I Need Advice before i buy

[chrisb]

I am trying to buy a D3 A8 3.0TDI Sport either a 2007 or facelift 2008 and have been looking for the last couple of months and a couple have slipped away from me because i procastinated for too long. My mechanic and his friend have said that i am mad as so many things go wrong and the fuel consumtion is terrible and everything is so expensive to replace on them if something goes wrong. I am looking some genuine advice and opinions from people who it seems have owned one or several over a number of years. I really dont want to go and buy an A6 as i much prefer the look of the A8.
Comments please. Chris

[Architex_mA8tey]

Welcome Chris

I will let the D3 Owners on here comment on their 3.0 tdi's etc but your mechanic in my opinion needs to answer the following - what specific evidence does he have for too many things going wrong on these cars? what examples?

Has he ever owned one and what other cars is he comparing that against and is it therefore a fair comparison? What fuel consumption does he expect for a vehicle of the size/type of a D3 A8 and why does he feel its worse than competitor brands? Is a 3.0 tdi in an Aluminium A8 worse fuel wise than a 2.0 tdi in a heavier steel A6 for example?

What things is he saying are expensive to replace and what particular parts does he think are likely to fail that are more costly?

Lastly, perhaps the reason you havnt landed one yet is because they are all so good they are getting snapped up quickly by others?

I'm just playing devil's advocate here but have a browse around each section of the D3 forums and you will build up an idea of what issues crop up and how easily or otherwise they are solved. A8 Parts (Prestige Motor Services); the Forum sponsors, exist to provider us with a cheaper-than-Audi spares and replacement parts service for many items.

Again welcome and I hope that you find the right '8 for you and that you can see past the "generalized comments" that many people seem to make in these situations without full awareness or knowledge Good luck!

[limoncello]

I agree, there is always some luck involved in whether you get a good car or a lemon, and of course things will go from time to time, but the audi build quality is excellent, and though ive seen a few posts from unlucky owners they are few and far between, I dont see what your mechanic is basing these statements on

when things go wrong it will cost more, some parts seem stupidly priced, and we all moan from time to time, but they cost no more than an SClass merc or BMW7 parts, and with good quality secondhand spares around its not always that bad.

My advice - Buy the car that makes you happy, check it out as best as possible before you buy, make sure you get the toys you want, as these can be expensive retrofits,
find a good audi specialist ie a non main dealer, ask the experts on the forum if you have a problem first.

try an audi A6 then get in an 8, its a different class. the shape isnt that disimilar but the ride and feel is 100 times better. ( I recently had to do this with a new A6 and my 05 A8, couldnt wait to get it back )

I think the fuel econ is quite good, more than i expected anyway. i get around 42ish on a run

Actual maintenance costs for mine over the last 2 and a half years including parts, all done by an audi specialist comes to under a grand

the wife moans that my audi is always going wrong and costs a fortune - compared to hers it may be true, but, she drives a new hyundai tin can i10, that she has nearly written off twice due to its inability to turn a corner on any road thats a bit icy.

I know which i prefer

[chrisb]

Thank you for the speedy replies, my mechanics friend was there when i called and he has an 06 A4 DTM and supposedly is an Audi enthusiast, He suggested that i would get better fuel consumption from a remapped 3ltr tdi
A6 Avant Than the A8 with the same engine,which considering the A8 is aluminium i thought sounded strange but it was two against one so i was fighting a losing battle. I think they believe that because there are so much more electronic controls and ecu's that this would be a nightmare if something goes wrong. I have to travel to Dublin every Sunday which is a 220mile round trip and i want to be able to travel in a bit of comfort with my Buddy and our two Kids and still have a reasonable MPG return. I have joined a couple of A8 forums to carry out research as i dont like to buy without knowing what i am getting into and if there are any serious problems that i need to be aware of.

[limoncello]

There is a hell of a lot to go wrong, again though its the same for a big merc or bmw, if you want the luxury, the ride and the toys it goes hand in hand

ive no idea if fuel consumption is better or worse in the a6, after trying both for comfort , ride and enjoyment its a8 all the way.

i regulaly do a 400 mile round trip, and 1800 mile round trip 5/6 times a year -


i can tell you i get roughly this - in a 3.0 TDI

the 1800 mile trip to france costs me around £300 with 2 adults , 1 child, 1 baby - a fully laden ( i mean fully) boot, there and back, not going slow (easy to get carried away going through miles of empty motorway) and a bit of driving around whilst there, more than a quarter tank still left when i get back.

I reckon i could make it there and back on 2 tanks of fuel, if i conserved fuel by traveling at a lower speed.

when doing the 400 mile trip Leeds to London on the M1, alone, not laden with baby crap, i normally put about £60 quid in, again not taking it to easy, but with the usual traffic at points.

[Somerandomguy]

I know we are going to be biased here, as we are an an 8 forum, but I think the fuel economy is pretty good in mine. I do a 50 mile commute, there and back, every day, mix of Motorway and local roads and consistantly get 35mpg..on a long run to Blackpool i was getting 43mpg.

I dont get much better from my 1.6 petrol mini.

There is a lot to go wrong, but the is a lot of second hand parts aailable which really keeps the costs down if you are handy with a spanner, though not a lot does go wrong. I actually think the huge number of ECUs is a good thing as the car is able to tell you whats wrong most of the time.

When i look through my list of works done, a good three quarters of it is upgrades or just trying to keep it perfect, not stuff i would have done on any of my previous tin boxes.

If you get a good one, you are likely to want to keep it as mint as possible, so will spend a little more on even the slightest niggle that you would ignore on any other car....

[limoncello]

same with me, most of the expense the wife moans about is me adding expensive toys rather than fixing problems.

im not good with a spanner so i need someone to do these things, parts and labour at a non dealers seems pretty reasonable to me

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by limoncello

most of the expense the wife moans about is me adding expensive toys rather than fixing problems

I just make sure she has ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHATSOEVER what any of them cost.

Though I can't hide the cost of petrol.

[limoncello]

i tell her but focus more on the good deal i got, ie got the digital tv for 350 rather than the 1250 that audi wanted.

she does the same with me but with shoes

[chrisb]

I know that the A8 Has a lot more going on with electrics and Toys but in general are they as reliable as any other car on the road or are there any major issues that i should be on the lookout for whilst i am hunting for one, i dont believe that your opinions on here are anymore biased than i would be myself but in my opinion i am better getting the advice from the people who use them instead of some people who may have heard a horror story about someone elses car which i believe is my mechanics problem, it wasnt even an A8 it was a VW Phaeton which decided to switch itself on in the middle of the night while its owner was in bed and the keys where in the house, when he went out and switched it off he was never able get it started again. so in their eyes the A8 is the same as this Phaeton and should be avoided at all costs!!!