Purchase advice the 999th A8 / S8

Hello Q community,

after long abstinence I want to buy an A8 od S8 as a winter car. It's been many, many years since we had a quattro in the family.

The reason for this was the permanent gearboxes and repair problems. Consciously I don't want to push it on Audi alone or the gearboxes alone, fair should remain fair.

But, now the famous "but", we had 2 V8, the small and the big, the gearbox boiled over again and again, all nearby Audi workshops wanted to change the gearbox completely, etc.

Then we bought the A8 as 4.2L as an annual car and in this case it tore up the gearbox after only 40TKM.

Then we bought the S8, unfortunately also as an automatic instead of a switch and there happened the impudence that never moved us to drive Audi again. After a few weeks, the spotlights ran full of water, then the navigation was spinning and then after only 20TKM actually started spinning the gearbox and Audi really didn't even want to grant bulwark, although the S8 was more in the workshop than with us.

After that we drove long and satisfied the W220 and to this day XJR. Now the XJR is too bad for me for the winter and because of my family I have to drive many highway kilometers this winter, so when looking for a reasonable four-wheeler the nice A8 came back. Our last all-wheel drive was a 330 BMW and this is a shame for an all-wheeler.

I now torture this forum from contribution to contribution and study what has happened on the A8. I keep reading the gears stories, steering stories, servo problems.

I've got three D2 in my eye. If I may, I list their data here once and if possible it would be nice to get opinion.

My key data for the search are:

A8 4.2 or the S8

I don't need LPG or anything like that.

Year of manufacture from model change

Equipment is actually secondary, besides that things like the climate heating should not stink, the seat heating should work and a navigational system would of course also be chic. Rims are not so important to me either, should be 17/18 customs.

I spend up to 12,500, plus minus.

It would be important to me that the car in the current current state is technically flawless, without repair jam and really cared for. Dark paint, no leather in silver/grey. In black or beige would be okay.

On the market are so many, with pseudo-check booklet and a lot of ridden offers. If you ask for the transmission maintenance is either harsh or only wavering reacts. Only a few give a detailed answer.

Now to those I have in mind, possibly. You also have solid offers in your sights.

1) S8, unfortunately BJ in early 1998, but change of converter/gear overhaul 2006, slightly over 135,000KM. Brakes new. ca €10,000

2) A8 4.2 BJ mid 99.150.000KM, no data on the transmission, 19 customs duties, lower etc. € 13.000

3) S8, unfortunately BJ early 1997, hand switch, 150,000KM, timing belt, swapped wapu, brakes new ca 10,000€

Was meint Ihr?

Thanks for your tips!

Yvonne