paTTsfan

Never owned an S4 so not sure what will be worn out after 4 years besides tires. It also protects you against dents, scratches, etc. but it's $1200!!

I'll probably buy new tires after year 3 so should be good upon return, but what about brakes, shocks, etc.?

Any advice on whether it's worth getting this protection on a 4-year lease would be much appreciated.

Cheers.

DrGP

If you are leasing I don't see what you would expect it to cover that isn't under warranty. Unless you really don't take care of your car. Just remember there is a difference between NORMAL and EXCESSIVE wear and tear. No cost for normal wear and tear

paTTsfan

Warranty has nothing to do with wear and tear. I take care of my cars better than most. However, I don't have much control over the life of things like tires and brakes. I'm hoping current S4 owners can tell me if there is anything that commonly wears out in 4 years.

RickFLS4

4 years is a long Audi lease (most seem to be 36- or 42-mo.) and many of us that lease trade in early (often with equity in the car due to Audi's low lease residuals - several threads on this point). It is difficult to predict what will wear out in 4 years but it sounds like you won't be driving a ton if your tires will last 3 years. In any event, $1,200 now sounds like an awful lot to me unless it will pay for tires + something else. Even then it is a lot if you consider that you need to pay it today for something you may or may not need later. I didn't buy it so my recommendation would be to pass on it since you maintain your car better than most.

snagitseven

I believe "Audi After Care" is available in Canada (not the U.S.). There are basically two types of coverage (Mechanical Breakdown Protection and Wear Protection) with three levels in each and three levels of deductible available . Neither of the plan types includes brakes or tire replacements due to normal wear and there are many other exclusions. See here for details:

http://audiaftercare.ca/mechanical-b...wn-protection/

RickFLS4

That seems to be an extended warranty, which I wouldn't consider for a 4-year lease. I was thinking it was the Lease Excess Wear policy sold in the U.S. (near bottom of this page: http://www.audiusa.com/myaudi/service)

Why is dealer selling you an extended warranty for a car that will be leased for the base warranty term?

DrGP

I've been leasing almost all my cars for the last 20 yrs. At the end of the lease(where I am now on my 2010 S4) Audi sends out an independent examiner to look over the car and tell you where there are issues that would be seen as excessive wear and tear. That could include holes in the seats EXTREMELY worn interior items, broken trim, curbed wheels, door dings and dents. If this is what is covered by the excessive wear and tear coverage, I would not seem to be worth the money especially if you take any kind of care of your S4. If you intend to beat the snot out of it and not do typical interior and exterior maintenance, you might want the insurance. But really, you don't even know if you will have the car at lease end. As stated above, due to the low residuals and high market value of these cars, it is not reasonable to just give the car back to AFS at the end of the lease. They have equity that can be used as a future trade in. Or buying it with the option of reselling is also another prudent choice.

paTTsfan

It's excess wear protection not an extended warranty.

paTTsfan

The $1200 protection covers you on up to $10,000 of both wear (tires/brakes, etc.) and damage (door dings, dents, scratches). That said, it's a lot of money and it sounds like most people don't opt for it so I'll probably pass.

As for Audi Care ($750), I know I'll probably keep the car long enough to require several scheduled maintenance visits so that's probably worth the money.

Thanks, folks.