I am considering purchasing a 1998 A4 2.8q with 58,000 miles on it. Is this too much? I can get it for 22,900. For 900 more I can get it Audi Certified...is this worth it? It is one of the early 1998's I believe. It has a bose, but no CD...any recommendations on a cd player?

Please e-mail me at Don_Schmeichel@cnt.com with any advice. Thanks.

If the car has been well taken care of and properly serviced, I wouldn't worry too much about the mileage.

If it has Bose and no CD, then it is an early '98. Another really easy way to tell is that the early '98's have amber turn signals, while '98.5's have all red.

Early '98's use the Alpine CD players, rather than Panasonic like the newer cars, but I'm not sure what the model number is. Archives might help here. Clair Parts might still have these available, but I'm not sure. I believe they are still listed in the advertising index on this site.

I'm also not sure on the price, but it doesn't sound unreasonable, and actually lower than I would have thought. Is the car fully equipped with leather, sunroof, etc.? I would work on getting the Audi Certified included in your negotiated price, rather than paying extra.

Finally, I would not let the fact that the car is being sold through a dealer keep you from having it checked out. If you are very serious, I highly recommend having an independent, or another dealer take a look at the car to make sure there are no coverups of any sort. After a friend of mine bought a used Jetta and later discovered that the ABS system had been removed unknowingly and solid rotors put on the front in place of the vented ones that were suppose to be there, I am very quick to suggest having cars looked at!

The main thing though is that it feels good to you. If you have any questions about the car, don't take the plunge! Good luck and happy shopping! :-)

Charles