A4 Avant - What do you think?

[850CSi]

He won't buy a BMW because they're too flash and it makes him look bad to his customers. 

Yeah, there's no way I'd drive a BMW, Mercedes, or Lexus if I was a contractor of any kind.

[Madman]

Yeah, there's no way I'd drive a BMW, Mercedes, or Lexus if I was a contractor of any kind.

So what kind of car should a contractor drive, a 1986 Ford Escort with a bit of rust and a dent in the door?

Cheers,
Madman of the People

[saxonyron]

For some reason that line had me cracking up.

As for the ride, go with the avant for now (you must be getting short leases? Like two years?), and then trade it in for the A5 on your next go around.

Wagon + Coupe / 2 = Sedan

So it all evens out in the end....

One thing I will throw out there...make sure you get the sport package and 17 inch wheels. S-Line package would be hot as well, but its probably overpriced.

  Halloween tonight, guess what she wore for a costume?  Yup, the princess dress.    

I went with a 2 yr 50,000 mile lease in '06.  I could live with any of the above for 2 yrs, but the A5 would definitely be more happiness than I could possibly handle.  And yes, all '08's come with S-Line package built in to the base price, as an incentive to sell the B7's when everyone knows the B8 is coming in a year.  Sometimes getting the outgoing model comes with some decent benefits!  In '06 the S-Line cost about $3,500.  Now it seems to be a zero cost option.

[saxonyron]

Does it have to be a leased car?

I buy it thru my business, so leasing makes good sense.  Payments are decent, and it's 100% deductible.  Plus, I find it a PITA to sell a car, and would take a beating on a trade-in.  Basically, as long as the lease rates and residuals are reasonable, leasing works for me.  (And I was a huge opponent of leasing and have talked many people out of leasing, but in some situations, it works.)

[saxonyron]

S4 Avant, used.

On topic- I agree with Raza, you should definitely look into a used S4 Avant. They most certainly are within your price range. Hell, you should probably be able to get a good one certified from a dealer.

Hard to find, but a decent option.  There are a few CPO S4's around.  I'd take a sedan if the deal worked out OK.  Me with a 4.2L V8 = Many tickets and the end of my lucky streak of warnings. 

[saxonyron]

Have you checked out the A3 5-Door?  It costs less, has almost as much room and shares the A4's 2.0 turbo.  Otherwise, get the A4 Avant.  What does a 14-year-old girl know about cars, anyway?

Cheers,
Madman of the People

The A3 is a little too small, but I think I will check it out to confirm.  And yeah, my daughter is semi-car conscious, more so than most girls,  but I don't understand the vitriol that she hurls at the Avant.  I think they're sexy as hell.

[saxonyron]

A4 Avant? Get real, Ron. You have 36 kids and want an A4 Avant? I understand you love Audi's but this is pure Fanboyness. 36 kids don't fit into an A4 Avant. 



Go for it. I find the new A4 to be very sexy looking. As long as you stay away from underpowered junk like the 1.8T (or is it 2.0T now?) and stuff like that. 

Hey, you'd be surprised how many kids you can fit in an A4, especially if you stack them neatly.    Sadly, I'd probably end up with the same underpowered 200 hp engine and crawl along with 0-60 runs in 6.4 sec.  

[saxonyron]

That's why he has some back-up options.

Nice, but those are a bitch to parallel park in the city.  

[saxonyron]

Sax, renting to fill the gap might not be that horrible, if you know of a company locally that provides monthly rentals. If you do it through Hertz, it's rather expensive, but there might be some more reasonable options from private companies out there.

Yeah, it's a possibility, actually.  I'm currently renting an E-150 on a monthly basis from Enterprise for $900/mo.  Considering the lease would be in the $600 range, I'd be burning a few hundred dollars and getting the car I'd go nuts over.  Hmmmmmmmmm.

[Raghavan]

Hey old guy, what about a G8?

[saxonyron]

BMW 3er.

He won't buy a BMW because they're too flash and it makes him look bad to his customers. 

Yeah, and that's part of the problem with the A5.  Even though my competitor might show up with a $50,000 Cummins diesel F350, it's still a truck, so no one seems to notice. 

[saxonyron]

Hey old guy, what about a G8?

Actually, the G8 looked incredible at the NYIAS GTG in April.  I really do want a sport sedan/coupe, with manual tranny, so I'm pretty sure that's a problem with the G8, no?

[saxonyron]

If he wanted a MY2006 (I am guessing he would have to that old to get a S4 in his budget) why wouldn't he just buyout his lease? Also, remember his lease payments are tax deductible since he uses it for business. Finally, he drives a lot, I imagine keep a S4's tank full would be especially expensive for a Masshole such as Ron.

The lease buyout wouldn't make sense for me.  I like having warranty coverage, and I'd need to add in a 100k mile Audi plan.  If I bought CPO, they come automatically covered to 100k miles.  If I buy new, the dealer still throws in the same free maintenance deal they used to do.  As for the gas, I'd gladly pay an extra few bucks a month for another 140 HP.  And hey, I'm no Masshole - I'm living in Cow Hampshire!   

[saxonyron]

So what kind of car should a contractor drive, a 1986 Ford Escort with a bit of rust and a dent in the door?

Cheers,
Madman of the People

A nice sensible pickup truck, even if it retails for $50,000.    You can't give the impression of being too successful or the customer thinks you're hosing them.  Just a sad fact of life.  But if their doctor showed up in a rusted Escort, they'd be worried for sure!

[Raza]

  Halloween tonight, guess what she wore for a costume?  Yup, the princess dress.    

I went with a 2 yr 50,000 mile lease in '06.  I could live with any of the above for 2 yrs, but the A5 would definitely be more happiness than I could possibly handle.  And yes, all '08's come with S-Line package built in to the base price, as an incentive to sell the B7's when everyone knows the B8 is coming in a year.  Sometimes getting the outgoing model comes with some decent benefits!  In '06 the S-Line cost about $3,500.  Now it seems to be a zero cost option.

Where do these 25,000 mile/yr leases come from?  I'd love one. 

[Raghavan]

Actually, the G8 looked incredible at the NYIAS GTG in April.  I really do want a sport sedan/coupe, with manual tranny, so I'm pretty sure that's a problem with the G8, no?

A G8 isn't a sport sedan?
Plus you can get one with the V8 and 6 speed.

[thewizard16]

A nice sensible pickup truck, even if it retails for $50,000.    You can't give the impression of being too successful or the customer thinks you're hosing them.  Just a sad fact of life.  But if their doctor showed up in a rusted Escort, they'd be worried for sure!

Or lawyer. Lawyers shouldn't drive anything less than a BMW. It's funny the multiple standards we have for different professions.

[saxonyron]

Where do these 25,000 mile/yr leases come from?  I'd love one. 

You should be able to negotiate any mileage at all when you set up the lease.  They'll just adjust the residual down and build in the miles into your monthly payment.  When you pre-buy the miles, they're only 15 cents each. Any miles over are 50 or so.  They won't lease for any more than 50,000 miles, otherwise you'd get killed on the residuals and no one wants a CPO with 65,000 miles on it.

[saxonyron]

A G8 isn't a sport sedan?
Plus you can get one with the V8 and 6 speed.

It's definitely a sport sedan, but I didn't know it came with a manual.

[Raza]

It's definitely a sport sedan, but I didn't know it came with a manual.

Perhaps not at release, but it's in the pipeline. 

[Raza]

You should be able to negotiate any mileage at all when you set up the lease.  They'll just adjust the residual down and build in the miles into your monthly payment.  When you pre-buy the miles, they're only 15 cents each. Any miles over are 50 or so.  They won't lease for any more than 50,000 miles, otherwise you'd get killed on the residuals and no one wants a CPO with 65,000 miles on it.

Interesting.  Considering I'm looking at driving 25K a year, a two year, 50K mile lease is an option.

[saxonyron]

Interesting.  Considering I'm looking at driving 25K a year, a two year, 50K mile lease is an option.

Look into it!  Now all you gotta do is incorporate and take the writeoff! 

[Raghavan]

Well, like Raza said, no manual at release:
http://www.leftlanenews.com/pontiac-g8.html

Hopefully for '09 maybe.

[Raza]

Look into it!  Now all you gotta do is incorporate and take the writeoff! 

Hmm, I should. 

[850CSi]

So what kind of car should a contractor drive, a 1986 Ford Escort with a bit of rust and a dent in the door?

Cheers,
Madman of the People

Anything but a BMW, Lexus, or Benz.

[saxonyron]

Why not try a different car?  Maybe a Non-Audi. 

I figured life's too short to always buy cars from the same company.

I know what I like.  Besides, 2 yrs ago, I searched hardcore checking out Volvo's, Infiniti's, BMW, VW, etc.  I kept coming back to Audi.  I haven't crossed off all other possibilities, for sure, but I'm definitely a certified Audi fan.

[saxonyron]

Well, like Raza said, no manual at release:
http://www.leftlanenews.com/pontiac-g8.html

Hopefully for '09 maybe.

Oh, the dirty slushbox swilling bastards!

[CALL_911]

Sax, you really should at least test drive a 335i sedan.

[Raghavan]

Oh, the dirty slushbox swilling bastards!

It looked like an awesome deal otherwise.
$30k for the V8...

[saxonyron]

Sax, you really should at least test drive a 335i sedan.

I might hit the BMW dealer in Nashua next month.  Last time I tried I was treated shabbily by a neanderthal salesman with crooked pasty yellow teeth, greasy hair, and a baaaad tweed jacket.  WTF??  I don't expect too much from car salesmen, but this guy was a little too far down the food chain for my taste.

The 335i is an amazing ride, and I really do like the way they look.  Hey, it's another option!