How To Sell Your Audi S4 Online
The Audi S4 is a deeply enjoyable car. Audi’s version of the M3, has a lot of power, thanks to its range of V6 and V8 engines. However, what happens if you own one, and you’ve had a lot of good times with it, but you want something new? In this article, I’m going to talk you through the best practices of selling your used S4. I’ll show you where to sell it to get a fair price, and how to best present it, to make sure your buyer won’t just kick the tires and walk away.
What To Do Before Selling Your S4
The Audi S4 tends to be an extremely reliable machine, and yours probably upholds that tradition, but put yourself in your buyer’s shoes. You’re going to want some kind of proof that this car is fully functional, aren’t you? Something that you can hang your hat on, so to speak. Therefore, before you attempt to sell your S4, take it to an authorized Audi mechanic and have them take a look at it. Likely, there’ll be nothing beyond the usual wear and tear, but if there’s a more serious reliable fault, it’s time for you to employ some mental maths.
Work out how much the problem will cost to repair, versus how much it’s going to degrade the value. If it’s something small, such as a worn out timing belt, which is a common issue on B5 S4s, it won’t take much away from the car’s value. If, however, there’s a more serious engine issue, such as a problem with the timing chain on later S4s, be prepared to lose a ton of value. This repair on its own will cost around 8K, thanks to the chain’s position in the engine. If your car is in otherwise pristine condition, and is low mileage, it’s worth repairing, otherwise you may just have to bite the bullet and sell it with a known issue. Trying to disguise it is a bad idea all around, so don’t do it. It’ll be easy to spot, and will stop any sale dead in its tracks. Whatever the case though, get a thorough diagnosis, and be honest with your buyer about any issues that remain afterwards.
Where To Sell Your Audi S4
There’s a wide range of roads you can go down when you’re looking at selling your used car. You should always list the car on a listings site with a large audience, such as this very site. Once you’ve done that, you should also consider other avenues. For example, consider joining an enthusiast’s forum, such as audiforums.com, or audiworld.com, as both of these sites have classifieds sections where you can advertise. Taking a multi-pronged approach to selling your car is important for a number of reasons.
While advertising it to the general public is key, listing it on an enthusiast site has a few other benefits. For example, if your S4 has a rare spec, an enthusiast is far more likely to be willing to pay the increased price that brings. They’re also likely to be more accepting of any common faults in the model, as they’ll know what to expect. I’d also recommend listing the car in a regional newspaper or magazine, but be forewarned that this may bring more time-wasters if they only have to travel a short distance.
When creating your advertisement, be sure to include some good photos. Don’t just take a handful on your cell phone and stick them up there. Try to capture the car in good light, outside. The best time to get photos is just before sunset, known as the golden hour, which brings out warmer colors. Ever wonder why a lot of car adverts feature either dawn or sunset? Now you know.
Getting Your Audi S4 Looking Its Best
Selling your car is the automotive equivalent of walking your daughter down the aisle, and you want the car to look tip-top. A clean car that looks well looked after can influence many a customer to buy; aesthetics aren’t just superficial. So get cleaning! Take the S4 to a car wash and have it cleaned and waxed, then take it home and keep it out of the rain and away from trees. Then it’s time for the interior. This is the worst part, in my experience. Get a vacuum cleaner and give it a thorough cleaning, pushing the front seats back to expose any dirt further back. Clean between the seats, down the sides, and give the trunk a going over. Depending on how it looks now, if you’d like to, you could shampoo the seats and carpet. This is a long, involved process, and if you want to get it valeted, I’m not going to judge you.
Once you’ve done all this, your car is ready to sell. Try to take an active role in selling it too: if you’re not getting any bites, consider lowering the price, or rewriting the advert. Given time, you should get an excellent price for your Audi S4 for sale, so stick with it!
