When it's time to buy a new car, it's understandable — and wise, for that matter — to consider buying used. When you go for a second-hand car, there are both rewards and possible risks. Of course, you'll be saving a good bit of money by purchasing a pre-owned car. However, at the same time, you never truly know how the previous owner(s) treated the car, whether it was regularly maintained, or even if OEM or cheap, knock-off parts were used for repairs. Buying new means a lot of these variables are taken out of the equation, but you'll be paying quite a lot more.In short, used cars can be a gamble, but some boast excellent value for money. Take Audi's 2019 A8 L, for example. It's the flagship sedan in the German automaker's lineup, and it boasts a slew of luxury-oriented features that you simply can't get in budget-minded, mass-market cars, such as the 2026 Nissan Altima. So, just how much more car can you get for a similar amount of money if you went for the big Audi bruiser over the brand-new Nissan? Here's How Much You'll Pay Audi In 2019, the Audi A8's fourth generation, also called the "D5", debuted. In the States, the model was sold solely as a long wheelbase model, and it went on sale at a base price of $83,800 before any destination fees or taxes were factored in. On the contrary, the 2026 Nissan Altima currently sports a base price of just $28,980 for the SV Special Edition, front-wheel drive trim. When it comes to both their origins, the Audi A8 is like a fine-dining restaurant, whereas the '26 Altima is more like a family diner.However, these days, the A8's average used market price has fallen down to diner levels. As of this writing, the 2019 model's current average used price sits right around $28,849, just $131 less than the brand-new Nissan. As many of you know, depreciation hits luxury models, especially flagship sedans, rather hard. In just seven years, the 2019 A8 lost about 66% of its value. When you factor inflation into its original $83,800 sticker in 2019, which adds up to roughly $107,113, the actual amount of value lost sits, more or less, right at 73 percent.Audi The 2019 Audi A8 was never destined to compete with the Nissan Altima, as both models sit in widely different sections of the four-door sedan segment. In reality, it was meant to battle it out with models like the 2019 BMW 7 Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and Lexus LS. In the table below, we'll take a look at how all three models' current used pricing compares to the Audis. We'll also look at their original MSRPs, along with how much real value they've lost over the last seven years: Here's What The Audi Offers AudiNaturally, the 2019 Audi A8 L, despite being seven years older, offers quite a lot more than a brand-new, mid-level Nissan Altima. As standard, the seating surfaces, console, and dashboard were all trimmed in premium Valetta and Nappa leather, with an option to upgrade to diamond-stitched Valcona leather for the seats. Both the driver and passenger were treated to 18-way power seats that also boasted heating. Optionally, buyers could upgrade to 22-way power front seats, along with ventilation and heating for both rows. Two additional packages were available for the rear row, one of which adds reclining and massage functions.Audi A higher-spec'd "Executive Rear Seat Package", added a heated foot rest that also provided a massage function for the rear-passenger side, controlled by an OLED-screened touch control panel mounted between both rear passengers. You could even opt for heated door armrests, and heated console surfaces.Audi Sitting center stage on the 2019 A8's dashboard is a dual-screen infotainment system. The upper panel is a 10.1-inch touchscreen, which controls everything from the radio, navigation — which came standard, too — and other personal preferences. The lower, 8.6-inch screen controls things like HVAC settings. It can also be used as an extension for the upper screen, and can house up to 32 separate icons. The gauge cluster is digital, utilizing a 12.3-inch screen that boasts a 60-frames-per-second refresh rate, along with a quad-core processor.Audi You can bet the audio system is good, too, with 17 speakers and 730 watts at its disposal. You can upgrade to a 23-speaker system with a whopping 1,920 watts of power at its disposal, if you so please. Now, while the Altima is hardly what you'd call sparse - it is at least available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, and wireless charging - it doesn't come close to entering the world of comfort in which the Audi here exists. What's Under The Hood AudiWhile the 2019 Audi A8 L did offer a 4.0-liter V8, the model we're discussing today came standard with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6. Its two twin-scroll turbochargers are buried deep within the mill's bowels, meaning the engine is considered a "Hot Vee." It's also hooked up to a 48-volt mild hybrid system to help it achieve slightly better fuel economy, along with just a little bit more power. It's no rocketship, but 335 horsepower is more than enough for a luxury sedan geared toward comfort, and a world away from the Altima's 188-horse inline-four, too.Handling the engine's power is an eight-speed automatic transmission. As standard, all 2019 A8 Ls are fitted with Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system. A standard air-ride system handles the car's suspension needs, with the ability to upgrade to an adaptive, predictive air ride setup. Adaptive all-wheel steering is also on the A8 L's offering list. Its body shell is composed of carbon fiber, aluminum, steel, and magnesium. Unfortunately, There Is A Downside AudiPositives to one side now, as one of the major issues with buying used, foreign luxury is repairs, and the Audi A8 is no exception to the depressing rule. The model is chock-full of electronic gizmos, trinkets, and oddities that you normally don't find in other cars, and when those things break, it can get extremely expensive. Not to mention, its powertrain can also rack up the mechanic's bill by quite a lot, and that quattro all-wheel drive system isn't cheap to fix, either.According to RepairPal, the 2019 Audi A8 does not carry a current reliability rating. But, if we take a look at the 2015 model, things look grim. It ranks 28th out of 30 possible luxury full-size cars in terms of reliability, with an average annual repair cost of approximately $1,298. While it's a bit older, we can hypothesize that the '19 model probably wouldn't be all too different. CarEdge reports that annual insurance costs will sit around $4,700 too, which is almost $1,600 more than the luxury sedan segment average, let alone the humble Nissan/Audi Now, as for the Nissan Altima we've spent all this time poking fun at, things get a bit more reliable. It ranks 11th out of 24 mid-sized cars, and sports an average annual repair cost of roughly $483 per year, drastically less than our big German. It's also below average for repair frequency, and exactly average for its severe repair probability. If you needed something to rain on your parade and prevent you from buying a used Audi A8, let this be your sign.However, if you've got some maverick spirit buried deep inside, and you want to take the plunge, the 2019 Audi A8 certainly offers a ton of luxury, power, and prestige that simply can't be gained from the hum-drum Altima.
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