I just got back from the Northeast Auto Show in Boston. I walked out thinking I wouldn't want any of the cars I saw in there at any price over my Avant!<p>As I think wagons are far more practical than sedans, I looked mainly at those. The new Saab 9-5 wagon was there. It doesn't look as nice as the A4, IMHO, outside or inside, but it's not bad. It has some nice advanced safety features that Audi will probably copy one day. I think it will be more money when it is available in the Spring. Of course they wouldn't let me drive it, but overall it really didn't appeal to me much. It would definitely be worth test-driving, though.<p>The Volvos look like they used to. I just plain don't like them, especially the harsh ride. They look so severe, too, and they're not cheap.<p>BMW showed its new 540 wagons. My God, the prices-high 40's and up! The less expensive one (528?) is a lot slower than the A4, and the 540i is a lot faster with a V8 for a lot more money. But again, they seem so severe and unfriendly in appearance. Not having driven them, I just don't see the advantage over an A4, except for a bit more interior room. When the A6 Avant arrives with a better engine, that would seem a better choice if you need a big wagon.<p>I saw the Mercedes E-class wagon, too. Again, the price is insane, and the thing is just too big for me. The A4 is so much more stylish, friendly, and understated, inside and out.<p>Of course there were a bunch of small wagons, too, from Hyundai, Saturn, etc. I don't consider them safe on the roads today, what with SUV hysteria. If you wanted to economize over the A4 Avant, the Passat wagon would be my choice without a doubt, although the 1.8T Avant is an awfully good deal, too.<p>It was a nice feeling to walk out very happy with my beautiful, fast, agile, practical, comfortable, and relatively economical all-wheel-drive Avant! Seeing all of the competition in one place like that, I really appreciated Audi's achievement. Like others, I have my quibbles, but all things considered, the A4 Avant is an amazing package.

How was the show overall? I was planning on going this weekend. Did Audi have the TT on display or did the Northeast show once again get the shaft? <p>BTW, did Volvo have their cars locked as usual or did they finally decide to stop being idiots and keep them open. I remember years back when all the "top-end" marques (BMW, Mercedes, etc.) kept their doors locked. The only people at last year's show who still had their doors locked were Volvo.

The show was good, I thought, worth the $8 and the time. The Volvo's were unlocked, as were all other cars I saw, including BMW and Mercedes, except the Porshe's, which were out but locked up tight with windows closed, and the Lotus's, which were cordoned off so you couldn't even get near them. I did not see a TT.