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S4 vs. V8Q...



Hi again everyone,

Sorry to bother you with this subject again, but here's my predicament...I
probably have to choose between the two cars:

Pluses for the V8Q (1990 model):
--------------------------
+Auto
+Stainless Steel Exhaust
+Automatic (Could be a minus as John Karasaki was stating recently!)
+More comfortable seats, ride quality (could be a minus, depending on the
person)
+No loan required to buy it...$ 12,900

Minuses for the V8Q (1990 model):
---------------------------
-Almost the SAME insurance premium, even though the value of the V8 is HALF
the price of the S4 and ..(probably because the S4/100 class scored 5 stars
for the driver in 1989 and 4.5 stars for the front passenger (according to
the US Safety Hotline people))
-Uncrashed/untested vehicle in the US, possibly done by TUV-Germany, and that
data was analyzed...
-The engine block is aluminum/silicon alloy, and supposedly the Germans have
shied away from aluminum blocks in the US, due to the high sulphur content in
our gasoline, which tends to degrade the aluminum...
-The one I'm looking at is at 74Kmi, haven't been able to establish whether
the car had a odometer change, and the dealer keeps mentioning that the car
is "under 100K mi" for some reason...
-The master cylinder went on it recently - around 70Kmi - this is an
established problem for the V8's as well...
-Has the UFO brakes (Expensive $$, as well as warp-prone...)

Pluses for the S4 (1992 model):
---------------------------------------------
+Safe, tested, vehicle.
+Has only 37Kmi on it...
+Normal brakes
+INCREDIBLE acceleration (Probably due NOT ONLY to the turbo, but due to the
low (3.50:1) 1st gearing on the manual tranny - it would only pin you to the
seat in first gear (I was test-driving the S6 though, but it's the same car))
+Cast iron block
+Front and rear stablizer bars, front strut brace as well...
+Infrared entry system (if it's a benefit..could be a liability)
+More ground clearance (for potholes, snow): V8Q=3.7 inches vs. S4's=4.0
inches
   (94mm vs. 102mm for the EU folks!)

Minuses for the S4 (1992 Model):
-----------------------------------------------
-Normal heavy guage Audi exhaust, not stainless... (Although my coupe's rear
exhaust was REALLY HEAVY!)
-Battery under the seat! (Same as the 5000 turbo/200 turbo, right
guys/girls?)
-No door lock heater listed in the specs...does anyone know whether they were
equipped that way..my 1990 Coupe has them.
-Dealer wants $ 28,900, will have to take out a loan, probably will offer him
less...
-Stiffer seats, stiffer ride, with the potholes we have in NJ and NY, makes
it even worse!!

Both the cars have almost the same wheelbase, the S4 (1992) is only an inch
longer, shoulder room and all other interior dimensions are almost exactly
the same, but the 1993 V8Q I test-drove seemed to be more spacious....

TIA, sorry for the long mesage...

Take care everyone,
Dorab (Nivi@aol.com)
1990 Coupe Quattro, 66Kmi
1986 Chevy Caprice, 300K+mi