2011 A7 3.0 TDI

[Kev.k]

I’m going to look at a Audi A7 later this week. It’s a s tronic 3.0 tdi 245 bhp Quattro s line with 78k.

the car looks clean and the spec is as follows

Outstanding Spec With Around 6k Of Factory Fitted Extras Including.

*S Line Bodystyling.

*Quattro Awd System.

*Heads Up Display.

*Electric Memory Heated Seats.

*Bose Sound System.

*Auto Lights.

*Auto Wipers.

*Cruise Control.

*Keyless Start

*DAB Radio.

*Tech Pack With Pop Up Screen.

*Satellite Navigation.

*Parking Sensors Front + Rear.

*Xenon Head Lights.

*LED Daytime Running Lights. 

*DVD Player.

*Bluetooth.

Is it missing any essential options? I wouldn’t imagine £6k buys much on the a7 option list?

I would also appreciate any advice on common problems to look out for.

The only thing I’m not keen on are the s line seats. Will any Audi wingbacks fit, or just A6/7?

Thanks in advance  

 

 

[Steve Q]

Welcome to the forum Kevin, you'll find the members on here are a friendly and helpful bunch :) 

Sounds a very nice spec of A7 you're going to look at :) 

Is the car for sale at a garage or private seller? 

Obviously have a look at the service history and ideally this should be full. Also make sure that the gear changes are smooth both in auto and manual mode as any faults can be expensive to fix. Also make sure that all electronic items work as these too can be expensive to put right. 

One key area to look at are tyres. Are they the same make and I'd the tread wear the same? I ask this as the Quattro system can be sensitive and can be damaged by uneven tyre wear. Joined with this be careful if the car as Dunlop maxx tyres. There have been cases on here of the splitting. Here's the thread for more info: 

It's also worth getting an independent inspection carried out by companies such as the AA or RAC. If the seller is reluctant or refuses to have the inspection carried out then you have to wonder what they or the car has to hide. 

Here are also a couple of YouTube videos which may also help: 

This one has English subtitles

 a7 review

Hope I've helped :) 

Cheers

Steve

[Envy]

One major thing to check is the rear diff - a Mate has one and it has been in to Audi due to an oil leak. Major job stopping leak and if you cannot stop the leak its new diff time. not a massive concern for Audi but there have been enough cases to be notable. His was the active diff - worth asking the right questions regarding the rest of the car too. Service history a must. S-line seats are not so bad - some would prefer them to the RS Wing Backs that can be too supportive - especially for the larger driver / passenger. Any Audi model that has an RS derivative will suit Wing backs. Note there may be some electrical harness issues if the specs of the seats you have vary from the prospective seats. 

[Kev.k]

Thanks for the info. It’s really helpful. My biggest concerns were around the gearbox which I assume is the same as a dsg. And I know they can have issues. 

The car is from a dealer and has one previous owner. Miles are slightly higher than I would have liked, but it’s a 3.0 diesel so it’s not as much of a concern. 

I was wondering if an inspection by a Audi Indy would be better than the AA or RAC? I definitely plan to have one carried out. 

Im sure the s line seats are comfy and high quality. I’m just not keen on the look of them. That surprised me as I normally love Audi S-Line seats. I like wingbacks and don’t mind the newer super sports. I’d just prefer them to be plug and play. 

 

[Magnet]

Hello Kev,

Notice the car has one previous owner. Can we take it that owner is recorded on the V5 rather than the dealer having registered it in their name? 

The true story of this car (and equally essential to know as the service history) rests with contacting this owner. If the dealer refuses to let you have this detail prior to purchase - no confidentiality concerns since you will know it after you have bought it - then I would be tempted to walk  away. Same suggestion if it has been registered to the dealer to mask the previous keepers details. 

Great idea to have an independent assessment of the car, and if it were me I would be considering using a trused Audi independent who obviously has specific brand and model experience. 

Kind regards,

Gareth.

 

[Kev.k]

Thanks for the advice Gareth.

Would the dealership not legally be obliged to register the car in their name?

Is it advisable to remap this engine? 245bhp seems a bit low. It’s the same as my xc60 2.4 d5. I wouldn’t want anything too extreme. Around 300bhp would be nice. 

[Magnet]

No Kev, the dealer is not legally obliged to register a vehicle in their name.

The complete V5 which the previous owner had would be handed to the dealer and the dealer or previous owners had to forward the small yellow (trade transfer of ownership ) slip off the V5 to DVLA. One possible reason for a dealer to register a car to themselves (where the car would then have another -short term owner- is that it masks out the previous keeper's details. I would think in this case all would be fine - but I would check its fine.

I take I you have not had sight of the V5 , so bottom line is this vehicle could have been owned by Manchester or wherever Plod or any other organisation where it's had 1 careful owner but 100 careless drivers. You will appreciate that I am exaggerating a probably OK situation, but that would be my first port of call l before I worried too much about the toys on it. Not meant to be hatch Kev, just step back and do the homework before spending on an assessment. 

Good luck with your next move.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Kev.k]

Got you. 

They describe the previous owner as mature in their ad whatever that means? Not really at 21 year olds car in the first place. 

I’ll do some checks. They are less than a mile away so it’s no trouble to nip in and take a good look before I do anything. Thanks for the advice. 

[Kev.k]

I’m curious as to what you guys would think this car is worth?

Im negotiating at the moment as I’m putting my second car in px. 

[Magnet]

Hello Kev,

I've probably missed it, but I'm not sure what year this vehicle is. 

Retail value at a dealer ?

Should be easily assessed via. On-line valuation services, and complimented by searching for similar vehicles being sold by other dealers.

Part exchanging:- often a source of confusion since folks tend to get hung up about getting another £100 or so from another dealer, but are not too concerned that the vehicle they are buying is say £200 more at that dealer.

In all of this, the only figure you need to compare with different dealers is the 'price to change', ie. How much you have to add to your car to buy the car you are interested in. Inflating retail prices and part exchange prices still comes back to that 'price to change'.

Kind regards,

Gareth.

[Kev.k]

It’s a 2011 and its up for £17k. Ive seen se models with similar miles for £13k. 

I think a lot of the online valuation sites take the p*ss. Valued my friends 5 month old m4 at £32k  

My px is unusual. It’s a 350z gt with one previous owner and 30k miles. 

Im not that familiar with A7’s and was curious as to what forum members thought the car was worth. 

[Magnet]

Hello Kev.

I have to be careful not to convey the impression that I am being cynical about this - and if that is the impression then I apologise.

Re. the price:- I think you have answered your own question with the value of this 7 year old vehicle by saying the same model and mileage but without the same amount of extras which cost £6K when new, is retailing at £4K less than the one you are interested in. 'Thimple' as the little animal standing on its hind legs would say - you are potentially paying £4000 extra to by 7 year old toys which reality are 'worthless' , but on a positive side do make the model more attractive. It would be your call whether this on cost is important to you, and my feeling it is when you opened your post by listing them. My maths may be questionable and doesn't take account of falling in love with something, and there isn't anything wrong with that.

Valuation sites and extracting utine!  Well they value vehicles on evidence of sales and insurance pay out values, and that's not to say the owner would  part with it at that price or think it's worth more. I think we all value our vehicles at a higher price because we know them, but getting someone to actually write out a cheque at what we think they are worth is another issue. 

I really wish you well with this Kev, and I have a feeling your negotiations with the dealer are going to be interesting. All I can advise is not to lose track of the importance of the history of the car itself , it's independent assessment and the 'quality" of the guarantee you will be offered. 

Good luck  with this,

Kind regards,

Gareth.

 

[Artiglio]

Good day

i’m currently looking for an a7, plenty of choice out there , i’m in no rush and been looking for a while. Missed out on a very well specced 62 plate with 69k a private sale 2 audi services one with specialist which went for 13750. Currently looking at a 64 plate ultra, pretty basic spec 36k full audi history but first service was late on mileage which has meant i can’t get a fully comprehensive warranty ( anything engine oil related is not covered) again a private sale currently we’re haggling around 18k.

 

[Kev.k]

4 hours ago, Magnet said:

Hello Kev.

I have to be careful not to convey the impression that I am being cynical about this - and if that is the impression then I apologise.

Re. the price:- I think you have answered your own question with the value of this 7 year old vehicle by saying the same model and mileage but without the same amount of extras which cost £6K when new, is retailing at £4K less than the one you are interested in. 'Thimple' as the little animal standing on its hind legs would say - you are potentially paying £4000 extra to by 7 year old toys which reality are 'worthless' , but on a positive side do make the model more attractive. It would be your call whether this on cost is important to you, and my feeling it is when you opened your post by listing them. My maths may be questionable and doesn't take account of falling in love with something, and there isn't anything wrong with that.

Valuation sites and extracting utine!  Well they value vehicles on evidence of sales and insurance pay out values, and that's not to say the owner would  part with it at that price or think it's worth more. I think we all value our vehicles at a higher price because we know them, but getting someone to actually write out a cheque at what we think they are worth is another issue. 

I really wish you well with this Kev, and I have a feeling your negotiations with the dealer are going to be interesting. All I can advise is not to lose track of the importance of the history of the car itself , it's independent assessment and the 'quality" of the guarantee you will be offered. 

Good luck  with this,

Kind regards,

Gareth.

 

I think we buy any car and similar sites get by, by taking advantage of people in a difficult financial situation, and people who have too much money to care. They are parasites like the same day loan companies who charge 1000% apr. To make matters worse used car dealers are starting to use them to value cars.  I know for a fact a 6 month old m3 cp (£71k new) is worth more than £35k. The problem is, not many used car buyers will pay the £45k it’s worth in a private sale.

i don’t agree the extras are worthless either. I think spec is everything with cars like a A7.

the negotiations will be short either way. They either take my offer or leave it.

Im in a unusual situation. I would normally want a car like this as a second car. But my brother has lost his job and his company car. My 350z isn’t practical, so I’m looking for a 4 seat car that won’t bore me once he’s got himself sorted.

ive been looking at S5, A7 and 640d. I wouldn’t rule out a rs3 or a golf r. My daily is a 2016 xc60 d5 polestar which goes back in October. I usually pcp my daily and have another car for fun.

 

3 hours ago, Artiglio said:

Good day

i’m currently looking for an a7, plenty of choice out there , i’m in no rush and been looking for a while. Missed out on a very well specced 62 plate with 69k a private sale 2 audi services one with specialist which went for 13750. Currently looking at a 64 plate ultra, pretty basic spec 36k full audi history but first service was late on mileage which has meant i can’t get a fully comprehensive warranty ( anything engine oil related is not covered) again a private sale currently we’re haggling around 18k.

 

That’s really helpful. I wanted to get an idea of what they were actually selling for. 

Thanks

[Magnet]

Thanks for coming back Kev.

Pointless labouring this but I wasn't really referring to We By Any Car, but to valuations from valuation sites such as Parkers etc. 

OK, differences of opinions on the monetary value of extras on a 7 year old car, but logic would suggest that you take the current value of the car compare with its value when new and let's say it's now was 30%. But, I think you will find that the add-on value of the extras is never going to be worth 30% of what they cost new. 

I feel the haggling could be interesting, but whatever the 'discount' is going to be, it could be off an already inflated price. Of course Kev, as you say, they can take it or leave it so you hold the ace card, except they have the car you want.

Let us know how you get on.

Kind regards,

Gareth.

[Kev.k]

6 hours ago, Magnet said:

Thanks for coming back Kev.

Pointless labouring this but I wasn't really referring to We By Any Car, but to valuations from valuation sites such as Parkers etc. 

OK, differences of opinions on the monetary value of extras on a 7 year old car, but logic would suggest that you take the current value of the car compare with its value when new and let's say it's now was 30%. But, I think you will find that the add-on value of the extras is never going to be worth 30% of what they cost new. 

I feel the haggling could be interesting, but whatever the 'discount' is going to be, it could be off an already inflated price. Of course Kev, as you say, they can take it or leave it so you hold the ace card, except they have the car you want.

Let us know how you get on.

Kind regards,

Gareth.

I will do Gareth. 

When I was talking about optional extras on a A7, I meant that a low spec car without certain options is difficult to sell on. M3/4’s without a HUD are a good example.

Ive been looking at a 2012 a5 3.0 tdi Quattro black edition today and I’m interested in a 2014 S5 black edition, but that is a damaged repaired car so I’m unsure. It’s lovely though and I love the 3.0 tfsi engine. 

[Artiglio]

I’ve walked away from the A7 ultra, it was over 2000 miles late on first long life service and no warranty i can find will cover “oil related issues”. Speaking to audi this also affects any goodwill towards the car ( though will be on a case by case basis). Just about all the cars I’ve looked at outside of the audi network have something that’s not quite right in the service history, most common is late/ missing gearbox servicing. 

Going to see what comes up in march when the next lot of pcp / fleet returns start surfacing. Beginning to wonder if its a car that may be beyond my financial means in terms of maintenance. The 64 plate i’ve walked from was over 45k new , at 18k that’s massive depreciation in just over 3 years, which for a car that will easily average 40 mpg ( sensibly driven) seems odd. 

[Kev.k]

2 hours ago, Artiglio said:

I’ve walked away from the A7 ultra, it was over 2000 miles late on first long life service and no warranty i can find will cover “oil related issues”. Speaking to audi this also affects any goodwill towards the car ( though will be on a case by case basis). Just about all the cars I’ve looked at outside of the audi network have something that’s not quite right in the service history, most common is late/ missing gearbox servicing. 

Going to see what comes up in march when the next lot of pcp / fleet returns start surfacing. Beginning to wonder if its a car that may be beyond my financial means in terms of maintenance. The 64 plate i’ve walked from was over 45k new , at 18k that’s massive depreciation in just over 3 years, which for a car that will easily average 40 mpg ( sensibly driven) seems odd. 

It’s the same with the 640d and CLS. They depreciate like lead balloons. Big barges always have and always will.

Id use a Indy for servicing and repairs. Main agents are mostly crap in my experience and they don’t respect your car. 

Its essentially the same gearbox you find in a Skoda. You hear a lot of horror stories because there are so many out there. 

If I wasn’t pxing my 2nd car I think I’d buy from auction.