Hi guys, I am currently driving a 2002 jaguar xk8 and I am looking for something a bit more practical/customizable with a better reliability record. I've been looking at an A4 1.8T from 2000 to 2003 and I am really impressed.

Unfortunately, I'm noticing that all the ones for sale are listed at ~9 or 10,000, whereas blue book/edmunds says more like 7-8. What would you guys pay for something like this: http://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/cto/1337991998.html

I've read up quite a bit on timing belts, coolants leaks etc, and I'm looking for a car that has recently had those things fixed. I'm also looking to come out ahead by a few grand trading "down" from a jag to an audi, and I will set aside some of that money for potential repairs/upgrades.

I see a few for sale that have rebuilt engines. That seems like bad news to me -- what if it's still under warranty?

I tried searching around before posting, but if there is a thread that deals specifically with these types of questions (other than the regular FAQ) please direct me to it.

Cheers!

 

I have seen a couple for sale with rebuilt engines and somewhat higher miles, such as this: http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/1340236119.html

Thoughts?

 

Welcome.

The newb sticky at the top of the B5 page will contain some information you'll definitely find helpful.

You're right to look for one with up-to-date maintenance, no sense jumping feet first into a car that will turn out to be a maintenance nightmare. The reason you're seeing such a discrepancy between the KBB value and asking price, is because people trying to sell these cars aren't willing to take the crappy economy into account when setting their asking price. 6 months or a year ago, a car like the one you listed *may* actually have been worth $10k, but not today.

Another good thing is that you're prepared to shell out another grand or two after the purchase price. Lots of times things will come up suddenly and the **** can get expensive.

Rebuilt engines aren't necessarily a deal breaker, just make sure you know why. If it threw a timing belt and needed a top end rebuild, thats different than torching a cylinder because the guy was running 25lbs of boost on stock internals. Just be sure you know the history of the car before you buy it. In that same vein, I suggest you stay away from cars modded by the previous owner. Odds are it's been ridden hard and put away wet.

Lastly, I wouldn't worry too much about high miles as long as the car has been cared for. Again, it all comes down to maintenance. If the maintenance was performed regularly and the car was driven by a responsible person, it should run w/o issues for 250k+ miles.