I prefer this by a mile over the SUV thing that everyone is doing nowadays… at worst, that 20yo Audi design is boring, older Audi models were way more distinctive.
Especially now that they’re turning them into sports cars, like everyone needs a 3 ton speeding death machine that they can’t see over the dashboard in.
Looks are unimportant. SUV’s, crossovers and minivans are practical and can adapt to a lot of situations. Sedans and trucks are better for specific tasks, but can’t really compete overall.
In what world are crossovers (what was likely meant by “the SUV thing”, since everyone’s making those) practical if wagons have more cargo space for the same amount of euros and feel better to drive?
Get an SUV or a wagon if you’re looking at crossovers. SUV if you actually need proper ground clearance, wagon if you need space but drive mostly on roads. Don’t get a crossover, they’re shit. Minivans obviously are the epitome of practicality IF you need 7+ seats or tons of cargo space, or the option to have either.
Audi in particular is known for making wagons of varying price and performance, including in the age pictured in OP. I’ll agree that minus the additional comfort of having an enclosed trunk (less noise) a sedan isn’t “better” than an SUV or a wagon though. But a crossover is the worst of both worlds between SUVs and wagons or hatchbacks.
I have one of these, also 20 years old, it’ll beat pretty much any bullshit crossover in both off-road performance and on-road comfort. While having cargo capacity up the wazoo and towing capacity of nearly 2 metric tons. Of course there are better ones if you only drive on roads, I like having the freedom to go where most SUV drivers don’t dare and most crossover drivers simply can’t. It’s also got more cargo space than the similarly priced Audi Q5 crossover. Loses to the Q7, but that’s a big behemoth with a much bigger price tag, it’s largely the extra width and length that give it more space, not just the extra height from being a crossover.
But you could also have this one, actually the same chassis, just won’t go as tall as my Allroad’s max setting. Has a biturbo V10:
Or if you’re shopping crossovers that don’t try to pretend they’re big SUVs, you could have the A4 Avant, smaller than the A6/RS6 chassis pictured above, but still more trunk space than many crossovers. Can be had with some pretty tiny engines, nearly as small and dinky as your average crossover, with pretty good fuel economy. Or go as big as a 4.2 V8 in older models in the RS4 spec. You’ve got options.
And of course many other manufacturers still offer wagons too. You don’t have to get an expensive (or formerly expensive) one.
And you can even get EV wagons nowadays, no longer are EV buyers stuck with ugly crossovers that have no reason to exist:
TBF crossovers basically replaced compact-ish cars like the later VW Golf generations or Ford Focus. The added SUV shit is obviously counterproductive, but the length is IMO a pretty good compromise between outside dimensions and cargo space/adults actually being able to sit somewhat comfortably in the back seats, especially when roadside parking is the standard in your area.
Other way around IMO, the additional possibilities don’t weigh as heavy as the impact on the environment and traffic infrastructure (worse road safety for other traffic participants, especially pedestrians, bicyclists and people in small cars, more spaced used on roads and for parking, higher weight, worse fuel efficiency) and some of those issues affect the SUV drivers, too (worse visibility = more accidents, harder to find parking, more money paid for fuel). Minivans are different IMO because they solve the “I need a big car for all the people and luggage I’m transporting”-issue with much better road safety and space efficiency.
I didn’t talk about trucks, but my opinion on them is pretty similar. No one picks an SUV over a lorry truck, and there aren’t that many people who genuinely need a pickup truck instead of a (often smaller) van or regular sedan/station wagon types of cars, especially if it’s not for their job. IMO, even if a pickup truck is sometimes useful, it rarely makes sense to use it as your day-to-day vehicle instead of buying a sedan and renting a bigger car when you actually need it.
At least it predates the design impulse to make the front grille big enough for the car to drive though with a company badge the size of a toddler’s head.
TBF that audi design also aged like milk…god damn that thing is ugly AF.
I prefer this by a mile over the SUV thing that everyone is doing nowadays… at worst, that 20yo Audi design is boring, older Audi models were way more distinctive.
Especially now that they’re turning them into sports cars, like everyone needs a 3 ton speeding death machine that they can’t see over the dashboard in.
Looks are unimportant. SUV’s, crossovers and minivans are practical and can adapt to a lot of situations. Sedans and trucks are better for specific tasks, but can’t really compete overall.
In what world are crossovers (what was likely meant by “the SUV thing”, since everyone’s making those) practical if wagons have more cargo space for the same amount of euros and feel better to drive?
Get an SUV or a wagon if you’re looking at crossovers. SUV if you actually need proper ground clearance, wagon if you need space but drive mostly on roads. Don’t get a crossover, they’re shit. Minivans obviously are the epitome of practicality IF you need 7+ seats or tons of cargo space, or the option to have either.
Audi in particular is known for making wagons of varying price and performance, including in the age pictured in OP. I’ll agree that minus the additional comfort of having an enclosed trunk (less noise) a sedan isn’t “better” than an SUV or a wagon though. But a crossover is the worst of both worlds between SUVs and wagons or hatchbacks.
I have one of these, also 20 years old, it’ll beat pretty much any bullshit crossover in both off-road performance and on-road comfort. While having cargo capacity up the wazoo and towing capacity of nearly 2 metric tons. Of course there are better ones if you only drive on roads, I like having the freedom to go where most SUV drivers don’t dare and most crossover drivers simply can’t. It’s also got more cargo space than the similarly priced Audi Q5 crossover. Loses to the Q7, but that’s a big behemoth with a much bigger price tag, it’s largely the extra width and length that give it more space, not just the extra height from being a crossover.
But you could also have this one, actually the same chassis, just won’t go as tall as my Allroad’s max setting. Has a biturbo V10:
Or if you’re shopping crossovers that don’t try to pretend they’re big SUVs, you could have the A4 Avant, smaller than the A6/RS6 chassis pictured above, but still more trunk space than many crossovers. Can be had with some pretty tiny engines, nearly as small and dinky as your average crossover, with pretty good fuel economy. Or go as big as a 4.2 V8 in older models in the RS4 spec. You’ve got options.
And of course many other manufacturers still offer wagons too. You don’t have to get an expensive (or formerly expensive) one.
And you can even get EV wagons nowadays, no longer are EV buyers stuck with ugly crossovers that have no reason to exist:
TBF crossovers basically replaced compact-ish cars like the later VW Golf generations or Ford Focus. The added SUV shit is obviously counterproductive, but the length is IMO a pretty good compromise between outside dimensions and cargo space/adults actually being able to sit somewhat comfortably in the back seats, especially when roadside parking is the standard in your area.
Other way around IMO, the additional possibilities don’t weigh as heavy as the impact on the environment and traffic infrastructure (worse road safety for other traffic participants, especially pedestrians, bicyclists and people in small cars, more spaced used on roads and for parking, higher weight, worse fuel efficiency) and some of those issues affect the SUV drivers, too (worse visibility = more accidents, harder to find parking, more money paid for fuel). Minivans are different IMO because they solve the “I need a big car for all the people and luggage I’m transporting”-issue with much better road safety and space efficiency.
You’re really claiming that a truck has better road safety and lesser environmental impact than a crossover?
I didn’t talk about trucks, but my opinion on them is pretty similar. No one picks an SUV over a lorry truck, and there aren’t that many people who genuinely need a pickup truck instead of a (often smaller) van or regular sedan/station wagon types of cars, especially if it’s not for their job. IMO, even if a pickup truck is sometimes useful, it rarely makes sense to use it as your day-to-day vehicle instead of buying a sedan and renting a bigger car when you actually need it.
An ugly design/aesthetic and a stupid type of car that doesn’t need to exist is something entirely different.
SUV is more than a type of car, it’s also an aesthetic that’s used even by compact, clearly non-SUV cars.
Ah yeah whatever. I was just trying to help you understand that comment you were clearly missing the point of.
Wow.
Just fell into the early 2000s sameness that a lot of cars were
Luckily the first gen Audi TT managed to avoid it. I had one that I bought for cheap and all my coworkers though it was much newer and more expensive.
It’s fine? Just a bit nondescript.
At least it predates the design impulse to make the front grille big enough for the car to drive though with a company badge the size of a toddler’s head.
Dont agree. Its understated and styled well. I haaaate every car design of today. I’ll take a 90s escort over any car today.