yes PLASMA LOL) i am still using - bought it 7 years ago or so and still going strong. That comes back to why i want to make sure the audi(or whichever car i get) can last close to it. With that goal in mind, depreciation is not a concern for me since ideally i would be using the car till it falls apart(naturally...), in which case the price of any car at that point would be close to "0".

He did mention that Audi does some fancy algorithm that they only send a few new models in while gauging the current inventory. So what customers see wont be a huge boatload of 2019s but a sligh increase in 2019s while 2018s are being exhausted. I personally dont care too much for 2019 since this is most likely a small update and not a whole redesign. He did mention that as 2019 hits the floor, 2018s wont have the incentive to be sold at less value so it wont be that much discounted. Not sure if that's true or not though...

Also, does it make sense to get CPO on the 2018 or i should get new or used and add warranty to it?

I am definitely testing out the RDX today! Unfortunately the acura sedans havent really been reviewed that highly but RDX is (sucky mileage though :/) so we'll see. Any thoughts on G70 and Kia stinger?
My mom's pushing to give me her 2015 Audi Q7. Not really interested in large cars though plus its outdated.

Don't worry about the salesman's comments about other brands....his/her comments have literally zero to do with how the car will or will not meet your needs. If you're going to be owning it long-term, and since you mention not wanting a 2015 Q7 because its outdated, get the Prestige. The difference in depreciation will be minimal, if you keep it long term. And besides, how much sense does it make to purchase a car with a primary driver being worried about when you get rid of it? Get the features you want now...enjoy the experience.

in terms of vehicle. do you recommend A5 sportback or something else along the lines? I would strongly prefer a recent redesign though and i know several audi lines were redesigned recently. I dont have family yet but when i do, do you think the sportback will be cramped? should i consider suv or something? Thats kinda why i am looking at the rdx for consideration as well.

My sister (Scottsdale,AZ) has a 2018 A5 SB. I rode in the backseat from DC Ranch to the trailhead at Pinnacle Peak-approx 30 minutes, and then back to DC Ranch after the hike. I'm 5-10, 155 lbs and was extremely comfortable in the back seat. Airflow, head & leg room, visibility etc, all good. On the other hand, I've actually ridden in the back seat of my 2018 RS5 (wife & daughter took over front seats/ driving), and that was fairly brutal. Would not have wanted to be back there for more than 15 minutes. I think the A5 SB is a great car-especially if you can find, as she did, a slightly used CPO for approx 20% off MSRP.

Bottom line is you should be able to get a smashing deal at any dealer if shopping for a coupe or sedan. Those are not currently in high demand as CUV/SUV's are.