Mark H

I Recently bought an A4 Avant (Laser Red 2.8), and in the 5 weeks I've owned it I've only seen 1 other Avant on the road (in the DC Area). Are they unpopular--Do people think they're ugly--Don't people want to pay the extra $$. I don't get it. I love the car and think it is way more practical (and better looking) than the standard body style.<p>Where are all the Avants?<p>Curious in DC

Shabbis

Out here in Portland, OR we have plent of Avants. I actually see a lot of the A6 Avants.

toms

I ordered one on June 6 from Len Stoler in Baltimore....as of today they still do not have any allocation for y2k Avants.

Gordon Martin

(nt)<br>98.5 2.8QMS (Santorin Blue/Ecru)

Bob

I've wondered the same thing ... The roads in New England are crawling with expensive Volvo wagons but I see very few Audi Avants - especially A4s. It will be interesting to see how the new BMW 3 series wagon does here in the US. I can only hope that it keeps Audi interested in this market segment, and potentially motivate them to bring the S4 Avant over here.<p>Bob H<br>99 A4 Avant 2.8 QMS

KLHI

hehehe

vertigo

Actually, I looked at an a4 avant with my parents, and our impressions are<br>in some ways typical of what is holding this car back:<p>(1) For a wagon, it's damn small. Many people buy a wagon because they<br>want a lot more storage space, or somewhere to put a dog. The A4 avant's<br>rear third is very small by wagon standards. Keep in mind these buyers are<br>often coming out of a car like a Volvo 740 or 960. It looks like there is about<br>half as much space back there. So the car really doesn't have a whole lot of<br>utility as a wagon.<p>(2) Price. When the wagon first came out quattro was an option. Audi has<br>quietly lowered the price a couple grand by making formerly optional equipment<br>standard, but when we looked a well equipped 2.8 was something like 38k.<br>Forget it!!! Also, the 1.8T wasn't available. Hence the price of entry was a few k<br>above the most expensive a4 sedan.<p>(3) If you want a sporty car, you'll probably opt for the sedan first (as an average<br>american).<p>Hence: Wagon-people don't buy it--too small. Sports sedan people don't buy<br>it--its not a sports sedan. Price is too high. <p>nuff said.<p>--Vertigo

VladN

Agreed, Avant is cool, difficult to call it a station wagon, more like a 4-door hatchback

KLHI

Actually, to quote AoA: &quot;A sport-sedan with a fanny pack&quot; :-)

Rick Snyder

All,<p>I got my Avant QMS almost 11 months ago and I rarely see others around. The main reason is that not many have been made. In Dec 97' Audi released the first bunch, but these were all Tips. Manuals were not available until April. As I understand it, when I got mine in August, this was one of the last months they produced Avants for the US. Since then, they have only had one more production run of Avants, and these were all 1.8Ts. So, to my knowledge there have only been two periods were Avants were made: Dec 97' throught August 98' ( 2.8s only in Tip and Manual ) and Dec 98-? for 1.8T Avants.<p>I could be wrong, but this is what I think has happened. I know there has been a real shortage of 2.8 Sports for the last 6 months due to this, but I don't know if Audi has started bringing in new ones. I have not seen anyone with a 99.5 Avant.<p>Hope this helps, and if I am wrong, please correct me....<p>Rick<br>98.5 Avant QMS and VERY happy with it.