So this weekend we went car shopping. As usual, what we went looking for was not remotely what we drove back home.
Basically we went looking for a Subaru Outback or Forrester. But due to the recent snows, the local dealers were more or less out of stock of used ones, and we can’t afford a new one. So we looked at several options and finally the dealer manager came by and said “Are you dead set on Subaru? I’ve got a nice little Audi with all wheel drive out on the lot.”
Now I haven’t driven an Audi in a long time. But I had heard that the Quattro AWD system was comparable to Subaru’s, and some even ranked it higher. Since the primary purpose of the car shopping was to swap out a front wheel drive car for an all wheel drive, my wife and I looked at each other and said “OK.”
So he took us out and showed us this car.
It’s a 2003 Audi A4 with a 1.8 liter turbo engine and the Quattro AWD system. That photo is just a stock photo from off the web, but it’s the same color as the one we looked at.
So we drove it, taking it up the I-70 hill just west of Denver as you go into the mountains, and then back down a curvy road through the foothills.
I was very impressed with the car, but since this is to be the Cosmic wife’s primary car, I didn’t offer too much in the way of encouragement, wanting her to decide for herself if she liked it.
Well, she did, and we made the trade (as always with a little more on our side thrown in) and now we have the family car dilemma (three drivers and three cars) solved. For now.
I still need to deal with my own car, which all who know it affectionately call my “piece of crap.” But that will have to wait for another day.
For now I’m very pleased with the Audi, the AWD seems to be at least the equal of the Subaru system and the car is quite peppy and able to handle the hills around here with ease. Plus I think its sort of stylish.
I’ll be driving it this Friday at least.
Now I get to start plotting for MY next car. And what I want is a big-ass diesel pickup truck. Heh.
9 users commented in " Car shopping… "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackNice wheels. I need to get another car. Currently we have 5 drivers and only 2 cars (my daughter totaled our 3rd car in the fall of last year and I still haven’t replaced it).
I would have liked to replace it before now, but we have 2 kids in college presently and another joining the college ranks this Fall. In spite of this, I will be getting some kind of car early next month.
Any recommendations?
I have a wonderful 1995 model “piece of crap” that I can put on the market. It’s got four wheel drive and gets about 100 miles to a pint of oil…
No thanks…
Ah well, it was a shot…
Car shopping for me begins and ends with the ability to handle snow, wind, ice and rain. We had to replace the 2WD car because we literally could not get it up the driveway if it snowed an inch while we were out in the car. That gets real old fast. As much as I hate shoveling snow that has been driven on, I much prefer that to leaving my car in the street while trying to shovel the driveway before my car creates a traffic problem for other people.
My secondary consideration is usually luggage space. This is why we have bought SUVs so frequently, or at least wagons or mini-vans. When we first got married we had a Jeep Cherokee and an Aries K car. The K car had to go before the first winter was over here in Colorado, replaced with a minivan for our growing family. When we moved into the mountains, the minivan had to go because it was front-wheel drive only, so we ended up with a Cherokee and the Subaru wagon (Legacy). Then the Cherokee was replaced with the Nissan Pathfinder (now known as the “piece of crap”), and that’s where we were until my father’s car was handed over to me because of the simultaneous need for me to go to work, my wife to take my son to school, and my daughter to go to college. One of the true inconveniences of living in the mountains is that I can’t just walk down the street and catch a bus. The nearest bus stop from my house is 15 miles away.
So we are left needing 4WD and a car for every driver, at least for now. Or else we have serious difficulties managing our time. Now don’t get me started on what this means to our gas bill…. sigh….
Your needs may not be, probably aren’t, remotely the same.
Still I like AWD just on its own merits so I would recommend it for anyone buying a car. I also like cargo carrying capacity and with a family like yours, you probably also have similar needs. So something like a Grand Cherokee would probably be a good fit for your family too.
If you have any desire to tow anything, you’ll need something hefty enough to tow. I don’t know if you do or not, but I know I do, which is why I’m looking at that diesel in my future. One goal of mine is to be able to tow a nice 20 foot ski/fish boat to and from the local reservoirs on weekends.
Yes, I’m truly the model of a modern yuppie, aren’t I?
If only I could afford it.
My friends say that I change vehicles more often than some folks change their undies. Over the past 8 years, we’ve owned an Acura Integra, a Jeep Wrangler, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a Subaru WRX, a Honda Pilot, a Mitsubishi Evolution, a Subaru Outback, a Subaru Baja, a Ford F150, and a Mazda Miata.
Hands down the most dependable vehicle I ever owned was that Grand Cherokee. We purchased it new in 2000, and put 150,000 miles on it in 5 years. We sold it only so that we could get something a little roomier (the Pilot) to transport the tykes, and out of a perhaps irrational fear that something had to start breaking soon. I have some very fond road trip memories of that truck, and I really miss it.
I hope your Audi works out well for you. They’re sharp looking cars. The only real downside to an AWD is increased fuel consumption (versus a similar 2WD), but as you said it’s really a necessity up here. I never ceased to be amazed by the sheer number of 2WD vehicles I see struggling up US-285 every time it snows.
I loved my basic Cherokee (the 1989 model was the last year before they did the Grand Cherokees, I think). I had 198,000 miles on it when I had to replace it with the Pathfinder. Honestly, had that not been forced on me, I’d likely still be driving it today. The interior rattled and was not put together that well, but the engine and drive train were unbelievable.
I tend to drive cars until they expire. Literally. Before yesterday (and that was a special case) I’ve only attempted to trade in one car, and that was one of those “drag it, push it or drive it, we’ll give you $1,000 deals. Well I drove it in, they gave me the $1,000 and when I was leaving they asked me to take the Gremlin with me. True story.
Other than that I’ve only bought cars when the previous car was totalled or was worthless for some other reason.
I like the Audi, it’s a bit tight for me, but looks to be about the right size for my wife. Of course we could discover that there’s something major wrong with it any day, but so far it seems like a very nice car, and has handled the snow and ice admirably.
Nice car. I have some coworkers that drive Audi’s, and they are extremely reliable (unlike many European cars). The all wheel drive is very helpful, particularly up here in da North.
Nice. No more big trucks though. Just think of pushing it when you run out of gas…
Sorry Drax, a big truck is exactly what I’ll be looking for.
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