[s-cars] The Audi as a Fiat

[LL - NY]

I resemble that remark!

On 7/18/06, Theodore Chen <tedebearp at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> too bad we never got the RS6 avant here.  we don't have many choices for
> a fast wagon with AWD and a healthy dose of refinement (which eliminates
> subarus and saabarus).
>
> -teddy
>
> --- Mike Fitton <rfitton at vt.edu> wrote:
>
>
In shear reality, I wouldn't have the Saabaru (and hence wouldn't be
commited to NE Divisionals this weekend) if I had found an UrS Avant instead
of my Sedan. But I wouldn't be without the UrS. It's sort of like the Swiss
Army knife of Automobiledom. Not the absolute best at anything, but its:

Visceral enough to be what Steve described as "true" Euro (or at least what
I grew up learning as Euro)
Plenty fast, with the tunability to become more so.
Wonderfully refined, without being over the top complicated
Plenty luxurious
Roomy, heck, practical in that sense. With reasonable (for the performance)
fuel economy.
AWD, WITH a standard gearbox (gawd, the 'Murican's laziness has infected
Europe. Yuck)
Attractive (no gaping maws!)
Unique, 10 years on and many of my students still admire the car. And they
mostly come from $$$

As for the "Euro" feel, one reason I stuck by my A2 GTi for sooo long (she
was sooo sadly taken by a freak storm, felled a 40ft Japanese Maple on it.
For revenge, I ended up with a Swedenese Saabaru) was the way it felt, both
on the road and in Autocross competition. As time went on, the car became
less and less competitive (usually occurs in SCCA Stock classes), but it
held it's own and I had no interest in upgrading, due to it's visceral feel.
I guess 2200 lbs with Driver helps. The only car that's come close that has
had some of the practicality (not counting Miata's, they have the feel, but
NONE of the practicality) was/is the Mini Cooper S w/sport package (wasn't
too thrilled with the plain Cooper). Unfortunately, my circumstances (and
the lack of discounts) landed me in the Saabaru, a WRX with Swedish plastic
surgery. It's decent enough (and the 'lil wagon has actually managed my
X-port needs that can't be done with the UrS), but it still lacks the
"oneness" of my old German rides. So I'm glad I still have the UrS, in spite
of it's somewhat excessive 3800 lbs.

LL - NY