I'm really thinking about getting an Avant because the extra space doesn't hurt and it looks pretty damn cool. However, I'm afraid of the penalties on the handling / performance. Plus, the girlfriend thinks I'm too young for a "wagon".<p>What do you guys think? How's the handling / performance compare with the sedan? Unfortunately, I'll be unable to test drive an Avant until December as I'm out of the country. Let me know, and I'll be sure to check one out ASAP!<br>

If I recall corecctly the Avant is slightly heavier than the sedan (less than 100 lbs.) but as far as I could tell from driving the sedan and Avant there's no discernable difference. I noticed a big difference between FrontTrac and quattro and I highly recommend the quattro.<p>I got the Avant primarily because I wanted the extra room for stuff: camping gear, computer equipment, dog, skiing paraphanalia, etc. It works out very well and I think it's a little stealthier than the sedan. Also a bit more unique.<p>Alex<br>98.5 30vQTipAvant

<br>Car and Driver said that the weight distribution is closer to 50/50%, and it only weighs about 100 lbs more, so I would think thatit would handle a little better than a stock seadan, but would be slighly slower in acceleration. Oh yeah, the Avant only comes with quattro now, so there is no choice. Not like there ever was to begin with.

My wife loves it too!!<br>And so do her girlfriends.<p>Uzanak<br>blk Avant QM K&N/Bilstein/H&R/REMUS/A! design S 17s....

I own a pelican blue Avant QMS and adore it more everytime I see it. Contrary to other posts here, I seem to remember the Avant's actually closer to about 200 or so pounds heavier than the sedan. That extra weight, however, resides over the rear wheels and gives the Avant better balance (though it might hurt the 0-60 times.) I read one review which preferred the Avant's handling to the sedan's.<p>Your girlfriend's anti-wagon prejudice is reflective of the American market in general. Tell her that you'll buy the sedan, but it'll be her stuff you'll leave behind on your next road trip! <p>Good luck!

Happy driving. - get the sport package...<p>98.5 A4QMS2.8 Avant.

Hi, I have just moved from Saloon to Avant and have found only plus points and no minuses.<br>Admitedly it is an S4 Avant but even so the handling is superb and you don't get that "rattley estate" type feeling. If you have dogs, thats my reason, then they do a natty net which keeps dogs at bay even when the seats are folde down. This is standard in Europe which I found out on the Internet, although it took me weeks to convince my dealer that it was available.<p>

Had to sell our A4 Avant not worth calling it an Avant ... Bought a A6 Avant, now thats a Avant, spend the extra and get an A6

So far, I am totally delighted with it. Got it largely because couldn't get a hatchback like my old Coupe Quattro. Extra room is useful for such things like carrying 4 tires (like when getting snows for Audi or track tires for Porsche). Handling is good with Sport suspension although it will lean in corners - probably more noticeable to me due to other car in garge being a 993 with sport suspension. Can't really say if there is a noticeable difference between comparably equipped Sedan and Avant. For me, the A4 Avant is perfect.<p>Tell your girlfriend to grow up - at least you don't want an Explorer or Caravan!

It's only 60lbs heavier and the weight is all right where you need it, over the rear wheels. I also heard that due to the "C" pillar change to a beefier set-up the Avant is actually tighter than the sedan. I would venture to say that an Avant would beat a sedan around a tight road corse all things being equal. On a track with a lot of straights the sedan would have a slight advantage due to the weight. I'm 27 by the way and wouldn't trade my avant for a sedan no how, unless it was an S4.<p>Damon<br>98.5 20v Avant QMS, AMS chip, cat back, K&N, H&Rs, Bilsteins, 18s, Recaro SRs.

You tell your girl that in Europe young people do not drive sedans, they're for stuffy old inactive middle aged slow people. The hip and young, who have ACTIVE lifestyles, drive wagons. Personally I have dogs so I could never drive a sedan cause it would be trashed in a week. But I have always had hatches and even w/o the dogs I'd have bought an Avant I LOVE THEM! They turn more heads than a sedan ever could. Mine is pretty built and I can't go anywhere without drawing a crowd. Another interesting thing is the range of people I get compliments from, Older gentleman driving Jags and Benzes go crazy, grandmas go crazy, its the envy of all the highschool kids that play ball at the park I go to, my mom loves it, the rap crowd stares in awe. Its a trip, everyone seems really intriged by the look of the Avant.<p>Damon<ul><li><a href="http://a4.org/gallery/black7.shtml">more pics</a></li></ul>

Give me a break! same motor, 200 extra lbs. I'll wait till they offer a V8. I really like the look of that car and your right, if space is your main concern than an A6 is going to get the job done much better. But if your tossing around the idea of an A4 vs. an A4 Avant I don't see the arguement against the A4 Avant. If you have kids and all that then an A4 Avant would be to small but then you wouldn't be considering an A4.<p> If your young and have an active lifestyle and DON't have a family the A4 Avant is a great car. Snowbaords, Surfboards, dogs, camping, and I can still get jiggy wit it just like an A4. You aren't going to be getting jiggy with anything in an A6 Avant, its not a "sports wagon" its a real "wagon".<p>Damon

I am another "2 kids, a dog, and 7 bikes" guy, age 35, who can't imagine owning anything other than a hatchback. I drove a 1.8TQM sedan, 2.8QMS avant, 2.8QA avant, 2.8QAS avant,....you get the picture, I drove pretty much everything they had. Other than the view out the rear-view mirror, the only difference I could detect between the avant and the sedan is a slight "boominess" in the avant, probably the result of the much larger cabin volume. Mostly it manfiests itself as a little extra noise when the tires hit the cracks in the stupid concrete roads we have around here. <p>My wife couldn't imagine why I wanted a wagon when she's got a Honda Odyssey, and she was really skeptical about an Audi. She sure seemed to be pleased after driving it for a day, though.<p>I think there's a chance that we avant owners are on the leading edge of a trend here in the States. Small wagons offer a combination of performance and utility that is simply not available any other way. When you plunk 30K down on a car, it darn well better be useful for more than just delivering you to the office every morning.<p>td<br>'98 Avant Tip Sport (What? No Quattro?!)

<br>We hope :-)

Well 200lbs is only a single adult ... opps forgot that the A4 can only hold 2 adults !

<br>Because it doesn't exist in the US.

That's a 45lb pit bull female and a 50lb pit male. They share that space with 2 10" Cewin Vegas. So if your implying that there's not much space back there your wrong.<br>If your attempting to clown my dogs... you're going to have to come with an arguement for a dog that weighs more. IMO 50lbs is the limit for a truely althletic dog. any bigger and you start to sacrafice stamina and endurance. And with the way these dogs love to be close I'd need a king size bed if they were any bigger cause they have to be touching you all night long. %^ )<p>Please don't respond here unless your going to start a debate over A4 space any dog content should go in the general forum......right Jason.<p>Damon

How bout a loan so I can do the 17's, chip and exaust mods(my wife isn't as agreeable on the mods as she used to be with the VR6 stuff!) You are the man. Definitely not lap dogs however,<p>Happy driving... lovin' every minute of the "Grocery Getter ride!"<p>Hal<p>98.5 A4QMS2.8 Avant - Santorin/Ecru w/ blue pipe, Clear markers, filter, and mostly stock still - and yes the 30V is opening up now at 7000+ miles.

If you trust your girlfriend enough to let her<br>drive it, you won't have any problems with the<br>"station wagon" issue after she's had about<br>5 minutes or so behind the wheel. Especially<br>if it's a manual with the sports package and<br>Quattro. <p>I'm 47, so I hope that doesn't make you think<br>that this is a car for old guys, but guys<br>my age can are still breathing enough to need<br>a car that can haul groceries, dogs, bikes, <br>camping gear and can still haul ass too. <p>The Avant is so cool that it just doesn't<br>fit any category. I love mine and wouldn't<br>trade it for anything out there, except<br>maybe an S4 Avant whenever that come out!<p>John F<br>98AvantQMS<br>Laser Red