Should i buy an ex demonstrator with 3 former keepers?

[abomb]

I'm considering a private purchase of a 2010 A3 2.0 TDI 140 Start Stop and everything was looking good until the HPI check came back with three former keepers!

This would make me the 5th owner since first registration in March 2010 so i asked the seller what the story is. He bought the car through his uncle at an Audi dealership 12 months ago. Prior to that the car started out as an Audi UK demonstrator, then transferred to an Audi dealership as a demonstrator, then it was purchased from this dealership by a customer as a stop gap while their new car was on order.

The car has covered 50k miles in 32 months (still 4 months warranty) and i plan to keep it for about 5 years and another 80k miles.

I'm interested to hear peoples thoughts and opinions, in particular it's life as a demonstrator and affect on resale value with so many owners. Is this a sensible purchase at the right price? And what would be a good price?

Cheers

[Guest 2]

personally i wouldnt touch a demonstator with a bargepole - new car getting death by test pilots especially if its been a courtesy car

most people dont give a stuff towards courtesy/demos and generally go flat out when the engine is cold and give it general death (red line etc)

any car ive had out on loan has been treated like my own but if you search you will see some previous courtesy cars i have had and the dents and dings at 2k miles are horrendous.

i had a a4 3.0 tdi quattro out a couple of years ago (10 plate) with 10k miles and it had chunks out of the tyres, dents and large scuffs everywhere and a fag burn in the seat. the car was only a few months old at the time.

if the price is right and the car is in good condition with a full audi history go for it but consider purchasing an audi extended warranty for piece of mind.

saying the above is just my point of view but saying that, the car could be in tiptop shape and could go on for 100-200k with no problems at all.

what does the reg start with out of interest?

[abomb]

Thanks for the quick response Chris.

Your concerns echo mine and i can imagine some of the test drives but it's the dealer staff i worry about! I used to regularly visit an office opposite a Holden dealer (GM in Australia) and i couldn't count number of times i saw a salesman or service mechanic turn out of the driveway and drop their foot more or less to the floor!

Good point about the possibility it was a courtesy car but i don't expect there's any way to check that.

It's an FY10 reg, and i think i know why you ask. Apparently this is prefix for all vehicles first registered to Audi UK and maybe any financed by them too.

[Guest 2]

Be wary of the F reg as rental companies use this (enterprise etc) as I previously saw on one of my holidays as an A4 estate begining F and an Enterprise tax disc holder slapped on the windscreen.

Audi UK press/courtesy cars all start with the O prefix, for Oxford, management cars start K and these are the only two prefixes I know of that Audi use.

have a looksy here - Buying ex-demo or cars owned by the dealer

I still wonder why the car was registered to "audi" then to a dealer, maybe this was to hide the previous owner ie, a rental company? Just guessing.

[Doctle Odd]

I'd let it be someone else's trouble