Re: Audi allroad quattro unveiled

[Lee Levitt <wheelman@shore.net>]

"Rob Winchell" <rbw@avs.com> writes:

>Just caught a peek at the Audi allroad quattro, the
>A6-wagon-based-SUV-Outback-type-thing. Take a look at
>
>http://carpoint.msn.com/autoshow98/coverage/large/Day3/89
>
>if you want a look. I don't know what to think.

I like it! But then again, my daily driver is a Range Rover. My next
vehicle purchase will replace my wife's 200T, and I have three priorities:

- safety
- space
- fun/performance
- cost effectiveness over the long term

In no particular order, I'm considering the following: A6 quattro wagon,
Volvo V70 AWD (wagon), MB ML 320.

Trade-offs:

- The older A6 wagons didn't have as much space as the Volvo wagon
- The Volvo doesn't have as sophisticated an AWD system
- The MB is a MB (for better and for worse)
- The MB is a SUV...already have one of *those*
- The MB currently has a real 12-14 month waiting period for delivery, and
that's for the 6 cylinder. The as yet unannounced V8 will take a *long*
while to get...

I haven't driven *any* of these yet and am probably a year away from even
starting the process. I hope I love one of these and hate all of the rest.
I'm leaning toward one of the two wagons...although a friend who ordered
her 7 passenger MB on Sunday got me to thinking...what if I had to take two
extra kids somewhere. I don't like the idea of rear facing wagon seats, and
the MB is an interesting alternative to a wagon.

It looks to me like they've got some additional room in the rear of the
Audi...the roofline seems to be higher than in previous Audi wagons.

This purchase is for my wife, who puts maybe 7500 miles a year on her
car...with me doing all of the highway and hard driving to keep the car
from getting bored with us. I refuse to get her a boring car...cos
sometimes I have to drive it! :) That's why we ended up with her Audi in
the first place.

One final issue is that whatever we do buy, eventually my son (now 7.5 YO)
will probably end up driving...so it has to be safe...and not *too* fast :)

Lee