How long will my Audi last?
Discussion
I have a petrol Audi Q5 Sportback.
Our 4 year PCP is for 10k miles pa.
So after the 4 years it should have just 40k miles on the clock.
However, 16 months in it is clear we are doing 18.5k miles pa, so after 4 years it will have 74k miles on the clock.
Warranty runs out after 3 years.
What are the mechanical/financial implications of this? Expensive repairs/replacement parts? Car breaking down? Massive loss of residual value?
What mileage/age would be a good point to get rid of it?
Our 4 year PCP is for 10k miles pa.
So after the 4 years it should have just 40k miles on the clock.
However, 16 months in it is clear we are doing 18.5k miles pa, so after 4 years it will have 74k miles on the clock.
Warranty runs out after 3 years.
What are the mechanical/financial implications of this? Expensive repairs/replacement parts? Car breaking down? Massive loss of residual value?
What mileage/age would be a good point to get rid of it?
Depreciation hits the hardest in the first years and miles. As it gets older and mileage higher the depreciation curve becomes shallower. So there's generally no crossover point where it becomes cheaper to sell your old car and buy a new one, bar a complete engine/gearbox failure on a very old car.
At 75k miles there shouldn't be any substantial wear items on the suspension upto that point. The more costly maintenance items might be brake discs, tires and possibly a belt+water pump.
Worst case scenario: DSG/clutch repair if you get bad luck in combination with spending lots of time in crawling traffic and you have a DSG with dry clutches (found on the sub-2.0TSI's). There are DSG specialists that do it a lot cheaper than a main dealer replacing the entire thing if catastrophe hits.
At 75k miles there shouldn't be any substantial wear items on the suspension upto that point. The more costly maintenance items might be brake discs, tires and possibly a belt+water pump.
Worst case scenario: DSG/clutch repair if you get bad luck in combination with spending lots of time in crawling traffic and you have a DSG with dry clutches (found on the sub-2.0TSI's). There are DSG specialists that do it a lot cheaper than a main dealer replacing the entire thing if catastrophe hits.
Deal based on 10k but doing 18.5k... that's quite a big difference, would it not be prudent have it recalculated just now rather than pay the price at the end, assuming you get that far with it? As for how long will it last, unanswerable sadly... so many things can happen or change in that 4yr timescale.
I ran a 2011 Audi A4 Allroad 2.0tdi manual from new for 4.5 years. It too was on a 10k per annum pcp deal. At the end of the 4 years it had done 120,000 miles and was still worth more than the final balloon payment. I paid the balloon and kept it for another 6 months before part exchanging it for an X5 …….whose engine suffered timing chain failure 1 week after the warranty expired…….leading to a £9k engine rebuild……..
Back on topic, In the 120,000 miles I ran the Allroad it only needed normal servicing, apart from one sensor in the exhaust needing to be changed. The servicing up to 60k was done by the Audi main stealer, but then the warranty ended due to miles, so I had it serviced every 10,000 miles by a good local garage.
Back on topic, In the 120,000 miles I ran the Allroad it only needed normal servicing, apart from one sensor in the exhaust needing to be changed. The servicing up to 60k was done by the Audi main stealer, but then the warranty ended due to miles, so I had it serviced every 10,000 miles by a good local garage.
Interesting responses. By my reckoning I will hit 40k miles in the next 12 months. Perhaps that would be a good milestone to consider getting rid?
Benefits of keeping it are that it’s only £475 per month and petrol is getting cheaper. Getting a new equivalent car on PCP would be more like £800-£1200 per month with the way prices have rocketed.
Plus petrol is getting cheaper, so no rush to go electric.
Benefits of keeping it are that it’s only £475 per month and petrol is getting cheaper. Getting a new equivalent car on PCP would be more like £800-£1200 per month with the way prices have rocketed.
Plus petrol is getting cheaper, so no rush to go electric.
I’ve run A/S/RS3s in the 0-12 year range for ages, and plenty of other VAG products that have similar oily bits to a Q3.
You will be fine running your car economically for many, many years.
Whether you would prefer a new car and wish to make excuses though (this is PH after all!), is up to you.
You will be fine running your car economically for many, many years.
Whether you would prefer a new car and wish to make excuses though (this is PH after all!), is up to you.
The Cardinal said:
I’ve run A/S/RS3s in the 0-12 year range for ages, and plenty of other VAG products that have similar oily bits to a Q3.
You will be fine running your car economically for many, many years.
Whether you would prefer a new car and wish to make excuses though (this is PH after all!), is up to you.
Haha yes there may be an element of man maths at play I must admit.You will be fine running your car economically for many, many years.
Whether you would prefer a new car and wish to make excuses though (this is PH after all!), is up to you.
AudiMan9000 said:
Interesting responses. By my reckoning I will hit 40k miles in the next 12 months. Perhaps that would be a good milestone to consider getting rid?
Benefits of keeping it are that it’s only £475 per month and petrol is getting cheaper. Getting a new equivalent car on PCP would be more like £800-£1200 per month with the way prices have rocketed.
Plus petrol is getting cheaper, so no rush to go electric.
Just my own view, but may be worth getting figures to increase the mileage on the PCP, and also run that against the costs to pay the extra at the end of the pcp for excess mileage.Benefits of keeping it are that it’s only £475 per month and petrol is getting cheaper. Getting a new equivalent car on PCP would be more like £800-£1200 per month with the way prices have rocketed.
Plus petrol is getting cheaper, so no rush to go electric.
I shouldn't be worried about a 4 year old car with 75k on it, I'd also think about buying it at the end of the PCP for the agreed current figure and then selling it on afterwards... unless they bite your hand off to fund another PCP....
grumpynuts said:
You can't adjust the mileage on a pcp mid term, it is fixed at the start.Don't worry about over shooting the miles, see what they offer you for it against a new one against the gfv.If you need to put a few quid in then you do.
That’s incorrect, mileages can be adjusted mid term (generally speaking, it may not apply to every lender but certainly big ones such as VWFS). Iirc, it was a result of the FCA’s ‘Treating Customers Fairly’ principles a few years back. The payments are of course adjusted accordingly.
“Only £475/month” 
Mechanically, can’t see you having issues at 74k if serviced every 10k. As said, things like cambelt and discs/pads are likely to be the biggest expense, providing you’re not unlucky.
Can’t advise too much on the financial front. If you’re happy paying £475 every month then fair enough, but I wouldn’t be.
Mechanically, can’t see you having issues at 74k if serviced every 10k. As said, things like cambelt and discs/pads are likely to be the biggest expense, providing you’re not unlucky.
Can’t advise too much on the financial front. If you’re happy paying £475 every month then fair enough, but I wouldn’t be.
Fusion777 said:
“Only £475/month”
Mechanically, can’t see you having issues at 74k if serviced every 10k. As said, things like cambelt and discs/pads are likely to be the biggest expense, providing you’re not unlucky.
Can’t advise too much on the financial front. If you’re happy paying £475 every month then fair enough, but I wouldn’t be.
That is very cheap by today’s standards. Prices usually around £1k per month for white goods cars with a vaguely premium badge.Mechanically, can’t see you having issues at 74k if serviced every 10k. As said, things like cambelt and discs/pads are likely to be the biggest expense, providing you’re not unlucky.
Can’t advise too much on the financial front. If you’re happy paying £475 every month then fair enough, but I wouldn’t be.
Here's an Audi Q5 similar to yours with the same engine and drivetrain with 87000 miles on it for sale, it's perfectly fine and hasn't fallen to bits yet. It'll probably be good for the same mileage again as long as it's maintained correctly.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202242...
It'll need some maintenance bits - it should have had a new set of spark plugs and DSG gearbox oil and filter already as they are due every 38k; air filter every 57k, haldex oil will need doing at 3 years, brake fluid every 2 years, then brake discs and pads as and when they are needed. As has already been mentioned, oil should be changed annually or every 10k.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202242...
It'll need some maintenance bits - it should have had a new set of spark plugs and DSG gearbox oil and filter already as they are due every 38k; air filter every 57k, haldex oil will need doing at 3 years, brake fluid every 2 years, then brake discs and pads as and when they are needed. As has already been mentioned, oil should be changed annually or every 10k.
A 4 year old, 80k mile Audi will be fine, it might cost you a few extra services for the DSG / Haldex / Cambelt than a lower mileage car.
I'd be most concerned about having to return it, okay, few people actually end up giving it back at the end of the PCP, but there are huge changes happening in the market and recession that could mean it's not worth close to the GFV - 34k miles, at what... 12p a mile? £4k, that'll hurt.
I'd be most concerned about having to return it, okay, few people actually end up giving it back at the end of the PCP, but there are huge changes happening in the market and recession that could mean it's not worth close to the GFV - 34k miles, at what... 12p a mile? £4k, that'll hurt.
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