As I write this the 2009 Audi A4 Avant is somewhere between Los Angeles and Calgary, Canada. Part of me is happy that it will finally be used for the purpose it was designed, namely driving surefootedly in snow and cold. But the Southern Californian in me shudders at the thought of this handsome car caked with cruddy, frozen slush. I grew up in New England and I know what winter does to cars.
Our buyer, Alex Roudinski, had wired us the $28,000 purchase price and flew in Tuesday night. I picked up him and his buddy, Doug, at the airport. The backseat and trunk were filled with the performance tires that had been removed and replaced with winter tires for the long drive north. Turned out these two Canadians-on-the-loose weren't exactly in a hurry to get back home. In fact they were detouring through Las Vegas for a stay of uncertain length. Road trip!
Roudinski had contacted me after finding the A4 on Autotrader and reviewing our blog carefully. On the drive from the airport to my house he commented that it was handy to be able to read everything about a car before he bought it. If you could read my mind at that moment, I was thinking, "Well… Not absolutely everything…" Still, Roudinski had done more due diligence than any other buyer I've dealt with. While we made the deal nearly three weeks ago, barely a day passed without an e-mail from him beginning, "Just one more question…"
Prior to Roudinski's arrival, I ran the A4 through the car wash and parked by the water for one last photo. As the sun began to dip below the horizon I noticed that the quartz gray paint reflected a palate of colors from the sky. And, as I said, I cringed to think of what lay ahead for this guy.
Roudinski had said he will check in with a blog or two as he heads north. But he was back pedaling a bit saying he'd see what he could do once he got back home. But with stop offs in Las Vegas, and a lot of ground to cover, I wouldn't hold your breath.
Philip Reed, Edmunds Senior Consumer Advice Editor @35,457 miles
toastblows says:
10:38 AM, 03/ 3/11
i said $27500....close enough
jeepsrt says:
11:49 AM, 03/ 3/11
I sold my Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 to a couple from Jackson, WY last month, I also dreaded to see what was in store for it in a climate that it was never in as I babied it. Two weeks after I sold it she was hit in the front and the Jeep was totaled. I'm glad she was ok and it wasn't her fault but that thing didn't even have a door ding or a scratch when I sold it.
canadaphant says:
12:01 PM, 03/ 3/11
Cheer up!
Think of this as sending your babied little Avant somewhere that will use it to its full potential. The gray paint will hide road dirt well. The all wheel drive will help it with countless trips to ski hills. The hatch will hold all manner of equipment and yes, groceries, as it moves surefootedly through the snow and ice. The windshield...well, it'll be abused like a red headed stepchild. But the buyer was smart enough to slap winters on this thing, and someone this concerned about the car before a purchase will no doubt take good care of it in ownership.
falkinator says:
12:29 PM, 03/ 3/11
I'll miss reading about the car. Are you planning on doing a "parting shots" story? Having bought my '09 Avant right before yours it's been very informative to see what I may be in-store for. Ours only has 12,000 city miles on it. It's been a great car so far and now I'll find out how it handles 2 children under 3. Fine choice for your long term fleet. I'd like to continue seeing Audi's in your fleet to see if the reliability of the brand has truly improved.
northsparrow says:
02:12 PM, 03/ 3/11
Fear not friends . Cars in Alberta and the other prairie provinces are subject to far less salt abuse than back East. Within the borders of this frozen Dominion it is generally felt that for this reason they will have a longer life span .
It amuses me to no end to contemplate the logic of AWD and seat heaters in Southern California as I have driven through 30 snowy Canadian winters with neither .
equ says:
03:13 PM, 03/ 3/11
On the white stuff, the new a4 becomes a genuinely fun car to drive (as opposed to its usual capable but not really fun character on tarmac). That said, 28k is a lot of coin for a car with 35k miles...
fvfvsix says:
04:47 PM, 03/ 3/11
I personally think everyone, just once, should buy a car and drive across the country to get it home. Truly one of the best ways to see North America.
irfan114 says:
07:51 PM, 03/ 3/11
Sad to see the A4 go T_T
IMO this is one of the most attractive cars on the road today. Spectacular.
Wouldn't mind reading about the Q5 for a year.
maastrichtian says:
03:30 PM, 09/ 7/11
Just sold mine for $28,000 also. Officially done with Audi.
jpnpower says:
04:00 PM, 04/30/12
year late to the party!