worth the money to buy an A3 from an Audi garage?

detoxkid

I'm upgrading my car to a 08 Audi A3 in the new year but doing my homework now. It's a hell of a lot of money- but it seems like there is a few grand in the difference between buying from an Audi dealer or another dealer that does not specialize in Audi. Don't know enough about cars to buy privately. Am I better buying from an official Audi dealer in terms of cutting a deal with servicing, audi service history and re sale etc?
Also have been looking at the difference between buying up north and paying VRT- is it just me or is there really not much in it any more?

CaraFawn

Put it this way, there is no added value to buy from an Audi dealer.

The dealer will have a tendency to be more expensive because a dealership is usually a bigger shop, thus higher costs to run etc.

Buy from a shop that has plenty of Audi though, make sure there is plenty of service history, recalls made (if any). Get the warranty terms in writting from them.

And all the usual stuff to check (Finance etc...). The car should be taxed for 6 months at least too. Otherwise get the price down.

bazz26

Generally non franchised dealers tend to be cheaper.

But the A3 is poor value imo. Most here have very basic specification and tend to be either the primative 1.6 litre petrol or tractor 1.9 TDi. They are not much cheaper up North or in the UK these days but at least there you have a wider choice of engines and specification.

CaraFawn

CaraFawn wrote: »

The car should be taxed for 6 months at least too. Otherwise get the price down.

Really, that's a new one.

galwaytt

Buy the car - not the garage i.e. don't pay extra to a dealer 'cos he has nicer potted plants.

detoxkid

galwaytt wrote: »

Buy the car - not the garage i.e. don't pay extra to a dealer 'cos he has nicer potted plants.

With something that expensive it is certainly worth asking the question.

CaraFawn

RoverJames wrote: »

Really, that's a new one.

The motor tax is part of the value of a car.
A car without tax should be sold for less than the average/market value, period.
That is especially true on big engines, as it cost between 1500 and 2000 euro a year to tax.
That's how I do it at least, you might have a different approach. I respect that.

The Express

'Worth the money to buy an Audi A3' Is the question I'd ask. An awful lot of money for the 4 rings on the bonnet and a slightly higher grade of plastic on the interior. But worth €0000's more than a similar VAG product? I don't think so.

UK import 2.0 TDi would be a pricey - but interesting - confection.

Golf in a fur coat IMO, but each to their own.

Geoff845

CaraFawn wrote: »

Put it this way, there is no added value to buy from an Audi dealer.

The dealer will have a tendency to be more expensive because a dealership is usually a bigger shop, thus higher costs to run etc.

Buy from a shop that has plenty of Audi though, make sure there is plenty of service history, recalls made (if any). Get the warranty terms in writting from them.

And all the usual stuff to check (Finance etc...). The car should be taxed for 6 months at least too. Otherwise get the price down.

bazz26 wrote: »

Generally non franchised dealers tend to be cheaper.

But the A3 is poor value imo. Most here have very basic specification and tend to be either the primative 1.6 litre petrol or tractor 1.9 TDi. They are not much cheaper up North or in the UK these days but at least there you have a wider choice of engines and specification.

How can you say there is "no added value", on a 08 A3 an Audi dealer gives you a 12 months warranty which is backed by Audi AG, NO non franchise dealer can do that.

Non Franchise dealers cannot preform any warranty work! The standard of the Used cars nearly always higher as Audi audit dealer on a monthly basis to ensure the cars are at a very high standard. No offense mate but your waffling there a bit.

CaraFawn

CaraFawn wrote: »

The motor tax is part of the value of a car.
A car without tax should be sold for less than the average/market value, period.
That is especially true on big engines, as it cost between 1500 and 2000 euro a year to tax.
That's how I do it at least, you might have a different approach. I respect that.

I would imagine the average market value is for an untaxed car to be honest. Most cars for sale are untaxed.

detoxkid

detoxkid wrote: »

Also have been looking at the difference between buying up north and paying VRT- is it just me or is there really not much in it any more?

There never was much in it, folks used to calculate their savings off windscreen prices here in the ROI. Anyone who placed any value on their freetime who was also remotely savvy would have saved minimal amounts on buying up North or in England. Except for the short time when exchange rates were looney, even then folks used to bandy about rates that they didn't get.

bazz26

Geoff845 wrote: »

How can you say there is "no added value", on a 08 A3 an Audi dealer gives you a 12 months warranty which is backed by Audi AG, NO non franchise dealer can do that.

Non Franchise dealers cannot preform any warranty work! The standard of the Used cars nearly always higher as Audi audit dealer on a monthly basis to ensure the cars are at a very high standard. No offense mate but your waffling there a bit.

Sorry but you don't have to exclusively buy a used car from a franchised dealer to have warranty work carried out by them. If the car is still covered by the original manufacturer's warranty then an Audi dealer can do the warranty work irrespective of where the car was bought. The same goes if you buy the car from one Audi dealer and get warranty work carried out by a different Audi dealer. They just claim the cost of parts and labour back from Audi Ireland.

It's not waffle, it's from experience of buying used cars from non franchised dealers and still getting the main dealer to do original warranty work. A used car warranty is different and only applies to the garage you bought the car from.

Cyrus

why do you want a 08 a3,

i just ask because to me it looks the same as a late 04 or 05 one?

Cyrus

Geoff845 wrote: »

The standard of the Used cars nearly always higher as Audi audit dealer on a monthly basis to ensure the cars are at a very high standard. No offense mate but your waffling there a bit.

the standard of used cars generally in ireland is bad, main dealer or not

generally i prefer to buy private get a feel for the person who owned the car before me

CaraFawn

bazz26 wrote: »

Sorry but you don't have to exclusively buy a used car from a franchised dealer to have warranty work carried out by them. If the car is still covered by the original manufacturer's warranty then an Audi dealer can do the warranty work irrespective of where the car was bought. The same goes if you buy the car from one Audi dealer and get warranty work carried out by a different Audi dealer. They just claim the cost of parts and labour back from Audi Ireland.

It's not waffle, it's from experience of buying used cars from non franchised dealers and still getting the main dealer to do original warranty work. A used car warranty is different and only applies to the garage you bought the car from.

Yes you are right, but the second point Geoff845 made too is that the cars do come with a 12 months warranty from the dealer, and I would assume even the cars that have had their main warranty from new ellapsed. They would apply a 12 month warranty as a sign of quality/assurance so you buy the used car.

Small garages would not provide 12 months most likely, I'd say 6 months top.

But still for me that does not justify the highest price from the dealer.
But for Joe Blogs that would make sense. I respect that, and this is certainly a commercial argument in favor of the dealer.

detoxkid

Cyrus wrote: »

why do you want a 08 a3,

i just ask because to me it looks the same as a late 04 or 05 one?

Thanks for all the replies. Ya there is not much of a difference but I want to get a diesel car and hold on to it for a few years- the price of taxing a car is nearly 600 pa if you don't get a 08 one. Bloody Greens have allot to answer for!

opinion guy

CaraFawn wrote: »

The motor tax is part of the value of a car.
A car without tax should be sold for less than the average/market value, period.
That is especially true on big engines, as it cost between 1500 and 2000 euro a year to tax.
That's how I do it at least, you might have a different approach. I respect that.

But is motor tax transferable ? I didn't think it was. Thats why there is a mechanism to reclaim tax on a car you sell before the tax is up. New owner is responsible for his own tax surely ?

Geoff845 wrote: »

How can you say there is "no added value", on a 08 A3 an Audi dealer gives you a 12 months warranty which is backed by Audi AG, NO non franchise dealer can do that.

Non Franchise dealers cannot preform any warranty work! The standard of the Used cars nearly always higher as Audi audit dealer on a monthly basis to ensure the cars are at a very high standard. No offense mate but your waffling there a bit.

Well someone has already answered this.

Just to add - Audi up North give a 3 year manufacturers warranty whilst down South its a 2 years warranty. Whether this was the case in 08 I'm not sure but its definitely true at the moment. An example of Paddy spec in action.

slimjimmc

opinion guy wrote: »

But is motor tax transferable ? I didn't think it was. Thats why there is a mechanism to reclaim tax on a car you sell before the tax is up. New owner is responsible for his own tax surely ?



Well someone has already answered this.

Just to add - Audi up North give a 3 year manufacturers warranty whilst down South its a 2 years warranty. Whether this was the case in 08 I'm not sure but its definitely true at the moment. An example of Paddy spec in action.

Motor tax is bound to the car and stays with the car regardless of who owns it. The new owner only needs to renew tax when the current disc expires.
It can't be transferred to another vehicle though.

You cannot reclaim motor tax when selling your car, only if it's scrapped, stolen, off the road long-term and and few other reasons. Even then you can only claim if you've got 3mths left on the disc.
http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/MotorTax/Refunds/

opinion guy

slimjimmc wrote: »

Motor tax is bound to the car and stays with the car regardless of who owns it. The new owner only needs to renew tax when the current disc expires.
It can't be transferred to another vehicle though.

You cannot reclaim motor tax when selling your car, only if it's scrapped, stolen, off the road long-term and and few other reasons. Even then you can only claim if you've got 3mths left on the disc.
http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/MotorTax/Refunds/

Cheers. I stand corrected