Seredni

Can anyone give advice on our following dilemma: We have a placed a deposit on a 01 A4 2.8 Avant with all the features we want--side curtain (standard), xenon, and we really like the 4 year service/warranty. However the final price is 8% over invoice, and the car is about 600 miles from our home. Thus we'll have to sell our volvo wagon ourselves which is a hassle, and we have to do it fast.

We can get a 00 A6 Avant for less than a thousand dollars over invoice. Plus we can trade in our volvo wagon with this dealer, since the A6 is in the city in which we live. However, no xenon, no side curtain air bag. Bigger car though. We can also purchase the A6 now, which will allow us to break it in before an upcoming August 1200 mile drive.

Oddly enough the cars are the same color.

Our biggest concern is safety--will the A6, without the side air bags and xenon, be as safe as the 01 A4? What about resale?

Any advice is appreciated.<p>rj

elton

They'll help you see the road better, but may not help you too much in severe conditions.

As for sideguard airbags, they are useful in the event of a roll over. I don't know how often you plan on driving at speeds or in conditions where roll overs may be possible. Audis come with front and side impact air bags which are pretty much all you need.

But again, it's a matter of preference and budget.

myke050

elton is correct- id go for the a6, seems more "right" but as i always say- the choice is yours

Craigito

these are solid heavy german cars, and with the front and side (seat) airbags i think you'll do okay in most common crashes.

RKA

I remember reading a story in Car and Driver a while back, that highlighted how much safer a larger vehicle is than a smaller vehicle. Common sense really, but a mere 6 inches between you and your front bumper can be a world of difference in a full frontal collision.

Anyway, nobody can really tell you which is truly safer, however I think the added size of the A6 outweighs the sideguard + xenons.

As far as resale, from what I have seen, the A6's depreciate considerably. Personally, I think they are one of the best bargains in the used car game. This is true for BMW's as well. The 5 and 7 series depreciate considerably more than the 3 series.