Times Are Bad

[Contigo]

Yep you need to pay 20k for a low miler (sub 60k) example in good condition with FASH.

[mikeyquattro]

Yep you need to pay 20k for a low miler (sub 60k) example in good condition with FASH.

wouldn't sell mine for less than 20k thats for sure

[boxerdogted]

Dont panic guy's, i sold my Escort RS1800 in 1986 for £6500 which was a lot at the time, the guy i sold it to has just sold it for £32,000.
Stick with it and the prices will slowly rise as the RS4 will become collectable in time.

_________________
Gareth

[Tomson]

Prices may be softening but I have to say I haven't seen many of these cheaper cars that I'd actually have considered buying if I was in the market as they've either been bad colour combos, high miles or looked iffy.

The odd one or too though look like quite good value

According to the classic car magazine you should not be frightened by the miles, the main issue for future resale value is the number of owners.

I have no doubt in my mind that the B5 RS4 will be a classic, if it is not already and like the RS2 prices will rise steadily over the next ten years, I doubt they could get much lower. This is less likely to happen on the RS6 and the B7 as they were mass produced vehicles and dare I say it (produced in saloon for the yanks).

I am having the same issues selecting the Porsche I want to buy. I can only afford a 996 which is considered the 'ugly duckling' by many true Porsche enthusiasts. The 1st water-cooled Porsche, wrong shaped headlights etc. etc. That’s why I am having to do loads of research to minimise the loss arse end, getting it spec'd right with the right amount of owners. Do I buy high and get the special edition run out? or buy early 2000's and get one that has lost all of its value. Interestingly enough the 993 is just as expensive and is increasing in value. Point and case for B5 RS4 & B7 RS4?

I did not have that luxury when I bought the RS, I just sold everything I owned as it was a bargain at the time and I needed one!

Luckily, even with high miles it was an excellent example that had been maintained regardless of cost by Audi Main dealers. Whilst in my possession it has been pampered to extremes. I don't even want to think how much I have spent on it - easily as much as it cost again

But that is not the point I have enjoyed every second of it, even the bad times.

I am sure if I put my car into the auto trader guide it would come out at £5K or sim, the chances are the people at autotrader do not even know what, and how special the car is and are relating it to an S4.

All IMHO of course.

[mikeyquattro]

According to the classic car magazine you should not be frightened by the miles, the main issue for future resale value is the number of owners.

Why is the main issue the number of owners?

[Tomson]

Mike,

Basically they were suggesting that a vehicle with fewer owners is likely to have been looked after better than one that has had several owners. This is obviously relating to rare or 'classic' cars which I am sure the B5 RS4 will fall into in the future.

Obviously condition is the first factor in any value.

I am not sure if I explained that, that well. I will try and look out the artcile in the clasic car mag.

Tomson

[neckarsulm]

Why is the main issue the number of owners?

I'd suggest it hints (often incorrectly) at a troublesome car where the owners have sold it on (and on) rather than fix the big bill looming.
I am the fifth owner of mine, each owner bought it from an Audi Centre with copper bottomed warranty so everytime it was sold it was checked over and had money spent on it. Each owner had it for around 2 years apart from 1st owner who found it too small and traded it back for an S6 Avant 3 months later. I got it with Audi Centre funded brand new discs/pads all round.
On the other hand, a friend bought a 1 owner car with around 100k miles in late 2006, it was still on the original discs all round which were barely legal as the well heeled owner couldn't face the £2k bill for doing the brakes just before he sold it to get his B7 RS4 (somewhat ironically with ceramic brakes).
Again mileage isn't a guarantee of condition either.
If you know nothing about cars you wont be able to work out that a high mileage or high owner car may be better than a low owner/low mileage car and most people know sod all about cars so play it safe assuming low miles are a safer bet.

[mbelle]

According to the classic car magazine you should not be frightened by the miles, the main issue for future resale value is the number of owners.

Why is the main issue the number of owners?

What mikeyquattro said...
I thought the main issue would have been more like the fact that it has been maintained as it should have been i.e. FASH or specialist history, being serviced when it should (longlife vs. standard schedule) and expense spared (if any)

[neckarsulm]

On different yet related note, has anyone noticed that RS4 and RS2 prices are starting to converge?
There was an RS2 in the classifieds for £13k with 135k miles.
No disrespect to RS2 owners but surely nobody would pay more for an RS2 than an RS4?

[james28]

I really like the car at fontain and at 15950 think quite good value but trust your opinion about the colour its not great.And would think if i made the purchace would struggle to sell it on in future.Also like the look of the one from warwickshire noggy blue but blimey its been for sale since november With a few issues needing sorted.

[Norrs2]

According to the classic car magazine you should not be frightened by the miles, the main issue for future resale value is the number of owners.

Why is the main issue the number of owners?

I have to agree, i don't see the issue with how many owners the car has had provided the evidence is there to support how well the car was looked after!

When I bought mine last January (2007) it had 5 owners but it had all the history (FASH), I researched the car on here, it came with all the original keys etc etc. it was not serviced on a longlife basis and it was evident it was always owned from new by enthusiasts.

I paid £26k with 61k on it ( I was smitten by the colour and spec) have since spent around £6k on an MRC custom re-map, upgraded brakes, servicing (new cam belt at MRC etc) and repairs which recently includes a new Clutch at £1400. I even replaced the badge on the Steering Wheel because it was scratched slightly, and have recently had it detailed. If you were in the market for one of these, with this history, would the number of owners put you off this car? I hope not!

So what's mine worth now with 85k on it? - I don't care! like Doug has already said what could I possibly repace it with???????????

At the danger of being flamed there is a thread on here that states it was the most expensive RS4 ever sold in uk at the time of sale in Sept 2001 (apparently about £53+k) due to the special order colour and it has every extra on the options list (apart from rear airbags). - I'll bet I would struggle to get £18k for it - but as i said who cares! It's worth more than that to me - nuff said!

[Tomson]

Christ Fellas, I think all the guy was saying in classic car (please note the word classic, there a chance these cars were older then ours) is that the less owners a vehicle had the more chance it was owned/kept by someone who really liked it and therefore maintained it, rather than getting in it at using it as a tool/ a-b etc etc and then selling it when they got bored. An enthusiaist, lets say someone who would use RS246 if they were interested in RS audis. This is being proved by everyone going on about how they would never sell their cars, how they were happy paying what they did for it, how they could never sell it.

[rsmonkey918]

As Doug and Grizz mentioned- what would you replace it with? More importantly you all need to ask yourselves why you bought your cars in the first place. If it was ultimately to make a killing at some point in the future then welcome to the world of hard knocks. ALL cars lose money and its testament to the build quality that these 7-8 year old cars still can't be picked up for bargain basement money even with 100k on the clock.
There are many hundreds of people who will never walk out their front doors and get a warm feeling in their guts, quickly followed by those same guts getting squeezed as you let the turbos off the leash. Come on guys these are really rare, aspirational cars- just cos they're estates- you don't think people with Ferraris and Lambos are thinking about their wallets- its a purely emotional decision- they know they're taking a massive hit.
Enjoy yourselves for goodness sake, let the markets sort it out, we know the score!!!

[S2tuner]

On different yet related note, has anyone noticed that RS4 and RS2 prices are starting to converge?
There was an RS2 in the classifieds for £13k with 135k miles.
No disrespect to RS2 owners but surely nobody would pay more for an RS2 than an RS4?

If I could find a 20k miles RS2 in RS Blue for 20k, I would buy it without even seeing it, but I don't think I'll ever buy an RS4, no matter how cheap. the RS2 is far more rare and it's sort of a Porsche, not built in Neckarsulm

[rog893]

Hi Guys, totally agree with RS monkey, everytime i go out that front door at weekends my RS4 is waiting for me, the feeling i get from driving it is the same as the day i bought it, yes i paid a lot of money for it £18, 000 and have spent god knows how much keeping it as new, but as they say what else is on the market that can give you that, prices will even out when this credit crunch thing blows over and yes it is a rare collectable car and will get rarer as more get smashed up or become broken up for spares, hold on in there and enjoy the fun.