[urq] Aucra RL and other industry musings (some Audi content)

[Jon Linkov]

Oh, I am not justifying the upward trend in the prices of cars. It¹s quite
amazing where the industry is going: long-duration financing. 60 months?
Pshaw. 72, 84...I¹m sure we¹re going to see 96 month financing in the near
future. So, we have lots of people with affordable monthly payments on new
cars...and they end up having a car that depreciates so quickly that they
owe 75% of the new car value on the remaining loan, but the car is worth 33%
of the original value...and the loan has 3-4 years remaining! It is scary
how people are getting into new cars these days.

We¹re (my wife and I) are turning in her 2001.5 A4 Avant this coming
weekend. When I leased it, I got a great owner loyalty program: no $$ down,
no security, they covered registration and bank fees...a good deal. AND I
negotiated the price of the car. I missed that is was 39 months vs. 36, but
it wasn¹t a big deal. Now, the ³loyalty² lease is something like $1,xxx
down, pay bank fees, pay security, $3xx/month...and it¹s a 39 or 42 month
lease! Wow...some ³deal.² Luckily, I don¹t need a car (perk of the job) now,
so we¹re making due with our two cars. But if I needed one...probably a used
WRX wagon would be arriving in my driveway soon. MAYBE a used A4 avant that
my mechanic had worked on....but nothing new, and nothing ³certified² from
Audi. Still too much $$$.

Anyhow, there is a lot of cool stuff out there...but the BMW 2002¹s or UrQ¹s
or early Rabbit GTI¹s of the past are gone. It¹s big power (to pull all that
weight) and comfort/convienence features to make the driver comfy.

Or, it¹s an Evolution that busts your sciatic nerves after 10 minutes on a
rough highway! Handles like a go-kart, but isn¹t meant for the roads of the
Northeast US!

Jon


On 10/23/04 11:53 AM, "AudiQtroCp at aol.com" <AudiQtroCp at aol.com> wrote:

> Jon you speak the truth while sharing your opinion, I still understand where
> you are coming from.  I guess the problem Im having is that even with a
> respectable wage, Im going to have to downgrade to an A3 class from a TT225Q
> just to stay within the marque?  We can blame the manufacturers, the economy,
> the dollar and probably the weather, but the fact is, Audi is losing me.
>  
> The EVO and the STi, (even the R32) and the others in that category are aiming
> to be drivers cars, with luxury being lower on the list.  I loved my Impreza
> 2.5RS, it faired well at the track against the porky S4's.  It was a drivers
> car, it had mechanical systems, it had great balance and a pleasing torque
> split within the diffs.  The car did what I wanted it to do almost as an
> estension of myself, and I like to always know what myself is doing.  In
> contrast, the TT has Haldex and ESP.  I always figured that ESP would maybe
> save my butt in an inclimate weather situation, instead it's nearly got me
> broadsided a few times.  When I need to make that car GO right fkng NOW  - I
> want it to GO.  Not cut power while a 70,000 rig is heading towards me.  I
> know you can always turn it off, and I DO, each time I get in the car I hit
> that button, its become as natural as putting on my seatbelt.
>  
> As far as the pedal position goes, hell I have only one pair of shoes I can
> drive the UrQ with.  Pedal position is what almost cost Audi its place in the
> market in the 80's.  Fat footed Americans couldn't tell which pedal they were
> stepping on and you know the rest.
>  
> sean
>