[V8] Was Q7 ramble...now is something else....

[Roger M. Woodbury]

I guess I am becoming more of a curmudgeon than I was before.  I just
watched what was a pretty amazing auction end on eBay for a 1994 Audi 100CS
Avant Quattro.  The car was pretty good looking, had 75,000 miles or so, and
went for $4500.  We have the mate to that car sitting in the driveway, and
this weekend while I was following a Q7 down the road, it passed 125,000
miles.

We have owned that car since it had 39000 miles on it, and have maintained
it very carefully.  It is my wife's daily driver, and aside from being a
catchall for all the things that she never throws away, the car is in very
good mechanical condition.  It will require some exterior refurbishing, two
new fog lights, new rear speakers (throwing away the nasty Bose crackling
stuff), and a good detailing, to be ready for the next 100,000 miles.  

The 100CS is identical to the first generation A6, and is cheaper because of
the model designation.  But from our experience the car is terrific, and we
intend to keep it in service for another five years....and then we will
assess it.

I have made a lateral move since the 200 20Valve Avant is dead and not to be
revived.  I have my father's ex-90 100 front wheel drive sedan...The Old
Gray Mare.  As the more sophisticated Audi Quattros go, the Old Gray Mare is
a pretty terrible automobile.  A thundering 130 horsepower, and THREE speed
automatic transmission in a pretty heavy car.  Fuel mileage in the 20-22
range on regular gas:  I did better with the 20Valve, flogging it.  

But the car is clean, and despite a few dings typical for a car owned by an
eighty year old man, the car runs perfectly and has been maintained to
within an inch of its life.  At 126000 miles, the car has far more life left
in it than the "book" value would indicated.  And of course, it is a Type
44, which sort of fits me better than any other car that I have ever owned.

I guess that means that I am becoming a "value" car guy.  I find the new A3,
Q7, A6, S6 to be less than interesting.  They represent nothing more than a
very expensive way to spend a bunch of money, and while they are undoubtedly
great engineering feats of Audiism, I lose interest thinking about the cost
of excise tax, cost of sales tax, cost of 19 inch tires, interest payments
and 16 gallon gasoline tanks.  Nope.  I don't think so.

I do confess to having a wicked fascination with the idea of owning a 2002
or so, S6.  Sort of utility in that it is a wagon, but the low slung stance
is a limiting factor due to where I live.  

I find the allroad V8 to be less than interesting, because the service
manager in the Audi dealer in Waterville...whose opinion I trust...tells me
that the air suspension is problematic as the car ages, and will be
increasingly expensive to maintain.  

That 100CS Avant in New Hampshire was a serious pull on me.  Despite having
one that is identical, I almost went to see it.  Certainly for $4500 it was
a great buy.  

I guess I am becoming a "value" buyer.  Yeah, the idea of being able to "put
my foot in it" and getting something back is appealing.  That doesn't happen
in the 100CS, as that car is heavy and 172 horsepower is simply not more
than adequate.  Spending twenty five grand for something isn't interesting
to me.  

All of which makes me thing more and more fondly of another V8 Quattro.  And
if I pull off the Stebro from The Black Mariah, I will already have an
exhaust system for it.

And the car already has the large gas tank.

Roger    

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