[s-cars] time to sell the 91 200 avant, probably

[Dan Simoes]

This is a decision I've been struggling with.

I enjoy tinkering with my Audi(s) but with two small kids and a crappy
economy, my time is best spent with my family, working on my home or
trying to develop my IT technical skills in case I lose my job.
A car that is over 12 years old, like the 200, is simply not reliable
enough as a daily driver, unless you also have a 3rd car and/or a
mechanic who lives nearby.  I have neither.

This past weekend, with the assistance (yet not encouragement!) of a few
listers, I flew/drove to New Hampshire and picked up a 2002 Suzuki XL-7
for my wife.  Why on earth would you buy that, you wonder?
It has a third row for occasional passengers, which comes in handy when
you have kids.  It's bulletproof reliable and Suzuki just added a fully
transferrable $0 deductable 7/100 powertrain warranty.  It got good
crash test ratings.  And I got it for a really good price.
Most important, it's the only new vehicle sold in the US with a 3rd row
and a 5 speed manual transmission :)

So, enter the Suzuki.  Now, what to sell?  Well, as I've explained I
don't have time to work on the 200.  I've even thought of proactively
replacing things that are likely to fail, but that adds up quickly.
My other car is a 99.5 Jetta TDI which of course gets great MPG, and I
have a 70 mile/day commute.  The practical thing to do is sell the Audi.
I could keep it as a third car but I still wouldn't have time to fix it,
and frankly if I'm going to have an Audi as a 3rd vehicle, I'd rather
have an urq.

It's kind of sad that I have "outgrown" so to speak the older Audis, yet
I can't afford the new ones.  An A4 Avant Quattro TDI would fit my needs
perfectly, but you can't get one.  Audi's US lineup interests me less
and less these days.

So, I'll drive the TDI through the winter and see what happens.  I may
come across a deal on a neu-S4, otherwise my next vehicle will be an 04
WRX or WRX STI, which are due in the Spring.

Anyway... just musing.  Anyone interested in the 200 drop me a line.

It's a well sorted silver/grey 91 200q20v with 104k miles for those that
don't know the car, located in NY.

| Dan |