Why Audi?

["Al Powell" <apowell@agcom.tamu.edu>]

His Jeffreyness asks why we drive Audis.  I own an Audi for the 
following reasons:

1)  I fell in love with an 84 5KT as a family car the first time I 
drove it (used) and continue to love the combination of road feel and 
responsiveness in my 1990 200. I don't need cutting-edge track 
performance and the resulting harsh ride compromises in a family car; 
I need a balance of comfort, handling and room which the 5K and 200 
provide in glorious fashion.  Audi also provides a MUCH safer vehicle 
than most domestics, and I value my wife and girls.

2)  I sat in a BMW 3-series in a showroom about 1990.  The 
perforated vinyl seats were grossly uncomfortable (aka: they sucked),
the interior was slick and hard, and I hated it.  I sat in a 6-series 
BMW and liked the interior but the switchgear was going to pot at 60K 
and the price tag was still above $25K.  The 5KT cost me $12K with 49 
thou miles!  The 200 cost me $18K with 39 thou miles!  WHERE IS VALUE 
HERE?????????  Audi.  (And BMWs have just as bad a reputation for 
expensive repairs as Audis.)

3)  You will note from the above that I, like many Q-listers, am a 
used car buyer.  I fancy that I am somewhat more logical than many 
car buyers, as I do not perceive that buying new cars - ANY MAKE of 
new cars - is a good value.  As used cars, Audi have been an 
excellent value because of past history of which we are all aware.  
BMW and Mercedes are not as good a value used, as their prices hold 
up higher.

4)  I am not married to Audi.  I would seriously consider the new 
Chrysler Corp. products, as pretty much everything with similar 
functions that GM and Ford produce looks butt-ugly to me.  However, 
when I drove the new Vision in 1993, they were just adding features
which were standard in my 1984 5K.  My 1990 200 is still far ahead of 
many domestics in its features, and seems ready to do another 95K 
miles since it's not using a drop of oil or making expensive noises . 
Regardless, I will get rid of it if we have too many expensive 
failures, as it's not a religious cause with me.  But I would 
consider replacing it with another used Audi, probably a Q.

5)  My personal car is a 1983 Datsun 280ZXT.  The Audi is more like 
that ZXT in handling and perfomance than anything else I have driven.
My wife (a superior lady) agrees and loves driving the Audi.


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Al Powell                        Voice:  409/845-2807
107 Reed McDonald Bldg.          Fax:    409/862-1202
College Station, TX 77843      
Http://agcomwww.tamu.edu/agcom/satellit/alpage.htm
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