I am about to buy my 1st A8. I've had 3 Audis in the past (00 & 01 S4's and 06 A4) And I now drive a 2000 BMW 740iL.

Its a 04 with 52k miles, and got a very good deal on the price. Carfax, autocheck all are clear. Last 5 of the vin are 20000+. Is there anything I need to make sure has been done. Car is in the Washington DC area. Does anyone know of a service that will go out and inspect the car? Any and all advice is appreciated in advance as always. Thank you, Nick

I would have an Audi Dealer inspect the vehicle. I take it is not and Audi Dealer CPO. You will need to be very careful and make sure they go through it well. I bought mine with 39K and had very many items that were covered under warranty.

Items to look for:

1. TPMS dead batteries - make sure the system is turned on when testing in MMI. Should show tire pressures
2. Transmission hooting - shifting between gears
3. Front suspension noise when going over speed bumps
4. Aluminum exterior trim turning white
5. Emergency brake fault
6. Brakes and rotors check
7. Navigation disk installed and Nav working
8. All services complete and up to date
9. No other fault codes check
10. Timing belt replacement due at 75K

Most items......

rdeiter's list is a good one. I'd also make sure the MMI has been updated to at least 33.6.0.

Enjoy your new ride. I always look forward to time in mine.

Not to spoil the party, but if you can afford it, i would suggest avoiding the 1st product year of any new model and look for a clean 2005 A*. I also left the BMW badge (740iL) for the A8 and its a very nice transition, you'll enjoy it.

Just my $0.02

I am paying well under $20k for it. Can't seem to find anything that can touch it. Seller seems very honest and if the PPI checks out all systems are a go for me. Im gonna miss the 740iL as it is such a rare individual/highline edition. But with 125k on it every month I'm dumping money into something that is a losing proposition aka 'money pit'.


Not to spoil the party, but if you can afford it, i would suggest avoiding the 1st product year of any new model and look for a clean 2005 A*. I also left the BMW badge (740iL) for the A8 and its a very nice transition, you'll enjoy it.

Just my $0.02

I have seen very little evidence on this board that the '04's have any more problems than any of the subsequent years, particularly the higher vin's. Mine has been very reliable and the issues i've had (broken thermostat, TPMS batteries and MMI screen gears) haven't been changed on later models.

I also would advise looking for an '05 instead of an '04, although I've been only modestly satisfied with my '05 A8L as compared to my previous car: a 2001 BMW 740I Sport.

I've had the Audi since May 1, and I have to say I'm pretty underwhelmed. Personally, I find the Audi's seats to be uncomfortable on long trips in comparison to the BMW's seats. Also, the A8's build quality leaves a lot to be desired. Sure there are lots of fancy bells and whistles in it, but the interior feels cheap and flimsy. At this point, I'm selling the A8L and moving to something else, probably a Mercedes CL65.

My comments about first year product is a general comment and not always the case as Rowlie pointed out with the success he has had with his late MY 2004. However, the fellow BMW owners among us can attest to the 1st years of the 7 series like the 740(E38) arrival in 1995 with lots of engine issues but by the 2000 and 2001 end of the model run was a terrific car. Then followed up by the ridiculous introduction of the 745 in 2002 with so many problems BMW had to extend the factory warranty to 100K miles to prevent serious damage to its reputation. The same warranty was extended to the 2003.

IMHO, I suggest staying away from 1st model year production as the bugs are not ALWAYS worked out. This is just my opinion and to each his own.

BTW, what is the set up on your Individual/Highline 740, color, interior, options, etc?

Galco, Thanks for your post...Its has the Orinoco Metallic Paint with the ecru leather with green piping. Green dash carpets to match and ecru leather on the door panels. All the options quad heated seats, heated steering wheel, nav, etc. I upgraded it with the M-Parallel OEM 18's and swapped the burlwood with the sport vavona wood. Shes a real beauty and I've never ever seen another alike other than online. Really hate to see it go but once I'm past the vanity of it the $ just doesn't make sense.

On a side note do you agree with 'featherpillow' about the comfort of the seats and the quality? I've only done short drives but the quality of the A8 seems flawless. Its leap years ahead of the E65/E66. The quality on my E38 blows those away.

One last question...the MPG on the A8 vs. the beamer is about the same or do you find it better or worse. Not a major consideration just curious to know.

Thanks again, Nick

I have seen very little evidence on this board that the '04's have any more problems than any of the subsequent years, particularly the higher vin's. Mine has been very reliable and the issues i've had (broken thermostat, TPMS batteries and MMI screen gears) haven't been changed on later models.

VW & Audi usually "Shake down" their new or updated platform for six to twelve months in Germany before releasing them in North America. First year models are not that bad these days. As always, your mileage may vary.

The E65 absolutely blows compared to the A8 IMO. No contest. The E65 looks and drives like an upside down bathtub. It's the reason I looked at other car companies when I decided to sell my E38.

But I don't think the A8's seats are anything to write home about. To me, the shoulder support feels like a flat piece of plywood and the lumbar support feels like somebody stuck a milk jug behind my back. It's killing me.

One last question...the MPG on the A8 vs. the beamer is about the same or do you find it better or worse. Not a major consideration just curious to know.
I find it to be worse, but not that much worse. I see about 2-3 mpg less on the highway than I got in my E38, but roughly the same when driving in the city.

Listen: take some of my complaining about the A8 with a grain of salt, OK? I tend to be very skilled at airing my gripes about things, and I don't really devote much time to giving praise when something merits it. Let's just say that my ancestors have about 5,000 years of complaining experience, and that my people even managed to drive God himself crazy with our grumbling at one point in time :D.

Listen: take some of my complaining about the A8 with a grain of salt, OK? I tend to be very skilled at airing my gripes about things, and I don't really devote much time to giving praise when something merits it. Let's just say that my ancestors have about 5,000 years of complaining experience, and that my people even managed to drive God himself crazy with our grumbling at one point in time :D.

That has got to be the best thing I've read online in a long time :)

Seriously though, I am very satisfied with my A8. I have not had it that long, but I've had Audi's for a long time starting with a 5,000, than A100, then A6 Avant, then S6 and now the A8. Heck, I ever like my S6 so much that I can't sell it. Every reviewer that I've read praises the A8 for its excellent build quality and tastefully done interior using the highest quality materials. I agree. But, it is certainly a fact that everyone has a different tushy, and what is heaven for one, may be hell for another. It's that 'different strokes' thing. No real right or wrong here, but everyone is 'right' by their opinion.

Oh, and that excellent build quality thing doesn't mean that these chariots don't break.... They do, and if out of warranty, you'll be... well, how did they put it back then... something about "weeping and gnashing of teeth".

Concurring with rdieter's advice, I would definitely have an Audi dealer look it over VERY carefully (talk to service advisor Greg Jackson at Audi of Tysons). I love my CPO '04 that was purchased with 49K miles about 3 years ago, but Audi has paid more than $5K in CPO repairs over the past three years; and I don't think that's unusual for an A8. No matter how clean the car may appear, it's almost certain that with 52K on the clock there are some costly problems lurking beneath that beautiful exterior and second to none interior.

Personally, I would not own an A8 out of warranty, and this is coming from a devoted Audi owner for more than 15 years.

Very nice combo on color and options, the high-line adds a nice touch to an already good looking car.

I find the seats in my A8 quite comfortable and similar to my e38, which had comfort seats. I would same the BMW had a slight edge, but not by much. The flow of the A8 interior just wins me over every time.

I'll offer you the same perspective as did a fellow e38 owner said to me. "The A8 is a more natural extension of the e38 than BMW did with the e65". I agree, the A8 picks up where the e38 left off.

For fun, this was the best line I heard from an Audi dealer when I was looking at A8s. He asked what I was currently driving, my reply, "BMW 740iL, loved it but it was totaled, and I'm just not feeling the new 7-series". Audi dealer said, "That Chris Bangle did more for Audi than any executive at Audi has ever done".

For those that don't know, Chris Bangle is the chief designer at BMW that brought us the newer look of BMW and really disappointed the loyal BMW enthusiasts with the highly controversial 745 design...