Hi,
Looking for a bit of advice here - I am thinking of buying an older (4+ years) A8, as we are moving house and my journey to work will be 15 miles along the motorway. I have always liked them, but wondered if anybody has any experience of them?
I have owned Audis before and always found them to be pretty reliable, but a lot of the A8's are high mileage - shoul dthis bother me?
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Are you suggesting that doing 15 miles along the motorway twice a day is unbearable in a vehicle less capable than an A8??
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I think it's just an expression of personal preference, nothing more or less. A8? desirable for me as well. Let us know how you get on.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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Don't be pointlessly argumentative.
I did have an A8 and loved it. It never reached a particularly high mileage, but at 60k or something like that it was showing absolutely no problems at all.
These days I think that the mileage of a vehicle [high or low] is much, much less important than how its been looked after.
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Lovely, lovely motor car. Desperately under-rated. You wo't need anything bigger than a 2.8 and that will keep the costs down. Pretty much indestructible mechanically from what I hear but no experience of starship mileages.
Watch out for bodged bodywork repairs.
Enjoy..
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Yes, very desirable car. However, it is said that the bodywork is very expensive to repair (aluminium?), and I guess that is consistent with "bodged bodywork repairs" in a perverse way.
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I don't like Audi's image, but admit to thinking "What an underrated car this is" after a run over all types of road in a friend's A8 4.2. A very capable, swift, and refined machine.
This vehicle now belongs to his wife, and he drives.... A Audi A8 W12 6.0 with every toy under the sun. Jeez what a car. Quite awesome. A shame they don't live in the UK, and it's only three times a year or so that I get to go!
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Out of interest what do you perceive Audi's image to be ?
And do you think that Volvo's is better (you do drive a Volvo IIRC)?
Just interested, not being judgemental.
--
Matthew Kelly
No, not that one.
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Out of interest what do you perceive Audi's image to be ?
And do you think that Volvo's is better (you do drive a Volvo IIRC)?
Audi?
Cold and clinical, with a desire that every model be a style icon at all costs.
The Volvo?
Image didn't come in to it, though it did go down well with my Swedish employer, and I do think that it is (still) the nicest looking estate money can buy as well as being great to drive and immensely practical.
So, the driver for purchase? Intention is that we run the V70 for a good many years, so with this the first new car for many years purchased with our own cash - I opted out of having a company car - we chose primarily on the strength of over thirty years of family Volvo experience: Except for Dad's S80 (seven years and counting), all have been run from new for a minimum of ten years, and in the case of Mum's 440, sixteen! Bro has since followed suit with a V70 D5 Auto! Reliability of all has been excellent. Terribly boring, but very true, and we are very happy owners.
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Yes, that what I meant. Not many repair shops can do Aluminium and fewer still can do it well. Saw a real dog of an A8 in Spain a while back that proves the point.
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Watch the film Ronin and you'll be hooked to an A8
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Humpy,
How on earth did you interpret that from my post?
My point was that my journey is along the motorway so I fancied something big to waft along in. I have done the fast / convertible thing and now fancy some luxury in my older years that?s all
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I apologise, I wasn't trying to be rude or argumentative for that matter, I was just trying to understand what your reasons for changing were. That's what I interpreted your post as suggesting, but no one else has, so I'm sorry.
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I have owned Audis before and always found them to be pretty reliable, but a lot of the A8's are high mileage - shoul dthis bother me?
coincidentally, i was just thinking about this same model - after seeing it on
cars.msn.co.uk/carnews/Top10usedunder10kFeb05/
clicking on the a8 there brings up a list of very reasonably (in my opinion) priced examples.
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Why is Aluminium more difficult to repair than steel? i don't understand. Could someone explain please?
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"Why is Aluminium more difficult to repair than steel? i don't understand. Could someone explain please?"
Aluminium is much more maleable than steel. It stretches very badly in accidents and compresses much more when being panel beaten. It scratches and marks much more easily than steel. Plus all normal filling and welding techniques are much more specialised.
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MikeyB
I am currently on my 3rd A8 and as you can probably tell from that I like them a lot.
If you are after the quality without uneccesary expense than the 2.8 is your best bet - If its performance than the 4.2 is your best bet. In any case go for the Sport version - regardless of engine size -they are much better equipped.
The only other thing you have to consider is pre or post face lift (2001 MY). The latter bringing some cosmetic tweaks (front particualry) and some engine performance hikes - particualy for the 2.8.
My current one is now 3 years old, used every day and has covered 63,000 - a 60/40 mix of motorway and urban without any major hitches.
The only major things to look out from apart from the normal FSH is the gearbox. Audi say 'sealed for life' - enthusiasts say Oil and Filter change at every 40-50,000. It's not expensive to have done but might save you 3,000+ having to have a new one fitted.
Servicing on post face lift modelsis up to 20,000, but I follow HJ's advice and have the engine oil changed every 8,000.
Well worth a look, they are quite addictive.
regards
huss
Huss.....newbie
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