mwrose

I have a 2004 b6 sedan - love the car, but should have purchased the avant. Long story, but we live in the city and keep a second car solely because we can't practically put our baby (6 month old) and dog in my car at the same time. My wife has a 4runner that we keep for this purpose only. Ideally, I'd like to move to the avant and dump the second car.

I have seen a number of used avants come on the market in the last few months, but not at a price point that I could justify the "switching costs" of moving to the avant. Anyone think of a reasonable way for me to move from a sedan with 15K miles to an avant with a maximum out of pocket expense, including sales tax, of $5K?

Also, I wanted to get the expert opinion on the following deal:

2004 Avant
Imola
6 spd
10K miles
$39,999

In it's previous life, it was an Audi press car.

Am I correct in assuming this bizzo was flogged like a rental car daily, on it's way to amassing 10K miles?

NoS4

The rear seat room is the same and I don't believe there's much difference in the trunk footprint between the avant & sedan. So it's not like a stroller that doesn't lay flat in a sedan will do so in an avant. Further, with the little ones, I find that it's too easy for them to rest their feet on the backside of the seat. Quite frankly, even though the avant is a 4 door, the rear seat space is quite limited once you get a decent car seat in there. Also, I find that it's even got limited space to place baby bags and other typical stuff that you'd carry (i.e. kitchen sink) in the rear seat floor boards. As a result, we usually end up taking the X5 that has 2 car seats in it.

mwrose

in separate compartments of the car. Can't have the dog on the back seat with the baby, and can't stow either the dog or baby in the trunk. My cousin just took delivery of an A4 Ultrasport avant, and I climbed around in the "way back" over the holidays. I think it would meet our needs. Plus, with the right Yakima roof rack, we'd by styling.

NoS4

Yup, agree and it's at least got the cargo screen as a divider to keep the pooch out.

Captain Sheetmetal

Yes, you would be styling! Dogs (esp. German Shepherds) fit quite well in the back of an Avant.

Arnzo

I think Tuco is right. I had an allroad and found that to be tight on the rare occassion that I had the 2 kids and dog (75 lb Lab) in it...we always ended up taking the Land Cruiser. When you haul the wife, kid, dog, stroller and luggage you must be in for a very tight squeeze. Maybe trading both your cars on a Cayenne might make sense? My buddy used to have a B5 S4 Avant and he also has a Land Cruiser. His Lab always looked so depressed sitting in the back of his Avant....she looked so cramped....probably because she was spoiled by the size of the Land Criuser and because she's fat.

mwrose

We are planning on a second kid. For some reason, everytime I travel to Europe and see a family of 5, with dog, shoe-horned into a Polo, I wonder why I can't make a kid or two and a dog work with an avant. I have euro-full-family-in-non-massive-auto envy.

Arnzo

Its a nice roof basket that can hold a decent amount of cargo. Believe it or not, I have one for the Land Cruiser. On a two week trip, I'll use every square inch of the Land Cruiser, the Yakima basket and a Thule Mountaineer roof box! I don't know how the European's do it.

SocsHillClimber

The dog loves the back of the Avant and has plenty of room.
Have a roof basket to haul most of our luggage on trips.

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sayemthree

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/68632/s4_and_cayenne_005.jpg"></center><p>no problem fitting two kids 6 and 8 and the 80 pound dog in the back - a roof rack helps with long trips and luggage - we are past the stroller stage though. with two kids you can manage - with three kids forget it - its minivan time. but I dont think the Cayenne is a good alternative at all - it has less rear cargo room with the rear seats up - cost more to buy and maintain - and S4 performance is better. we shopeed the Cayenne and the S4 easily beats it - unless you MUST tow or have higher ground clearance - which we dont.