RickM

I bought my wife a '97 A6 wagon new. Has the old 2.8 engine. You think the 1.8T is slow? You ain't seen slow. Well, she loves it. And that, my friend, is all that matters.

Rick

Seeking knowledge

Forgive me, but what means this "YMMV"?

Sebastian

"YMMV" Your Mileage May Vary.....

TM in PA

A6 Avant is much slower than the A4 Avant

TM in PA

You mention that you're pushing your wife toward the Audi. If this is going to be her car, what does she think about the Audi? Is it too small for her? Does she like the styling? Is it comfortable for her? That's a radical change, going from a 4runner to an A4 Avant. I should know, I have a Nissan Pathfinder.

This may be blasphemy on a4.org, but have you considered getting the TRD upgrades for the 4Runner? You can get a supercharger that will bump the hp to approx. 260 (mags say more than that), 13" rotors (Brembo? brake upgrade) and Bilstein shocks. All of this is something like $5k. People who have these upgrades mention an incredible improvement in power, much better handling with the Bilsteins, no news about the brakes- standard w/ Highlander package for '99s now.

If you get better tires (Pirelli Scorpion Zeros, Dunlop Grantrek?, Bridgestone Dueler HTS/HP) and these upgrades, you will significantly improve the 4Runner- much more power, better handling, better braking. With such a new vehicle, that may make more sense than taking the depreciation hit selling the truck and buying the Audi. All of this does not apply if you are leasing, that would change the picture significantly. Audi has some good incentives on the A4 2.8s. It seems as though everyone wants the 1.8. :-)

If you're not going to hop it up, the 2.8 Avant Tip would be fine, although you're sacrificing a ton of interior space coming from a 4Runner.

Feel free to email me if you want to talk more about this. Totally non-Audi content, so not really relevant to a4.org.

Regards,
TM
99.5 A4 Avant 1.8TQMS
88 5kcstq Avant (soon)
87 Nissan Pathfinder (for sale)
92 Eagle Talon TSi AWD