Need advice on Buying Audi A4 2.0TFSI SE

[JoshN92]

Hello everyone!

I need advice and help on buying an Audi A4 2.0TFSI Quattro Special Edition.

I've seen an audi that I like and here is what I know about it so far
06 plate
Full Service History (unsure if audi dealership but we will say probably not just to be safe)
Car is clean inside and out no dings or dents.

The only part I'm not sure about is that it has 132k miles on the clock. My friend who is good with cars reassures me that this is not a problem as audi are reliable and keep on going. However I am slightly more sceptical hence why I am posting here for some further thoughts.
I will only be doing 5-6k miles a year, I know some of you will tell me to get a more sensible car but I want something that is fun, has a nice amount of power, and I can travel in style with. I've been stuck with a 1.2 Clio for the past 3 years so I'm definitely due an upgrade!
That car is £3495 however I may be able to knock that down abit.
Any advice is appreciated and thank you in advance.

Here is the link to the car
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

Josh

Edited by JoshN92 on Friday 20th January 19:21

[anonymous-user]

My first observation is if you want something that's fun then why are you looking at a boggo A4? Dull as dishwater to drive. Plenty of fun cars available in your price range.

If fun isn't a priority then fair enough, they're nice enough cars.

[steve-5snwi]

We have a 2.0tfsi auto SE,it's covered 108k. I paid £2650 for mine but we took it as a px, so I just paid what it owes us.

Check every door locks and unlocks
Check every window goes up and down
Take a fault code reader with you and look for fault codes (if they let you)
Make sure the engine management light comes on and goes off -and the abs light.
Check to see why the brake warning light is on
Check the front bumper it looks a different colour and the grill looks aftermarket.
Check the clutch as VW/Audi have crap clutches
Listen for a misfire on tick over
Listen for rattle/knocking from the engine the oil pumps can go
Check the passenger floor for damp/water. The convenience sits in a well the drain under the battery gets blocked and it fills the well with water.
Check to see if the haldex fluid has been changed.

I think that's about it.

[ScoobyChris]

Worth also checking if/when the cambelt was changed...

Chris

[JoshN92]

charltjr said:

My first observation is if you want something that's fun then why are you looking at a boggo A4? Dull as dishwater to drive. Plenty of fun cars available in your price range.

If fun isn't a priority then fair enough, they're nice enough cars.

Anything is more fun than a clio!
Any suggestions on other cars to have a look at?
£3500 is the maximum I can spend
Cheers

Edited by JoshN92 on Friday 20th January 20:46

[JoshN92]

steve-5snwi said:

We have a 2.0tfsi auto SE,it's covered 108k. I paid £2650 for mine but we took it as a px, so I just paid what it owes us.

Check every door locks and unlocks
Check every window goes up and down
Take a fault code reader with you and look for fault codes (if they let you)
Make sure the engine management light comes on and goes off -and the abs light.
Check to see why the brake warning light is on
Check the front bumper it looks a different colour and the grill looks aftermarket.
Check the clutch as VW/Audi have crap clutches
Listen for a misfire on tick over
Listen for rattle/knocking from the engine the oil pumps can go
Check the passenger floor for damp/water. The convenience sits in a well the drain under the battery gets blocked and it fills the well with water.
Check to see if the haldex fluid has been changed.

I think that's about it.

Thank you very much for the advice, where is the info about the brake warning light being on, I haven't seen that, maybe I'm just being blind!
Cheers

[ZX10R NIN]

Is the A4 stylish then I'd say yes, but is it fun? I'd have to say no to the last one.

You can also get the same spec in A3 form the 3.2 is a very sweet unit & no turbo to worry about.

A3 2.0 S Line 110k 200bhp FSH

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2005 A3 3.2 Sport 79k 250bhp Full Audi Service History

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

[steve-5snwi]

The last picture, look at this dis (between speedo and rev counter) and at the top of it the brake warning light is on.

[JoshN92]

ZX10R NIN said:

Is the A4 stylish then I'd say yes, but is it fun? I'd have to say no to the last one.

You can also get the same spec in A3 form the 3.2 is a very sweet unit & no turbo to worry about.

A3 2.0 S Line 110k 200bhp FSH

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2005 A3 3.2 Sport 79k 250bhp Full Audi Service History

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

Why is it that it's boring? Sorry for being a pain I'm clearly ste with cars haha

Thing is I really like the A4s so that's kind of what I'm after. The A3 isn't a bad car but if I'm going to be investing all my money in a car I want to get exactly what I want or I feel like I'll end up regretting it later on down the line.
I'm still open to suggestions though! Thanks for taking the time to give me a couple of examples!

Edited by JoshN92 on Friday 20th January 21:35

[JoshN92]

steve-5snwi said:

The last picture, look at this dis (between speedo and rev counter) and at the top of it the brake warning light is on.

Ahh I see it now I missed that before, I'm useless!
Thank you for bringing that to my attention that is definitely worth considering in terms of buying the car

[anonymous-user]

If you want something fun;
MR2
Z3 or Z4
MX5
Mk1 TT 225

If you want a bigger car;
Lexus GS
Or an old LS

Hot hatch;
Megan's RS / 225
Clio sport
VXR

A few ideas to check !

I've had

[steve-5snwi]

The A4 isn't an exciting car, but then again neither is the a3, besides the 3.2 has issues with the timing chain and the dsg is a bit iffy.

I thought the SE Quattro got a slight power hike and I thought some of the got cross drilled discs.

I'm not a massive fan of them but ours is rattle and squeak free, it isn't exciting but no Audi is. But it is a nice comfy cruiser.

I've replaced the brakes all round on ours, and then did the oil, fuel,air,pollen.plugs as part of a service (£105) for genuine parts. The engine light stays on, I believe it needs a new diverter valve (£40) and it averages around 30mpg, 38mpg on a run.

[ZX10R NIN]

The early 3.2 suffered the timing chain issues after that it was sorted these being last of the line models they don't have the issue also the one I'd listed was a manual so no problems with DSG.

Op if you want the one you left the link for then buy it as you say you know what you want from the car

[JoshN92]

steve-5snwi said:

The A4 isn't an exciting car, but then again neither is the a3, besides the 3.2 has issues with the timing chain and the dsg is a bit iffy.

I thought the SE Quattro got a slight power hike and I thought some of the got cross drilled discs.

I'm not a massive fan of them but ours is rattle and squeak free, it isn't exciting but no Audi is. But it is a nice comfy cruiser.

I've replaced the brakes all round on ours, and then did the oil, fuel,air,pollen.plugs as part of a service (£105) for genuine parts. The engine light stays on, I believe it needs a new diverter valve (£40) and it averages around 30mpg, 38mpg on a run.

That's all good to know! Apart from the car maybe being abit boring as most people have pointed out, is it a solid, reliable car that is worth investing all my money into? I mean I can definitely deal with the boringness I'm just after something with some power and I'm happy with the aesthetics of the car!

[JoshN92]

ZX10R NIN said:

The early 3.2 suffered the timing chain issues after that it was sorted these being last of the line models they don't have the issue also the one I'd listed was a manual so no problems with DSG.

Op if you want the one you left the link for then buy it as you say you know what you want from the car

I can deal with the boringness, I just live the look of the A4 and it has a nice bit of power compared to what I'm used to!
I was just unsure about how reliable there are so many mixed reviews online about it I thought ask some people who were more In the know than I am! I would hate to spend all my money on a car that would end up being too unreliable and costly to fix with many problems!

[ZX10R NIN]

They're exactly that a mixed bag do your due diligence & if it ticks the boxes buy it, but if you want performance pace & space then I'd take a good look at the 2.5T Mondeo especially in Titanium X form.

They're a good steer along with that cracking 5 cylinder engine & 220bhp you won't be lacking for pace & with a high spec you won't feel like you're missing out.

Also in one of the photos for the car you're looking at the brake pad light is on.

Mondeo nearly 50k less on the clock

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

[Vaud]

The 3.2 is a dull, thirsty engine...

[anonymous-user]

When you say you're putting all of your money in will you have access to money for maintenance? If not you might want to look at a cheaper car and still have some money available.

As a rule of thumb I'd expect to spend 10-20% of the asking price on bits and pieces in the first year when buying something like that. You might get lucky and have to spend less (bonus!) or you might be unlucky and get stung with a big bill.

[steve-5snwi]

I'd go with the Mondeo over the A4, yes you will miss out on Quattro but it's not like it's full time awd. The A4 is slightly classier imo though. Check the dual zone act works on the A4 too as they have a habit of failing.

[JoshN92]

charltjr said:

When you say you're putting all of your money in will you have access to money for maintenance? If not you might want to look at a cheaper car and still have some money available.

As a rule of thumb I'd expect to spend 10-20% of the asking price on bits and pieces in the first year when buying something like that. You might get lucky and have to spend less (bonus!) or you might be unlucky and get stung with a big bill.

I will have around 400-500 that I will be able to access should anything go wrong!
I suppose that's the problem, I could get lucky and spend nothing on it for a while, or I could end up with a hefty, unforeseeable bill. I guess it's luck of the draw abit!