Anybody has or had 2004-06 Audi A8?
 

I have the 02 LS430 with nav and ML. Lately I've been wanting to replace it with a 2004 LS430 UL, since it looks much better, has a backup camera, distronic and all that...

But then I saw a dark blue 2004+ Audi A8L with on the expressway. It had 19 inch wheels (factory) on it, and the interior is saddle color. I thought it looked very good.. and I've never had the experience of owning an Audi.. So I thought, it maybe a good choice since we get snow here in New York.. the quattro system can help.. and the transmission has a tiptronic style gate.. fun!

A 2004 Audi A8L costs pretty much the same as a 2004 LS430.. (well, depending on options and conditions)

Obviously, nothing on the current market will beat the reliability of Lexus..
What do you guys think are the pros and cons of opting for a 2004 Audi A8L instead of getting the 2004 LS430 UL? Anybody had one before?

Brother has an '06 A8. He loves the car but the dealer network is schyttie. His blue tooth phone has never worked right despite 3 different models of phone (as per dealer advice) and multiple trips to the dealer for different electronics repair. His comment is that his $1200 per month lease A8 is being serviced by a dealer network only equipped to handle $275 per month VW Jetta drivers. He is NOT amused. At this point he gave up on the phone and is counting the payments until he can roll away from Audi. Mercedes dealers are better, but the cars require constant repairs. I guess that's why Lexus went from zero to the top luxury marquee in 18 years.

It is a more expensive car than the 430 and has AWD so if you need a luxury AWD I would look at a "certified" one but their warranty does not cover radio/NAV and there is a $50 deductible per repair. Audi knows they are less reliable than Lexus!

All of that might be true, but it has nothing to do with my point that a big negative of Audi is a dealer network and corporate culture that is not equipped to service the high end luxury car owner.

i almost bought a 2004 A8L CPO but after doing some extensive research, and speaking with my indy mechanic who is an audi fan, it turned out the 2004s were ridden with problems, and if you wanted a decent piece, you would have to look for 2005.5+. I ended up getting the LS430 (got it yesterday!).

If you take a look at the numbers, you'll see that while the A8L costs more brand new than the LS430, yet in the used market, they cost about the same? Why does the A8 depreciate like a rock? I think its partially due to its reliability and the dealer network.

The A8 is a beautiful car, but i strongly suggest you get a 2005.5+... check out audiworld.com

Audi, Mercedes and BMW will last 200,000 to 300,000 miles. As will Lexus. The difference is that once out of warranty the German cars will cost you two arms and two legs to get there. The Lexus won't be a free ride, but in general the long term reliability/durability comes at a MUCH lower cost. Hence the huge depreciation as the Germans hit "out of warranty" time.