Re: Why do YOU own an Audi?

[Audial <Audial@aol.com>]

Audidudi wrote:

> I have my ideas about this but would like to hear someone else's first ...
anyone?


Well, I've got a lot of reasons.

#1:  Prestige and Status

There's nothing like having a German car that's broken down.  When it is, you
can always tell other people that the parts are so esoteric and expensive that
you can't afford to fix it right now.  ;-)

No, actually, the reason that I own an Audi is because I like them.  In spite
of the problems, they've fun to drive, entertaining, and challenging.  My
family bought the first '81 5000 during the UA thing and it was the best-
engineered car we'd ever had for less money than we could have dreamed.  It
had excellent steering feel and gas mileage and an overall feeling of
integrity  - I don't know, it's hard to put into words - but when you drove
the '81 5000 having stepped out of a Pontiac Bonneville of the same vintage
somehow the former felt 'elevated' or 'enlightened', plus it wasn't that hard
to comprehend mechanically.  

We basically proceeed from there to buying other used Audis because the resale
market for them was so poor.  We went from the '81 5000 to an '85 CS Turbo, an
'81 Coupe GT, an '86 Wagon, another '85 CS Turbo, an '84 4KQ, to an '86 5KCSTQ
(still bent), to ..... ?  Who knows?

We've put a <hell> of a lot of miles on these cars, under sometimes very
mechanically abusive circumstances (have you ever hauled around 1,000 lbs of
bulk mail sacks in the back of your Audi wagon on a twice-weekly basis for six
months in a row?  If you think acceleration squat looks strange you ain't seen
nothin'!  But that car still runs and drives well.)  in comfort and with
really minimal expense considering the number of cars and the mileage, thanks
to the Qlist, its people and archives, and it's always been a little bit of an
adventure.  And so far the grand total for car purchases and repairs is under
$35,000.  Not bad for owning seven cars and driving the living daylights out
of them for about 450,000 combined miles over ten years.

The Coupe GT was an _astronomically_ fun car that I would probably still be
driving if it hadn't met it's untimely end.  And I only sold the 4KQ so that I
could buy the 5KCSTQ.  

My dad has on many occasions called the '85 CS Turbo "the finest car he ever
owned", bought in pristine condition with 96,000 miles on the clock.  And he's
owned and driven a lot of new domestic cars (the Audi was the first foreign
car in our family) -- Cadillacs and Lincolns, Chevys, Fords, etc., from
pickups to sedans.  That car really impressed him with its civility, despite
its problems.

When they are good, they are very, very good.

And when they are bad, ask the Qlist.

Best Wishes,
Alex