Traffic53

we also have an s6 avant. fine car indeed. appropriately quick, and very nice interior. i'm not so sure this is a "quasi-luxury" car. the audi is a very good wagon. it does visit the shop a couple times/year, though i must say that the 2004 volvo v70r (another excellent car- when it worked) that we had also visited the dealer many times. perhaps the subaru would be more reliable- as suggested here. what it won't be is: durable, quick, or tightly assembled.

Chuck W.

And the 2002 Audi S4 Avant I just sold with 60000 miles on it was never in the shop once for any repairs. It was by far one of the nicest car I have had the pleasure to drive.

cabrio993

I am currenlty on my 3rd A4. All of them have been solid and each series has been a step forward in many ways. My current A4 is a 2006 2.0T FSI Quattro 6 speed S-Line. I recently chipped it and its good for 255 hp and 297 lbs of torque. It has all the running gear of the S4 without the heavy V8 up front.

This car is very fun to drive and it handles like its on rails. The all-wheel drive Quattro system with Torsen differential really makes the car hook up out of the turns and in the wet. The 6 speed is a great improvement over the 5 speed it replaces. The 2.0T engine is also an amazing improvement over the 1.8T.

I have had nothing but great experiences with Audi and their customer service is above what I have experienced at BMW, or MB. They are great german engineered cars that are still made in Germany, unlike other german brands nowadays.

You can get more info on www.audiworld.com, www.audizine.com and www.vwvortex.com and browse their forums and you can get a feeling for what owners like and dislike about their Audis.

mooty

audi avants are great daily drivers.
but buy USED.
i have never owned a car that depreciated as quickly as my s4 or my wife's a6.

911

I used to have an allroad (2002) and it was a great car. We recently traded it in for a Q7, though, as we needed the extra space.

ljugete

IMHO, the interior of the Audi AllRoad is much better than most top MB models (get alot more car for your $$$$)!

pchak

I normally have the "buy used" mentality for vehicles (now my wife's Freelander is another issue ). I would say that Audi's seem to take more of a hit. I was looking at a perfect, loaded, "dealer certified" A6 (sedan) with about 45K for less than $19K. I was surprised to see one (of several) on a DEALER lot so cheap.

robroy72

If you can find one, the 5 series wagons suffer the same fate.

Davies

Agree about the depreciation. Use it to your advantage!
Wife's A6Q Avant kid hauler was purchased in mint condition w/30k miles from the Audi dealer for around $22k IIRC. Came with two years left on the factory warranty and an additional two years CPO warranty. We've had it a couple years and it hasn't broken yet. It's a really well designed/put together car, and frankly at that price, I feel like I stole the thing.

Cayenne Austin

Had the same sort of experience with my allroad as well- lots of time at the dealership- 5 out of 18 months of ownership. Dealer was great, but I also had not thought I would be driving a Japanese loaner so much. Traded it on a TT.

98_993_cab

I'd agree with "buy used" suggestion for any daily driver like an Audi; ours was one year old at the time of purchase & hence we saved ton of money on a nearly new car.

At 80k, we just did a 2,400 mile (over two weeks) "vacation" back & forth across the Canadian Rockies in some pretty hot weather on really steep roads and had no problems.

We've done a similar trip in the winter, including -5 degrees F with 8" of snow on the roads (passing three, count 'em three, SUV's rolled over on the highway) and the A6 never put a foot wrong... except for the "Happy New Year's Day" water pump failure at 53k and three day stop waiting for parts. By pure luck, no engine damage and the breakdown happened within walking distance of a VW dealer (Arrow Motors in Cranbrook, BC!!) who was really great about getting the car fixed. One reason I'll never want a 1999 or later 911!!!

We also know of an A6 that was in a head-on collision (after another car crossed the median; combined speeds probably 120 mph) and the owner walked away with a broken thumb. The other car had to be cut apart to free the drvier. One big reason to buy German cars - it seems like they're built to survive accidents at speeds you'd only see on the Autobahn!

So, if not for various annoying recalls and minor glitches (plus one water pump) along the way with the Audi (some under warranty; strangely enough, many more problems than our VW Passat - puchased new, to break our own rule!), our A6 would be a 10 out of 10. Overall, we're happy with the "all weather" driveability, versatility and comfort of the A6, and we're hopeful that Audi is working on their well known quality issues.

JRRSA

You should do some reading on current Subaru product. Your last sentence is not accurate. Per my earlier post, the Outback XT (Turbo) runs zero to 60 in less than six seconds. The Legacy GT wagon runs zero to 60 in 5.5, the Legacy GT sedan is 5.2. Those are STOCK numbers. Now with only an air in-take and exhaust, you are putting out 300HP. Don't underestimate the performance of the Subaru Turbo's.....they are the ultimate stop light sleeper for guys like you.

Lastly, with the introduction of the re-designed Legacy in 2005, durability and interior materials were greatly improved. I will agree that it's definitely not an Audi interior, however, it's not an Audi price either. If you are into performance and need an All Wheel Drive wagon, unless you pony up the $$$ for the S4 Avant, you had better take a good look at the front of the Subaru while it's parked.
______________________________
1994 911 3.6 Turbo black/black
1993 911 RSA - Sold
1986 911 Carrera - Sold

RallyJon

Unfortunately, Subaru seems committed to Audi-fying their line. Each generation gets heavier and plusher. The current Legacy GT is a real sweet spot--light, fast, and moderately furnished--but it's not quite Audi in class. I fear the next generation will put on another few hundred lbs and few thousand dollars to try to "compete".

As for reliability--both frequency of service and ease/cost of service and parts--Subaru bettered Audi years ago and hasn't looked back. There are some Subaru dealer service departments that don't suck, whereas (if you believe testimonials) all Audi dealer service departments seem to be staffed by the slow, dim and lazy, who follow the orders of the deceitful and avaricious service writers. If you want an Audi, make sure you can tolerate the local dealer or have a good independent shop.

tobyport

Wow guys, thanks for the great dialogue...glad to see so many other P-car owners can handle a Wagon in the stables. I am likely going for an 2006 or 2007 A6 Avant (sport suspension upgrade of course) if the Lease Payment is competitive...I agree with the advice that buying a new car in this price range sets you up for big depreciation, thus the Lease. The safety factor is a big issue, including the availability of rear seat air bags, as well as many standard features not available from the factory with the Subarus. My wife is dead set on a power lift gate. Plus, Audi has apparently improved Fuel Economy in recent years...and I appreciate the 21 gallon fuel tank...gotta luv the Germans...upgraded my 993 tank to the 92 Litre tank and can go 600+ miles highway driving. Torque and Range, that's what it's all about!

robroy72

Ah .. see you're going for the 6, I found an S4 wagon on another forum that I thought you might have liked.

http://www.audiforums.com/m_313781/tm.htm