May 21, 2020 at 8:06 AM
Top Five Used Audis to Buy
Used cars open up a lot of possibilities for buyers that are not there for them if they're on a budget and looking to buy brand new. Of course, buying second-hand cars introduces a degree of risk that isn't there when buying new, but choosing the right brand and model can reduce that risk considerably. It's no secret that Audi is a brand with an enviable reputation for quality and reliability, so used Audi cars are a great option for those looking for a used vehicle they will be able to rely on that also comes with a healthy helping of style and prestige.
If you're going to be going out looking for Audi used cars in Doncaster or anywhere else for that matter, it pays to do your research before visiting a used car dealer to check some out. Audi has a large, diverse and impressive range of vehicles in its current lineup to suit a wide variety of different buyers and applications, but that range expands exponentially when you start to look at used Audi cars from previous years.
There really is an Audi for just about everyone, whether it's someone looking for a small car for nipping around the town or city, someone looking for a large SUV with three rows of seats for a big family or anything in between. Here we're going to look at the top five best used Audis for a range of different buyers looking for different things from their next used Audi.
1. Affordable Fun – Audi TT
The Audi TT is a two-door sports car that's now synonymous with the Audi brand. It's been around since as long ago as 1998, which combined with a range of models that went from reasonably affordable to pretty pricy when they were brand new, now means a lot of fun can come at a very affordable price.
Its design is instantly recognizable, and it's been refined considerably over the years. The earliest models are perhaps the most polarizing with a look that wasn't a million miles away from a sporty take on a VW Beetle. The latest models are now sleeker with a much more modern front fascia that's a signature look throughout the entire Audi range these days.
There's a distinct possibility that well-cared-for early TTs will be future classics, but the big advantage the TT has over other more exotic claimants to that 'future-classic' title is that buying one and maintaining it won't cost you a fortune.
First-generation models were produced between 1998 and 2006, the second-generation was in production from 2006 until 2014, and the third-generation has therefore been with us since 2014 and is still in production. A late second-generation model is a good buy as it can be affordable to buy, but it has more in common with the look of today's TT than the first-generation models.
2. Compact Executive – Audi A4
The Audi A4 really is one of those cars you can’t go wrong with. It went into production in 1994 as the replacement for the old Audi 80, and it's been a popular choice with buyers for almost a quarter of a century now. It's certainly not going to lay claim to being the most exciting car Audi has ever produced, but it could definitely stake a claim for being the most sensible.
The midsize executive saloon segment used to be one of the most fiercely contested areas of the motor industry, but then everyone decided they wanted SUVs instead. However, that fierce competition meant excellence was the very minimum buyers expected from these cars, and the Audi A4 was always right up there with the best.
If you’re looking for a used midsize executive saloon, the three obvious choices are the A4, the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes C Class. The BMW might be the best driver's car, and the C Class might be the most prestigious, but the Audi A4 presents a superb blend of all that, but often at a more appealing price. You'll also find a used Audi A4 is a lot cheaper to run and maintain than many of its class rivals too.
Check out third-generation models onwards, especially the diesels, which are extremely reliable and affordable to buy and run.
3. Supercar – Audi R8
Even though an Audi TT RS is a seriously fast performance sports car, it's no match for an Audi R8 if you're looking for an extraordinarily good sports car. The R8 falls into the supercar class, but it's a supercar you can use every day and early models can now be had at a tempting price.
The R8 has been in production since 2006, but even one of those early ones doesn’t look anything like a 14-year-old design. Despite the supercar styling and performance, there are few mechanical problems for used buyers to concern themselves with. A few V8 models were guilty of bottom-end bearing problems, but look for a good service history and you won’t go too far wrong.
One area to pay close attention to though is the bodywork. Cars that perform like these are often no strangers to accidents, and a badly repaired R8 can be extremely costly to put right. Make sure you or someone who knows about these things takes a good look over an R8 you're interested in buying, but if you find a good one you can have a genuine supercar starting from less than £30,000.
4. Family All-Rounder – Audi Q5
When the superb Audi Q7 was going head-to-head with the Range Rover Sport in 2005 to see which could be sold on the used car market for the largest sum over the new list price to impatient buyers, Audi has the smaller, more affordable Q5 in the pipeline that would turn out to be a more important model for the brand and the industry as a whole.
The Q5 is perhaps the sweet-spot in the crossover SUV market because it's got all the space, capability and flexibility a family needs, but it doesn't have a price tag that puts it out of reach for those who don’t have a Premier League footballer's salary to fall back on.
We've had the Q5 now since 2008, and even the earliest ones are a great buy for a family shopping on a budget. You can pick up something like a 2009 Audi A5 with reasonable mileage from as little as £8,000 that won’t look at all dated as the second-generation didn't come along until as recently as the 2018 model year.
5. Most Car for the Money – Audi A8
If you want the absolute most car you can get for your money, it's hard to look beyond a used Audi A8. Considering how few of these Audi actually sells brand new around the world, it's perhaps a little surprising it's managed to stay in production since it was launched way back in 1994.
The A8 is a full-size luxury saloon car; the sort of thing you'll see UN ambassadors being ferried around in by sharply-dress chauffeurs. A new one will cost you at least £72,000, but it's not difficult to spend six figures on one. The good news about the A8 is for used car buyers who can take advantage of this car's Achilles heel, its eye-watering depreciation.
Even a current A8 that's no more than a few weeks old with virtually no miles on the clock can represent an absolute bargain. An A8 S-Line 50 TDI Quattro fitting that bill will have a brand new price touching £80,000, but you won’t have a problem saving £20,000 on that by going for a pre-registered or ex-demo model.
However, the real value is there to be had with older models, but we're not talking about out-of-date old smokers here. It's not difficult to pick up a 2015 or newer Audi A8 for well under £20,000, and even a one-year-old model can cost half what it did only a year earlier when it was brand new.
These cars are the height of quality, style, prestige and sophistication, with every feature you can possibly imagine and a presence that's impossible to match at this kind of price. In fact, you can save so much money buying a used Audi A8 that you might even have enough left over to hire a chauffeur to complete the look.
Honourable Mentions
Of course, there are lots of other Audi models that are great used buys. For example, the A5 is a sportier, more stylish take on the superbly versatile A4. Unfortunately, prices tend to be considerably higher than for the A4, which is why the A4 made it onto our list.
Another model that's certainly worth a mention is the popular Audi A3, which is a compact hatchback with early models that can be picked up very cheaply and make a solid, reliable second-hand buy.
