[s-cars] POLE: wonderful dilema, S4 or Ultrasport?

[Aaron Ryba]

Thanks to everyone who has responded to this question. It looks like it is on the minds of quite a few of us. Many of you have brought up a number of alternatives. I did fall in love with a red 02 S6 Avant I saw on Carmax of all places. The thought of having 340 hp on tap in a wagon with no turbo lag in quite intoxicating,  but the comments on expensive repair rates and once again the issue of poor mileage is a reality that would start wear at me once the honeymoon was over.  Once the baby is here I most likely won't be willing to spend much time on my back under the car anyway so repairs could break the bank. I too have been looking at Saab Aero wagons, they definitely seem like a cheaper alternative to an Audi S car but with the failing cassettes and other issues makes me think twice about it. Something about buying a late model GM product doesn't sit right with me also. I don't think I could ever do a minivan although some close friends of mine
 recently sold out and got themselves a new Oddessy which they constantly tell me how much they love it (all electronic gadgets what not).

Your comments on the small size of the A4 chassis have been well taken. Alghouh they are different animals I do remember how small the back seat was in my 4kcsq and it is the same basic B series car the A4 is today. Maybe the A4 has gained a bit of room in the back over the years since 87 but its no A6. Going from the 4kcsq to my S6 I was and still am a bit surprised I choose to drive a larger C series car, being that I have always espoused the idea of smaller and lighter is better, efficiency, etc.. The 95 S6 is however the best bargain going on right now for a driver's Audi. I have gotten used to the size increase in the S6 compared to both the 4kcsq and my wife's Bug but it still feels large. That is most likely because the suspension is shot and drives sloppy, once I redo it all in the spring I am sure it will feel a few feet smaller in every direction. The other reason being that it is usually only me in the car which will change in a few months. I
 might just have to bring a child seat to a few test drives.

On the issue of the stick vs auto. I am definitely in the camp of the stick 4 life group. My mom always drove stick and still had an arm to beat me with while in the back seat. No issues with multitasking there. In fact I think it is safer to drive stick because you are actually forced to be aware of what you are doing at all times on the road. With an auto it is too easy to get into "couch potato" mode and just barrel around the streets disconnected with your own speed, momentum and weight transfer when driving, all things we have to pay attention to either consciously or subconsciously to keep ourselves and our passengers safe on the road. I can attest to this as when my wife switched to the Bug from an Explorer. Although they are both autoboxes the simple change from a bouncy large tired SUV to a comparatively well mannered responsive small car made my wife a considerably better driver (self described) and I agree. Too bad she won't ever go with a
 manual. I taught her on the 4kcsq but oh what we do for love. I have accepted the fact that her car will have to be an auto so that is that. When it comes to my kids learning how to drive I'll do what ever it takes to keep the from going to the dark side into auto mode.

I agree that Audi should have made a non-allroad 2.7tt A6 avant as that would be just the perfect car right now. I have been reconsidering the Allroad as I really like the 2.7tt over a V8 or a 3.0 V6 and it is quite unique. The accountant in me says I should pick up a good condition low mileage A6 3.0 Avant for cheap but it is too plain Jane/honda accord boring compared to the other choices. The D2 S8 is also still tempting, alot of bang for your buck but then again it is the same V8 issues and you don't have the room of a wagon. There was some mention of purchasing extended warranties. My carguy gut feeling tells me these things are just a waste of money just like the whole "certified pre-owned" fleecing scam dealers have been doing for years. Quite possibly I am wrong, especially with the comprehensive b2b coverage. I just remember a friend getting one with his V8 Cherokee and when the time came for repairs ever time there was some issue and the parts
 were not covered. I see this could come in handy though with the Allroad air suspension issues brought up. I'd definitely like to us VAGCOM to lower the Allraod. That is a pretty nice trick. Even though it would be nice to have a real extended warranty (came in handy with the new bug more than once) I'd rather pay more $$ for a real nice condition car than less so for an average one with a warranty. The real issue is the unknown. I can turn a wrench here and there but no-one but a certified tech is familiar with all the models and even then not all faults can be predicted and avoided, especially the electronic gremlins like the sunroof problems we had with the bug (eventually fixed). Although a warranty may cover smoked turbos and tired ignition systems it is the downtime that is really a PITA that I want to avoid as well.

Thanks again for all the input. Now why does my wife think I am spending too much time looking for new the new car? I haven't even taken any test drives yet!

Aaron



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