Buying an A4 Avant ex Avis car

[kancell10]

Hi guys,

New to the forum, currently own an A3 which is at end of lease and looking to purchase an A4 Avant outright. I have paid a deposit on the car below, purchased for £18380, and whilst going through paperwork found out the car is an ex Avis car, link:

http://www.audi.co.uk/used-cars/used-car-locator/a4/2.0-tdi-143-ps-se-avant/glasgow/602879552-22572.aspx?srcmdc=se_na_re_

Car looks perfectly clean and tidy, drives well and I am keen to purchase but I am a little concerned (perhaps needlessly) regarding the history. I did realise something wasn't right when I noticed Avon tires are on the rims, which i don't believe are a standard brand, and the tread pattern is different from front to back. The sales controller has advised that although a non standard tire, Avon have been used, as have Hankook, and that the fronts have been changed out with as close a match as possible to the original tires on the rear. I questioned why at only 13.5k miles and he advised that the tires must have been below the audi used approved limit of 3mm when the car was taken in.

I queried an extended warranty but have been told they cannot provide this. My main concern is the auto box, but figure that the chances of a boyracer ragging about in this premium estate car with auto box may be pretty low. Just wondered what you thought regarding the above, should i tread carefully or progress on the basis that i have about 19 months manufacturer warranty and confidence in the brand?

Also, finally, what sort of real life mpg can i expect for the extra urban cycle, i can pretty regularly get my A3 (60 plate) above 55mpg sitting at 70mph and 60mpg at 60-65mph

Thanks

Kevin

[s7gpt]

im sure you will be fine plus that warranty should give piece of mind ;)

[Guest 2]

You still have the normal 3 year/60k warranty but personally I wouldn't touch an ex rental.

Fastest car in the world is a rental! Drive 'er like you stole 'er! Never be gentle with a rental!

[Doctle Odd]

They weren't up front about it being ex-rental? I'd get a VAG specialist to look it over and scan it to check mileage etc. Tyres seem to have been replaced TOO quickly and on a car like that you'd get the correct tyres. No extended warranty on a car with below average miles? little bell ringing in my head

[Guest 2]

Audi wouldn't sell a car with altered miles.

As the car is still under 3 year old the original factory warranty will remain and you will have the option of extending this in the 3rd year or warranty - this is why they cannot provide it.


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[boom1]

There is no car faster than a hire car!!!!
Whilst you still have a good amount of warranty I personally wouldn't buy an ex hire/rental/demo car.
I was taken for a test drive (didn't have my paper part of license) several months back for a 3.0TDI. It was a cold Feb morning, with temps not much above freezing, the car had 143 miles on the clock and the salesman absolutely ragged it from standstill.
For me it would depend on how long you were planning on keeping it for.
With the likes of DtD or other online brokers you should be able to pick up a brand new or pre-reg one for a couple of £k more.

[Guest 2]

Buy it, if you don't like it you have a 30 day/1000 mile exchange policy to return or change for another no questions asked.




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[Teflon]

Once upon a time, long, long ago, every Sunday or Monday evening I would get off a plane in a foreign land, pick up a hire car and drive 2 hours to my destination. My primary objective was to get a hot meal in my belly, a beer down my neck and my head on a pillow, all as quickly as possible. Every Friday evening I reversed the procedure when I landed back in the UK. I guess I drove everything from a Fiat Bravo to a Saab 9-5. Some were a bit world weary, some were absolutely brand, spanking new. I never abused a car but I wouldn't have wanted to buy any of them 12 months later either. I certainly wouldn't have expected the tyres to enjoy great longevity.

Buying an ex-hire car is a bit like getting a georgeous new girlfriend who has, ahem, a bit of a reputation. It might be all in the imagination and you might still be happy together in ten years time. Or she might bleed you dry and leave you crying like a baby. You can't get a guaraneee to cover you properly for that either.

[c.grex]

Buying an ex-hire car is a bit like getting a georgeous new girlfriend who has, ahem, a bit of a reputation. It might be all in the imagination and you might still be happy together in ten years time. Or she might bleed you dry and leave you crying like a baby. You can't get a guaraneee to cover you properly for that either.

I had one of these and we didn't live happy long after!:D

[sportq]

I bought an ex-rental Seat Alhambra about 10 years ago and lived to regret it. It had clearly been driven badly and you wouldn't believe the rubbish (mostly food) that we found in bizarre places. A drink had also been spilled inside the dash at some point too.

[theskyfox]

I use hire cars a lot from Avis, have a Pug at the moment. Generally they are treated more like Vans than cars...at my work the general motto with most people seems to be something like "It's a rental..lets go mental!". Wouldn't personally touch an ex-rental for this reason. I wouldn't be 100% confident in the maintenance either...we've had a few cars delivered to us before that we have had to reject because the tyre tread depth was actually below the legal limit....

That said...on a positive note:

-Its still low mileage (13k miles?) which is about average for a year
-During this time reasonably it would have only needed an oil/filter change (though the long life service would probably mandate 20k miles which imho is stupid, but thats another discussion)
-Its still under warranty, if your gearbox blows..get it replaced by Audi
-Replacement of a front set of tyres on these TDi's isn't unreasonable at 13,500 miles...I ate through my front pirellis in the same amount of time, though
they have clearly cheaped out on the tyres.
-If you are still worried, then pay for the extended warranty when they offer it. Though I'm not entirely sure if this actually covers the gearbox...(read the TnC's)


-Andrew

[Sportwag]

It is likely that the better cars will have been selected for Audi Approved and the rest farmed off to the trade. I would be more concerned if it were a manual transmission (clutch/DMF etc) as the auto will have safeguards in-built even if it has been driven hard. It is a buyers market so if you aren't 100% then look elsewhere.

[JimC64]

Personally, I wouldn't be too keen on an ex rental.

Usually when I have loaner / courtesy cars from the garage I treat them as I do mine, although might like to get the foot down now and then, but not rallying, just to be clear.

Hire cars are another breed altogether, most have been scratched / scraped / dented or bumped at some point and althoug usually well fixed...its happened. Thats before yo utake into account the way its been driven / handled with probably only the basic service having been done.

I'd stay away and look for something else, but each to their own I guess

[Guest 2]

As per Jims comments any courtesy cars I have out always get treated with respect and always washed and hoovered before being given back.

Last summer I saw a '12 plate Golf being rallied (wheel spinning, axle tramping and rev limiter action) out of a rental depot at Glasgow Airport out my hotel window!

I think it was another Golf a few days later being loaded onto a low loader outside the very same depot, '12 plate again I think.

[JimC64]

As per Jims comments any courtesy cars I have out always get treated with respect and always washed and hoovered before being given back.

Last summer I saw a '12 plate Golf being rallied (wheel spinning, axle tramping and rev limiter action) out of a rental depot at Glasgow Airport out my hotel window!

I think it was another Golf a few days later being loaded onto a low loader outside the very same depot, '12 plate again I think.


Must be brothas from anotha motha Chris.............I too depending on length of time I have the car take it back washed, hoovered and looking good

As I treat their cars with respect they do mine too and respect my comments on not washing etc etc. It also means unlike some others I get some pretty tasty cars with no issues.

As I said before..........Hire cars are a totally diffeent animal, even in my mindset. So you have to ask yourself if someone who would treat a car with care and respect feels that way, how does the average Joe think??

Nuff said.....

[kancell10]

hhhmmm a lot of interesting information, i was almost expecting everyone to say not to worry as it is an audi and comes with a decent length warranty. i really am not sure what to do now, i need a car within 2 weeks, and unfortunately at the sub £20k mark every A4 from the dealers in Scotland appears to have been an ex hire. plan b was to jump off the audi bandwagon, and instead get a brand new octavia on PCP which i can get fully maintained for about £330 a month..... :Blush2:

[s7gpt]

hhhmmm a lot of interesting information, i was almost expecting everyone to say not to worry as it is an audi and comes with a decent length warranty. i really am not sure what to do now, i need a car within 2 weeks, and unfortunately at the sub £20k mark every A4 from the dealers in Scotland appears to have been an ex hire. plan b was to jump off the audi bandwagon, and instead get a brand new octavia on PCP which i can get fully maintained for about £330 a month..... :Blush2:

if its the right car for you, right spec / mileage etc then I personally would not be that worried - are you sure it was a 'rental' and not a car leased to a single owner as lots are ? this would then worry me far far less ;)

[kancell10]

if its the right car for you, right spec / mileage etc then I personally would not be that worried - are you sure it was a 'rental' and not a car leased to a single owner as lots are ? this would then worry me far far less ;)

that is the problem, fear of the unknown, they bought a job lot off avis, so nobody can really be sure what the history is! it could have had one careful driver, or 100 terrible ones. my main concern is that i plan to keep this car for 3 years at 20k miles a year, before handing it to wife for as long as possible putting on only 5k miles a year. if it is sh@gged by 60k miles it might become a money pit during the latter part of it's life.

[Guest 2]

Avis don't own the cars, they are on some sort of lease from the manufacturer for ~15k miles.

As I said above, you have the remainder of the 3 year warranty, a 30 day/1000 mile exchange or return policy.

If you're worried, take out the Extended warranty when it's 3 years old and have peace of mind up to 100k.




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[Doctle Odd]

Chris I seen the way you treat loaners etc sadly renters/loaners and you have little in common. Are you the motoring correspondent for the Tele or Sunday Life? :beerchug:
As per Jims comments any courtesy cars I have out always get treated with respect and always washed and hoovered before being given back.

Last summer I saw a '12 plate Golf being rallied (wheel spinning, axle tramping and rev limiter action) out of a rental depot at Glasgow Airport out my hotel window!

I think it was another Golf a few days later being loaded onto a low loader outside the very same depot, '12 plate again I think.

[kancell10]

trying to find costs for extended warranties so i can perhaps make a case for reducing car price, anybody know how much this would and what the options are?

[Guest 2]

Don't go aftermarket, just not worth it.

Plus you'll not get a quote from Audi as its still under factory warranty.


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[AGW82]

As Chris has said you won't get a quote for an extended warranty whilst the car still has that much of the original manufacturer warranty left. But for info (which you might already know) the Warranty extensions are managed by Mondial Assistance and you can get them on 0845 641 9798.

I tried them a few years ago now for an A4 2.5TDI Sport and they wanted about £900 for 1 year, they are generally about 25% more expensive than people like Warranty Direct but you do get better cover..

http://www.audiextendedwarranty.co.uk

[AGW82]

Most dealers will deliver nationwide, so if you can find a car from anywhere in the UK you should be able to get it delivered to your door :)

I know you probably don't want to buy a car unsighted, but as has been previously stated, you get 30 days or 1000 miles whichever comes first to return the car if your not happy.

Also I'm sure if you asked, the very nice people on this forum would go and look at a car for you, if you found one that was close to their local dealership.. I would certainly happily look at a car for you if you found one in the East Midlands... But that all comes down to trust I guess..

Looks like there are plenty of cars out there with a similar spec to what you're looking at:

http://www.audi.co.uk/used-cars/used-car-locator/a4/2.0-tdi-143-ps-se-avant/manchester/602976154-39276.aspx?srcmdc=se_na_re_

[Guest 2]

That's also a rental - FR12 reg.


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[AGW82]

On the MPG side, I'm afraid it probably isn't going to be the answer you want....

2009 A4 2.0 TDI S Line Multi ... LOW MPG!!! (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?100372-2009-A4-2-0-TDI-S-Line-Multi-LOW-MPG!!!)

[AGW82]

That's also a rental - FR12 reg.


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Nice... Maybe that particular spec is appealing to the rental companies....

How are you finding that info Chris? Is there something I'm missing or do you have access to other information..?

[kancell10]

I have been delving further into this and another dealership has given me further information regarding this scenario. He advised that Avis and Hertz cars are not directly owned by them and they are just the management company. The actual users are Audi UK who use them as demonstrators, staff cars and customer replacement cars, and they are not just hired out to a different joe bloggs every day. Makes me feel a bit more comfortable, what do you all think?

With regards to MPG, I mostly drive dual carriageway 60 miles a day at 65mph, and get 55-60mpg in summer regularly from A3. If i was getting 50mpg from an A3 avant auto on the same run i would be satisfied.

[sportq]

My last two Audi's were previously my Fathers company cars and his company always buys ex-demo cars (some P11D advantage I believe) from Audi dealerships all over the country, he's just bought his 3rd one. All three show Audi UK as the previous owner, not Avis, Hertz or even the dealership.

Think about it, why would Audi use 3rd party companies to lease their own brand cars to and then buy them back to risk their reputation putting them through dealerships? It's almost certainly going to affect the resale value since, as this thread shows, everyone is going to assume they've been thrashed to within an inch of their lives.

Peter

[AGW82]

I guess at the end of the day you are always taking a risk with a 2nd hand car, regardless of it is ex rental or 1 owner careful owner from new. The car has ultimately been used for a period of time, and you will never now how the car was used (and/or abused) during this time. All you can do is try and mitigate the risk by buying a car with as much warranty as possible, with the lowest mileage, with a full service history, the lowest possible number of previous owners etc etc.. Even then you might still get a dud.. But hey, even with new cars you can always get the dreaded "Friday Build Car" where everything seems to go wrong with it... I'm sure there will be plenty of horror story's on here from people who've been stung by 2nd hand cars, equally I'm sure plenty of people have had positive experiences buying 2nd hand cars as well.

Ultimately if your happy with the condition and spec of the car, the way it drives, and the price. Then go for it! you still have the 30 days/1000 miles to swap it. You will never ultimately know how the car has been treated in the past, and it wouldn't be the first time a dealership has bent the truth about a cars history to make a sale... I'm thinking... "One lady owner from new sir.." which could be true, but the husband used to rag it around for a bit of fun as well... :)

[A4BlackEdition]

Hi guys,

New to the forum, currently own an A3 which is at end of lease and looking to purchase an A4 Avant outright. I have paid a deposit on the car below, purchased for £18380, and whilst going through paperwork found out the car is an ex Avis car, link:

http://www.audi.co.uk/used-cars/used-car-locator/a4/2.0-tdi-143-ps-se-avant/glasgow/602879552-22572.aspx?srcmdc=se_na_re_

Car looks perfectly clean and tidy, drives well and I am keen to purchase but I am a little concerned (perhaps needlessly) regarding the history. I did realise something wasn't right when I noticed Avon tires are on the rims, which i don't believe are a standard brand, and the tread pattern is different from front to back. The sales controller has advised that although a non standard tire, Avon have been used, as have Hankook, and that the fronts have been changed out with as close a match as possible to the original tires on the rear. I questioned why at only 13.5k miles and he advised that the tires must have been below the audi used approved limit of 3mm when the car was taken in.

I queried an extended warranty but have been told they cannot provide this. My main concern is the auto box, but figure that the chances of a boyracer ragging about in this premium estate car with auto box may be pretty low. Just wondered what you thought regarding the above, should i tread carefully or progress on the basis that i have about 19 months manufacturer warranty and confidence in the brand?

Also, finally, what sort of real life mpg can i expect for the extra urban cycle, i can pretty regularly get my A3 (60 plate) above 55mpg sitting at 70mph and 60mpg at 60-65mph

Thanks

Kevin

Kevin, if you are happy with the car and deal would just get it and enjoy it, i have a 12 plate ex dealer demo a4 avant i bought with 10,500 miles. people say steer clear of ex demo cars, but in the 5 months ive owned it , its been awesome not one issue. The car is pretty bulletproof (ive had a brand new one in 08 and now this ex demo) they have a good warranty. Audi wouldn't sell you a shonker, is not in their interest.

If the alloys are not refurbed that should give you a bit of an idea how its been driven?

Go for it and just enjoy the car!

Simon.