Subject: An Expert Opinion...or two

[ricematthews]

Jacques:

I just bought a '98 A4 Avant Quattro (30V 2.8) on Saturday.  It's a 5 speed
with the Sport Package.  What a nice car - lots of power, great handling,
nice looks.
As a comparison, when we recently went car shopping for my wife, we looked
at a 2001 A4 Quattro Sedan with the 1.8T, Tiptronic and No Sport Package.
(We ended up with a Volvo S40.)

Here are some observations:

1.8T vs. 30V 2.8:
The 2001 1.8T is a decent powerplant.  At 170 hp, it improves on the 150
which was offered from 1997 to 2000.  (On a side note, I'd like to know what
they did differently to get that extra 20 hp and what VW does differently to
get it up to 180 hp.)  It has a decent amount of pull, even with the Tip,
but I would definitely have to improve on things  :-)  and  I was actually
looking for a used 1.8T so I could do the upgrades (plus they can usually be
found cheaper).
The 2.8 on the other hand doesn't beg to be upgraded.  I feel like it drives
more like a turbo than the turbo does.  The 1.8T has such a flat torque
curve that you get maximum torque at about 1700 rpm.  With the 30 valve
head, however, it takes the 2.8 a little bit to build up it's steam and at
about 3000 rpm, it really comes on strong.
The 2.8's are usually more expensive, but they are usually better appointed
with options.

Sport vs. Non-Sport:
The non-sport suspension is compliant, and provides acceptable handling.
The sport suspension handles great but there is definitely a sacrifice in
ride quality over the bumpy Pennsylvania roads near where I live.

Tiptronic vs. Manual:
The tiptronic is a nice automatic gearbox.  I have driven a couple of Tip's
now and the manual feature just doesn't do it for me - even with the
steering wheel button controls.  I suppose that I might use it to give me
better control in snow and ice, but that's about it.  The 5 speed is really
a pleasure.  The clutch has a nice feel and the gearbox is smooth, without
giving the lack of conviction that you get in a lot of Japanese cars.

Sedan vs. Avant (flame retardant suit on):
The sedan has very nice lines and although it's a small car, they do a lot
to make the space useable, but I personally like the looks of the Avant
better.
You also don't see too many A4 Avants out there so if you like to be a
little different, that's something to consider but that also makes them
harder to find on the used market.
The Avant has more space.
The Avant is heavier so it is slightly slower from 0-60.
The Avant handles better (sorry guys).  This was told to me by the dealer
who showed us the 2001 we test drove.  I can't provide hands on data to
substantiate this, as my Avant has 2.8 and Sport susp. and the Sedan I drove
was 1.8T/non-sport, but I could see that a more rearward weight bias would
provide more neutral handling.

12V 2.8 vs. 30V 2.8:
I also drove a couple of '98 A6 Avants.  These cars had the 12V 2.8 which I
assume is the same as was found in the 96 & 97 A4's.  The A6 was a nice car,
but it just had no power.  I can believe that the Auto trans in the A6 had a
lot to do with that, and I don't know the weight difference between the A4
and A6, but it's something to consider.

The outcome - I'm happy with what I ended up with.  The decision for you
depends on what you are looking for in a car.
Enjoy your search!

-Mark


>The wife said this last night!!!
>"Once we pay off the minivan maybe you should get that
>A4q".
>Holy S*#t!
>Now my question is which should I buy? I plan to buy a
>used one no more than 5 years old and under 60k. I
l>ike the 1.8L turbo for it's tuneablity but.... I also
>want something that's reliable.  The 2.8L is a simple
>engine.  One would think it will last much longer and
>be hassle free but there are very few mods out there
>for it.  I've also heard the 1.8 is a better handling
>car since the engine weights less.  I plan to drive
>the car daily and that would put 500 miles a week on
>which ever car I get.  200hp max would be fine also
>just to pull the car beyond that almost purfect range.
> Feel free to send your opinions.