I Recently bought an A4 Avant (Laser Red 2.8), and in the 5 weeks I've owned it I've only seen 1 other Avant on the road (in the DC Area). Are they unpopular--Do people think they're ugly--Don't people want to pay the extra $$. I don't get it. I love the car and think it is way more practical (and better looking) than the standard body style.<p>Where are all the Avants?<p>Curious in DC

I ordered one on June 6 from Len Stoler in Baltimore....as of today they still do not have any allocation for y2k Avants.

(nt)<br>98.5 2.8QMS (Santorin Blue/Ecru)

I've wondered the same thing ... The roads in New England are crawling with expensive Volvo wagons but I see very few Audi Avants - especially A4s. It will be interesting to see how the new BMW 3 series wagon does here in the US. I can only hope that it keeps Audi interested in this market segment, and potentially motivate them to bring the S4 Avant over here.<p>Bob H<br>99 A4 Avant 2.8 QMS

Actually, I looked at an a4 avant with my parents, and our impressions are<br>in some ways typical of what is holding this car back:<p>(1) For a wagon, it's damn small. Many people buy a wagon because they<br>want a lot more storage space, or somewhere to put a dog. The A4 avant's<br>rear third is very small by wagon standards. Keep in mind these buyers are<br>often coming out of a car like a Volvo 740 or 960. It looks like there is about<br>half as much space back there. So the car really doesn't have a whole lot of<br>utility as a wagon.<p>(2) Price. When the wagon first came out quattro was an option. Audi has<br>quietly lowered the price a couple grand by making formerly optional equipment<br>standard, but when we looked a well equipped 2.8 was something like 38k.<br>Forget it!!! Also, the 1.8T wasn't available. Hence the price of entry was a few k<br>above the most expensive a4 sedan.<p>(3) If you want a sporty car, you'll probably opt for the sedan first (as an average<br>american).<p>Hence: Wagon-people don't buy it--too small. Sports sedan people don't buy<br>it--its not a sports sedan. Price is too high. <p>nuff said.<p>--Vertigo

All,<p>I got my Avant QMS almost 11 months ago and I rarely see others around. The main reason is that not many have been made. In Dec 97' Audi released the first bunch, but these were all Tips. Manuals were not available until April. As I understand it, when I got mine in August, this was one of the last months they produced Avants for the US. Since then, they have only had one more production run of Avants, and these were all 1.8Ts. So, to my knowledge there have only been two periods were Avants were made: Dec 97' throught August 98' ( 2.8s only in Tip and Manual ) and Dec 98-? for 1.8T Avants.<p>I could be wrong, but this is what I think has happened. I know there has been a real shortage of 2.8 Sports for the last 6 months due to this, but I don't know if Audi has started bringing in new ones. I have not seen anyone with a 99.5 Avant.<p>Hope this helps, and if I am wrong, please correct me....<p>Rick<br>98.5 Avant QMS and VERY happy with it.

I adore my Avant. I did not consider buying a new car until the manual 1.8T Avant was available. While I do a lot of camping and other outdoor stuff I have to admit my preference was purely aesthetic. To me the ultimate super car is the RS2. If an evolutionary change comes along in the form of an RS4, even better. Just as fast (or faster), more balanced and better looks = the car I was after. You would feel right at home in Europe.<p>James 1.8tqms Avant APR/K&N

I've had my A4QM Avant for 14 months and 55,000 miles (that is correct, 55k) and its beauty grows on me with every passing mile. I'm a wagon guy (have had one Audi and six Volvo wagons), and find the A4 Avant to be a more fully realized design than the sedan. It's not a Caprice Classic, but the rear third is bigger than it looks. I see an increasing number of Avants on the road, and even more Passat wagons which, of course, are more or less the same car.

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