Just upgraded....
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Just upgraded....
I had a B6 A4 3.0 CVT for just under 12 months, and had clocked up 47,000km. So I figured it was time to change, before the resale value dropped too much. As much as I loved the A4, it was my second one (I first had a 2001 2.0) and I didn't really want the same car again.
Although I really wanted quattro (I am moving to the hills in about a year's time) I also wanted sports seats, sports steering wheel and tiptronic controls on the steering wheel.
I looked at the Allroad, which was nice, but not quite me. The 2.5TDI left me wanting more power, and the 4.2 V8 was out of my price range.
Then I discovered the TT tiptronic - it had the main things I wanted (other than quattro) - and was such a hoot to drive. Although less powerful and slower 0-100 than the 3.0 A4, it drives like a go-kart. I haven't had this much fun driving in ages.
The engine is so tractable, it revs to the redline but can pull from 2000rpm.
I figure this will do me for the next year, at which time I will have to upgrade to something more sensible, like an Allroad or A4 Avant.
So for the next year, it's all about having fun!
Although I really wanted quattro (I am moving to the hills in about a year's time) I also wanted sports seats, sports steering wheel and tiptronic controls on the steering wheel.
I looked at the Allroad, which was nice, but not quite me. The 2.5TDI left me wanting more power, and the 4.2 V8 was out of my price range.
Then I discovered the TT tiptronic - it had the main things I wanted (other than quattro) - and was such a hoot to drive. Although less powerful and slower 0-100 than the 3.0 A4, it drives like a go-kart. I haven't had this much fun driving in ages.
The engine is so tractable, it revs to the redline but can pull from 2000rpm.
I figure this will do me for the next year, at which time I will have to upgrade to something more sensible, like an Allroad or A4 Avant.
So for the next year, it's all about having fun!
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That's true, but there are other factors.
Over the last 10 years, import duties were gradually reduced (about 1.5% per year) to 15%. But falls in the Australian dollar wiped out the benefits. Prices have risen overall in the same time. Example: In 1995 a base 318i cost about $46,000 - it now costs around $54,000.
Having said that, a basic BMW 3-series/MB C-Class now costs about 50 weeks average wages, whereas 20 years ago it cost about 2 years average wages.
Australia is a small, tightly controlled market. The two big germans, BMW and Mercedes, control supply very tightly. There is never an "excess" of their cars, and as such prices are maintained at or sometimes above RRP, even for volume-selling models.
So unless import duties were cut to zero in one fell swoop, rather than in small increments, I would not expect imported car prices to fall.
Our killer here is the luxury car tax. When we moved from a wholesale sales tax to Goods and Services Tax, there was an outcry about how much luxury car prices would fall. To get the GST passed, the government had to introduce the luxury car tax (25%) on the value of cars in excess of A$57,000. This mean that luxury cars above this value, be they $70,000 or $200,000, only fell by about A$5,000 in price.
So as usual we lost out again!
Having said that, a basic BMW 3-series/MB C-Class now costs about 50 weeks average wages, whereas 20 years ago it cost about 2 years average wages.
Australia is a small, tightly controlled market. The two big germans, BMW and Mercedes, control supply very tightly. There is never an "excess" of their cars, and as such prices are maintained at or sometimes above RRP, even for volume-selling models.
So unless import duties were cut to zero in one fell swoop, rather than in small increments, I would not expect imported car prices to fall.
Our killer here is the luxury car tax. When we moved from a wholesale sales tax to Goods and Services Tax, there was an outcry about how much luxury car prices would fall. To get the GST passed, the government had to introduce the luxury car tax (25%) on the value of cars in excess of A$57,000. This mean that luxury cars above this value, be they $70,000 or $200,000, only fell by about A$5,000 in price.
So as usual we lost out again!
Audiworld Senior Member
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Thanks for the detailed info, it definitely puts things into perspective. (m)
your comment about "tightly controlled" market for the luxo segment says it all. there will never be pricing pressures that will benefit the consumers in this type of market.
now i understand why it pays to read the fine print as opposed to plainly accept all that is stated in the obvious, especially in the newspapers.
good insight and thanks. :-)
now i understand why it pays to read the fine print as opposed to plainly accept all that is stated in the obvious, especially in the newspapers.
good insight and thanks. :-)
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So, you're saying ...
there's a 15% import tax on Audis
and a 25% tax on Audis above $57K Aus.
Is this 25% on the total price, or just the
amount over $57K?
I'm considering a job in Australia and am trying
to figure out why TTs there are SO much more
expensive there than here. I'd bring mine, but do I really want
to run a left-hand drive TT in a right-hand drive
Universe?
scot
and a 25% tax on Audis above $57K Aus.
Is this 25% on the total price, or just the
amount over $57K?
I'm considering a job in Australia and am trying
to figure out why TTs there are SO much more
expensive there than here. I'd bring mine, but do I really want
to run a left-hand drive TT in a right-hand drive
Universe?
scot
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Re: So, you're saying ...
Yep, that's right.
Duty is currently 15% which is being reduced (I think) at 1.5% per year until it reaches 5%.
All cars are subject to GST of 10%.
If the car is worth more than A$57K, then the value over that is subject to 25% Luxury Car Tax.
No I wouldn't use LHD over here - there are very few LHD cars - mainly early Mustangs.
The import duty on second-hand cars is different - to stop a flood of cheap used cars, several years ago the last govt stuck a *minimum* import duty of around A$12,000 (I think) for one-off imports. Happy to stand corrected on this, but I think it's correct.
Duty is currently 15% which is being reduced (I think) at 1.5% per year until it reaches 5%.
All cars are subject to GST of 10%.
If the car is worth more than A$57K, then the value over that is subject to 25% Luxury Car Tax.
No I wouldn't use LHD over here - there are very few LHD cars - mainly early Mustangs.
The import duty on second-hand cars is different - to stop a flood of cheap used cars, several years ago the last govt stuck a *minimum* import duty of around A$12,000 (I think) for one-off imports. Happy to stand corrected on this, but I think it's correct.
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