Audi A5 - High miler worth a punt?

[jayrevans]

Hi everyone. I’m looking at buying a used Audi A5 from Auction (reason why I will state). It’s a 2.0TFSI, 2010 plate S line spec, it’s in Red with black alloys. Lovely looking car and always wanted to own an Audi A5. My reason for potentially going high mileage is atm I drive all the time. I commute over 80 miles a day, some days over 100 as I work 2 jobs in 2 different cities. I’m going to be doing this for at least another couple of years, so I don’t want to buy a newer lower mileage car because I’m just going to dump 20k+ year on it anyway.

The car in question looks like it’s in decent condition, it was a part ex from a garage and it’s passed its last 4 MOT’s with no advisories and had 11 services (almost serviced every year) so it sounds like it’s been looked after.

Based on the above, working 2 jobs in 2 different cities (Bham and Cov), doing over 2000 miles a month, is this worth a punt? 
 

Thanks in advance!

Jamie

[Steve Q]

I'm going to advise against this. The 2.0tfsi is known for piston ring failures and engine failures. Research it on here and on Google. 

[Magnet]

What mileage has it done? 
 

[jayrevans]

1 hour ago, Steve Q said:

I'm going to advise against this. The 2.0tfsi is known for piston ring failures and engine failures. Research it on here and on Google. 

Thanks for your advice! Note taken!

[jayrevans]

53 minutes ago, Magnet said:

What mileage has it done? 
 

The A5 has 151k. Similarly I drive a 156k Peugeot atm so I have no issue driving higher mileage cars, however just wondering if it was worth it if it went for like £1000. Driving a 56 plate Peugeot ATM and since 2021 I’ve spent 4K on it in keeping it on the road. It’s slow and tired now so just looking at getting something else.

Edited October 13 by jayrevans

[Steve Q]

9 hours ago, jayrevans said:

The A5 has 151k. Similarly I drive a 156k Peugeot atm so I have no issue driving higher mileage cars, however just wondering if it was worth it if it went for like £1000. Driving a 56 plate Peugeot ATM and since 2021 I’ve spent 4K on it in keeping it on the road. It’s slow and tired now so just looking at getting something else.

I appreciate where you're coming from but if you get engine failure or piston ring failure it'll cost more. You'd be better off either a diesel. Like a 1.9 VW pd for reliability 

[Magnet]

Hello Jamie,

Thanks for coming back and filling in the detail. 
At a time where most part exchanges are usually traded out direct to local traders, I ask why is this car at an auction site. I know some large warehouses do trade only via. auction, but….so do WBAC. 
Remember, you buy at auction without any trial, and very very limited access to history chases etc, and you get it with all faults  - whether disclosed or not. You simply buy on price. If it need work, can you afford to be without it while it gets repaired? 
Have you done a DVLA Vehicle check on the reg. no. to see when the last V5 was issued - can give useful information on length of previous ownership. Also MOT history check? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[jayrevans]

1 hour ago, Magnet said:

Hello Jamie,

Thanks for coming back and filling in the detail. 
At a time where most part exchanges are usually traded out direct to local traders, I ask why is this car at an auction site. I know some large warehouses do trade only via. auction, but….so do WBAC. 
Remember, you buy at auction without any trial, and very very limited access to history chases etc, and you get it with all faults  - whether disclosed or not. You simply buy on price. If it need work, can you afford to be without it while it gets repaired? 
Have you done a DVLA Vehicle check on the reg. no. to see when the last V5 was issued - can give useful information on length of previous ownership. Also MOT history check? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Hi Gareth,

Yeah I wondered this. On the surface it looks decent for a high miler, MOT until 21 October 2025 passed with no advisories, last V5 was issued 2 months ago so could have had multiple change of owners in a short space of time. I do wonder why it’s at Auction. Might be a bad apple. But then again might not be. I could afford to fix it, but I wouldn’t want it to be what my current car is whereby I’m fixing it every couple of months. I suppose that’s what you get with auctions, you got to be prepared to take the risk.

Might look at one of the diesel engines instead for the A5. Any recommendations?

Thanks,

Jamie

[Steve Q]

Exactly lots of owners in short succession is often a sign of a problem with the car. Definitely avoid 

[Stevey Y]

15 hours ago, jayrevans said:

The A5 has 151k. Similarly I drive a 156k Peugeot atm so I have no issue driving higher mileage cars, however just wondering if it was worth it if it went for like £1000. Driving a 56 plate Peugeot ATM and since 2021 I’ve spent 4K on it in keeping it on the road. It’s slow and tired now so just looking at getting something else.

Hi from personal experience I would not go for any Audi with that kind of milage, Diesel/Petrol as you will be entering the land of excessive expense, I would really take as Gospel Steve Qs advice about the VW cars as I have recently discovered the Passat as my new cab and have covered 20k since this February with no problems other than servicing and tyres and new brakes all of which cost a third of what the Audi cost me, power wise its 150bhp and gets down the road quickly, economy is probably about 30% better than the Audi and the 1.9 Steve mentioned has just gone on to the list of engines that will do in excess of 400,000 miles if maintained correctly, I would also give you a little info from a friend who is a trader that most cars now are bought by Cinch or We Buy Any Car, they keep all the good ones to re sell and dump anything with real problems in to the auctions.

Steve.