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Gents,

I'm returning to the fold and was/am looking for an S6 Avant because of the size. Not particularly that I need it....just thought it might come in handy.

However, I test drove this S4

http://usedcars.audi.co.uk/carview.aspx?id=501935572

a few days ago and was impressed.

Money seems a bit strong?
Anything else I should watch out for on a 36k 2003 S4?

Would also be interested in general comments/opinion regarding S4 V S6 Avant.

All advice greatfully accepted.

Price is a bit high. Low miles for its age though. The satnav is CD not DVD based. I am not sure you can get up to date maps for RNS-D, CD, systems. Its next service will require the plugs to be changed as well as brake fluid. Get this carreid out first or check it has been carried out.

A few things to note:

Engine rattle on start up - Cause by the chain. Common occurance goes away once the oil has circulated and the chain has been tensioned. Nothing to worry about

Engine Whine between 2300-2800rpm - Faulty tensioner. Needs replacing. Engine out job too. Costly if no warrantxy is available.

Aux rads - A B6 problem mainly. These can corrode and leak.

I also have a 2003 model with 50k on the clock. It has never missed a beat. Of the aforementioned problems I only experience the rattle. A couple of members done between 80k-100k with no major problems.

S4 v S6: I assume the S4 will be more nimble. The S6 will drink more than the S4 too. Around town expect 18-21mpg on a run up to 26mpg.

Went to buy it today, but.........

Franchised Stealer offer me £3.3k part ex on my existing BMW which books in Glass's for £6.7k. Was prepared to take £6k which I have already been offered.

Told him he was a bus ride away....obvious answers e.g. it was wrong colour, engine size, spec etc and they aren't selling at the moment!! New tax laws etc people don't want a 4.4L V8 BMW. Really selling me a 4.2 V8 Audi!!

They must have customers queuing round the block for these.....or they thought I had a tattoo on my buttocks saying "Rape Me"

I guess my search will continue.

Many thanks for the useful tips.

The wheels aren't original Avus either (or are certainly different from my old Feb 2004 model...)

From memory, the RS4 style wheels were an option on the S4 when I was considering one a couple of years ago.

Still find it hard to believe prices of these have fallen so much in the last two years if a stealer is under £20k for one of these now.

It does sound like they didn't want to take your car part ex, and were just passing it on to the trade - had the same situation in reverse when considering an M5.

Finally the search is over!!

After test driving the 03 S4 Avant at Crawley Audi and receiving their derisory p/x offer for my exisitng BMW I received another few phone calls from them with increasingly higher offers on the p/x value. They were still miles from the figure I expected, so in the end I did not even bother to return their calls.

By co-incidence I was talking to a work colleague who had previously test driven a TT there and he stated that they offered him -£4.5k on the price he eventually traded his Lotus in for.

Last Thursday I put my car on the market privately and on saturday got +£3k compared to Crawley Audi's offer, thus opening up private sellers. I found an S4 B6 28k miles Avant and got it yesterday. I am very happy and so is my bank manager.

The irony is that it is was originally sold by, er...yes...you've guessed it, Crawley Audi and the seller confirmed that he too was also raped on p/x when he bought it new from Crawley Audi.

There seems to be a theme and a moral here.......

Congrats and the moral is: Do not px with stealers. The prices are falling but it means that buyers are getting a lot of car for the money.

Good work. For what it is worth now - a bit late I know - my dealer puts the trade-in car on his internet site as a used example, does the legwork in selling it, takes £250 for the warranty on completion but no fees. He has done this on my TTC and is now doing it for my S4 B6 Avant (Dec 2004) which he has put on the market for £25 000 and is confident of a sale. He has also sold me a Q7 4.2 tdi which he has taken the intial depreciation hit on by driving for 4K kms. Mind you, having sold us the S4 in the first place, plus an S3 and with our looking at an 08 RS6 he may realise that he is onto a good thing. It is worth nurturing the relationship with these guys to ensure the best deals...

Powderhound wrote:my S4 B6 Avant (Dec 2004) which he has put on the market for £25 000 and is confident of a sale.

£25,000... Is that this year...! Feck me. I paid that over 2yrs ago for a late 2003 with only 20k on the clock and all the toys. You could pick up a B7 for less than £25,000 form a dealership.

Maybe he means the equivalent sterling price in Swiss Francs (being in Zurich).