ploglet

Be careful if you decide to buy a Stage 3. Although a lot of them are trouble few, a large amount of them that are 'home brewed' will drain your wallet. I would prefer to get a stock one and then go through it with my local shop putting the Stage 3 together. Having had a well past Stage 3 car, you need to be prepared for the maintenance of something that has been that modified.

Boston911fan

Just purely out of curiosity, and not a suggestion, but did you consider the A3 quattro with the 3.2L VR6?

nota_troll

What about a Subaru STI 5door? It gets more reasonable mpg, quick, fun and has superb crash ratings (so does the A3). I too thought about the A3 but it's a fancy GTI IMO.

Greg964

Have you considered VW Passat wagon V6 4 motion? I think it has around 280 hp and a used one with warranty could be picked up relatively cheaply, very generous cargo and rear leg room. I have found the current B7 A4/S4 platform to have insufficient rear leg room for kids or rear facing infant seats.

DHinkle

My daily driver is a 2000 model E39 M5 w/81k miles. Cannot imagine a better car for the money. The reality a 528 Wagon would provide more utility and is just as fun around town (short 200+hp). My son has a 528 w/Dinan upgrades and it's a blast to drive.

nile13

My only issue with a US-spec E39 is the seats. The sport seat's back is too flat for me, need some lower back suport. Did any of them come with adjustable lumbar?

Macca

Hi there.

e39 has full electric sports seats as standard with air lumber supports....

Cheers
Macca

willchao

The A3 3.2 quattro was one of the best cars I've had. I miss that car. Plenty of room for kids, but maybe not for "stuff". I don't know how much stuff is needed for kids...

RE: STi. Not sure if the new 5-doors are much different, but insurance was insane for my 2004. May need to check that if it is an issue.

I vote Allroad (chipped).

H2NO

At 6.5 years old and 96k miles, it still feels like new. I'm still on the original clutch. Now that it's out of warranty, I know I'll get bit soon so I'm keeping an eye out for a low mileage used allroad or used S4 Avant. As someone mentioned earlier, if you buy a used allroad (not sure about S4), make sure you buy an extended warranty. Airbag suspension is a weak point and if turbos weren't properly cared for they may go too.

equ

I have had an s4 avant with the v8 and have driven the a3 numerous times (semi-trackish audi events as well). While the gas mileage on the v8 sucks (15-16 avg, 20 best case), the range is the worst of it for long trips. But, quite simply,

s4 avant >> a3

The a3 understeers and even though smaller, is no fun to drive whatsoever. Forget it. In fact, the a4 avant is much better as well. The a4 is simply the better chassis, longitudinal engine + torsen quattro. The a3 is either fwd or haldex, not as good as real quattro imho.

jimmy_diguilio

I am a partner in an Audi store near Vegas. Many of the reliability problems mentioned have improved dramatically since 2005.5 when the B7 got the 2.0L. For a daily with kids, the 2.0L Avant is hard to beat. You can pick up a certified car and get a 2 year/50k warranty from the day the original 4/50 runs out. If you want to tune it, the motor is flexible and the chassis can handle some power. Stasis is now offering a big turbo kit and back it up with warranty.

Ash

Timely thread...we're expecting our first little one this week...have been looking at 2005.5-2008 A4 2.0T's for a little while now...only thing is...they're hard to find with a 6 speed manual. Thought about the S4 until a friend mentioned that his was horrible on gas. My neighbor has an A3...loves it but finds it to be a bit small when hauling the kid, dog, and associative kid's stuff like strollers, etc. I like the brand new 2009/10 A4 Avants...but they are not being exported to NA with a 6spd. manual...only tiptronic.

Paul902

I've been getting educated on A4 2.0L 2005.5 to 2008, as well. Yes, difficult to find in manual, and even more difficult with manual+sport package+cold weather package. I drove an automatic version with sport package and was happily impressed with the suspension vs non-sport package 2001 A4 sedan I had driven regularly in the past. Cold weather package give you (among other things) a rear seat passthrough with skibag - essential in my life.

One thing to watch out for on the early 2.0L engines is the high pressure fuel pump issue (search Vortex for HPFP). The pump is driven off one of the camshafts. The cam follower for the fuel pump tends to suffer early failure. If left long enough it can damage the cam and the pump, too. There are several newer versions of cam follower and cam, with different hardnesses, that I "think" solve the problem. Changing out camshafts in an Audi out of warranty might not be a pleasant experience for your wallet.

RallyJon

I have a hard time finding anything better than our 2001.5 S4 Avant. Cheap, powerful, decent highway mileage: 26mpg on long trips. It's about the same size as an A3, except longer in the luggage area. Got almost 120k on ours, it just keeps going and going, quickly. I think Galves says book value is about $5k.

JimPA

We've had a 2009 since October. We've driven about 6K so far and we like it. It is a bit noisy underhood for a short while after startup - supposedly emissions related and "normal vehicle function." If you're a purist, there's no dipstick; oil level is checked on the info screen. The turbo scoots and highway mileage is around 30 (91 octane specified). It's my wife's DD and occasional grandchild hauler.

We traded a '99 A6 Avant with 115K miles. Beginning around 100K, it needed one expensive repair after another. The 2009 A4 Avant only comes with an automatic in the US. It's slightly larger than the 2008 model but a bit more cozy and not as heavy as our A6.