PUZZ1

Anyone compare the 530xi or A6 wagons to the Cayenne?

skl

Apples and oranges- I tow with the Cayenne and use it like a truck and SUV-wagon. The car-wagons wouldn't do that... had a MB E class wagon when the kids were little as I refused to drive a minivan and with the third row rear facing seat, that was as close as I'd ever get! It was great for hauling kids, etc. Depends on what you're going to use it for.

ltc

As skl mentioned, apples and oranges when comparing weight/towing.

The S6 Avant is supposedly on its way across. If they ever brought the RS4 Avant, I'd buy one ASAP.

If you're looking for more than 5 person seating, then the Q7 or the GL. There is no 'stretched' Cayenne/3rd row seat.....please, don't ask me to repeat THAT saga.

mjw930

I bought a Volvo V70R back in '04 rather than a Cayenne because at the time the Cayenne was out of my price bracket. The Volvo is the only CAR on the market that I would consider owning that has a legit factory tow rating, 3300 lbs. I needed to be able to tow my MC trailer and that fit the bill. The car has been problematic since it also was a 1st year model (The R introduced a number of systems that Volvo had never produced) but after a few vistis to the dealer all is well. Overall the car is quick, looks decent and rides and handles very well.

22,000 mile later the Volvo is for sale (tentatie buyer) and there's a CTT in the driveway. I needed more room an mostly I needed a higher tow rating. Of course comparing the CTT to the Volvo isn't fair.

If you are in the market for a sports wagon then you need to check out the Volvo's. They provide a lot more bang for the buck than either the Audi or BMW. For those unfamiliar with the R variant it has a 300 HP motor, All wheel drive, Brembo brakes, active suspension and possibly the best seats known to man.....

T2

I wish I could have gotten the RS-6 Avant but it never made it to the states - at least I never saw one, I do however have 86,000 miles on the 2004 C-TT at this point (in just over 3 years).....

charlieXS

The only wagon I'd like is an A3-3.2 V6. It's cheap, and probably a LOT of FUN.

ltc

I test drove a loaded ($44K) S-Line A3 3.2 with DSG.....yes, it was one of the days "THAT car" was in for service.
Nice little car, DSG was fine, good handling, OK brakes, decent balance, but $44K for an A3 seems a bit out of line IMHO.

Trust me, if you ever drove an RS6/RS4 Avant, you'd quickly lose your desire for the A3.

urban_alchemist

I have both a Cayenne Turbo and an RS6+ Avant (Euro-only 480bhp run-out RS6). Both are twin-turbo V8s, but apart from that, they're chalk-and-cheese. Really depends what you want.

RS6+ Pros:
1. Rides better (but that may be down to having 22" techarts on the Pepper)
2. Flat torque-curve of the engine means the gearbox is redundant - pulls like a train through the gears.
3. Lower centre-of-gravity means you can hussle it with more cofidence (doesn't have that slightly unnerving roll as the weight shifts off-centre)
4. Sounds AMAZING - like a NASCAR with a deep bellow rising to an angry roar.
5. Paddles instead of the stupid P-car rockers for the gearbox (WHY does Porsche still use these?!?!)
6. Makes the Pepper seem slow.

CTT Pros:
1. Driving-position.
2. Steering feel (although the rack is a little too loose - a little more lock is always needed than you expect)
3. The sheer rush of being punched in the back in something weighing the wrong-side of two tonnes.
4. Off-road ability (I have 19" all purpose tyres for this) although last time I took it to the desert, the air-con got clogged with sand... not good in 40+ temperatures.

Between the two of them, I can't lie - I like the RS6. The Pepper is a great SUV, but its still an SUV... and by-god does it have a drinking problem. The fuel's half the problem (it has issues getting into double-figures mpg)... the 1l of oil/1K km is the other...

Anyway... after all that I have to agree with above... chalk and cheese... whatever floats your boat.

--------------------------------
For the record:
2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
2004 Audi RS6+ Avant
2006 VW Golf Gti
2002 BMW M3
1992 Mini British Open Classic
2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage (due July)

Gone but not forgotten:
2000 BMW M Coupe S50
2003 Audi RS6 Avant
1999 Subaru Impreza GT Turbo
1980 MGB LE Roadster Runout edition
1982 BMW 323i SE

Gone and forgotten:
2002 Audi TT 225 Quattro
1998 Alfa Romeo 145 Cloverleaf
1998 BMW 328i
2001 BMW M3 (only had it for 8 hours - flatbedded by some thieving b'stard)

urban_alchemist

Oh, and the A3 V6 is a horrid little car. Understeers like a pig and totally lacking in any feel. Oh, and would you pay $44K for a hatchback?

Go for a Mk V Golf Gti (Ok, I'm a bit biased, I have one) - lighter, nimbler, nearly as fast on the straights, and much, much faster point-to-point.