New list member

["Timothy Wise" <twise@discretelogic.net>]

Well, I think the questions I have have been surely beat to death, but the
search engine at http://coimbra.ans.net/quattro.html gets no hits on the
string "A4" so excuse me for possible repetition...

I am thinking of purchasing a new A4 Quattro and have a few questions:

I previously owned for eight years a Toyota Celica Turbo All-Trac that I
really enjoyed but wasn't confident that the car would be cost effective to
maintain after 100K miles since it was at the time the most complex car
Toyota had ever manufactured.  How is Audi quality over the long haul (10
yrs, 150K miles)? good, average, poor? Does it maintain its assembly fit
well over time? At what point will the center diff need major service?
replacement? Are there any other large ticket items Audi's generally fall
short on?

I am looking at a manual 5 speed, should the sport package be no brainer?
The 20mm ride height reduction seems quite considerable; does this tend the
car to be neutral or is it simply just less forgiving (or with less
understeer) than the non sport package?  How is grip compromised in snow?  I
already have a Miata that knows how to go backwards in the rain; I'm looking
for the stability that my All-Trac had in the snow.

Are there any options that you'd never buy the car without or any you regret
not getting?  I live in Chicago and looking at the sports package, the all
weather package, the bose sound, sun roof, possibly sport seats on a 2.8
Quattro manual.  Any comments?

Please e-mail me directly if the list has already heard this all
before...also please forward any other comments you think would be
beneficial.

Thanks in advance.

Tim