I have been drueling over the New A4 Avant.. Waiting for pricing and info to get myself in line to get one after a brief hiatus from the world of Audis.. (Previous cars are A4 2.8, A6 4.2 and most recently a 2007 S4)..

But, DAMN!!! 50k for a compact wagon with a 4 cylinder (yeah, I know turbo) engine?? That is just rediculous.. I will have a hard time pulling the trigger now knowing it is going to be w/ in a few thousand of my fully loaded S4..

Good luck Audi, hope the profit margins are moving upwards too!!

...you can equip one nicely for less than a BMW 328xi wagon. Premium Plus, sports suspension, and wood inlays get the price up to around $41k, which is considerably less than 50 big ones.

My only issue is that you can't check off the manual tranmission box... you are stuck with the auto.

Sure it's more expensive but it's more car. And inflation and the weak dollar aren't helping either.

At least for the fully optioned out A4 Avant which tips the scales at $54k. That's a lot of money in today's economy.

If you want all the extra toys, prepare to pay. The Premium + package offers more than enough for most people.

Prestige, (B&O, Advanced Key, Parking System, Side Assist) combined with other available option (Audi Drive Select and S-Line ) which are luxurys and bring up the cost as should be expected. There is no other car from BMW or Mercedes that offers as high an equipment level in this level of vehicle.

Solution is simple: drop some of the options, or don't be surprised when it runs 45-50k.

Is this A4 Avant a "compact wagon"? I thought that even the Jetta wagon moved out of the compact domain, and that the new A4 will be closer in size to the current A6. I really can't wait to sit in the new car and compare it to our Volvo V70 (which I have a hunch will feel much bigger at rest).

I still think that it will be a worthwhile exercise to guess the percentage break down of Premium, Premium +, and Prestige that include the Sport Package in the factory build.

I will be happy to see a Premium + Avant w/o sport and nav right around $39K sticker.

Apples to apples if you compare a fairly loaded 2008 tip S4 to an equally optioned 2009 tip A4 2.0Tq we end up with the S4 at nearly $55k while the A4 is at $45k and this includes the S-Line option. If you opt for one of the sport packages the A4 is another $1k less.

As others have stated if you go for the completely tarted up avant you are staring at $53k, but that includes $5k worth of ACC and ADS. Dump those and match the options to be in line with above and you're at $48k.

Sheesh, I wish people would do a little more analysis before jumping to the conclusion that Audi is trying to pry them a new one.

Yes, the introduction of these trim levels makes it difficult to get exactly the configuration you want without having to buy things that you may not want, but if you configure a B8 with the options that were available on the B7, the pricing is not terribly out of line.

It's when you add the new stuff to the car that you start seeing the price climb quickly.

The same BMW that just raised prices 3% across the board and said that they will continue to raise their prices in 2009?

Read all the reviews in the various regional forums from folks that went to the A4 comparo drive and can't believe the BMW is such a dog against the B8.

Expected mid-to-high $40k range. Still trying to get used to the $50k+ idea (which is A6 territory). I don't think the S4/A4 comparison by the original poster is that invalid (even though they are apples and oranges and we don't know what a B8 S4 will cost).

Then I fell in lurve with the new Avant styling. Especially in that gorgeous burgundy red (not offered here) with the mustang brown interior (not offered here). The prospect of having many of the desired A8 goodies (MMI nav, advanced key) in a new car for a similar price with better fuel economy was a no brainer.

But less than $50K will get you a hell of a two year old A8. So the decision is less clear now, especially since the rated fuel economy isn't that great of an advantage - I still believe the 2.0T will do substantially better than the EPA's estimates but that's still a belief I'm willing to let others prove out for me at the moment.

I think a lot more people are going to have a problem swallowing a $50K four cylinder than Audi anticipates.

Gonna look for something used in a few years after somebody takes a big hit on depreciation :) especially when I compare the price of my 01.5 A4 1.8TQ nearly loaded to something comparable today which is almost $10K more.

the B8 was just so good, it made the BMW seem a little too pedestrian.

I'd even consider it in a manual. It's really amazing at what it does.

If the A4/A5 has lower insurance cost and can score better deal than on the BMW, it wins the vote from me.

I still can't believe the hwy MPG for the 2.0T didn't even budge when compared to the B7. Still scratching my head on that one.

It was my impression Audi was going to adjust the gearing on the 2.0T to enhance mpg because of the fat torque curve. Is it possible they didn't do this? Demand too high and backlog of A5/S5 too big for a different final drive ratio or different gearset in the trans at launch? Dunno, I'm left wondering. It also looks like they achieved next to nothing for the 3.2 also...improved 1 mpg highway from '08.

In Germany you can pretty much order any mix of options you might prefer. In the US/Canada program, a particular option you might really want is packed into or on top of a $4-7000 price hike.

WTF, over?

I suppose.. Still seems steep.. I guess the drive select isn't really worth it, and I will uncheck a few options.. But, isn't S-Line only available w/ Prestige??

...and that's why I wouldn't bother with it. You end up spending mucho bucks for some pretty bits but the reality is that the sports suspension will give you the handling advantage of the S Line and a fraction of the money you didn't spend can go into go fast mods:)

"I want it all....

I want it ALL....

I WANT IT ALL!!!....

And I want it FREE."

I have a sedan, not the coupe. Price difference: a couple of thousand.

Also, I did Euro delivery. Saved probably close to $8k (excluding airfare, hotel, etc) picking it up in Germany.

But my point is, it's possible to get a top end, fully loaded BMW 3 series for less than the low end A4?

I think the A4 4 banger is way over priced. I will not be buying one.

The new A3 looks better but the problem there is you cannot get 6spd and quattro. AoA, wth are you doing?

Maybe a GTI...

I wasn't doubting your deal, just figured there was more to the story. I also clicked literally every option to arrive at those prices. lol

Hopefully, when I'm ready to buy late next year, there will be deals available on the A4 to cushion the blow. That, or I'll hunt for a slightly used one that meets my needs...