B4 FWD or B3 AWD?

[Tom Nas <tnas@euronet.nl>]

Hi all,

An interesting development in my search for a 'new' car: while the 87 90q
is my ultimate car, I've been offered a 92 80 2.0E FWD for the same price
(a substantial reduction of the original asking price BTW). New body style,
better suspension, more space in the trunk, rear seat folds down... and
it's not a recent import. It's supposed to look like new, according to the
friend who saw it in his boss' showroom, and I haven't seen the 90 yet-
there's the small matter of 110 miles to deal with.

Am I crazy to go for the 5 years older car with more miles and higher fuel
consumption, not to mention the expensive-to-fix drivetrain? What would
_you_ do? Am I getting caught up in this AWD hype (in a country which
hasn't seen any decent snow for years) or is it really worth it? I don't
like skiing or snow in particular, so I'm not going to the Alps just to use
the AWD. I'd just like a nice car with decent acceleration and good
cornering habits, which looks good in front of my house, and has a solid
feel (like my current Audi).

Tom (not known for his common sense, getting dead tired of a matt-black
hood and bent bumper)

PS In this week's NL AutoTrader: 91 S2 Coupe, tuned by Abt, 300 hp, red,
17" wheels. Slightly above my budget at $20k. And for the umpteenth week:
original Dutch-market 88 UrQ, bright yellow repaint, reported as 'perfect',
$6.5k. Apparently, no-one wants this car...

 _______________________________________________________________________
 Tom Nas                                          Zeist, The Netherlands
 tnas@euronet.nl
 1988 Audi 80 1.8S, mostly Tizianrot metallic, 218,000km

    I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to.
                              -- Elvis Presley (1935-1977)