Which premium used car - Audi A6 vs BMW 330Li: Coming from a Superb

What are your views on second hand luxury cars like the BMW 330Li or Audi A6 compared to the Skoda Superb in terms of service.

BHPian jinu_joseph recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi folks,

I need some guidance on buying used premium cars. I am looking for an understated premium car like Skoda Superb L&K. I prefer cars that don't draw attention and at the same time has the premium level of comfort and power. Skoda superb fit that bill perfectly. I had a used Skoda superb some years back. Had bought a 3-year-old Skoda superb and used it for about 5 years before letting it go. It is till date the most comfortable car if have ever been in. But Service maintenance was expensive and very painful. Service cost me about 1 lakh per year on an average because I never did find a reliable Garage for the Skoda superb and was heavily dependent on Skoda authorized service center. Additionally of the 5 years I drove the car almost a total of 90 days the car was in the workshop for some sort of repairs. I swore I would never buy a Skoda again.

Now I want a comfortable spacious sedan again from the second hand market. But I don't want to go through the Skoda service experience again. Some of my colleagues suggested that if I am looking for second hand then I might as well look at the BMW 330 Li and Audi A6 Technology Edition. Slightly premium but better in service and quality. Now this is where I get confused. Any generic video I see on used BMW/Audi, the standard warning is maintenance is going to be unbelievably high, parts shortage etc. which is the Skoda service experience all over again. Frankly I have never driven a vehicle in this segment, Skoda superb is the most premium car I have driven. BMW/Audi is a completely new segment for me.

So my first question is what your views are on second hand luxury cars like the BMW 330Li or Audi A6 compared to the Skoda Superb in terms of service (here I am talking of cars no older than 3-4 years).

I have received a lot of advice on this like take a good mechanic along, get it checked at the authorized service centers etc. Now this where my problem lies

1. I don't know any good mechanic whom I can trust and who could verify the car for me
2. I thought I knew a reliable Second hand car dealer-family friend (the guy I bought the Skoda Superb from previously), but that turned to be disaster, quite a few defects were hidden at the time of purchase. Further this is a premium used card dealers like him don’t stock BMW/Audi
3. I know there are companies that offer inspection services, but I am not sure how reliable they are with respect to Premium segment vehicles
4. I have seen some YouTube videos where they claim that authorized service centers are also hand in glove with the second hand car dealers and they will not highlight the major problems when it comes for a checkup.

As if all this wasn't confusing enough someone else recommended buying the used premium cars from Delhi (especially diesel cars) and transfer it to Mumbai as they will be cheaper (even after road tax paid for Mumbai) and you will get much better variety/options/choices there.

So at the end of the day I am a very confused person and don't think I will be able to buy a used premium sedan. The advice I need on are:

1. What are your views on second hand luxury cars like the BMW 330Li or Audi A6 compared to the Skoda Superb in terms of service (here I am talking of cars no older than 3-4 years).
2. Are there any services who can be trusted to do inspection and certification of used Premium sedans
3. And the most common question are they any reliable premium used car dealers?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Here's what BHPian Ashwintona675 had to say about this matter:

Hi, I bought a used Audi A3 couple year ago from Audi approved plus. So couple of tips:

1. Try to shop from BMW approved themselves, the customer service is really good and it is worth the premium. Mostly they stock cars they got as exchange for their new cars. I bought my A3 from Audi approved and customer service was stellar, they got my RC transferred and home delivered to me in 21 days. Took care of all loan formalities for me at a really competitive interest rate.
2. You need the service history of the car. If you were able to follow Point 1, then this is solved as all the BMW approved cars have service history.
3. Try to get the previous owner details, no harm in giving him a call. Maybe he wont reveal the price he gave it to the dealer, but he might give you some valuable info on its history. The hack I found to get said details is to get the insurance copy of the vehicle. It has owner info including mobile number.
4. You need a competent FNG for a preowned german, no two ways about it. Only reason you would go to the ASS is if you bought one which is only 2-3 years old, in which case you will have warranty left (maybe even service package). You are in Mumbai, there are numerous FNGs as we can see from other threads of senior members. You should check it out.
5. Between 330Li and A6. I personally prefer the Bimmer although it is a segment lower. But go for the A6 only if you find a good FNG or if not you get a 2-3 year old car with warranty remaining. Otherwise the maintenance costs especially for the air suspension will burn a hole in your pocket.

Finally, one life man, go for it. Bimmer or Audi, it will put a smile on your face when you floor the pedal.

Meanwhile, here is BHPian Shreyans_Jain's reply:

1L per year on maintaining a car like a pre owned Superb is fairly reasonable, we have Jeep Compass owners here who pay more. Although, from a sheer reliability point of view, I’ll be inclined towards the 330Li over a Skoda/Audi. The simplest way to buy a pre loved BMW is through their own pre owned program, where you can be assured of the vehicle’s condition, service history and also get warranty.

That said, if maintenance costs and peaceful ownership are your primary criteria, you should be looking for Toyota Camrys instead.

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say:

Between these three brands, personally I’d trust BMW the most for extended long term ownership experience. Between these three specific options, the 330 Li will also likely be the most rewarding to drive, while still remaining respectably comfortable at the back thanks to its LWB format.

On sources of purchase a few points:

1. There is no guarantee on where you might find a good deal. Keep an open mind for every source and use a trusted premium service advisor to do a double check. Many premium brands also offer a paid checkup for a car as a service. Use this facility if you are nearly finalised on a vehicle.
2. Be willing to walk away if something doesn’t feel right. Getting a good car can take time - be willing to invest the required time in the process. Don’t get over-invested in a particular car to a point where you are going against your gut feel on any specific aspect.
3. Don’t try to find the bottom of the pit for price. If everything else adds up and the car is a good one to seal the deal, be open to paying a slight premium for it too. It’s no point trying to buy the cheapest option and compromising on the product itself - it can end up being penny wise pound foolish.
4. Be prepared for the odd surprise and keep a budget for this. You’re going in for a used car, there could always be something that genuinely comes unexpectedly which even the original seller did not anticipate.
5. Try to check if you can extend the warranty on the car with the OEM to the max tenure possible and budget this in your purchase cost. It is particularly worthwhile given you can’t audit every aspect of the service history. Heck, even for my new Mercedes, I opted for max OEM warranty for 6 years as an add on.

Good luck with the search.

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