Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

nyccarguy

“The first available appointment at my dealer is over two weeks out.”

Welcome to Audi ownership. I see things haven’t changed much since my parents leased an ‘02 A6 3.0 Quattro back in the day.

pensfan83

I suppose it's hit or miss. In 3 years with my Audi I visited 4 times, 3 for an oil change & state inspection and 1 for a recall. A loaner was always ready and the car was done within a few hours each time.

xwesx

sda said:

By the way, if I had to pay for the key, it is $252 for the transmitter, $75 for the internal key and $140 to program plus tax, about $500!

Yeah, it's nuts, which is why I have not picked up a second key for mine.

I also do not have the service reminder reset on mine. I think it's been on for about 15,000 miles now. The last time I had it at the Audi dealer in Anchorage for the TDI modification, I requested they reset it. It is asinine that it cannot be reset from the menu system like the oil reminder, so there's no way in h-e-double-hockey-sticks that I would pay a dealer to reset it.

andres3

nyccarguy said:

“The first available appointment at my dealer is over two weeks out.”

Welcome to Audi ownership. I see things haven’t changed much since my parents leased an ‘02 A6 3.0 Quattro back in the day.

That must be a regional thing. I've always able to schedule appointments 2 to 3 days out. Pretty sure it's a question on the survey if you felt the time required to wait for or schedule an appointment was acceptable(rated 1 to 10).

That being said, my CPO may have a couple issues. The selling Audi dealership dealers said they'd take care of everything, and to let the Escondido people know my sales managers name and that he'd take care of me (I guess in case something like wheel balance/alignment isn't warranted).

My two issues are as follows:

1) A very slight vibration at super legal CA speeds on the freeway coming through the steering wheel. I suspect it's the OLD OEM P7's (tires) that look like they sat in the desert sun 24/7 for over 4 years. The vibration actually seems to have improved/lessened with miles.

2) I think the AC is blowing 10 degrees hotter than it should be, which is a problem at temperatures over 90. Maybe it just needs a recharge of eco friendly refrigerant......my TTS was welcome as a diversion today as the AC blows nice and cold despite the high temps.

andres3

xwesx said:

sda said:

By the way, if I had to pay for the key, it is $252 for the transmitter, $75 for the internal key and $140 to program plus tax, about $500!

Yeah, it's nuts, which is why I have not picked up a second key for mine.

I also do not have the service reminder reset on mine. I think it's been on for about 15,000 miles now. The last time I had it at the Audi dealer in Anchorage for the TDI modification, I requested they reset it. It is asinine that it cannot be reset from the menu system like the oil reminder, so there's no way in h-e-double-hockey-sticks that I would pay a dealer to reset it.

I made sure the Carmax S4 and my A4 came with 2 key remotes. The CPO even came with the 3rd valet key.

andres3

Saw the White Alltrack SE on Carvana for the first time yesterday. They are asking for about 2,500 profit.

28firefighter

andres3 said:

Saw the White Alltrack SE on Carvana for the first time yesterday. They are asking for about 2,500 profit.

Out of curiosity, did you sell it to them with the tune? Any issues with the VW dealer flagging the car TD1?

breld

@sda - I certainly hope your future experiences with the Audi dealership are more positive, or you're able to find an alternative that is. That attitude is horrible - it's certainly enough to turn someone off of a brand, as was my experience with my local Land Rover dealer. My experiences with multiple Audi dealerships in the Denver area have all been excellent, FWIW.

sda

breld said:

@sda - I certainly hope your future experiences with the Audi dealership are more positive, or you're able to find an alternative that is. That attitude is horrible - it's certainly enough to turn someone off of a brand, as was my experience with my local Land Rover dealer. My experiences with multiple Audi dealerships in the Denver area have all been excellent, FWIW.

I am hoping that was an exception. It certainly gave me a guarded first impression. My visit to their service department Saturday will be telling. My wife loves her Q5. She isn't one to say too much, but has come home each night to sing its praises. She says the B&O rocks and really appreciates how quiet the Q5 is.

breld

So I recently received the notice of annual registration for my Q7 in the mail...and intend to pay it.

For that matter, I bought the Miata last year in August.

Just sayin'

Michaell

breld said:

So I recently received the notice of annual registration for my Q7 in the mail...and intend to pay it.

For that matter, I bought the Miata last year in August.

Just sayin'

andres3

28firefighter said:

andres3 said:

Saw the White Alltrack SE on Carvana for the first time yesterday. They are asking for about 2,500 profit.

Out of curiosity, did you sell it to them with the tune? Any issues with the VW dealer flagging the car TD1?

Yes, the car is still tuned as far as I know. No, the car has never been flagged for TD1. Back in '17 the VW were normal so there's not much time left on it anyway. Nor miles for the drive train being at over 31K.

I did have to put the stock wheels/tires back on to get a good offer from Carvana. When I mentioned any aftermarket parts the offer plummeted.

The Carfax is clean/no accidents.

tifighter

breld said:

So I recently received the notice of annual registration for my Q7 in the mail...and intend to pay it.

For that matter, I bought the Miata last year in August.

Just sayin'

Who are you?

28firefighter

breld said:

So I recently received the notice of annual registration for my Q7 in the mail...and intend to pay it.

For that matter, I bought the Miata last year in August.

Just sayin'

I am impressed!

tifighter

sda said:

By the way, if I had to pay for the key, it is $252 for the transmitter, $75 for the internal key and $140 to program plus tax, about $500!

This is something that the 3 does well. If you need to replace the key card (even though you'll mostly just use your phone), you can get another pair for $35 and can program/pair it from the central screen in the car yourself. If you lose one, you can just unauthorize it from the car as well. No dealer required.

xwesx

breld said:

So I recently received the notice of annual registration for my Q7 in the mail...and intend to pay it.

For that matter, I bought the Miata last year in August.

Just sayin'

Congrats, @breld! That's a big step for you! :P

jmonroe1

andres3 said:

Saw the White Alltrack SE on Carvana for the first time yesterday. They are asking for about 2,500 profit.

I didn't post the Carvana page in here but I did on another forum when Mrs. j's 2012 Legacy was posted. IIRC, it took about 3 weeks for them to advertise it. I got tired looking for it so I didn't look for a couple days. Wouldn't you know it, that's when they must have advertised it. Anyway, when I finally saw it they had it shown as SOLD. They paid me $12,751 for it and it was sold for $16,000 even.

jmonroe

andres3

jmonroe1 said:

andres3 said:

Saw the White Alltrack SE on Carvana for the first time yesterday. They are asking for about 2,500 profit.

I didn't post the Carvana page in here but I did on another forum when Mrs. j's 2012 Legacy was posted. IIRC, it took about 3 weeks for them to advertise it. I got tired looking for it so I didn't look for a couple days. Wouldn't you know it, that's when they must have advertised it. Anyway, when I finally saw it they had it shown as SOLD. They paid me $12,751 for it and it was sold for $16,000 even.

jmonroe

How many miles did it have? I imagine my '17 model needed a lot less reconditioning than Mrs. J's '12 model, no matter how many times you waxed it!

jmonroe1

andres3 said:

jmonroe1 said:

andres3 said:

Saw the White Alltrack SE on Carvana for the first time yesterday. They are asking for about 2,500 profit.

I didn't post the Carvana page in here but I did on another forum when Mrs. j's 2012 Legacy was posted. IIRC, it took about 3 weeks for them to advertise it. I got tired looking for it so I didn't look for a couple days. Wouldn't you know it, that's when they must have advertised it. Anyway, when I finally saw it they had it shown as SOLD. They paid me $12,751 for it and it was sold for $16,000 even.

jmonroe

How many miles did it have? I imagine my '17 model needed a lot less reconditioning than Mrs. J's '12 model, no matter how many times you waxed it!

I imagine you're WRONG. Her car had just turned 36K miles. When the guy picked it up he said something like, "every now and then we get a very clean car but this car is beyond that. I don't see where it needs anything. I know we won't have any trouble selling this car".

jmonroe

marcogallo1986

@breld i. Am shocked. Grate. Job!!! I no soon that sumthing. Will be leaving. The fleet! Lol

marcogallo1986

Yes it is an hit or miss. With all car brands. Dealers!

sda

Our first week with the Audi Q5 is off to a rough start. On the fourth day of ownership my wife calls me to say a message light lit up showing low oil level. I looked it up and told her it was safe to drive and when she got home I would check it. This car does not have a traditional dipstick, it monitors it by sensors. I followed the instructions how to check oil level and it showed full, plus the message light disappeared. I drove it and all seemed fine. Her 25 mile drive to work this morning was uneventful. When she left work this evening, in less than 5 minutes the oil level light glowed brightly. Again, once home, the oil level said full and the message disappeared. I suspect a bad sensor, but what a pain and an effective way to dampen the enthusiasm of getting a new ride.

cdnpinhead

Shades of the first BMWs with the "new and improved" (relative to the stone-reliable dipstick) oil level sensors -- the answer to a question no one ever asked. How often is the oil low relative to how often the sensor is (let's say fouled) up? And, why oh why was the dipstick eliminated? It would be a definite tie-breaker in cases like these.

qbrozen

I ain't sayin nothin

sda

qbrozen said:

I ain't sayin nothin

Thank you sir. A little humor, very little. Lol

xwesx

Makes me appreciate the dipstick on my one-year-older Q7. I spoke with a man who is a retired Audi technician,, and he asked me how I changed the oil. I told him that I drain the pan, and he said that the "suck it up through the dipstick tube" method is actually better because the design results in more thorough draining that way....!

I still drained it from the pan this year (as I had to remove the shields anyway since I was doing the transmission), but maybe I'll try it through the tube next summer. If I still have the car. Which I hope I don't, but who knows.

benjaminh

sda said:

Our first week with the Audi Q5 is off to a rough start. On the fourth day of ownership my wife calls me to say a message light lit up showing low oil level. I looked it up and told her it was safe to drive and when she got home I would check it. This car does not have a traditional dipstick, it monitors it by sensors. I followed the instructions how to check oil level and it showed full, plus the message light disappeared. I drove it and all seemed fine. Her 25 mile drive to work this morning was uneventful. When she left work this evening, in less than 5 minutes the oil level light glowed brightly. Again, once home, the oil level said full and the message disappeared. I suspect a bad sensor, but what a pain and an effective way to dampen the enthusiasm of getting a new ride.

My guess is that Audi/VW reliability and durability are still below that of Acura/Honda. My ownership of a VW Jetta long, long ago forever soured me on the engineering and quality VW. But I hope things get better for you and your wife's Q5!

sda

I’ve had one Audi in the past and 8 VWs. With the exception of my last VW, a 2006 Passat 2.0t, all were decent cars that were enjoyable to drive and though not as trouble free as the Hondas we’ve owned, were ok. The Passat soured me. A beautiful car, drove great, used oil 600-800 mi/qt, frequent check engine lights, sensors failing and more. It has taken 10 years to jump back in. CU gives the 16 Audi Q5 a better than average repair record. I hope that’s the case!

kyfdx

I always had a chuckle when others would tell me that their XYZ car was just as reliable as a Honda. Then, proceed to tell you the "small" list of repairs they had over 5 years, or so..

My 2002 CR-V? 6.5 years, 106K miles. Had to replace screws in the glovebox latch, that had loosened and fallen out. (around 55K) Other than that, regularly scheduled maintenance.

That was our 8th (and last) Honda product. It was a good run.

tjc78

used oil 600-800 mi/qt

That's a very common thing with them. I know three people that have them and they all complain about oil usage.

Thank goodness my cars don't use oil, because I have never opened the hood of the Elantra in nearly 3 years and only a few times on the Enclave to add washer fluid.

corvette

Had a dream last night that I sold the G37 and took a cheap lease on a BMW service loaner. It’s been almost a year since I bought a car, so maybe my subconscious is getting antsy.

28firefighter

Ah, yes. The dreams of car nuts. My wife tells me it's better than me dreaming about other women.

pensfan83

I took the Nissan to the dealer early this morning for an oil change and other services. It's located on a "campus" with other standalone stores part of the same group, Hyundai among them. I started wandering the lot since none of the stores were open. On the back lot were G70's that look like they were waiting to be PDI'd. Among them was a 3.3 AWD Sport, sticker at ~$52K, white over black with black 19" wheels and summer tires. I'm not a fan of the black wheels but the rest of the car looked really good, first one I've seen anywhere. It's more rounded than the Acura (which looks chunky from some angles) and about a half foot shorter which puts it on par with the A4/330i size wise. I'd love to get behind the wheel of one at some point.

Michaell

Received notice via email that my VW Credit account is now "closed". One more step to becoming a 1 car family.

carnaught

Michaell said:

Received notice via email that my VW Credit account is now "closed". One more step to becoming a 1 car family.

Also, one more step to getting a new car.

Michaell

carnaught said:

Michaell said:

Received notice via email that my VW Credit account is now "closed". One more step to becoming a 1 car family.

Also, one more step to getting a new car.

Sadly, no.

We're going to try life as a one car family for the time being. Wife and daughter have also been working from home lately, and when the new business finally opens its doors (9/2 is the projected date), they will commute together and I'll have the Outback for any errands I need to run.

MINI is at 38K and the Outback is almost at 32K; plenty of life left in both of them.

pensfan83

Michaell said:

Received notice via email that my VW Credit account is now "closed". One more step to becoming a 1 car family.

I think we've become addicted to being a 1 payment family to the point where we want, and will soon need, a replacement for the Nissan but have become accustomed to the extra $$$ every month. That extra $$$ has helped with home improvements and allowed for extra deposits to college accounts.

carnaught

”We're going to try life as a one car family for the time being.”

Lol...

Michaell

carnaught said:

”We're going to try life as a one car family for the time being.”

Lol...

Operative word there is try...

The nice thing is, if we need to get a 3rd car, we can take our time and be picky about it.

xwesx

Maybe mine is an exception. Last run, I added a half quart and put something like 11,000 miles on the OCI.

marcogallo1986

@ Michael that’s good news, but in here I know in a matter of months you’re punched a heart again ha ha Ha weather be a lease or something used ha ha.

marcogallo1986

Happy Friday everybody hope that everyone had a good week.

marcogallo1986

Love it your wife is funny that’s hilarious. Can we dream of both women and cars ha ha Ha. That’s the best scenario for me.

marcogallo1986

@sDA good luck man I should keep lipstick want more reliable than a sensor keep us updated.

28firefighter

So I thought I would give a 1 month ownership report on the Outback, though technically that isn't until tomorrow. We have put about 550 miles on it since delivery, which is mostly comprised of our weekend family outings around Seattle as well as my wife's commute to the park and ride.

First, we have zero issues to report. Car is tight as can be with no rattles, squeaks, etc. There was no damage of any kind from when the car was on the lot, so nothing to report there either.

We continue to be thrilled with our acquisition.

The 3.6R is smooth and powerful, albeit not the most fuel efficient vehicle we've ever owned. Average fuel economy with mixed driving is landing in the low-mid 20s. On the upshot, it does run on regular fuel. I know folks are quite opinionated about CVTs, but in this particular application I continue to feel that this one is well matched to the engine and does a nice job of keeping the car in the meat of its power band.

Inside feels like you're sitting in a roomy studio apartment (at least relative to the X1). Dash and gauges are super intuitive and I particularly like how well lit up everything is at night. My wife loves the CarPlay capability and basically doesn't use anything else. The infotainment system seems a bit outdated (though not terribly), but is very responsive and easy to use which mitigates a lot of the outdated feeling. The HK stereo is "meh" - better than the stock system for sure but nothing to write home about.

The EyeSight nannies seem to work well, though admittedly I do not use the big stuff. So far I've had the car yelling at me for leaving my lane, trying to change lanes with another car too closely for the car's comfort (but not close enough to actually be a problem), etc. If it were my DD I'd probably dial back some of the sensitivity but my wife doesn't seem to mind.

The last thing I'll say is that I have never seen my wife so attached to a car before. She truly loves it and so do I - it fits our family needs absolutely perfectly. Is it a unique car? Decidedly not. Is it sporty? Nope. But it does everything I want it to and then some and everything it does do, it does very well.

tjc78

Your comments kind of echo how I feel about our Enclave. It just does everything well, they are everywhere and my wife loves it. I like it as well for hauling the family around, loading it up for trips etc.

I asked my wife what she wanted next and it looks like we may be on Enclave #3 next year. They just don't lease that well, but you know what they say...

au1994

Great write up on the Outback. I really wish I could convince my wife to pull the trigger on a 19 Limited before they are all gone. She's four square against a truck so my pipe dream of the Tacoma is gone.

The bang for the buck on the Subaru's across the model line just astonishes me. I'm also very surprised by how much I love my little Crosstrek. After years of zipping around in one BMW after another the Subie is the right car for the time. No worries throwing dirty and wet things in it (we got all the seat protectors etc) when up at the lake, nor thrashing about dirt roads up there to get to a hiking spot. Yeah, its bog slow but makes up for it in so many other ways.

nyccarguy

@28firefighter - glad you guys are enjoying the outback. It’s one thing to triumphantly park a car in your driveway that you got a stellar deal on. It’s a whole different ball game if your wife is thrilled with said car and it’s color (colour since I’m still in Canada).

Mid 20s isn’t terrible for that H6. I averaged 26 mpg in my underpowered 4cyl Legacy.

The Pilot has been a champ on this road trip so far. We went to Niagra Falls (US, then Canadian Side), Niagra On The Lake (beautiful wineries), then to Toronto. We are now at the Toronto Zoo. Heading to Corning, NY tonight (about 5 hours). Then home tomorrow. I was able to change the digital speedo to KPH. Trip has been fantastic so far.

xwesx

@28firefighter You know you're spoiled when an HK audio system is "meh."

I remember when I first did a test drive of the 2010 Forester... The audio system was simply AMAZING to my ears! Both the combination of the vehicle's quietness and the crispness of the sound were just difficult to fathom in a moving vehicle. Our daily drivers at the time? 1998 Ford Escort, 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan.

Now.... (after using my Q7 as a daily) I get in the Forester and cringe at how tinny the audio sounds and how much road noise pushes through.

andres3

xwesx said:

@28firefighter You know you're spoiled when an HK audio system is "meh."

I remember when I first did a test drive of the 2010 Forester... The audio system was simply AMAZING to my ears! Both the combination of the vehicle's quietness and the crispness of the sound were just difficult to fathom in a moving vehicle. Our daily drivers at the time? 1998 Ford Escort, 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan.

Now.... (after using my Q7 as a daily) I get in the Forester and cringe at how tinny the audio sounds and how much road noise pushes through.

I find it's hard to go backwards on quality after you've experienced the real thing. No more Kia's for me, not for a while. They've come a long way since the Sephia rental days, but they still got a long ways to go.