Needsdecaf

So how many of you have ordered Avants with Prestige / S Line package? I currently drive a 2004 Volvo V70R and I love having a speedy wagon. The combination of room and stealth is unbeatable! Unfortunately, the performance wagon market (really the wagon market in general) is about nil at this point.

I'd love to replace the R with a B8 Avant with S Line but choke at the $48,000 plus MSRP. And of course, this is a combo guaranteed to not be in stock at the dealer, so deals are not as likely as stock.

What's anyone paying for an S Line Avant? $48k within $4k of how I'd option an S4, and the extra room in the Avant isn't nearly as much of a difference as my V70R, so it's very tempting to make the jump to the S4. Plus, there's that whole "no manual in an Avant" thing. Speaking of which...is the A4 getting the 8 speed tiptronic for 2011? I thought I read it was...

Thoughts?

Thanks!

wanderer1980

Needsdecaf, I wonder if you have visited this website:

www.zag.com

If your area has an Audi dealer that participates in the program, then it may give you a good price point to start your negotiation.

Also, are you considering the Q5? I know it's not a wagon and the handling is less sporty, but I found that it offers many similar features to the B8 Avant, and for about the same price, it does offer more for the $$$.

Needsdecaf

Yeah, I've seen the Zag site, haven't used it to price the Avant yet. I wonder if the Avant gets more or less of a discount on MSRP vs. the S4 because of the rarity of the model. Even compared to the S4.

I have considered the Q5. Three negatives about it that push it down the list but don't rule it out:

1. It's an SUV. I already have an Acura MDX as our "big" car. I (and my wife) really don't want to order another one.

2. No S Line seats, even with the S Line package. Boooo.

3. Exclusivity factor. The Avant is a much rarer car than the Q5, especially where I live.

Our V70R is a 300 HP, AWD full sized wagon with 4 piston Brembos on each corner. It was our family car for a while, but now that we have the MDX, we can get away with a smaller car to replace the R, which is an '04 with 97k miles. It's too bad nothing is a direct replacement, especially at the price. But the A4 Avant, S4 and Q5 all "almost" fit the bill. Each has a lot of positives and a couple of drawbacks (no manual in the Avant, etc.) If only I could cherry pick among the 3...I'd have an S4 Avant.

Damn you AOA!!!

Needsdecaf

BTW, priced out the following on Zag. In my area:

A4 Avant Prestige S Line, DSB with exhaust tips: $45,677

S4 Premium Plus, Sports Diff, 19" Tri-Spokes, Navigation: $49,291.

So $3,600 gets me the engine and transmission I want, but not the body style.

Decisions, decisions....

wanderer1980

Hey, since you already have the MDX, you really don't need another wagon, right? Just get the S4!!! It makes more sense to me!!! :-)

Needsdecaf

Yeah, but I have a 3 year old and a newborn. You ALWAYS need room for kids crap on trips. LOL.

chi-avant

I am currently waiting for a 2010 S-Line Avant. After a string of 4 Audis, I went over and had a xc60 and then a xc90. Both of the Volvos were good cars, the 90 being sold after 4 years and ZERO issues. All that being said, I am giddy to be going back to Audi. For me the, the Volvos were both compromises as I wanted an A6 Avant and a Q7 (as my life/kids changed) but had a hard time justifying the cost differential. So basically I can't say anything negative about the Volvos, other than they always felt like a compromise. I have to admit they never "stirred" me the way the Audis do.

The V70R is a great car (a good friend had one for a time), and I agree the stick would be great on the Avant. BUT, the 2.0 is a fabulous engine, and I am adding Stasis exhaust and ECM flash to make it that much better. I love the overall feel and interior quality of the Audi, not to mention I think it is much more attractive ride. Also the rear-biased AWD makes the car a bit more fun to drive...

All of that and $4.50 will get you a Latte. Take it for its worth.

Needsdecaf

LOL, I remember when it was that and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee. Thanks for the thoughts.

Is the 2011 supposed to get the 8 speed auto?

~pino~

Welcome Needsdecaf! I thought I recognized that username from my swedespeed days!

I can't answer your questions about the 8 speed, but I can tell you that the current 6 speed auto/2.0 combo works very well, especially with the paddle shifters. I drive my wife's avant like that most of the time, much to her chagrin.
It's no manual, but it is very responsive and rewarding to use.
Two other big changes you will notice is the awesome suspension tuning in either ADS or non-ADS versions for the S-line when compared to the 4C of the V70R; as well as the more superior AWD (no angle gear, yay!) of the Audi.

You will give up some cargo room, though, when comparing the two wagons.

Cheers!

philm35

I once had a V70AWD wagon, too. I loved the car, but it had severe reliability issues. Nearly every system on the car had some kind of serious failure. After my extended warranty ran out, I ditched it.

I too am considering an Avant for my next car... my wife has a B8 sedan. When I look at the Avant, it doesn't really appear that it would carry much more than we can stuff into the trunk of a sedan. If you fold the rear seats down in the sedan, you can carry long items. The only limitation you run into in the sedan vs. wagon is with taller objects, like a large dog carrier or similar.

Personally I'm not considering the S4 because I want my next car to have better fuel economy. Just a matter of time before gas goes back to $4.00 and beyond. I'm hoping that Audi will bring the A4 3.0 TDI to the US for 2011. I've been told that we'll know one way or the other in late June or early July. Almost as quick as an S4, but still gets 40+ MPG.

--Phil