Dan ex S4 owner

I know the prices aren't available for S4 Avants in the US, but gauging by the difference in price between the A4 and the A4 Avant, I'm thinking the MY2001 S4 Avant'll be about $1000 extra over the 2001 S4 sedan.

Wagons appeal to the practical (and stealthy) side of me, but given that they're essentially the same length as the sedan, I'm not sure the Avant actually adds a whole heck of a lot of utility to the A4.

Avant drivers: is $1000 worth it? Why did you buy an Avant?

My financial situation is such that I won't be able to afford an S4 'til October so the fact that the sedan is available sooner isn't really an issue.<p>Dan Calle
S4 Avant wanna-be

occam

Dan,

here are some differences between sedan and avant. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but the avant is supposed to be a little stiffer (that's why the RS4 is avant only I believe). The avant also is about 1 inch shorter (!) wheelbase (I think, check specs). There's no rear deck in the avant (why does that matter? Two fewer rear speakers. That's actually a good thing (!) since they would've been B[L]OSE speakers. 1/2 :-). Also, the avant is a wagon, so I believe it just feels and sounds different (personal pref there of course but it could matter).

Finally (the biggie to me), believe it or not, from my measurements the Avant has about 1" more leg room and about 2" more head room for rear passengers! That may not sound like a lot, but for a long journey behind a tall (6'+) driver, that's a lot of room. Perhaps the extra inches will make a difference to you depending on your height, your rear passenger usage, and the length of your journeys. The sedan is fine for airport trips (a la 1/2 hour utilitarian trips). However, it's middling to too tight (for me, 6' driver) for lengthy (1+ hour) travelling.

I agree with you on the stealth features of the Avant by the way.

That's my take. Good luck.

= Joe =

mark_avant

I can now fit wto bikes, a full set of 4 rims and tires, and so on, in the car. The Avant makes more sense with very few trade-offs.

doctorb

I'll stick with the sedan myself.<p>-Cheng Kwan
Silver.Onyx
Stage1 mtm
Vm1 uuc

S4 Avantage

And Avants are much less common than the sedans (NT)

TGM65

Did your e-mail address change? I keep getting a "System Undeliverable" error message. Anyway, here's what I wanted to tell you. I'm on the S4 forum Friday and some guy posts that he ordered an '01 S4 and got $2000 off MSRP! I ask him where and he tells me "FSK Audi" in Frederick, MD. I call and talk to his sales person, Lisa Brown (she's very sweet), and sure enough, they're willing to give me $2000 off MSRP on an '01 whether they can locate one that's already "allocated" (May or June production) or order one from scratch (probably July production). She's gonna research to find out how soon she can get a car to my specs and call me next week, but either way she promised 2 grand off the sticker! I asked how they can discount so much, and she said they're a very small dealership and that's just what they're willing to discount on an S4 at this time. Also, they have NO processing fee (Heishman = $49, HBL = $200). It sounds too good to be true...I'll know more next week. Looks like I might be pulling (yet again) my deposit from HBL...I doubt they'll match. Here's their info if you're interested:

FSK Audi
Lisa Brown (301) 662-7600 (tell her I sent you!)

Todd W

With the longer roof it is easier to carry kayaks, windsurfers and other long objects. It also means that you have more headroom in the back seat. You can carry that large TV or plants home from the store.

Now for what I do, easier to carry track wheels and jack. Better weight distribution leads to better handling. Actually shorter than the sedan.

Minuses: More volume to cool with A/C.

Todd W