High miles or Cat-D? WHAT TO DO?

[PetrolDave]

Not all Cat D's are duffers but there is a real stigma to them.

I guess it depends on whether you plan to keep the car "forever" or if you're the sort of person that gets bored quickly with a car.

If you're the former then a Cat D (with known reasons) is viable, but if you're the latter then a Cat D will be much harder to move on when you get bored.

[neilparf]

BMW would only quote for a full brand new engine and ancillaries.

[RS6chris!]

Car may be cat D because for example bucket seats and steering wheel has been stolen?
Car could have been a garage queen, new seats etc and jobs a good un!....however as said seems to be a stigma attached?
Of course if It's been stolen and driven within an inch of its life you can understand why the stigma is attached?

[PetrolDave]

Car may be cat D because for example bucket seats and steering wheel has been stolen?
Car could have been a garage queen, new seats etc and jobs a good un!

Reading the threads where the seats have been stolen there's usually been quite a lot of collateral interior trim damage(dash, doors, centre console, etc.), as well as paintwork damage where the window(s) have been broken and the seats removed.

So it's not usually just a case of new seats - other trim (which is now getting harder to get if it's B7 RS4 specific) will need replacing and some respraying as well.

[HYFR]

I think some people are getting carried away with their rose tinted glasses.

The majority of Cat D's are smashed up.

The minority of Cat D's are minimal damage.

IMO don't touch a cat D even if its no damage. The stigma alone means noone will buy it.

Miles mean bugger all if a cars been looked after.

[neilparf]

In all honesty, I think there's always second hand RS4 movement - play the waiting game and one with your name on it leemc11 will come around...

[Ian_C]

Miles mean bugger all if a cars been looked after.

Agreed. I viewed / test drove an 2000 X Audi on Saturday with 187,000 miles on the clock. It was remarkable condition. Interior incl full leather looked superb. If maintained these cars last forever.

[RS6BRIT]

Another thing worth looking into with regards to CAT D's is when it was written off. As the value of buying the car drops the likelyhood that it will be written off if only minor damage occurs increases. The parts are not any cheaper now than when the car was brand new, yet the car is worth only a third of what it was when it was new.
Think of it this way; if the car was new and 55k (?) and the cost or repairs totalled 7k then the insurer would repair it and then 8 years later you'd buy it as a high miler with no knowledge of it having been in an accident. Then look from the other side of the coin; the car is 8 years old, with good service history and low miles and then is in the same accident with 7k's worth of damage and the insurance company just writes it off as uneconomical to repair.
In my opinion you should look at each car with its own merits.
I bought a Cat D that was written off last year. It cost me £13750, has 70k and FASH. I know that if these cars are looked after they do last well, but these 120k cars are i'm sure good, but at those miles there is no escaping that CV joints suspension parts, all the various pumps, steering racks etc are going to start to fail. IMO a well repaired Cat D with FASH and low(ish) miles, is a better bet as long as you plan on keeping the car.

[R1RS4]

Just another thought, you said "ATM Thing is i will only have around 15k ish to spend"

Cat D or not, anyone parting with an RS4 for that money its for a reason, unless your " uCkInG LuCkY"

Just to own one at the age they are, let alone the servicing/running costs. It will have had to had plug change £200, brake fluid £200, brakes and disc's 2k, DRC condition? MOT's., tyres? £750, full exhuast system 3k, maybe clutch issues? Decoke? £500 ect

I not in anyway trying to put you off, just to look at the whole picture......theres alot of saving if you can carry out all/some of the maintenace yourself

Also dont get carried away by the milage thing...yes you can get a high milage vehicle that's a gem but likewise you can get a low milage that needs <beep> loads ...like mine !

hope some of this helps

[adsgreen]

I think some people are getting carried away with their rose tinted glasses.
The majority of Cat D's are smashed up.
The minority of Cat D's are minimal damage.
IMO don't touch a cat D even if its no damage. The stigma alone means noone will buy it.
Miles mean bugger all if a cars been looked after.

I do see the point but personally I don't fully agree with this - Cat C is smashed up. Cat D is damage that is below the value of the car. With a 7 year old B7 that's not a lot before it becomes uneconomical for an insurer to repair. Given the cost of labour and audi parts it wouldn't take much to have the insurers washing their hands on things. I needed two plastic door panels, rs4 logo, some paint and a small dent repaired on the wheel arch - £2.4k and that really was pretty cosmetic all in all.

But the point is that you could have damage done to a car that is repaired under insurance way worse than that which could write the car off after a few years.
I know of one elise that was hit when it was only a few weeks old and needed a new chassis. Insurance refused to write off and pretty much every panel needed changing along with most of the suspension. After it was done the colour wasn't quite spot on. Effect on history? None. As far as the next person who bought thought it looked mint and had no issues on history.

Dave's point about the secondary damage on the seats is also valid but on the whole generally not that bad to fix. Much easier than smacking a wheel.

However there is no getting away from the fact that it will be a little harder and cheaper resale later on. But then you won't pay as much up front so the net result on a car this age is quite small all things considered. As mentioned, if you keep the car for a number of years then it's going to be more and more less of an issue (ie, much harder to shift a newly repaired cat d than something that had a repair several years back).

I don't think rose tinted glasses - just pragmatic on some areas. Either way, I would treat both cars the same as you can't say one is going to better than the other.

[docurley]

I bought a CAT D coming up two months now and it was a seats, steering wheel and gear know job. Cars got 47k on the clock and history (confirmed by Audi) and mileage confirmed via da website. The spec of the car is great and overall condition quite good bar drivers door where they pulled the seats through some interior marks and what's looks to be storage scuff around the car. In all I'm very happy with the car and have around 2k worth of work to make he mint again including some small upgrades along the way.

Most important part is I paid £11,750 for her.

so a CAT D can be a good bargainIif you hunt one out I also was also looking at high miles cars but this came up first for what I think was a steal.

[leemc11]

Thanks for the reply guys, think your all spot on. I know that when I get one ill be looking to have it for at least 3 to 4 years as i loved last one so much i wont want to get rid of it ( unless i get a better one of course! ) Will def be B7 all the way!! miss V8 so bad. So in the next few months when the wright one comes along with good spec ie FBS & BUCKETS any color and FASH Cat-D with detailed paper work of the repair or High Miles, at the right price ill be all over it. I cant wait!!

[R1RS4]

Hi mate, there's one just come up on fleabay, look under newly listed, the guy has pranged it but it has not been reported to the insurance company so not cat D listed currently at 7k, apparently he has most of the bits, depends if your any good on the tools? It has 80+ on the clock

Cheers

[leemc11]

Thanks R1RS4 will take a look