A used Audi A6 looks inexpensive for a simple reason. Big saloons drop in price faster than small hatchbacks because fewer buyers want one, not because anything is wrong with the car. That gap is your chance, provided the history is complete. So is a second hand Audi a good buy in Ireland? On those terms it is, and this post sets out the terms for the A6, the Q7 and the A3.
Why does a used A6 cost so little?
Three reasons, and none of them is a fault.
Fewer buyers want a big saloon. Families have moved to SUVs and crossovers, so the second and third owners of an A6 are a smaller crowd. Less demand, softer price.
Running costs frighten people. Bigger tyres, bigger brakes and a bigger engine mean bigger bills, and a buyer looking at a used premium car often does the sums and steps back.
Age brings the motor tax question. Depending on the car's age, tax is set by the emissions band or by the engine size, and the figure for any reg is on Motor Tax Online. Older big-engined cars can carry a bigger tax bill, and that keeps the price down.
None of that means the car is bad. It means you are paying a hatchback price for a saloon that was built to a much higher standard. You trade running costs for comfort, and for the right driver it is a good trade.
Which Audi suits a Munster driver?
The A6
Built for the long run. If you are on the road to Cork or Waterford most weeks, the A6 does that with less noise and less tiredness than anything smaller. Check the boot suits you, and check the tyres, because a heavy saloon eats front tyres if the alignment is out.
The Q7
Seven seats and a high driving position. Space for a family and the dog, clearance for a farm entrance, and the presence people buy an Audi for. It is also the dearest of the three to run, so go in with the tyre and brake bills already in your head.
The A3
Sensible, and still an Audi. A premium hatchback that parks in Clonakilty on a Saturday and still feels special on the open road. Running costs sit closer to an ordinary hatchback, which is why the A3 Sportback often sits nearer everyday money than the premium end.
What should you look for on any used Audi?
Start with paper, then move to metal.
Ask for the full service record before you travel: dates and readings running in order, oil changes at sensible intervals and, on an automatic, evidence the gearbox was serviced. Ask for invoices on the big jobs. A folder of receipts is worth more than any sales pitch.
Run a history check on the reg. Cartell shows outstanding finance, a previous write-off and whether the mileage runs straight. SIMI's consumer FAQs cover what to expect from a dealer sale and what your rights are, in general terms.
Then the car. Panel gaps even. Paint matching across every panel. All four tyres the same brand, worn evenly across each axle. Cold start with the seller standing beside you, so nobody warmed it first. Every warning light on with the ignition and off once it runs. Then a drive on a rough road, listening for knocks, feeling for a pull under braking and trying every button from the seat heaters to the screen. MotorCheck's checklist covers the same ground for any make.
What will an Audi cost you to run?
Depends on which of the three. An A3 runs close to an ordinary hatchback. An A6 costs more in tyres and brakes, and drinks more fuel. A Q7 costs the most of all, and on all three the insurance quote depends on you as much as the car, so get it on the exact reg before you agree anything.
Main dealer servicing is dearer than it is on a Polo. A good independent specialist who knows the make narrows that gap. Whichever way you go, budget the running costs before you agree the purchase price, because the purchase is the smaller of the two numbers over five years.
Is an older Audi an affordable way into a premium car?
It can be. The older A6 is the classic case: a lot of car for the money, comfortable, well built, and inexpensive to buy for the reasons above. The trap is buying on price and ignoring the running costs, or buying without a history because the price was too good.
If the record is full and the check is clean, an older Audi with few owners is one of the better buys on the Irish used market. If either is missing, the low price is the reason for the low price.
The kind of car at RS Motors in Clonakilty covers the range: the A6 S line, the Q7 S line and the A3 Sportback, among the rest of the premium used cars.
Questions buyers ask
Is a second hand Audi worth buying?
It is worth buying when the service record is complete, the history check is clean and the running costs are in your budget. Under those conditions a used Audi gives you a better built car than you could afford new. Without them, the badge only makes the repairs dearer.
Which Audi to stay away from?
The one with no history, whatever the model or the year. An Audi that cannot show a full service record, two keys and a clean history check is the one to leave. The checks above, cold start and rough road included, are what expose it before you have paid.
What is the best year for a used Audi?
There is no single best year. A newer plate means newer parts and fewer owners on average, and that is all it tells you. An older car with a full record is a better buy than a newer one with gaps. Judge the paperwork and the car, not the plate.
Why does the Audi A6 cost so little?
Because fewer buyers want a big saloon, and because its running costs and tax put some people off. Neither reason is a fault in the car. For a driver who does long runs and has budgeted for the upkeep, that softer price is the whole appeal.
Which is the best used Audi to buy?
Whichever suits your life and has the fullest history. For long runs, the A6. For a family on rural roads, the Q7. For town driving and a first premium car, the A3. Pick the shape, then buy the best-kept one you can find.
Want an Audi found and checked?
Ring or WhatsApp RS Motors on 086 800 0001, Monday to Saturday 9am to 8pm, closed Sunday. Say which of the three you want and the budget, and if it is not in stock, car sourcing goes looking. Every car is checked before it goes on sale.
