Options query

[Audimercorbm]

Looking at a car to buy. Audi in se spec. Don't want to be more specific at this point

Only thing is it has lots of options that weren't available to that spec from the factory. Eg virtual cockpit and the type of leather on the seats

It's 8 years old and the seller is the 3rd owner so he can't really help

Is this something to worry about. Do some cars come with extras not available ie test drive cars?

Thanks

[mcflurry]

If there's any doubt presumably there are plenty of other Audis of that age to buy instead?
Alternatively, if it's in decent condition / FSH etc and you like it then..

[tomsugden]

It may have been a demonstrator car in a previous life. I bought an Audi S1 in about 2015 that had been a demonstrator car, and it had every option available.

[Sheepshanks]

I did, years ago, go and look at a car which was an unfeasible spec. Previous owner was the Chief Constable of Lancashire Police! Seller tried to tell it was the Chief's personal car.

Edited by Sheepshanks on Wednesday 26th March 13:14

[Decky_Q]

Sometimes people dont want a particular feature that's on a higher spec like s line/s.

I had a car where the first owner really didnt want the HUD or dashtop that came with the top model, he ordered the lower spec and added a crazy amount of extras to bring everything else up to the top spec.

[resolve10]

It's potentially two different scenarios.

If it's an SE with loads of factory option ticked, that's a good thing and you should be getting a relative bargain as the trade will likely just value it as an SE.

If it's an SE with options that you are certain were not available from factory, then someone has retro fitted them. Seems unlikely if it's a fairly common car. Assuming this is the case, it could be good or bad depending on your outlook - someone obviously loved the car enough to go to the effort of retro fitting (can't imagine Virtual Cockpit would be a straightforward job), but you don't know what standards the work has been done to or how well the dash has been put back together.

[Audimercorbm]

I am going to go look at it.
But defo an se didn't have the option to have the vc
Like you say. Can't imagine it would be an easy retrofit

[Rough101]

Maybe it’s an import, as country to country, the options offered varied.

I looked at an Alfa like that, turned out it was destined for Singapore

[Sheepshanks]

Audimercorbm said:

I am going to go look at it.
But defo an se didn't have the option to have the vc
Like you say. Can't imagine it would be an easy retrofit

Seems mad to me, but there are a bunch of firms who do that sort of thing so there must be demand.

[Truckosaurus]

Indeed. Plenty of retro fit options especially if things like CarPlay or Virtual Dash weren't available when the car was new.

As long as they are 'genuine' Audi parts not some Chinese eBay special then it should be all good.

[silentbrown]

Audimercorbm said:

Looking at a car to buy. Audi in se spec. Don't want to be more specific at this point

Only thing is it has lots of options that weren't available to that spec from the factory. Eg virtual cockpit and the type of leather on the seats

Try posting in the VAG specific group. DrG and others there are very helpful. if you have the reg or VIN then it's possible to get the original build spec of the car.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?h=0&...

[Audimercorbm]

silentbrown said:

Try posting in the VAG specific group. DrG and others there are very helpful. if you have the reg or VIN then it's possible to get the original build spec of the car.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?h=0&...

Thanks will do

[Audimercorbm]

It definitely seems factory fitted as it has the touch pad by the gear knob which again only comes with the package that includes the virtual cockpit which shouldn't be available

It seems more like it is a sport spec with extras

But any search or valuation done it comes up as an se

[Sheepshanks]

Audimercorbm said:

It definitely seems factory fitted as it has the touch pad by the gear knob which again only comes with the package that includes the virtual cockpit which shouldn't be available

It seems more like it is a sport spec with extras

But any search or valuation done it comes up as an se

Wife had a Tiguan and from the Tiguan forum it was quite a regular thing that the DVLA lookup showed the wrong version.