enGage

The only Audi I purchased new was my A4. Paid around $33K for it in 2007. I always lusted after A8s, but was unwilling to pay for a new one (I have no problem affording one, just unwilling to shed that much cash) so when I found out how cheap they are used I'm bought a used 2006 in 2010. Were repairs expensive, sure, but I didn't have a lot of them, my Audi dealer is only a few miles away and the cost of the repairs was light years less than the money I saved buying used. My last A6 was similar story. Only 21,500 miles and 3 years old and I paid 55% of sticker. Great car, but not an A8 so I traded it on my current ride. Now, truth be told, I paid too much for my current A8, 55% of sticker, but it had 13,605 miles on it when I took it for a test drive and still even has that new car smell. It's like getting a new car and it's loaded to boot and came with a two year warranty (one year left on factory plus CPO. Because of the amount of tech on this car, I'll consider an aftermarket warranty for the first time in my life when the time comes.

nbking

My 21' A6 premium plus 2.0 stickered at $65k. Was a lease return, had 14k miles, I bought at $38k, it was in perfect condition. My first Audi and love it. But yes to drop that much in less than two years is crazy.

Mike911A8

This is my way of thinking, also. I have purchased both new and used over the years, and the ebb and flow of other financial considerations played a dominant role in my decisions. My first two Audi’s were used, and they served the purpose, but my other two were build orders that I put together exactly the way I wanted them, and I felt that I could drive those two forever, and I’ll probably drive my last one, the D4, forever. I’ve done the arithmetic as to new and used purchases, but if you really like a particular car, and thus are willing to keep it a long time, the numbers work out well enough, and the happiness factor is greater.

As to hand washing a car, in 1985 I purchased a new, black 911 as a daily driver , and I hand washed it nearly every day for a long time. It was easy because it was a small vehicle , and I would then just drive off, so it was air dried, and that feeling of driving a clean, well maintained car is deeply satisfying. Thirty nine years later I still own that 911; I don’t drive it as much these days, but I see it every day , and I’ll walk past it and maybe just touch it, and know that it’s mine, always was, and , hopefully, always will be.

So, yea, there is an intangible. Mike

angrypengu

As a total aside, here's also a financial consideration to be aware of. I am well aware that a 1 year old D5 has probably dropped in value by $15K or so, but the thing about new cars is that they come with it offers that are *not* available with pre-owned cars.

For example, dealer margins for Audis in Canada for new cars is ~7%. On top of that, there are incentives as well for the general public and additional incentives for certain corporate associations.

I bought my D5 at dealer invoice price (so MSRP -7%), in addition to a $12,000 (or was it $20,000) factory discount as well as IIRC $5000 off for being a member of the Bar. I have 0 doubt I paid less than someone buying a preowned D5 that's 1 or 2 years old. These type of incentives are just not possible for pre-owned.

A8bil

Some additional comments on the topic: 1. When I bought my D5 2 years old and with 20k miles, it cost less than a well equipped S6 from the same year, despite my A8 retailing for $120k vs. $80k. There was demand for the S6, not the A8 with the same engine. I track car prices pretty regularly, and the dynamic I saw when buying my A8 is the same I've witnessed over the years. 2. I come from a large family, with Mercedes, BMWs, Audis and Lexus's owned by my siblings. Some siblings own Mini's and Toyotas. They're all expensive to repair...nothing different about Audis in that regard. 3. I drive my cars for years beyond warranty expiration. My last Audi, a D3, cost me less than $300/mo. over the life of the car including depreciation. It was only the last year of ownership where I started seeing more of my mechanic, but admittedly even I tired of the inconvenience. My D2 cost me about $360/mo over its life, but it needed a transmission rebuild.

I still maintain that it's the lack of enthusiast support for used models that is the primary explanation for major depreciation. Across Merc, BMW and Audi, you'll see that AMG, M and S/RS maintain their value much better than standard models, though every car depreciates more or less...except for 911s.

A8bil

Which is interesting because it suggests yet another reason why there is such significant depreciation...which Tesla owners are very familiar with. If Audi is letting D5s out the door at $30k discounts off MSRP, that fact alone will depress used car prices. Why by used if you can buy new at a 25% discount? Used would have to drop significantly in price to justify the purchase. Musk has pissed off a lot of his customers by dropping Model Y prices so much that some buyers have experienced a 40% depreciation in a month.

pcc125

You all make very valid points. Before I traded my 2022 A8 for a 2024 S8, I looked at all available used S8 (year models 22 to 24) and what my dealer offered me the S8 for compelled me to buy the new S8. When you consider the trade value plus the discounts on the new S8 it was a no brainer to buy new. Having said that, I have personally bought many used CPO vehicles in my lifetime and saved a ton of money that way as well. In fact, when I bought my D4 as a CPO, it had better warranty than a new one at the time, and I saved almost $50k versus a new one. Market conditions are continuously variable and if you are patient and hunt for the deal, you always win. I enjoy the hunt.

enGage

My wife might argue that she lives with such a man. My D3 was 15 years old when I turned her over to my son and still looked new. Having said that, when I buy used I 1) look long and hard and am willing to travel long distances to find one clean enough for me and 2) after finding that vehicle I still will typical spend two, or more, weeks getting the car up to my specs.

My current car was a bit easier as the interior was perfect. I'm sure the back seats had never been sat in. The plastic was still on the rear vanity mirrors, but I could tell the car, like my A6, had been through car washes. I own two orbital polishers (one small for small areas) and a bunch of compounds and polishes so 3 or 4 days later the paint was where I wanted it. It also came from Hollywood, CA - a desert, so I had lot dust to remove from nooks and crannies. The dealer thought the car looked new and had it in their new car showroom, but it wasn't up to my standards - but, it was in reach of them.

This is where the different strokes comes in. I like all the putsing around it takes to get the car were I want it to be. For me, it's how I bond with the car. When done, I look at my work and the money I saved and fell satisfaction.

Finally, I do get the new car thing as well and have bought many in my life and if my wife wasn't as frugal as she is I might opt for a new specimen, but doing it this way keeps me in her good graces.

subterFUSE

It's not the Audi brand necessarily, it's the types of cars that determine the depreciation.

Flagship sedans like the Audi A8, Merc S Class or BMW 7 series always depreciate a lot. They are highly expensive to begin with and they feature the latest technology. When a car is complicated with new tech it is bound to have issues, and those items will be expensive to replace.
The expectations for expensive repairs are a big factor that plays into the depreciation for these flagship cars.

Availability is another factor. These cars are fairly easy to find at 3-4 years old because a lot of people lease them. Dealers get a lot of these cars back after leases expire and they end up with inventory to liquidate.

But it's not just an Audi thing. Take the R8 for example, it does not depreciate as much as many cars do.

kelisko

One argument about the R8 is it's rare. Rare cars don't depreciate. Audi sells an average of 700 R8s in the US annually. It's a halo car, it's a sports car, it is appealing, it comes with glorious naturally aspirated engines that are known for dependability and it has limited tech. It's kept simple yet capable. It's reliable. Cars like this are sought after, don't last in inventory and have value. I am sure R8s will become collectibles. Some older models already are.