RS6 Saloon - Buying Advice

[jazzsalt]

Current prices for 1 year old RS6 Saloons are looking rather tempting. In fact, seriously tempting. The reviews I have read in Evo etc. only back up what an awesome car this is.

I have never purchased a RS car of any shape or form before and wanted to know if there were any things I need to look out for? In particular:

- any options that existing owners would consider essential
- questions to ask the dealership
- likely discount levels on used RS6s from main dealers, if any
- issues that owners have faced during initial ownership

I think I am settled on the aesthetic of the saloon over the Avant and definitely do not need to the extra space the Avant affords.

Apologies if this has been covered before but I am new to the forum.

Many thanks in a

[gmk666]

Hi, welcome to the forum. What are you driving at the moment, by the way?

The only options on my car I regularly use are the sunroof, TV and rear parking camera. Does that make them essentials? Probably not, although they're nice to have. I haven't used the luggage system yet, but then I don't know if that's an option on the saloon anyway. The only option I wish I had is the Keyless Go / Start button (or whatever it's called).

Questions for the dealer - personally I'd be wary if it has a Milton Keynes (Ox09xxx) reg. I steered clear of one after the dealer couldn't guarantee that the car hadn't been a press office road tester. A recent service and fresh brakes / tyres would be useful, as would an up to date recall history.

Discounts. Hmmm. Depends on how long they've had the car, I suppose. Another dealer I spoke to wouldn't give me any discount (although they offered good money for my RS4) because they'd only had the car two weeks. Fair play to them, it sold a couple of days later.

My only issue since buying the car is a temperamental headlight (there's another thread all about them) and a flaking alloy, which is getting looked at this week.

Good luck with the search, and keep the questions coming. They are fantastic cars and you won't regret buying one.

[jazzsalt]

Thanks gmk666 for the info.

I drive a Jaguar XKR coupe at the moment. Love the performance and handling but not enjoying the lack of practicality so much. I guess this is why I am looking for something which fast but practical. The M5 and AMG Mercs dont really do anything for me.

Funny you should mention the number plates as pretty much all the ones on the Audi webiste have sequential OY09 plates. They are low mileage and look in good nick. Definitely an issue to probe should I fancy test driving any of those cars.

Glad to hear that are enjoying ownership. I will let you know how I get on.

[gmk666]

Funny you should mention the number plates as pretty much all the ones on the Audi webiste have sequential OY09 plates. They are low mileage and look in good nick. Definitely an issue to probe should I fancy test driving any of those cars.

Some are just 'Audi management cars' of course, but a quick trawl of magazine articles might be useful.

[HYFR]

LOL, Audi management cars! the perks arent that good !

[jazzsalt]

Having a quick trawl through some of the previous posts it looks like quite a few forum members picked up unregistered, stock RS6s for pretty decent prices. That might well be another possible route to purchase. I hope the market hasn't moved since their car purchases.

I had a quick look through some magazine articles and they arent particularly helpful in that they seem to use to Audi media images and not their own. Will do a bit more homework as well.

[gmk666]

Having a quick trawl through some of the previous posts it looks like quite a few forum members picked up unregistered, stock RS6s for pretty decent prices. That might well be another possible route to purchase. I hope the market hasn't moved since their car purchases.

That was definitely the case last year. I was offered a delivery mileage £80k Avant for £62k last March, but due to all the uncertainty around back then, I didn't take it up. I believe Audi UK were subsidising the dealers to get rid of unwanted stock.

[jazzsalt]

I suspect the market may very well have improved since then. Only way to tell is to visit a dealer and test drive one and take it from there.

The deal you were offered was outstanding. Although, I would have also declined it given the state of the economy at the time.

[doodlebug]

That was definitely the case last year. I was offered a delivery mileage £80k Avant for £62k last March, but due to all the uncertainty around back then, I didn't take it up. I believe Audi UK were subsidising the dealers to get rid of unwanted stock.

Indeed they were, not nearly the same number of cars around now. I reckon I could despatch my Avant for around what I paid a little over 12 months ago.

[seawise]

That was definitely the case last year. I was offered a delivery mileage £80k Avant for £62k last March, but due to all the uncertainty around back then, I didn't take it up. I believe Audi UK were subsidising the dealers to get rid of unwanted stock.

Indeed they were, not nearly the same number of cars around now. I reckon I could despatch my Avant for around what I paid a little over 12 months ago.

likewise - prices have stabilised and seem to be holding. it was a fantastic time to buy if funds allowed last jan/feb.

i wouldn't worry too my about 'oy' 'oe' etc numberplates. all the dealer demo's were registered by audi uk before being lent to their respective dealers, and thus have these plates are very common. i don't believe audi will have run more than 2 or 3 avant press cars and probably only 1 saloon which may well still be on their fleet.

[alphamail]

.

Last year, for some time, I was obsessively watching RS6 Avant prices, when all of a sudden there was a rush on the cars. It got to the point where there were only about three or four heavilly discounted cars in stock nationwide and, if I remember rightly, most of them were red.
There were rumours that the Audi were ceasing production which may have prompted the buying stampede. In a panic, I put a deposit on a red one on a Saturday with Audi Stafford. I sold my ABT Avant over the weekend to be told that Stafford had lost the red one. I was furious having put £3.5k deposit on the red one. Stafford Audi redeemed themselves by finding a new one on a 59 plate that, apparently, was not on anyone's radar and came via Audi head office.
As I understood it at the time, the next batch of RS6's had a sat nav upgrade (am I right?)
which justified the 80k asking price.

Re options - Like gmk666, not having push button start is the only real regret. I would also recommend the carbon fibre interior trim.




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[gmk666]

i wouldn't worry too my about 'oy' 'oe' etc numberplates. all the dealer demo's were registered by audi uk before being lent to their respective dealers, and thus have these plates are very common. i don't believe audi will have run more than 2 or 3 avant press cars and probably only 1 saloon which may well still be on their fleet.

I didn't know that. I simply remember seeing a succession of OY cars at launch being power slid around various test tracks. That and Harry Metcalfe from evo's press office car lead to my incorrect assumption.

[Akira]

I did a lot of looking around for one too, initially i was concerned that the OY09 plates would've been press cars but after a bit of searching around I realised that most cars that Top Gear etc got their hands on were 08/58 plate ones anyways.
Like you I wanted mine for the practicality aspect, i love my current AMG ML63 but liked the rawness of the M6 (and that's about it really, <beep> car imo)

Nothing else ticked all the boxes like the RS6 does, it really is as civilised as the ML (when its needed) and as quick as the M6.

Only issue on mine is a refurb'd front wheel which is going to be looked at this week (it could just be flaking) with a view to replacing it.

Other than that, hardly any movement in price but they did offer good money for my M6 Cab (after much haggling)

Dont regret it 1 bit, its a fantastic car. The only option on mine is the Advanced Parking which i love, the only thing i miss is keyless go, this is the first car in 5 years that I've had to use the key in.

[doodlebug]

As I understood it at the time, the next batch of RS6's had a sat nav upgrade (am I right?) which justified the 80k asking price

There's was a change to MMI 3G back end 2008/early 2009. I was lucky and landed MMI 3G. Keyless start was the only option I would have liked but can certainly live without. Power door closure is largely pointless, something else to go wrong, I wouldn't have ticked that box.

I'm not sure the pre-MMI 3G cars came with the iPod connection which I definitely couldn't live without.

[gmk666]

I'm not sure the pre-MMI 3G cars came with the iPod connection which I definitely couldn't live without.

I've got the old steam-driven MMI, but it did come with the iPod link, sorry, the Audi Music Interface.