My Friend Bought A 2017 Audi A4 Quattro: Thoughts?

"Taylor Martin" (tjmartin)
10/03/2020 at 13:27 • Filed to: None

That’s not the car, this is a picture I found on the internet, but at least you can see it.

My pal loves Audis. After getting jealous of not owning his own car (like me and my other pal) he decided to sink in some money he’d saved up from work (along with some money intended for school) on a 2016 Audi A4 Quattro... Three months later the thing gets wrecked, in an accident that wasn’t his fault (he has some serious bad luck with accidents in the past).

After bickering with the other guys insurance carrier, who insisted on getting him 3/4ths of a car, he finally managed to get enough insurance money to buy one of these. I don’t know much about Audis other than that they’re German and can have oil burning issues later in their lives.

That being said, the thing is zippy. 0-60 in 5.8 thanks to a 2.0L t urbocharged 4 cylinder. Paddle and bump shifters (but no manual) and a bunch of different driving modes. I drove his old car, which was fast, but this is much faster.

Thoughts? Opinions? Do you think he’s stupid for owning two used Audis as his first cars? Are there things he should look out for in the future. Ya’ll are my go to fact knowers, and I trust you with every cell of my body.

Take Care!

DISCUSSION (16)

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Taylor Martin
10/03/2020 at 13:50

This generation starting in 2017 has actually been decently reliable based on Consumer Reports, forums etc.

I’ve driven one for a couple of day.I t’s a good size? Comfortably seats 4, nice tech with the virtual cockpit. Strong engine and quick trans. Steering feel is a let down. Neutral handling.

It's a solid CPO buy but best to get an extended warranty on top of cpo for 100% peace of mind.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Taylor Martin
10/03/2020 at 13:58

You mention school — is he particularly young?

notsomethingstructural > Taylor Martin
10/03/2020 at 14:18

I wouldn’t get German as my first cars... hell I’ve owned like 8 cars and I was reluctant to get German for my 9th but just got a A3 2.0T Quattro. At least in the A3, the changes from 2016 to 2017 are fairly significant. More safety features and CarPlay, which is killer. The tech interface stuff on the 2016 is not great because it was all offline due to aforesaid lack of car play.

If it’s still in warranty, he can buy Fidelity Platinum which underwrote the CPO Audi and Audi extended warranties. I can put you in touch with a guy that most of the Audi guys use because he sells in volume over margin. “Affordable German car extended warranty” is an oxymoron, but at least “more affordable” is out there. If his car is outside of factory warranty period (meaning it was an early MY17 sale or is over 50k miles) it gets more complicated.

I was quoted $1865 for a 2/24k from purchase date with a $100 deductible and $2786 for 4/60k with $250 deductible (what I’m leaning towards) for my A3. This was quoted for an out of warranty 2016 A3 2.0T Q with 35-45k. Again, this is the same warranty as CPO Audi.

FYI, Powertrain only (named inclusions Vs named exclusions) was quoted at $1439/$250 for 4/60k.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Taylor Martin
10/03/2020 at 14:46

It’s a 3 year old car. If it doesn’t have crazy high miles, he should be just fine for the next few years. Would I want to own it over 100k miles? No. but everything up to that should be a breeze.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Taylor Martin
10/03/2020 at 16:52

Audi’s reputation for really harsh ownership experiences seem to be more in their past cars and particularly the high end cars(2.7 and 4.2 engines of yore). Maybe I’m not paying close enough attention but I feel like most feedback I hear for recent models is decent. Personally; for my dollar I’d look at the a3 with sport package over an A4 but that’s pretty personal. But what’s not to like- quick, a good auto, nice inside.

Taylor Martin > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
10/03/2020 at 17:16

My pal didn’t want to drive a “ small car” even though I think the A3 is a good size, but he was insistent on the A4 and the AWD system. It certainly is a comfy car, and it’s real peppy.

Taylor Martin > notsomethingstructural
10/03/2020 at 17:21

Talk to me more about this Fidelity Platinum and the benefits it may provide my pal. I’ll ask if my pal is still under warranty, but I’m still a little confused as to what it actually is.

I’m a little suspicious of those Germans and their cars too. They build everything different, and they’re very serious vehicles. I’m cool with Japanese automakers, my moms Nissan Rogue and Toyota Rav4 were fantastic (those were the two cars I grew up in), my dad has always liked Hondas, and I’m quite keen of my little Acura.

However, classic VW is a hoot, and the Squareback is on the hit list as a car I’d like to own.

Taylor Martin > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
10/03/2020 at 17:22

Everyone’s talking about the extended warranty as if these things just fall apart later on, but I’ll ask him about his warranty.

Taylor Martin > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI
10/03/2020 at 17:22

I think his plan is 6- 8 years of ownership ... at least that was the plan for his last one before it got wrecked.

Taylor Martin > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
10/03/2020 at 17:23

He’s 19, going on 20, and he acts even younger so yeah, I’d say so.

notsomethingstructural > Taylor Martin
10/03/2020 at 17:58

It’s technically a prepaid aftermarket warranty, but it’s a very good one (again: this exact policy either underwrites or previously underwrote Audi’s CPO and extended factory-backed warranties). Platinum coverage is bumper to bumper with a small list of named exclusions (think tires, brakes, routine maintenance, wear and tear... shocks (but not struts), etc.) It’s a very short list of exclusions. People like it for Audis because it was literally the same as the Audi policy for a very long time. Dealer service, OEM parts, nothing used or like kind/quality. So it’s not cheap, but they do actually pay claims unlike cheaper providers, where even if they DID pay a claim they’ll put you in an aftermarket reman instead of OEM.

ETA: it is also transferable or cancelable for a nominal processing fee

ETA2: it is a dealer-sold warranty, but it does not need to be the dealer you purchased the car from. So they can charge you whatever they want, which is why people prefer to use this guy. Because he has a reputation for the best prices around.

SmugAardvark > Taylor Martin
10/03/2020 at 18:32

I wouldn’t trust most teenagers with such a car. But I don’t have/want kids, so it’s kind of a moot point.

Taylor Martin > notsomethingstructural
10/03/2020 at 18:52

It turns out my pal is no longer under a w arranty, at least he doesn’t believe so, so it may get complicated. Regardless, this does sound like a heck of a plan that covers a heck of a lot, so thank you for shining a light on this for me!

Taylor Martin > SmugAardvark
10/03/2020 at 18:53

I barely trust him, but he’s a big fan of having a flashy car (especially for his age). Think typical rich frat boy style except really short... that’s my pal.

notsomethingstructural > Taylor Martin
10/03/2020 at 19:38

Check the CARFAX for the first date of title if he’s under 50k miles. If he’s over 50k then he’s over mileage anyways so save the fee. The guy I’m looking at will inspect cars where the warranty lapsed but he’s in like Deerfield Mass or something. It’s a 2-3 hour drive for me but I’ll probably make the schlep. The people who sell the warranty usually won’t write one on a car that’s out of warranty sight unseen, but your friend can google around maybe there’s someone closer if Mass is too far. Just can’t vouch for if it’s a competitive price or process.

Taylor Martin > notsomethingstructural
10/04/2020 at 07:32

Yeah my pal probably wouldn’t make the trek to Massachusetts for a warranty, he’s in Maryland so that’s more like a 6 hour drive. Still, there may be someone else out there, who knows.