audi a8 95-98

[rkdk]

I want a new car. Well, its not going to be new, sinces prices in denmark are silly high (180% tax on cars)

Im considering a 95-97 audi a8, with allweel drive, and the v8 engine.

The aluminum body appeals to me, since the roads are salted in the winter here. Would be great with out the rust issue:-)

Does anybody here have any experience with such a car? Im just curius if its reliable and wont have as many issues as my bmw 735 has.

I know its an old car, but some a worse than others.

[By-Tor]

No ownership experience, but I have driven that car. It's a big one and with today's gas prices it's not a cheap one to maintain.

Great car though.

[takashi]

Can you buy the car in Germany and drive it over? That car costs really cheap in Germany

[Guest Sql_pl]

A8 is a great car.

Quattro gives a LOT of fun during winter - makes you want to go out and have fun in the snow!

But please make sure you check the tiptronic gearbox for issues - they tend to be problematic and are quite expensive to repair/replace.

Good luck with your purchase!

[adrenalin]

Audi A8 is an excellent car. I personaly think that it is a sleeper. If you have a merc s550, bmw 7, and the audi a8 all doing 100mph+ above the posted speed limit, the cops would pull them over in this order 1:BMW 2:Merc 3: some other dude then 4: the Audi.

The car kicks butt--excellent power, AWD, with excellent fit and finish. With a car from the late 90's it is just getting broken in... MPG is directly related to how hard your right foot goes down on the accelerator (which, you will want to do--frequently)... your looking 16-20 mpg in mixed driving.

I will also echo about the tiptronic--they did have several bad recalls that were fixed at the dealer. I will warn you about potential rust issues in the 90-93ish years... they used a steel cross member to help stiffen part of the sub frame. This aparently set up a cathode/anode reaction with the steel and aluminum that cause some rust issues. They removed this shortly after 93 when the new design was implimented.

Excellent choice, drive it well! You could do alot, lot worse...

-K

BTW, you need a new Patek or Vascheron Constantine to compliment your new (potential) purchase!

[Cucumber_Jones]

I drive a 2007 RS4 and I love it. I have driven Audis for a while and I love them. The build quality is awesome. Quattro is the only way to go.

[Chicken Manny]

I owned a 2001 and loved it. The only warnings I would put out there is the all aluminum body can only be repaired by specialist so any damage can get expensive (for you or your insurance). Also, here in the states it takes forever to get parts for the A8, unless things have changed since then.

[Guest carlsbadrolex]

One of my Coworkers drives one here in SoCal. I have driven it twice and can say its a fun car to drive. He has had no problems with it (it is a 2002) but is considering selling it because he has "gone green" and wants to buy a hybrid something or another.

[Crimson Vanguard]

I want a new car. Well, its not going to be new, sinces prices in denmark are silly high (180% tax on cars)

Im considering a 95-97 audi a8, with allweel drive, and the v8 engine.

The aluminum body appeals to me, since the roads are salted in the winter here. Would be great with out the rust issue:-)

Does anybody here have any experience with such a car? Im just curius if its reliable and wont have as many issues as my bmw 735 has.

I know its an old car, but some a worse than others.

If your buying the rep A8, make sure you check the grill to ensure it has 4 rings... the old repped audis only have 3 and its a dead giveaway.

I have a rep lexus SC400 and the "L" is backwards!

[rkdk]

Im Really happy so many people have tried the car. I think its a beauty. Ive heard about the triptronic issues aswell, but ill double check about that.

I was considering a bmw 850, but it has the same acceleration as the audi, and the audi has more room.

regarding getting it in germany, the danish goverment actually charges the 180% when you registrer a car. Doesnt matter if it is used or not. Silly place to live when you like cars:-)

I was a bit worried about the maintanence, but i think i will get one from a preowned car dealer. At least there will be a one year warranty on it then.

[takashi]

That sucks... I agree. Yes buying it warranty gives extra peace of mind. Be sure to check it thoroughly, some cars already crashed before and not repaired properly. Check out service log too and of course it's worthy to compare price online (I am not sure if you have price comparison online specific to your country).

[Cucumber_Jones]

Don't buy an 850 - they are WAY too heavy.

[themuck]

I'm UK based and had the older version (3.7 FWD Standard) you are considering before recently trading it in to upgrade for a new shape model (4.2 Quattro Sport).

With the older shape version, there are a number of issues that you need to check in addition to the Tiptronic and I would definitely recommend a full mechanical check by someone familiar with the engines and gearbox because I had a couple of minor issues soon after I bought it that cost a significant amount to sort out so any major mechanical problems would be a huge cost in parts and labour. In particular, you will need to check the timing belt was changed by a franchised dealer at the correct interval (whichever came first - x miles or x years depending on model). Other things to look out for include wheel bearings (switch everything off and just listen for any rumbles from any corner of the car on straight roads, bends and when turning corners) and brakes (new discs and pads are expensive and the A8 goes through them quite quickly) but everything needs to be thoroughly checked (especially the engine management and onboard computers) to ensure you don't get hit with a big bill too soon.

When you test drive the car, ensure that all the electrics work paying particular attention to the climate control. Some of the display LED's fail and the chilling units need to be serviced regularly or you will be driving in an oven - the control unit will blow hot air constantly (even in the height of summer) if the chiller unit isn't working properly because the climate control thinks it's blowing cold air then samples the cabin temperature before blowing even harder...except it's hot air so the cabin gets seriously hot seriously quickly. The sunroof is prone to just quitting on you after about ten years of use, the central locking should be smooth and silent (make sure it works with the key as well as this is also an expensive replacement cost) and so should all the electic seat adjustments. Just make sure you press every single button a few times and everything works silently and at a reasonable speed - e.g. all four windows should rise and fall at the same speed and definitely make sure there are no leaks in the double glazing - the double glazed windows are bonded near the top with a single strip of adhesive material that can perish and allow water to seep in.

If you can find a good one that has a full Audi service history, low mileage, passes all the tests and hasn't had too many former owners (especially in recent years as this is a dead giveaway that the car has problems that may not be too apparent until you've had it for more than a couple of weeks) it is well worth buying and paying a decent price for because cared for A8's in top condition will last. However, the cheaper high mileage examples with non Audi or missing service history's that have mechanical niggles and electrical faults are much more normal because owners don't want to pay the high maintenance and / or repair costs that can often turn out to be more than the value of the car...the trade in price I received for my car didn't even cover the amount I spent on maintenance and repairs so the purchase price I paid was a 100% loss.

At the moment, there are much fewer problems and potential problems with the new shape car (2003 onwards) but time will tell and the only real thing to look out for (apart from all the usual mileage and servicing issues) is the timing belt (whichever comes first - x miles or 5 years depending on model) which must be changed by Audi and the engine management software needs to be upgraded / updated during each service so that needs to be done by Audi as well. Regardless of which model you buy (pre or post 2003), bits and pieces are expensive though so make sure you get at least a set of new Audi mats (

[takashi]

themuck knows his stuff well

[Edwin25]

I love Audi!!!

I am driving a A4 2001 S-line myself!!

[rkdk]

Just saw your reply. Thank you very much for taking the time to write this.

This is why i love this forum. Its not only about watches:-)

I'm UK based and had the older version (3.7 FWD Standard) you are considering before recently trading it in to upgrade for a new shape model (4.2 Quattro Sport).

With the older shape version, there are a number of issues that you need to check in addition to the Tiptronic and I would definitely recommend a full mechanical check by someone familiar with the engines and gearbox because I had a couple of minor issues soon after I bought it that cost a significant amount to sort out so any major mechanical problems would be a huge cost in parts and labour. In particular, you will need to check the timing belt was changed by a franchised dealer at the correct interval (whichever came first - x miles or x years depending on model). Other things to look out for include wheel bearings (switch everything off and just listen for any rumbles from any corner of the car on straight roads, bends and when turning corners) and brakes (new discs and pads are expensive and the A8 goes through them quite quickly) but everything needs to be thoroughly checked (especially the engine management and onboard computers) to ensure you don't get hit with a big bill too soon.

When you test drive the car, ensure that all the electrics work paying particular attention to the climate control. Some of the display LED's fail and the chilling units need to be serviced regularly or you will be driving in an oven - the control unit will blow hot air constantly (even in the height of summer) if the chiller unit isn't working properly because the climate control thinks it's blowing cold air then samples the cabin temperature before blowing even harder...except it's hot air so the cabin gets seriously hot seriously quickly. The sunroof is prone to just quitting on you after about ten years of use, the central locking should be smooth and silent (make sure it works with the key as well as this is also an expensive replacement cost) and so should all the electic seat adjustments. Just make sure you press every single button a few times and everything works silently and at a reasonable speed - e.g. all four windows should rise and fall at the same speed and definitely make sure there are no leaks in the double glazing - the double glazed windows are bonded near the top with a single strip of adhesive material that can perish and allow water to seep in.

If you can find a good one that has a full Audi service history, low mileage, passes all the tests and hasn't had too many former owners (especially in recent years as this is a dead giveaway that the car has problems that may not be too apparent until you've had it for more than a couple of weeks) it is well worth buying and paying a decent price for because cared for A8's in top condition will last. However, the cheaper high mileage examples with non Audi or missing service history's that have mechanical niggles and electrical faults are much more normal because owners don't want to pay the high maintenance and / or repair costs that can often turn out to be more than the value of the car...the trade in price I received for my car didn't even cover the amount I spent on maintenance and repairs so the purchase price I paid was a 100% loss.

At the moment, there are much fewer problems and potential problems with the new shape car (2003 onwards) but time will tell and the only real thing to look out for (apart from all the usual mileage and servicing issues) is the timing belt (whichever comes first - x miles or 5 years depending on model) which must be changed by Audi and the engine management software needs to be upgraded / updated during each service so that needs to be done by Audi as well. Regardless of which model you buy (pre or post 2003), bits and pieces are expensive though so make sure you get at least a set of new Audi mats (

[jkirke]

test drove an 06' A6. Beautiful car. Splended build.

A8 would be an amazing car to get your behind into on a daily basis.

cheers~

[milsub5517]

these years A8 is a money pit. expensive parts, expensive labor, problems with electronics and transmissions. if you are serious about getting this car go on audi forum and ask real owners. on top of your tax you'll need several grand a year set aside for repairs. good luck!!

[ubiquitous]

If you want a great value for your money, look into the VW Phaeton with the W12. It has the same Quattro AWD system as the A8, but was essentially the production test bed for the Bentley Continental (GT and Flying Spur); the chassis is shared amongst the three models, but the Phaeton was used as the test basis prior to rolling out production with the Flying B. The Phaeton has suffered large depreciation; you can pick one up for relatively little money, but have a vehicle which shares much of the DNA structure as the Bentleys.

BTW- We are on our 3rd Audi (I bought my wife an '04 A4 1.8TQ Avant 6sd Sport) and I think this will be our last German. Even with our extended CPO warranty, every service visit ends up costing us between $500 and $1k. This last time we had to replace a number of items, including:

-All 4 coil packs

-Fuel pump

-Fuel filter

-Battery

-Coolant flange (again- our 2nd time in 5k miles)

Our prior visit required:

-Timing belt

-Water pump

-New valve cover gasket

What's more, we have to bring the car back again, as our fuel gauge is now problematic.

Wife's next car will likely be a Lexus...

[themuck]

I agree with ubiquitous regarding the Phaeton and I did consider testing one but there just aren't any available with the 6.0 W12 here in the UK that 'tick the boxes' regarding mileage etc and (i know this is a bit embarrassing) it has the wrong badge and street presence / image I'm looking for - i.e. not necessarily a BMW, Mercedes or Porsche but a quality marque...so VW doesn't really cut it for me. Don't get me wrong, I would have bought the 'wrong' badge if the car was excellent and I would have bought a VW W12 in a heartbeat if I could find a clean and honest one to test and it was as good as all the reviews have claimed but I couldn't find one. The Mercedes, Porsche and BMW I tested didn't really come close to the A8 as far as driving, quality of finish and performance so it was a bit of a no brainer for me. With a 0-60mph time of 6 seconds and in normal (not sport) automatic mode performance of 100+mph in 3rd gear (it has six), 120+ in 4th and 140+ in 5th and it is still accelerating hard in every gear and at every speed, the A8 4.2 Quattro Sport is a very fast machine. I tried the Tiptronic using the flappy paddle steering wheel gear changer recently on a winding country road and it was the most exciting and scary experience I've ever experienced in any car as it was even faster than in 'normal' auto mode.

The W12 is an incredible engine and it is available in the Bentley Continental GT, Flying Spur, Phaeton as well as the A8. It delivers a 0-60 time of 5 seconds (that's 15-20% faster than mine...eye wateringly awesome) and I've already spoken with my dealer regarding a test drive whenever they get one - however, they are a major dealer selling hundreds of new and used Audi's and they've only ever seen one W12 and that was in for a service only because the owner was in the area on holiday...so the chances of seeing one in the next couple of years or so is remote. I reckon it will be the same for the Phaeton because they have numerous different engine variations so the top of the range W12 version will probably as rare as the A8 example - at least here in the UK where prices are roughly double what they are in the USA - i.e. around $180k-$200k for an A8 W12 LWB fully loaded with options (standard list before options is around $160k).

I'm not sure I fully agree with mil_sub if you get a clean, honest, low mileage and well cared for A8 with a full Audi service history because they are built to last and the 'gremlins' only appear with use so if it hasn't been used too much then the problems shouldn't be too severe. However, I fully agree with mil_sub if you get a car that has anything wrong with it - seriously major bills that could easily escalate to more than the value of the car will be inevitable so buying the very best you can afford and having it very thoroughly checked by someone who knows what they are looking at is essential...it might be difficult but walking away from something that isn't right will prevent a financial nightmare.

@ ubiquitous - The problems you've been experiencing with your 3rd Audi must be very disappointing for you and I can easily understand why you would be considering a Lexus. However, can I suggest you maybe take a look at an A8 before taking the plunge because the German marque's flagship models are always made to a much higher standard than lower range models. I would never buy a Mercedes because I've known many people who have had nothing but problems with them but the S and CL are not made by the accountants because they are the marques 'headline' grabbing, range topping cars so they are made to 'bulletproof' standards. And it's almost the same with Lexus (not to same degree of reliability issues etc) because I've driven the IS and it was definitely built to a much lower standard than the LS's I've been in - it wasn't just the fact that it is obviously a much cheaper car to buy so it is clearly not of the same calibre...it was just 'normal' and quite gimmicky inside (a bit boy racer to be honest...apologies to anyone who has one) and didn't have the same fit and finish of an Audi.

Many thanks for all the contributions - this topic has become an interesting read.

[By-Tor]

I drive a 2006 model Mercedes E200 Kompressor. It's very good car but quite sterile and boring. It's not mine (technically), it belongs to my stepfather's company. I would never put that much money on a silly car.

I'm not a big "car person" but if I had to buy a car for myself, I'd probably buy a original OLD Audi Quattro. None of the cars today have the same spirit.

[themuck]

There's only one problem with this car By-Tor...where on earth are you going to get your hands on the first 'real' supercar that 'anyone' could buy from a local showroom. You would probably have an easier job finding some hen's teeth than you would finding one of these beauties lol.

I'll give BMW some credit for inventing the performance production saloon with the M3 then the M5 back in the early 80's but Audi definitely broke the mould, started a phenomenon in the production car industry and took every single racing honour they went after with the original Quattro...a genuine supercar (much faster than the M's and even faster than most of the Ferrari's and Lambo's etc of the same generation) and a genuine classic if ever there was one.

If you ever find a quality, looked after, clean and honest one you will have an appreciating asset that will be the envy of everyone...including me.

[By-Tor]

Yeah, I vaguely remember those times. Hannu Mikkola and Quattro was a deadly combination in rally.

I found a picture of the original "Sport" Quattro, which was the shorter super version. If the original quattro is rare, this is ultra rare. It had a monster performance back then... and even compared to today's super cars.

[7750]

I drive a 2007 RS4 and I love it. I have driven Audis for a while and I love them. The build quality is awesome. Quattro is the only way to go.

I loves Audi, especially RS4. Quattro is great, it really stabilizes your car in snowing season.

[ubiquitous]

themuck-

I currently have two Germans that are bleeding the bank account dry

1) The wife's A4 Avant Sport, mentioned prior. Great car when it's working right. However, we had to drop it off last night yet again as the fuel gauge isn't working properly (a byproduct problem to the fuel pump and filter being replaced, I'm sure).

2) I drive a C230 Kompressor Sport. It's a staid, boring car that doesn't do a whole lot very well. But, of the 5 years I've owned it, I've only racked up 27k miles and it's been paid off for three of those years, so I can't complain too much. It works well as daily driver to and from the place I call work; my 5 minute commute doesn't afford me much seat time, however.

Unfortunately, the next car for the wife will be a Lexus or some other Japanese brand. Anymore, I'm tired of hassling with cars and service drop offs, etc. etc. I just want something that requires as little maintenance as possible. My next car is likely to be Japanese as well. Or, perhaps a daily beater along with something fun to keep in the garage for use on those particularly nice days when a day of hooky from the office seems like a good idea