I have a Turbo 3.6 and want to add a 964 to the stable for daily driving and D/Es.

I escaped the golden rule [equal spending on the wife] for the turbo, but that won't work twice so we're looking at car options for her to equal the cost of a '91 C2.

We had a CRV, but want something smaller and European this time. The focus is currently on a 2003 ish Audi All Road or Avant.

Anyone got any words of wisdom to impart?

 

First of all, both those options are fantastic vehicles. The Allroad is the twin turbo motor and air suspension. We loved our allroad. One concern is maint. costs for the TT motor. A A6 2.8 Avant is also a very nice ride and will be a bit more reliable, but a little less fun/fast. Allroads are very hard to find in a manual, so that might factor into your decision. YMMV.

 

Long time audi guy here........new acura RDX spanks on both those cars.........
Just swapped wifey's car from 2002 A4 Avant turbo quattro sport pkg with great MTM chip (I bought it new and had chip added) to new RDX.....RDX rules it!!! go drive one.......very sweet for the $$$. $32K new!! 240 HP/ 260 ft lbs to the wheels! SH-AWD beats quattro - less push and sweet throttle steer. Passing uphill at 110-120+ mph. Car is amazing. Yes, car. It is an SUV but feels more like sport sedan. REAL sport sedan. I drove V8 CayenneS and for pure driving dynamics and feel, RDX rules it, especially for the $$$. Unbelievable I know, but true. + honda reliability and low maint $. NEVER thought I would say but NICE RICE.

 

I banned audi's aftr my 2001 s4 (same motor as the all road but a tad quicker) needed to remove the dash! to replace a $200 aircon part whih was viatl to aircon operation. The dash went back , it creaked (as I knew it would) and audi said - too bad out of warranty, so it cost $2000 to remove and replace dash fr . Why would aircon be designed so stupidly?????????

Anyhow, the S4 flew along but there is my expeirence with the audi and I bet the aircon on the allroad is the same.I think they are over technically engineered. Well built, quick but sometimes a bit too smart by half.

Why not check the subary liberty GT wagon ( that's what they call it down here). Its the one with the WRX 2.5 boxer turbo. Well built,a bit plasticy admittedly, but fast, and a lot less exxy.

We dont get Honda Acura RDX whatever that is. I'llhave a look on Grand Turismo 4! I think Honda make an allroader for sale down here but nothing that goes like a rocket. But it sure sounds interesting.

 

I would go for Scooby Wagon if the looks dont make you puke.

Think VW Passat?

 

I have the allroad, it's a great car. The adjustable suspension is a bit of a gimmic, I never use it. I bought th eallroad because of the more potent 2.7T engine. If you can get an A6 avant with that engine in NZ/Fiji go for it. Also make sure you have warranty for it, because if something breaks it would be expensive to fix.

 

We just bought a 2007 A4 Avant 2.0T. Suspension is pretty tight and while not fast, it is fine for everyday use.

 

My wife drives a 2003 A4 Avant 3.0 with the sport package. It's plenty quick for her and the tiptronic shifting on the steering wheel is entertaining on mountain roads. We have not had any major issues so far...

 

My wife had a 2005 S4 Avant and traded for a new 2005 Allroad, not as quick as S4 but drives well and more room for dogs. Also a better winter car.

 

It depends on your needs, but the RDX (as I understand it) is a FWD vehicle that can become AWD as needed just like the VW AWD. This would not suit my needs, there is no comparison to Quattro. To each his own.

 

Here's a little comparo of AWD systems (the 964 included): http://home.comcast.net/~eliot_www/awd.html
It's a little old, but gives you a good idea.

BTW not all VW's are FWD that can become AWD. Quattro (Audi) is just a marketing term. So is 4motion (VW). VW and Audi both use two systems:

-Torsen - mechanical permanent 50/50 split can go 100% on either of the 4 wheels if necessary, used on A4, A6, A8, allroad, Q7 as well as the Touareg and Passat. And the Porsche Cayenne

-Haldex - computer based system, FWD until it senses slip then it can transfer up to 50% to the rear (75% on newer cars), used in A3, TT, VW Golf R32.

Hope this helps

 

SH-AWD is actually quite sophisticated. Unlike reacitve systems that simply transfer torque - an usually not a great percentage - SH-AWD uses an accelerator gear seat to spin the rear wheels at varying speeds. The system is optimized for dry road traction but you can power oversteer an SH-AWD car.

 

I am telling you - Acura SH AWD is amazing. I have owned apporx 5-6 quattro's, starting with a 1990 coupe quattro I bought new and drove three years while working weekends teaching skiing in Taos ski valley. Recent cars I owned and drove were a VW R32 w/ 4motion and most recently a new V8 S4. The RDX is actually a blast to drive. Nothing like anything else in its class. It rocks all of these cars (I test drove them all): new A4 Avant, X3, Lexus 330 SUV, Subby GT wagon, Mazda Cx-7, 3 series wagon (weak engine), passat 4motion, and the RDX is priced right. I drove and really liked the V8 X5 and Cayenne S but these are 2x the $$ so were not within my planned spending range. We even got a really low lease rate via Acura factrory special, it is approx 2.9 % and with high residual factor = low pmts.


Go drive one, and push it hard. SH = super handling. what it does is make the outside rear wheel accelerate more than the inside wheel and this rewards the skilled driver. The car can actually be slightly throttle steered at the apex to roatate the car, making it not only neutral but have slight oversteer (even with traction control on/ even more fun with it off). Also I have driven it extensively in snow already (we have place in Vail) and it performs really well. The Michelin pilot all seson's are very immpressive on snow, wet, and dry. I usually run dedicated winter tires and summer Z's but do not intend to on this car.

Go drive one, even my S4 had to be really ham-handed to get loose, throttle steeer...even w/ ESP off.

The RDX chassis is very responsive. nothing at all like an suv, feels more like a sweet sport sedan, but just roomy and a little more ground clearance.

 

I have an A6 Avant and love it for everything... runs to the mountain for snowboard, carting the Golden Retriever around, going to the grocery store, etc. It's a solid car, more like a tank. I will own mine til it implodes.

The allroad has more power but at the cost of more maintenance. The air suspension could go out, though I haven't heard of that many problems. Turbos are always something to keep in mind.

Overall they make a great utility vehicle if you don't want to step up to a SUV.

Mine has coilovers, sways, chips, and was formerly supercharged.

 

I recently gave my wifey's old 99 A6 avant to my parents. Good car. Pretty inexpensive in the 3 years of ownership. 2.8 is low on initial torque but is adequate once car gets rolling. It's a pretty heavy car. Very comfortable riding car.
I have owned many different cars and nothing feels as good on the road as euro cars. It's one of those things you can't put into words.

Wife now has an 01 allroad. Off the line is pretty lame, but as boost builds, it brings a smile to you face. Just used it in snow/ice storm we had here and it was impressive with m+s Kuhmos. I had always used dedicated snow on the avant, but was too lazy to bolt them on the allroad. The asr ( anti slip regulation) makes driving in the snow almost as easy as driving in the clear. It will not let the car get into any oversteer condition. No fun at all. good thing you can turn it off.

The Audi's are going to be expensive maintenance wise. But, you also own a Porsche, so you know. As long as you can turn a wrench, it shouldn't be too bad.

I prefer the allroad only for its engine, but the avant will probably end up being cheaper to maintain. As soon as I put my C2 back together, the allroad will get some performance upgrades. The chip is supposed to get you into the 310-320 hp range.

I don't think either would be a wrong decision.