AeroSmith

...about the A4 Avant.

It looks as though I'll be trading my 2007 S8 for a 2011 Monza Silver A4 Avant, prestige with S-Line. It's just about an even trade. It might cost me a grand or two.

WHY?!?

1) I love Audi wagons! ...since we owned a 2001 allroad (now my MIL's). I drove that car over the summer. I still love it.
2) The B8 platform is a winner.
3) The S8 is about to go off of warranty. Not a pleasant prospect.
4) I do not need a car that fast. S8 is short for S8TAN.
5) I want to start sea kayaking again. The A4 Avant is perfect.
6) I want to get low 20s mpg around town instead of 11.
7) I want to road trip more. My old 2 liter SAAB turbos used get me 33 mpg on the highway. 17 mpg highway won't cut it.
8) I'll get four more years of warranty and a gorgeous new car for very little cash outlay.
9) I'm just not an S8 kind of guy.
10) I reckon I'm an Avant kind of guy.

It's been a fun 4 years. But I guess it's time for a little social responsibility.

BTW, these 2011 A4 Avants are not easy to find.

mart242

Trading a S8 for this? <faints>

AeroSmith

LOL, yep. Trading a four year old S8 for a new A4 Avant, a V-10 for a four banger, a sedan for an avant.

jperryrocks

You're not crazy. I just got out of a V8 A6 for an A4 Avant.

I won't lie and say I don't miss the power a little, as I do.

But it's the whole package that appeals to me in the Avant. The 2.0T really keeps it's own on the hwy and I got all my toys with the Prestige pacakge.

The sport package was a must for me. I went with the 19 inch sport pacakge.

I like the looks of the S line, but just couldn't deal with a dark interior again and the suede.

QUA77R0

I've been given an A8L several times over the past year as a loaner while my Stasis S-Line Avant was in for repairs and while I enjoyed it more than most of the loaners, I was always happy to get the Avant back. My wife hated the A8L. Felt it was too big. She felt the same way about the A6 Avant when we had that as a loaner car. I appreciated the extra room in the A6 Avant especially when we took it on a 800 mile road trip while our car was in the shop.

I guess I'm guilty of social irresponsibility too though since I have an E55 AMG that has a love affair with petroleum. If it mitigates it at all, I only have 15,500 miles on it and its almost 10 years old so you can see it is a car I rarely use. I sure love the sound of a V8 with open pipes though.

All in all, the A4 Avant has been perfect for road trips, daily driving, and monthly track days. I'd hate to have to try and carry 4 track wheels and assorted gear to the track in any sedan. I do wish that the Avants in the USA came with a manual transmission as an option....not sure why they discontinued them in that configuration here, but the wife is happy that it has a slush box and I'm usually pretty happy with the paddle shifters.

I'ma Lazzzzer

Aero, i cant knock you for wanting an A4 avant instead of the S8. your vehicle should reflex your lifestyle. When i first read that you wanted to trade the S8 for the avant, my first reaction was WHAT?!? but i kept reading. When i saw your reasons, it makes a lot of sense since you like to kayak. Gas prices add up as well. If i could afford an S8 i do not like i would buy it, just as you say i do not think i am an S8 go or a A8 guy. i am sure it is a really nice car but i wouldnt want that attention, i bet you get a lot of attention in that car.

Sourdough Josh

You're not crazy. There's something really nice about the Avant. As much as I love many other Audi vehicles, I still chose the A4 Avant as currently the most fitting combination of size/function/style/performance for my current lifestyle.

As Laz said, your car should reflect your lifestyle. It's not about having the fastest or biggest car, but rather the best fit for you.

SoSuMi

I bought an Avant to act as a kayak mother ship. And it helps that the car is such a looker. However it is unfortunate that there is no manual option. OTOH when roof-topping a kayak I can usually pull a little over 30 mpg and I actually like the shift flippers. I keep the car in 'manual mode' better than 99% of the time.

BTW, the sports suspension not only improves the car's handling, it also drops the car slightly which helps when loading and unloading a kayak.

Have you figured out which kayak to get?

Brian Cecil

You're not crazy if you're using reality as the basis for your decisions.

Loafer123

So what if you are crazy! Who cares!

The A4 avant is a really great choice, and as others have said it is all about fit and the entire package. We have owned a couple of A4 Avants- both with manual transmissions, which are no longer available with the avant - poor decision on Audi's part in my opinion.

We opted for a 2011 A4 Sedan with 6MT recently- again reflecting a change in our lifestyle and choices for our needs. Note we still have the 2006 A4 Avant with 6MT(the 2002 A4 Avant has been transferred to our son who lives in Idaho). One of the reasons we like the Avant is also for carrying our sea kayaks.

IF/when Audi decides to sell the Q5 TDI in the North American market, I will likely replace the 2006 A4 Avant with the Q5 3.0 TDI. In my opinion, it is a perfiect set up for kayaks (and bikes) with its slightly wider stance from the A4 Avant. With the Q5 I can accept the automatic transmission; I am not with the Avant.

Good luck, I believe you will be very happy with your A4 Avant.