Weirdly, I’m going to say that for me this car is pretty close to the Holy Grail of the B7 model range in the U.S.. That’s strange, because it doesn’t have the most powerful motor, or even the second most powerful motor available. In 2008, Audi still had a pretty stout lineup for wagons. You could still get the S4 Avant, with the screaming 4.2 V8. It’s a neat package for sure, but long term ownership might leave your bank account in the lurch. Then there’s the 3.2 FSi motor; again a great motor which finally produced the power that Audi’s V6 should have. But like the other FSi motors, I’ve heard reports that they’re susceptible to carbon buildup and require regular intervals of being pulled apart and cleaned. Plus, let’s be honest – the finite resources which drive our passion will ultimately be going up in price at some point again. So then there’s the 2.0T turbocharged inline-4; with 200 horsepower in stock form, this was a big GTi effectively. It was, as with the rest of the B7 range, available with a 6-speed manual – imagine that! Then you could select some packages to really make your A4 stand apart from the crowd. First was the pricey S-Line package; at $2,000 over the cost of your normal $32,000 Avant 2.0T, it was a pricey option – but it gave you special 18″ RS-inspired wheels, the 1BE sport suspension, special interior and exterior details along with the multi-functional steering wheel. But then you could opt as well for the Titanium Package; a further $500 added to the price, you got even more special Ronal-made quattro GmbH multi-spoke wheels in a gunmetal color and a tremendous amount of polished black details (odd, that they weren’t titanium….). Not many were ordered in this configuration, which was available in both 2.0T and 3.2, sedan and wagon, and tiptronic or manual configuration; narrow it down to Avants and manuals, and it’s quite hard to find one:
Tag: Avant
If you follow these pages, neither the names RS4 or Avant should be particularly new to you. Audi’s B5 generation fast wagon wasn’t the first to wear the RS badge, but it was the first fully quattro GmbH RS car. In the spirit of the RS2 built in conjunction with Porsche and the S6 plus which moved production in house to the quattro GmbH subsidiary, Audi utilized the VAG group acquisition of Cosworth to up the boost on the twin-turbocharged V6 to produce the best part of 400 horsepower. But while the RS2 and S6 plus had rather discrete changes outside to signify how special they were, the RS4 added vents, slats, big flares and giant wheels to back up the added performance. It was the change that launched a thousand dreams, as countless B5 S4 owners attempted to recreate the package that wasn’t brought to the U.S.. A few have made it here through back channels and we’ve written up previously the huge premium they command over regular S4s, but the newer generations of performance cars have dimmed the concentration on the older wonder Audis. Still, even today the RS4 is a pretty potent performance machine and getting closer to being legally importable to the U.S.. But of course our neighbors to the north have more lax importations laws, so RS4s are making their way into Canada as we speak. Additionally, really good examples of the regular S4 Avants are drying up as well. Today, I have an interesting comparison – a just imported, low mileage RS4 Avant versus a fully upgraded, low mileage S4 Avant – likely one of the nicest in the U.S.. What’s the difference in value today?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2001 Audi RS4 Avant on Autotrader Canada
3 CommentsRecently I relayed to the group that a family member had bought a 2004 Audi S4 Avant 6-speed. It was with some excitement and trepidation that this car actually came into the family; after a long search through seemingly countless cars, my cousin finally found one that looked right. It was a silver over silver/black Alcantara 6-speed with just over 100,000 miles. 2004 isn’t the preferred year of the S4 Avant, nor does it have the reputation as being the most reliable Audi ever produced – but overall, it was priced right for what it was and he dived in. There were some exterior condition problems, though, and I offered my assistance with a detailed refresh; I thought it would help to show how you could take a reasonable but not exceptional example of a nice car and make it look pretty special. So, starting with a rather tired and tatty exterior, I dove in:
5 CommentsPretty though it may be, it was not the appearance of this Ming Blue Metallic Audi C5 S6 Avant that won me over. I think pretty much all C5s look good, Avant or Sedan, 2.7T or RS6, they’re all visually pleasing in my book. No, the reason I’m writing this car up is because the seller has equipped the car with a 6spd manual transmission. The automatic Audi stuck us with here in the United States probably didn’t seem so bad when it debuted, but in 2015, the 5 speed ZF 5HP24A can go suck an egg. These enthusaist focused machines deserve 3 pedals, shame Audi didn’t feel that Americans did when they sold it new. On the upside, it seems more and more folks out there are stepping up and plunking down the money to make the change to a manual. While it’s not the most expensive procedure in the world, it’s by no means cheap, especially if you do it the right way. It seems this is one of those jobs where no expense was spared, as the parts list below reads like an Audiphile’s Christmas list.